Maps Search Evaluation Guidelines

March 2025
1. Introduc+on ..............................................................................................................................................5
[Link] Rating Tool ....................................................................................................................................................................................................5
[Link] Work4low...............................................................................................................................................................................................11
[Link] Interface ................................................................................................................................................................................................13
[Link]-Level Navigational Result Question ............................................................................................14
[Link]-Level Rating Checkboxes...........................................................................................................14
[Link] Relevance Rating .......................................................................................................................15
[Link] Relevance Demotion Checkboxes..............................................................................................17
[Link] Accuracy........................................................................................................................................17
[Link]..............................................................................................................................................17
2. Understanding User Intent .......................................................................................................................18
[Link] Types .......................................................................................................................................................................................................18
[Link] Expectation............................................................................................................................22
[Link] Types .......................................................................................................................................................................................................22
[Link] Intent ..................................................................................................................................................................................................24
[Link] Location .....................................................................................................................................24
[Link] Location .....................................................................................................................................24
3. Ra+ng the Query-Level Naviga+onal Result Ques+on ...............................................................................25
4. Ra+ng Result-Level Issues ........................................................................................................................25
[Link] Name/Title in Unexpected Language or Script.....................................................................................................................26
[Link] of Business/POI Results..............................................................................................................27
[Link] of Address Results .........................................................................................................................30
[Link]/POI is Closed or Does not Exist .............................................................................................................................................30
[Link]/Does Not Exist vs. Inaccurate Name and Address ....................................................................31
[Link] Relevance of Closed/Non-Existing Business/POI ......................................................................31
[Link]/POI Status is PERMANENT_CLOSURE ................................................................................................................................31
[Link] Status Shown ...................................................................................................................................32
[Link] Shown as PERMANENT_CLOSURE .........................................................................................32
5. Relevance ................................................................................................................................................32
[Link]-Result Connection..............................................................................................................................................................................33
5.1.1. General Connection ..............................................................................................................................34
5.1.2. Abbreviation/Alternate Name Connection .............................................................................................34
5.1.3. Category Connection ...........................................................................................................................34
5.1.4. Spell Correction Connection .................................................................................................................35
5.1.5. Transit Intent Connection ......................................................................................................................35
5.1.6. Special Character Connection ..............................................................................................................35
5.1.7. Address-Result Connection ..................................................................................................................36
5.1.8. Lack of Connection ...............................................................................................................................36
5.2. Satisfying User Intent ....................................................................................................................................................................................38
[Link].........................................................................................................................................................................................................39
[Link] ................................................................................................................................................................................................................40
[Link] vs. Prominence ...............................................................................................................................................................................42
[Link] Possible Results ....................................................................................................................................................................................42
[Link] Possible Results.......................................................................................................................................................................................45
[Link] Possible Results and Greater Distance ..........................................................................................................................................46
[Link] Areas .........................................................................................................................................................................................................47
[Link] – User Intent Deviation ............................................................................................................................................................48
[Link] for User Inside and Outside Viewport ...................................................................................................................................49
[Link] Address Does Not Exist ................................................................................................................................................................51
[Link] vs. Municipality .....................................................................................................................................................................................52
[Link] Results ......................................................................................................................................................................................52
5.15. Multiple Transit POIs with the Same Name ......................................................................................................................................54
[Link] and Transit Intent ...............................................................................................................................................................................55
[Link] Queries ....................................................................................................................................56
[Link] vs. Stations ................................................................................................................................59
[Link] Intent .................................................................................................................................................................................................61
[Link]: Service-Level Mismatch ......................................................................................................................................................61
[Link] Relevance When the Result Status is PERMANENT_CLOSURE ...................................................................................64
[Link] PERMANENT_CLOSURE Status........................................................................................64
[Link].Expected PERMANENT_CLOSURE Status: Navigational Query......................................................................................................66
[Link].Expected PERMANENT_CLOSURE Status: All chains closed in area ............................................................................................68
[Link] PERMANENT_CLOSURE Status....................................................................................69
[Link].Unexpected PERMANENT_CLOSURE Status: Open Options are Nearby ....................................................................................70
6. Name and Category Accuracy ...................................................................................................................71
[Link] Not Applicable (n/a) .........................................................................................................................................................................71
[Link] Names .....................................................................................................................................................................................................72
6.2.1. Correct Name........................................................................................................................................72
6.2.2. Partially Correct Name..........................................................................................................................76
[Link]. Minor and Moderate Misspellings and Missing or Extra Words .....................................................................................................76
[Link]. Service-Level Mismatch ....................................................................................................................................................................................79
[Link]. Holding Name and Corporate Structure ....................................................................................................................................................79
6.2.3. Incorrect Name .....................................................................................................................................80
6.3 Result Category .................................................................................................................................................................................................83
6.3.1. Correct Category...................................................................................................................................83
6.3.2. Incorrect Category ................................................................................................................................84
6.4. Can’t Verify .........................................................................................................................................................................................................86
6.5 Transit Names ...................................................................................................................................................................................................86
6.6. Parking Names .................................................................................................................................................................................................87
6.7. Final Name and Category Accuracy Rating (Summary Table).....................................................................................................88
7. Address Accuracy: Components and Issues ..............................................................................................89
[Link] Components .....................................................................................................................................................................................89
[Link] Number........................................................................................................................................89
[Link]/Apt ..................................................................................................................................................91
[Link] Name...........................................................................................................................................92
[Link]-Locality and Administrative Subdivisions........................................................................................93
[Link]...................................................................................................................................................94
[Link] or State ......................................................................................................................................94
[Link] Code ...........................................................................................................................................95
[Link] ..................................................................................................................................................95
[Link] Does Not Exist .................................................................................................................................................................................96
[Link]/Script Issue in Address ............................................................................................................................................................96
[Link]-Speci4ic Issue ...................................................................................................................................................................................97
[Link]-Specific Issue vs. Correct with Formatting Issue .....................................................................97
[Link] Issue ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................97
[Link] with Formatting Issue ...................................................................................................................................................................98
[Link]’t Verify ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................98
[Link]’t Verify for Street Number ...............................................................................................................99
[Link]’t Verify for Street Name ..................................................................................................................99
8. Address Accuracy: Result Expecta+ons ...................................................................................................100
[Link]/POI Result ....................................................................................................................................................................................100
[Link]/POI Address Research and Resources................................................................................100
[Link] Official Addresses ..............................................................................................................101
[Link].Department Addresses ....................................................................................................................................................................................101

