To help users discover and connect to the places around them, Google supports a wide range of local businesses and places of interest on the map. In addition to places that are removed because they are prohibited or restricted, places may also be removed because they are deemed ineligible for our Google Maps and Search products.
Eligible businesses & places
Places or listings are used to represent public businesses and places of interest found in the real-world. They should be named entities that can be discovered and interacted with by users. Here are some examples of places that can be added to the map:
- Government institutions and public entities
- Places of interest and tourist attractions
- Individual practitioners, professional listings, home-based businesses
- ATMs, video-rental kiosks, express mail drop boxes with a name and customer service info if available
- Seasonal businesses that re-open in the same location
- Service or local area businesses with a storefront
Ineligible businesses & places
We don’t want to surface places that are fake or that users can’t utilize or contact. The following are examples of businesses not allowed on the map:
- Fake or made-up businesses
- Temporary, one-time events
- Private property (e.g. celebrity’s home, your home)
- Seasonal/recurring businesses without a permanent location
- Businesses with no physical presence or local service area (e.g. call centers, online-only businesses)
Name guidelines
To help people find businesses and places online, Google Maps should accurately represent the business or place's name. The name should reflect the business or place’s real-world name, as used consistently on its storefront, website, and stationery, and as known to customers.
Including unnecessary information in a business or place's name isn't permitted and could result in removal. Refer to the specific examples below to determine what you can and can't include when adding or editing a name.
| Name must not include | Not acceptable | Acceptable |
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| Marketing taglines |
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| Store codes |
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| Trademark/registered signs |
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| Fully capitalized words |
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| Business hours information |
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| Phone numbers or website URL’s |
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Special characters (e.g. %$@/") or Important: To include special characters |
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| Service or product information |
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| Location information |
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| Containment information |
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