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 [Link].Result Missing the Street Address ..............................................................................................................................................................103
[Link].P.O. Box, Mailing Addresses, and Management Of4ices ......................................................................................................................104
[Link]/POI with Moving Locations ...............................................................................................105
[Link] ..................................................................................................................................................105
[Link] Type Results ..................................................................................................................................................................................106
[Link] Result.....................................................................................................................................106
[Link] Formats..................................................................................................................................106
[Link] Result ........................................................................................................................................107
[Link] Result......................................................................................................................................107
[Link] Code Result ..............................................................................................................................108
[Link]/Region/Territory Result ...............................................................................................................108
[Link] Result .....................................................................................................................................108
[Link] Without an Expected Address ..............................................................................................................................................108
[Link] Features ..................................................................................................................................108
[Link] Without an Expected Address .....................................................................................................110
[Link].Minimum Address Component ....................................................................................................................................................................110
[Link].Of4icial Address Present ..................................................................................................................................................................................111
[Link].No Of4icial Address ............................................................................................................................................................................................113
9. Pin Accuracy ..........................................................................................................................................115
[Link] Rating Options ........................................................................................................................................................................................115
[Link]..................................................................................................................................................115
[Link]. Does the available evidence indicate the result’s precise location? ............................................................................................116
[Link] .........................................................................................................................................116
[Link] Door .............................................................................................................................................117
9.1.4. Wrong..................................................................................................................................................117
9.1.5. Can’t Verify (Smallest Identified Area).................................................................................................118
9.2. Research Expectations ...............................................................................................................................................................................119
9.2.1. Research Resources...........................................................................................................................119
9.2.2. Best Available Evidence......................................................................................................................119
9.3. Boundaries of the Feature ........................................................................................................................................................................120
9.3.1. Half ’n Half and Tennis Rules..............................................................................................................121
9.3.2. Boundaries in Shared Spaces ............................................................................................................122
[Link]. No Next Door for Shared Spaces.................................................................................................................................................................124
9.3.3. Map View Layers ................................................................................................................................125
[Link]. Satellite Imagery vs. Vector Map ................................................................................................................................................................125
9.3.4. Pin Display Issues...............................................................................................................................126
[Link]. Leaning Buildings .............................................................................................................................................................................................126
[Link]. Pin Missing or Falls on 0,0.............................................................................................................................................................................129
[Link] Rooftop .................................................................................................................................................................................................129
[Link] Property with Multiple Buildings ........................................................................................143
[Link] Rooftops ..........................................................................................................................................................................................144
[Link]-Rooftop Rating .......................................................................................................................144
[Link] Rating ....................................................................................................................................151
[Link].Single-Complex Campus ..................................................................................................................................................................................154
[Link].Dispersed Campus .............................................................................................................................................................................................157
[Link] Without a Rooftop ......................................................................................................................................................................160
[Link] Features ..................................................................................................................................160
[Link] Divisions .......................................................................................................................163
[Link]..................................................................................................................................................164
[Link] Lots and Structures .....................................................................................................................................................................166
[Link] POIs .....................................................................................................................................................................................................167
[Link], Tram, and Streetcar Stops...........................................................................................................169
[Link] POI with Multiple Rooftops/Platforms ......................................................................................170
[Link] POIs with a Single Rooftop ......................................................................................................173
[Link] Transit Stations ..............................................................................................................173
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 [Link].How to Establish an Entrance Polygon .....................................................................................................................................................174
[Link].Examples ................................................................................................................................................................................................................175
[Link] to Rate Results ..............................................................................................................................179
10.1.Speci4ic Address ..........................................................................................................................................................................................179
[Link]-Speci4ic Address ................................................................................................................................................................................194
[Link] Address Does Not Exist ..............................................................................................................................................................202
[Link] of Interest ...........................................................................................................................................................................................204
10.5. Understanding Multiple Query Interpretations: Beyond Viewport and User Location ..............................................208
10.6. Business Queries........................................................................................................................................................................................211
10.6.1. Non-Chain Businesses .....................................................................................................................212
10.6.2. Chain Businesses .............................................................................................................................215
10.6.3. Chain Business With Location Modifier ............................................................................................219
[Link]. General Location Modi4ier ..........................................................................................................................................................................219
[Link]. Speci4ic Location Modi4ier ..........................................................................................................................................................................227
10.6.4. Back Office and Businesses with No Physical Location ...................................................................231
10.6.5. Business/POI Does Not Exist ..........................................................................................................233
[Link] Queries ........................................................................................................................................................................................234
[Link] for Distance with User Inside Viewport..............................................................................235
[Link] for Distance with User Outside Viewport ...........................................................................237
[Link] for Distance with Fewer Possible Results .........................................................................239
[Link] Queries and User Intent .....................................................................................................241
[Link] Queries and Prominence....................................................................................................242
[Link] Query with Location Modifier..............................................................................................242
[Link] Results for Category Queries........................................................................................244
[Link] Categories ................................................................................................................................248
[Link] Categories ..................................................................................................................................249
[Link] Query: Parking .................................................................................................................254
[Link] Results with PERMANENT_CLOSURE Status ...................................................................................................................258
[Link] PERMANENT_CLOSURE Status......................................................................................258
[Link] PERMANENT_CLOSURE Status..................................................................................259
[Link] Query Types .....................................................................................................................................................................................261
[Link] Queries .................................................................................................................................261
[Link] and “My Location” Queries ..............................................................................................263
[Link] Results .........................................................................................................................................................................................265
[Link] Ra+ng Tips ......................................................................................................................................273
[Link]’s the relevance when query is business/POI name and address and the result is only the address? .......273
[Link]’s the relevance when the query is a street name and the result is a single business on that street? ........273
[Link] do I know what the location intent is when user is outside/inside a fresh viewport?......................................274
[Link] do I know what the location intent is when user is outside/inside a stale viewport? ......................................275
[Link] full address result does not exist. How do I rate it? ...........................................................................................................275
Appendix: Release Survey ..........................................................................................................................277

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1. Introduction
Welcome to Maps Search Evaluation. These guidelines will teach you how to use the evaluation tool
and rate Maps Search results.

For each task, you will be presented with a search query and the results that are provided to Maps
users. The goals of this task are:

• Search Relevance and Search 2.0: To determine how well the results satisfy the user’s
query (result relevance)
• Search 2.0 only: To check the data accuracy (name, address, and pin location) of the results

Note: Examples shown in this document reflected real locations at the time of creation. The
examples continue to demonstrate the rating principles described even if a business or point of
interest has changed.

1.1. The Rating Tool

This is the web-based rating tool used to rate Search 2.0 and Search Relevance queries.

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Anatomy of the Tool

Name Screenshot Description

The task bar shows:

• Task Type: The name of the task.

• Task ID: A number that identifies the
specific task item. Use this number
whenever you communicate about a
task or rating.
Task Bar • Request ID: A reference number for
internal use only. Do not use this
number to communicate about a task
or rating.
• Estimated Rating Time: Time to
rate all results

Rating The Rating Guidelines shortcut button

Guidelines opens the guidelines for this task.

Allows you to skip a survey in rare cases

Release where a technical or other issue prevents
Survey you from rating. See Appendix for
complete instructions.
Viewport shortcut buttons provide
convenient controls to pan or zoom to
common map viewport settings. Show
Show User
User moves the result viewport to the
user’s location without changing the zoom
level (map scale).

Show Viewport moves the result viewport

Show
to the center of the user viewport and
Viewport
zooms in on the viewport area.

Use Show All to return from any zoom

Show All level to the initial display showing the
user, the viewport, and all the results.

6
 Name Screenshot Description
The query header shows:
Query: The term the user entered into the
search bar.
Viewport Age: How long ago the user
moved the viewport.
• A fresh viewport is indicated by the
word FRESH displayed in green
text.
Query Header • A stale viewport is indicated by the
word STALE displayed in red text.
Locale: The country and language
combination this query is for.
Country: Should match the country in the
Locale field. If it does not, defer to the
country found in the Locale field.
User Lat,Lng: The user’s location.

Top-Level A top-level question that must be

Question answered once for each query.

The result returned for a user query.

The color of the result heading

corresponds to the color of the pin on the
map that marks that result’s location. (See
Result Pin on page 9.)

The result address, category and status (if

included) will be shown beneath the result
Result
name/title.

You will evaluate the relevance of each

individual result. If you are rating Search
2.0, you will also rate the name/address/
pin accuracy for each result.

Note: A query can generate more than

one result.

7
 Name Screenshot Description

A result may also display its status. If the

status appears and is set to
Status PERMANENT_CLOSURE, the result
requires special treatment when rating
relevance.

` You may occasionally see one or more

normal looking or grayed-out results with
Result with
no rating fields beneath them. No rating
no Rating
is required for these results. This is
Choices
expected and is not a technical issue or
a reason to release the survey.

User viewport: A transparent purple box

centered over a device icon shows the
user’s viewport at the time the query was
issued (if known). The user viewport
represents the map area the user was
looking at when making the query.

The shape of the viewport may vary

depending on the size and orientation of
User the device being used.
Viewport
Note: In some cases, the user viewport
may be so small that it cannot be seen,
but (if the viewport information is
available) the device icon will always be
visible, regardless of the map scale.

Note: The viewports you see in the

examples in these guidelines may be
grey.

8
 Name Screenshot Description
This device icon shows the center of the
user viewport at the time of the user
query. The purpose of the device icon is to
make it easier to find the user viewport. It
does not indicate the user's location.

This icon should not be used for

Device Icon
measuring distance. To measure
distance, start from the outer edge of the
user viewport.

This icon has no rating significance. Its

only purpose is to help you find the
viewport on the map.
A blue and white icon indicates the user
location at the time of the query (if
known).
User
Location
Note: Clicking on the icon reveals the
coordinates (latitude/longitude) of the
user’s location.
A pin indicates a result’s location. The
head of the pin is only an indicator. The
tip marks the actual location.

Each pin on the map has a unique

number and color, which matches the
Result Pin number and color of its corresponding
result heading.(See Result, above)

Note: The pins you see in the examples

in these guidelines may look different
from the pin shown in this chart and the
ones in the tool.

9
 Name Screenshot Description
Clicking any individual result or pin causes
a pop-up box to appear over the pin. The
text within the box may show additional
information and should only be used for
research purposes to help understand the
result:
Pop-up
Information • Phone number (for research only,
Box never call a business)
• URL
• Coordinates (latitude/longitude)

Note: Do not rate the information in the

pop-up box. Rate only the information in
the result.

Map Layer Allows you to select which map layer is

Selector displayed.

Allows zooming in and out on the map.

Zoom
Change the zoom level by clicking the +
Controller
(zoom in) or – (zoom out) buttons.

Copy to
Click to copy information to a clipboard
Clipboard

Click the pin icon at the top right of the

map to place a pin anywhere on the map.

Drop
Location Pin

A purple pin and a pop-up window

showing the pin’s address and latitude/
longitude will appear.

10
 Name Screenshot Description

To measure the distance, click the ruler

icon at the top right of the map.
Measure
Distance
You can now drop a start pin (green) and
an end pin (red). The tool will display the
distance between them.

Draw Tool Click to draw custom polygons.

Click Submit to save your ratings and

Submit
display the next available task.

[Link] Workflow

Complete each step of the following workflow before you assign a rating.

Evaluate and rate each rating drop-down independently of the others. Rate result Relevance based
on whether the result fits the query intent, even if the result is closed or does not exist or has incorrect
Name, Address, or Pin data. If you are rating Search Relevance you will stop after you’ve rated result
relevance. If you are rating Search 2.0, you will continue by rating Name and Category Accuracy,
Address Accuracy, and Pin Accuracy individually.

Note: For any result in a Search 2.0 project, you may be asked to make all of the possible ratings,
some of them, just one, or none. This is expected and not a reason to escalate or release a task.

Rate each result on its own merits. Do not demote duplicate or very similar results.

11
12
1.3. Rating Interface

Your ratings and comments will be collected in the rating interface shown below. You will first answer
one top-level question about the query itself, then rate each individual result using the other
checkboxes and drop-downs.

13
1.3.1. Query-Level Navigational Result Question

You will answer a top-level question for each query to indicate whether there are any results in the
real world that would completely satisfy the user intent.

Query-level question Explanation Notes

Is there a navigational result Are there any results in the real You will only need to answer
for this query? world that can completely this question once for each
satisfy the user intent? query.

Answer to Query-Level
Query Explanation
Question
[Eiffel Tower] Yes There is only one result in the
real world that can completely
satisfy the user intent.
[Starbucks] No There is not only one result in
the real world that can satisfy
the intent of this query.

Note: If you are presented with a query that has no results, you must still answer this question and
submit your answer.

1.3.2. Result-Level Rating Checkboxes

For each result, you will be presented with two high-level questions. These will allow you to highlight
any problems with the result.

High-level
Explanation Notes
question
Result is not in the language of the If you check this box, your rating for this
Result name/
query, the test locale, or the result result will be complete (all other questions
title is in
region (the expected languages) or is will be unavailable).
unexpected
in a mix of expected and unexpected
language or
languages (unless it is an official
script
company, chain, or brand name).

14
 High-level
Explanation Notes
question
If you check this box, only the relevance
needs to be rated.

Pay attention to the status of the POI. If

the result’s status is
PERMANENT_CLOSURE, refer to 5.19
Rating Relevance when Status is set to
PERMANENT_CLOSURE and 10.8
Permanently Closed Results for rating
Business/POI Research shows that the business is
instructions.
is closed or closed or that no such business exists
does not exist at the address listed in the result.
If the status is blank or displays any other
text, rate the relevance of the result as if it
did exist.

Use thorough research and your best

judgement to determine whether the result
is closed, has never existed, or the result
component(s) are [Link] Unclear
Results for further guidance.

1.3.3. Result Relevance Rating

The relevance rating will take into consideration user intent as well as distance/prominence.
Relevance is always rated independently of any data (name/category, address, or pin) inaccuracies.
This means that when rating relevance we always assume that the result exists (even if research
reveals the location is closed) and that the data presented is correct.

Always rate against the real world: If there is a better result available but it is not shown, demote the
existing result(s) while considering the missing one(s).

15
 Relevance
Explanation Notes
Rating

The most likely result implied by the user’s

query, location, and/or viewport that
completely satisfies the user’s distinct
intent.
A rating of Navigational for one
A distinct user intent is defined by a
result does not prevent other
Navigational combination of the following characteristics:
results from satisfying the query to
• Extreme prominence (e.g. Eiffel Tower)
a lesser degree.
• Uniqueness (e.g. complete address)
• Proximity (e.g. incomplete address that
points to an unambiguous option that is
is extremely close)

Highest possible initial rating for

A high-quality result that clearly satisfies the
ambiguous queries as well as for
Excellent user’s intent. Multiple results can be
queries that are not eligible for a
considered high quality.
Navigational rating.
Only partially satisfies the user’s intent due
Good
to relevance, prominence, or distance.
Any relevance rating of Good or
Technically satisfies the user’s intent but below requires an indication of the
Acceptable
does so poorly due to relevance or distance. reason(s) for the demotion:
• User Intent Issue
Does not satisfy the user’s intent due to lack • Distance/Prominence Issue
Bad of relevance or great distance (when closer
satisfying results are available).

16
1.3.4. Result Relevance Demotion Checkboxes

If you give a result a Relevance rating of Good or below, you will be presented with two checkboxes.
Use them to select the reason(s) for your rating:

• User Intent issue

• Distance/Prominence issue

You must also leave a comment explaining your rating.

Checkbox Explanation Notes

User Intent Select when the demotion is due to a result only
issue partially fulfilling the query intent.
Select when the demotion is due to a distance
issue based on the user or viewport location or If both issues were reasons for
Distance/ when you demoted for a result that is less your relevance rating, select both
Prominence prominent based on the initial query intent. You checkboxes.
issue can also select this option when the query asks
for something at a specific location and the
result is not at or near the requested location.

1.3.5. Data Accuracy

If you are rating Search 2.0, once you've rated relevance, you’ll evaluate three result components for
data accuracy: Name, Address, and Pin.

1.3.6. Comments

Comments are mandatory for any result relevance rating of Good or below and for any data issues
not rated Correct/Perfect and should explain the reasons for all rating demotions. Be sure to:

• Include user intent: Indicate what you think the user intent is.
• Refer to the guidelines: If the demotion is due to a guideline instruction, note the guideline
section you used to make your decision.
• Include sources: If you find incorrect information in a result, your comment should include
the correct information and its source. Be sure that any links you include lead directly to the
information you provide. If they don’t, include a link to the source you used and explain how to
get to the information from there.
• Use URL shorteners when inserting long links into your comments
• Be concise: Don’t write elaborate comments. Be short and specific.
• Comment in English: Your comments will sometimes be reviewed or used by people who
are not familiar with your test locale or its language. Comments in English can be understood
by the widest possible audience.

17
 Issue Expectations Example Rating and Comment
The comment should explain the Relevance -> Good (Distance/
reasoning behind your rating. A demotion Prominence)
Relevance may be due to distance from the user’s Comment: Demoted -1 for a few closer
Demotions location compared to similar results/ real world locations in the Middletown/
potential results, secondary intent, or Anchorage area
other reasons.
Address Accuracy -> Incorrect — Street
Number
Include a comment when you rate a
Comment: Correct street number is: 332
Name, Address, or Pin something other
W El Camino Real, Sunnyvale, CA 94087
than Correct or Perfect or you give a
Data Issues as found on the official site: https://
rating of Closed/Does not Exist or
[Link]/locations/sunnyvale
Unexpected Language.
Pin Accuracy -> Wrong
Comment: Wrong pin: correct location is:
52.368067, 4.895389

2. Understanding User Intent

Before evaluating any results, you’ll need to understand what the user wanted to find when they typed
in their query. To determine user intent, use a combination of your own research and local knowledge
plus the information found in the rating interface, which includes:

• User location
• User viewport
• Viewport age

User intent refers to the interaction between query, user location, user viewport, and viewport age.

2.1. Query Types

The queries you are evaluating are real queries submitted by users. Because they are real, they can:

• Be misspelled
• Contain mistakes
• Be inconsistent
• Be ambiguous
• Be badly formatted
• Be, or contain, emojis
• Have no maps intent

The first step in the rating process is to make sure you understand the query.

If you see a foreign-language query, do not release the survey. Research the query or use an
online translation tool to find out what it means, then rate it as usual.

18
You will see several types of queries, including:

Address queries

Address queries contain all or part of a complete address, including street number, street name,
locality, state, country, and postal code.

Query Explanation
[717 E El Camino
This is an address query in the form of a full address. It contains a street
Real, Sunnyvale,
number, street name, locality, state and postal code.
CA 94087]
[Stevens Creek
This is an address query for a street. The user is looking for the location of
Blvd, Cupertino
this particular street.
CA]
This is an address query for a country. The user is looking for the location of
[Ireland]
the country of Ireland.

This ambiguous query could refer to New York city or New York state. You
[New York] will find more information on prominence, user location, and the viewport in
the following sections to help you determine the intent of this query.

Point of Interest (POI) queries

A point of interest (POI) is a location that people find interesting or useful. POIs can be locally or
internationally known. These guidelines use a very broad definition of POI in which businesses are
also considered POIs.

Query Explanation
[London Bridge] This is a query for a famous POI in London.
[Danube River] This is a query for a river in Europe.
[Charing Cross
This is a query for a transit station in London.
Station]
[Union Square, SF] This is a query for a location in San Francisco.

19
Business queries

Business queries contain the name of a specific business.

Query Explanation
This is a business query with a location modifier (Palo Alto). The user is
[Zola Palo alto] looking for a specific restaurant (Zola) in Palo Alto, CA. Queries can include
location modifiers, like city names, that make them more specific.
This is a business query with a request for a specific store in Sunnyvale, CA.
[Bookasaurus] The viewport and user location can help pinpoint the desired location for
such a query.
[Starbucks, 7 This is a query for a chain business followed by a specific address. Chain
Boulevard businesses are businesses that have more than one location, and include
Poissonnière, everything from national chains, like Starbucks, down to small local chains,
75002 Paris, like Burrito Boyz. Target, Auchan, Albert Heijn, and Boots are all chain
France] businesses.
This is a business query with a request for the chain business Target and
[Target sunnyvale]
location modifier of Sunnyvale, CA.

Category queries

A category refers to a group of entities that share a set of characteristics.

Query Explanation
This query is for locations where fast food is served. Assume the user
[fast fod] wanted the correct version of the query when the query contains a simple
misspelling.
[bus stop] This query requests the locations of bus stops.
[coffee shops] This query requests the locations of businesses that sell coffee.
[gym] This query requests the locations of fitness centers.
[gas San This query requests the locations of gas stations with a location modifier of
Francisco] San Francisco.

Product and Service Queries

A product or service query is a query about something that can be purchased at or is offered by a
business or POI. When researching results for these queries, be sure to confirm that the result
actually offers the product or service in a way that would be meaningful or helpful to a user with this
query.

For instance if a user had the query [salads], a steakhouse with one salad on its menu, would not be

20
very helpful, but the American restaurant Sweetgreen, which specializes in salads, would be.

Query Explanation
This query requests the locations of businesses that sell a specific type of
[vanilla latte]
coffee drink.
[deep-tissue This query requests the locations of businesses that offer a unique style of
massage ] massage.
This query requests the locations of businesses that sell pencil, pens,
[school supplies]
notebooks, and everything else students need for school.
This query requests the locations of businesses that offer truck tire repair
[truck tire repair]
services.
This query requests the locations of businesses where ATV tours are
[ATV tours]
available.
Not every hair salon offers perms, but this query requests the locations of
[perms]
ones that do.
[deep dish pizza This query requests the locations of places that sell a specific type of pizza
detroit] in a particular city.

Coordinate and “My location” queries

Some queries are simply a set of coordinates or the words ”my location” (or something similar).

Query Explanation
[36.082857,
The user has specified a location using lat/long coordinates.
-115.172916]
[my location] The user has typed these (or similar) words to find out where they are.

Emoji Queries

Some queries are not made using words. Emojis represent the category they picture. Use the most
literal meaning.

Query Explanation

⛽ The fuel pump represents a search for places to get gas.

" The pizza slice stands for the query “pizza.”

21
 Query Explanation

☕ The coffee cup represents the query “coffee.”

Queries with no maps intent

Some queries have no maps intent. They include, but are not limited to, queries that:

• Do not refer to a physical location

• Do refer to a physical location but have an information intent rather than a location intent
• Refer to a brand or company with a predominantly online intent, like Groupon or LinkedIn
• Ask about the time or weather in a specific location

Rate all results for these queries Bad.

Query Explanation

[eureka temperature] This is a weather query with no maps intent. Rate all results Bad.

[time in new york

This is a “time in” query with no maps intent. Rate all results Bad.
city]
This is a query about a company that is mainly used online. It does not have maps
[facebook]
location intent. Rate all results Bad.
[is cucumber a fruit This is an information-seeking query that has nothing to do with finding a location.
or a vegetable] Rate all results Bad.

2.1.1. Research Expectation

Research will help you understand the user’s query and intent:

• Use a search engine to investigate and understand the query intent

• Use official resources like businesses’ official websites, national postal service websites, and
government websites whenever possible
• Use your own local knowledge
• Use the information provided in the rating interface

2.2. Result Types

A query can return one of three types of results.

22
Result Type Explanation Example
Businesses and POI type results
will show a name in the top field,
followed by an address and a
Business/POI
category. The same rating rules will
apply to both Business and POI
results.
These results can be one of
multiple address types, including
residential address or locality.
Instead of a business or POI name,
this kind of result will show the first
line of the address in the top field,
followed by the entire address
Address below. This type of result will not
include a category.

Note: If a result does not include a

category, don’t assume the result
type is an address. You must still
do research to verify this, as not all
POIs will display a category.
The results for POIs or features
without an expected address, like
bus stops, bridges, or mountains,
may sometimes look like address
type results. Check to see if the
result includes a category. If it
does, the result refers to a feature
or POI, not an address.

Features At first glance, the result on the

without an right might look like it’s for an
expected intersection. However, since it
address includes a category, you can see
that it actually refers to a POI — in
this case, a bus stop.

This result for a landmark square

might be mistaken for a result
referring to a street with the same
name. Since it contains a category,
in this case “Park,” you can see
that it actually refers to a POI.

23
2.3. Location Intent

A result is considered most relevant when it is located in the user’s area of expected results. There
are two types of Location Intent:

• Explicit: The query is made clearly and indicates a specific location or area where results are
expected.
• Implicit: The location expectation is not as clear, so you must use context clues, in the form
of user location and viewport, to discover the area in which the user is expecting results.

2.3.1. Explicit Location

When there is an explicit location mentioned in the query, you can ignore the user and viewport
locations. The user has told you exactly where they want to find results.

Query Expected results Notes

Places to buy this drink
[bubble tea tully road san User and viewport locations should be
on Tully Road in San
jose] ignored.
Jose.
Museums in the city of User and viewport locations should be
[Boston museums]
Boston ignored.
The queried chain
User and viewport locations should be
[kfc Philadelphia] business within the
ignored.
stated locality.
Relevant POIs near the Viewport location should be ignored,
[food near me]
user’s location even if fresh.
Relevant POIs near the Viewport location should be ignored,
[nearby/nearest starbucks]
user’s location even if fresh.
Result placed on the Viewport location should be ignored,
[my location]
user’s location even if fresh.

2.3.2. Implicit Location

If the user’s location intent is not expressly stated in the query, for example [chinese] or [479
margarita ave], use the user location, viewport location, and viewport age to determine the area of
expected results.

Viewport User Location Location Intent

When the user is within a fresh viewport, take the user
location as location intent. Results are generally expected in
Inside Viewport
or near the viewport, and results inside the area cannot be
rated Bad because of distance alone.

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 Viewport User Location Location Intent
Results are expected in or near the viewport area. All relevant
results inside the viewport are eligible for a rating of
Fresh Outside Viewport
Excellent. If no results can be found in or near the viewport,
consider the user location a secondary location intent.

Missing When the user is missing, the viewport is the location intent.

Inside Viewport
When the viewport is stale, consider only the user location as
Outside Viewport location intent.
Stale
Use the stale viewport as location intent when the user
Missing
location is missing.
Viewport Age Present or
Consider the viewport fresh when the viewport age is missing.
Missing Missing
The user location sets the location intent when the viewport is
Present
not present.
Missing entirely When the user location and viewport are missing, the test
Missing locale becomes the location intent with a strong focus on
prominent results.

3. Rating the Query-Level Navigational Result Question

Once you have identified user intent, you will need to answer a query-level question. You must decide
whether the intent is unique and clear enough that there is only a single (navigational) result in the
real world that could fully satisfy it.

You will answer this question before you rate any results, since you don’t need to know what the
results are in order to learn if there’s a real-world result that could fully satisfy the user’s intent:

• If there is a real-world navigational result for the query, answer Yes

• If there are no possible real-world navigational results for the query, answer No

You will answer this question once for each query, whether or not any results are shown.

4. Rating Result-Level Issues

For each result, you must check to see whether:

• There is an issue with the language/script of the result name/title

• The business/POI is closed or does not exist
25
[Link] Name/Title in Unexpected Language or Script

A result name or title is in an expected language or script when it is:

• In the language/script of the test locale

• In the language/script of the query
• In a language/script of the result region
• Any combination of any of the languages or scripts described above
• An official company, chain, or brand name commonly used in the market, even if this is not
any of the languages or scripts described above

Below Left: Result name is Walmart Supercenter (in yellow box), address details are below (in green box).
Below Right: Result is an address, so the first line of the address appears in the yellow box as the Address title. All the
address details appear below it in the green box.

When all or part of a result name or title is in an unexpected language or script, users will not
understand it. In these cases, select the Result name/title is in unexpected language or script
checkbox. No further rating will be required.

Note: When the address details, found below the name/title, are in an unexpected language or script,
the result can still be understood and rated for relevance and name accuracy. For more on what to do
when the address details (not the name or title) are in an unexpected language or script, see
Language/Script Issue in Address.

Minor Differences in Spelling

Don’t consider minor spelling issues, such as missing or added diacritics (e instead of é), as
Unexpected Language/Script. This also applies to unnecessary or less relevant parts of a name or
title. Use this checkbox only to report issues that interfere with understanding the name/title and
issues listed in your Country Specific guidelines.
26
4.1.1. Name of Business/POI Results

Pay special attention to the language and script of brand and chain names. See your Country
Specific guidelines for more information.

Expected Language Explanation Example

Expected language/script:
• Test locale: en_US
The query gives clues as to the
• Result in California, USA
language in which the user
• Query: [mystery]
expects results. Any result that
• Result name: Mystery Spot
matches the most specific part
of the query or corrects a
Result name is in English and satisfies
spelling issue in the query is
the query.
considered to be a result in an
Query expected language. This also
Unexpected language/script:
includes remote results in
• Test locale: en_US
foreign countries.
• Result in California, USA
• Query: [market]
But: Consider official result
name variations and default to • Result name: ေစျးကွက်
the test locale for very short
queries. The result name is “Market” in Burmese
script.

27
Expected Language Explanation Example
The language of the test locale Expected language/script:
is generally considered an • Test locale: es_ES
expected language and script. • Result in California, USA
• Query: [college]
If the query is so short that the • Result name: Colegio Skyline
language cannot be identified,
assume that the query language The result name is in Spanish, which
is that of the test locale. matches the language of the test locale,
so this result title is expected and
Test Locale
When the test locale and the acceptable.
and
query locale differ, consider the
Query Locale
query locale an expected Unexpected language/script:
language, as it provides more • Test locale: en_US
detailed information. • Result in California, USA
In the example below, the • Query: [college]
Query Locale is set to English in • Result name: Colegio Skyline
Indonesia. Therefore English is
an expected language: “Colegio” is in Spanish, but the test locale
• Query Locale: en_ID is in English, so the result title is in an
• Test Locale: id_ID unexpected language.
Expected language/script:
• Test locale: en_US
• Result in Rio de Janeiro, BR
• Query: [beach]
• Result name: Praia de Copacabana
Result satisfies the category “beach” and
the result’s name is in Latin script and the
Portuguese language, which is the
language of Brazil.
The language/script of the
Result region result’s region is expected as
Unexpected language/script:
the result language. • Test locale: en_US
• Result in Rio, BR
• Query: [beach]
• Result name: Playa de Copacabana
Though the result name is in the same
script as the test locale and query
language, returning the name in Spanish
is unexpected language because the
language of Brazil is Portuguese.

28
Expected Language Explanation Example
Expected language/script:
• Test locale: ar_SA
• Result in Riyadh, SA
• Query: [‫]ماكدونالدز‬
• Result name: McDonald's

The name of this restaurant is in the

Any official brand, chain , or language of the official brand name.
business name in the
language of the result’s region Expected language/script:
or the official brand name • Test locale: ar_SA
commonly used in the market, • Result in Riyadh, SA
even if it is not in the language • Query: [‫]ماكدونالدز‬
of the query, test locale, or • Result name: [‫]ماكدونالدز‬
Brand, chain, and
result region, is expected.
business names
The name of this restaurant is in the
In bilingual areas, official
language of the region
names in any of the languages
of the area are expected,
Unexpected language/script:
unless otherwise specified in
• Test locale: ar_SA
the Country Specific
• Result in Riyadh, SA
Guidelines.
• Query: [‫]ماكدونالدز‬
• Result name: [ ]

The name of this restaurant is in

Japanese, which is not the language of
the query, the locale, the result region,
or the official brand name.

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4.1.2. Title of Address Results

Unlike business/POI results, address results do not have an actual name. Instead, the first line of the
address appears as the title. Rate Result name/title is in unexpected Language or Script when
the title (first line of the address) is in an unexpected language or script.

Localized and Non-Localized Components

Address results often cannot be translated and are accepted in the original version of the result
location. Some features, however, are translated into the test locale’s language, especially for
bilingual or English-speaking areas. Although the preferred language is the test locale’s language, the
query language and language of the result’s location are also accepted.

Localized components may include:

• City
• State
• Country

Appropriate localization depends on the result itself and the language it is translated into. Research
and local knowledge will help you decide if the translation has been done appropriately.

Components that are not typically localized include:

• Feature type (square, bridge, roundabout, or intersection)

• Street names and street addresses including building names

Use the Address Accuracy Incorrect – Language/Script Issue checkbox if you find issues of this
nature in any of the address components in the address details (not the address title) of any result.

4.2. Business/POI is Closed or Does not Exist

Use this checkbox when, after careful research you determine that a result is:

• Closed/non-existent
• Randomly moving (like a food truck without a fixed schedule)
• A non-recurring past event with no further significance that does not carry any maps intent

Important: If you rate a result as Business/POI is closed or does not exist, you must still give a
relevance rating as if the place were open or did exist.

Remember, this rating can only be applied to business or POI results, not to address type results.

30
Use this checkbox to indicate a POI has closed only if there is evidence to prove the business
indicated in the result is no longer operational.
When you can’t make a decision about business closure due to lack of resources, assume the
business could exist and rate the name, address, and pin accuracy as Can’t Verify (unless there is
an obvious data issue like a missing mandatory address component or a pin in the ocean).

Note: Businesses and POIs can close for construction, remodeling, vacations, or other reasons.
Treat all temporarily closed businesses as if they were open when the closure is announced
on the business/POI webpage or managed social media page. There is no limit to how long the
closure can be.

4.2.1. Closed/Does Not Exist vs. Inaccurate Name and Address

It is important to understand what the result really is before making your rating. If your research
reveals that the business has an incorrect name or address, use the drop-down rating options to
signal precisely what is wrong. Use the Business/POI is closed or does not exist checkbox only for
the specified purposes. See Unclear Results for more guidance and examples.

4.2.2. Rating Relevance of Closed/Non-Existing Business/POI

Special consideration is required when rating a closed/non-existing business/POI. Please review

section 4.3 carefully with regards to the status and permanently closed vs. open.

Never automatically demote to Bad simply because of closure. (You may find other reasons to
demote to Bad, but closure should not be the sole reason for the demotion.)

4.3. Business/POI Status is PERMANENT_CLOSURE

The following chapter offers a high-level introduction to rating closed/non-existing businesses/POIs in

relation to their status (displayed as part of the result information). It addresses Relevance and Data
rating. Please also review the more specific guidance in the associated relevance chapter.

Note: No matter what is displayed in the status section of the tool, you must always research the
business/POI to determine whether it is open or not.

This chart shows the possible combinations of status displayed in TryRating plus a result’s actual
state based on your research.

Real-World State Confirmed by

TryRating Status Comments
Research
Open/Exists None Rate as usual

Closed/Does not Exist None Rate as usual

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Real-World State Confirmed by
TryRating Status Comments
Research
Rate relevance based on
Closed/Does not Exist PERMANENT_CLOSURE whether result is expected/
unexpected. See 5.19.
Rate relevance based on
Open/Exists PERMANENT_CLOSURE whether result is expected/
unexpected. See 5.19.

4.3.1. No Status Shown

When no result status shown or the status is blank, you must research to determine whether the
business/POI is open or closed/does not exist in the real world. Use the Business/POI is closed or
does not exist checkbox when needed.

Rate the result relevance as if the business/POI were open or did exist. Use your best judgement to
determine how well the result satisfies user intent within the area of expected results.

[Link] Shown as PERMANENT_CLOSURE

When the result status is PERMANENT_CLOSURE, follow the research steps to determine if the
business in fact is open in real world or not, and use the Business/POI is closed or does not exist
checkbox when needed.

The relevance rating for a result with PERMANENT_CLOSURE status depends on whether this result
is expected or unexpected based on the specific relevance guidance in 5.19. Rating Relevance when
Status is set to PERMANENT_CLOSURE and 10.8. Permanently Closed Results

5. Relevance
Relevance for each result is found by assessing the relationship between:

• Satisfying user intent

• Prominence
• Distance

Complete each step of this workflow before assigning your relevance rating.

General Rating Rules

• Rate each result individually and demote based on relevance and distance.
• Always rate against the real world: If there is a better result available but it is not shown,
demote the existing result(s) considering the missing one(s).
• Ignore the order of the results and evaluate each one individually.
• Ignore duplicate results and rate them individually. Do not demote for repetition.
• If there are results that are extremely inappropriate or illegal, rate Bad. Identify such content
by determining if the result is likely to be embarrassing if seen by users.
32
 Rate the relevance of each result without considering the accuracy of the name/category,
address, or pin.
When judging distance/prominence, ignore closed or nonexistent results.

Adult Content

Businesses and POIs with legal adult content are rated:

• Navigational to Bad if the query clearly requests this type of content

• Bad if the query does not imply such an intent

5.1. Query-Result Connection

For a result to satisfy a query to any degree, there must be some kind of relationship between them.
Your first task is to understand what this connection is.

Satisfying the user intent is only the first step in the rating process and covers the minimum
requirements for a result to be considered relevant.

33
5.1.1. General Connection

A result can satisfy user intent for multiple reasons, but most often the result satisfies the most
specific part of the query’s intent. This kind of relationship between query and result is called a
General Connection.

Type of
User Query Result Description
Connection
Satisfies Intent: Users are likely to start their
San Francisco search with the name of the brand “Marriott”.
[marriot] Marriott Union General Result satisfies user intent by providing a
Square Marriott close to a user/viewport located in the
San Francisco area.
Satisfies Intent: The user is looking for an
[Houston George Bush
General airport in the city of Houston. This is an airport in
airport] Intercontinental
Houston, which satisfies user intent.
Satisfies Intent: The query contains two
[london, different cities, so it’s likely a routing query.
London General
brighton] Returning either of the individual results is
expected and should be rated Excellent.

5.1.2. Abbreviation/Alternate Name Connection

The query is an abbreviation or alternate name and the result provides the full and currently accurate
name.

Type of
User Query Result Description
Connection
Newark Liberty
Satisfies Intent: The international airport code
[ewr] International Abbreviation
for Newark Liberty International Airport is EWR.
Airport
Alternate Satisfies Intent: The result is the correct name
[sears tower] Willis Tower
Name of what was formerly known as the Sears Tower.

5.1.3. Category Connection

The query is a category and the result satisfies that specific category, which may or may not be
displayed within the information provided in the result.

Type of
User Query Result Description
Connection
Satisfies Intent: A category search for "food" in
[food] La Ciccia Category a viewport over San Francisco returns an Italian
restaurant there.

34
5.1.4. Spell Correction Connection

The query is misspelled and the result corrects that issue. This kind of connection only applies to
obvious issues when no result for the actual query exists at the user’s location or when the user intent
is clearly satisfied by the spell-corrected results.

This kind of correction also happens when a query address does not exist but the result address
does, correcting the issue and creating a match.

Type of
User Query Result Description
Connection
Spell Satisfies Intent: The result corrects the user's
[aple store] apple store
Correction spelling mistake.
Satisfies Intent: This query suggestion for the
Spell
Lodz Łódź Polish market adds the diacritics the user may
Correction
have missed when typing the query.
Satisfies Intent: When there is no "Clair St"
[23 Clair 23 Clair Spell within or around the viewport/user, consider a
street] Boulevard Correction “Clair Boulevard" that is close to the viewport/
user as the most likely intent.

5.1.5. Transit Intent Connection

The result satisfies the transit intent of the query. If the query indicates a specific transit system, the
result must match that system. There is also a transit intent connection when a station provides
access to more than one transit service and the queried one is included.

Type of
User Query Result Description
Connection
Satisfies Intent: Result satisfies user intent by
Richmond Transit providing a close station that runs the requested
[bart]
BART Station Intent transit service for a user/viewport located in the
Richmond area.

5.1.6. Special Character Connection

Always consider the specific language conventions. In general, user intent is satisfied when:

• The query contains a special character and the result is a valid variation (if applicable).
• The query does not include a special character but the result with special characters adds
value to the user and is therefore considered spell corrected.
• The country or language does not have the special character and it is generally perceived as
a form of expression or style (like “café” in English).

35
 Type of
User Query Result Description
Connection
Satisfies Intent: "oe" is a valid variation for the
Special
[möllersdorf] Moellersdorf special character "ö" in the country/language of
Characters
the result (Germany/German).

5.1.7. Address-Result Connection

When a query address and a result address are not exactly the same, the kind of connection they
have depends on their relationship:
• Street number is the same in both query and result but the unit number is different or missing:
• If neither address is a street extension, rate result relevance Good when:
▪ The query contains a unit number and the result does not.
▪ The result contains a unit number and the query does not.
▪ The query contains one unit number and the result contains another.
• The query is full address including street number and name and the result is the street name
only:
• Since this result is an unlikely secondary intent, rate relevance as Acceptable.
• Query is for a street [Main Street, Pleasanton, CA] result is just the locality (Pleasanton, CA).
• Rate the result relevance Bad as it does not satisfy the user intent.

Type of
User Query Result Description
Connection
357 Western
Satisfies Intent: The result does not include
[357 western Ave
Address the unit number requested in the query so its
ave suite 1] St. Johnsbury,
relevance is rated Good.
VT
357 Western Satisfies Intent: The result has the same
[357 western Ave Suite 2 street number but a different unit number from
Address
ave suite 1] St. Johnsbury, the address in the query, so its relevance is
VT rated Good.
Satisfies Intent: Instead of returning the full
Western Ave address requested, the result provides only the
[357 western
St. Johnsbury, Address street name. This is an unlikely secondary
ave suite 1]
VT intent, so relevance is demoted to an initial
rating of Acceptable.
Does not satisfy user intent: Instead of
[357 western
St. Johnsbury, returning the full address requested, the result
ave st. Address
VT provides only the locality. This does not satisfy
johnsbury]
the user intent, so relevance is rated Bad.

5.1.8. Lack of Connection

If the result does not satisfy the user intent either because there is no relationship between the query
intent and the result or because the connection between the query intent and result will not be
immediately obvious to the user, rate the result relevance Bad.
36
 Type of
User Query Result Connectio Description
n
Santa Cruz Does not satisfy user intent: Research
[airport] Boardwalk None shows that there is no connection between the
Santa Cruz query and the result. Rate Bad.
Does not satisfy user intent: Result is for the
[Raging Waters
2333 South correct address, but does not include the
2333 South White
White Rd None business named in the query, so users will
Rd
San Jose have no way of knowing if this is truly
San Jose]
connected to the business or not. Rate Bad.
Does not satisfy user intent: Query is the
name of a business and result is for the
2333 South correct address, but does not include the
[Raging Waters] White Rd None business name. Users will have no way of
San Jose knowing whether or not this address is
connected to the business they asked for.
Rate Bad.
Does not satisfy user intent: Result is for a
Macy’s
store, not a mall. This store is inside the
2801 Stevens
[valley fair mall] None requested mall, but does not satisfy the intent
Creek Blvd,
of the query, which is the whole mall.
Santa Clara
Rate Bad.
Westfield Does not satisfy user intent: Result is for a
Valley Fair mall, not a store. This mall contains the
[macy’s] 2855 Stevens None requested store, but this result is the whole
Creek Blvd, mall, not the single store the user asked for.
Santa Clara Rate Bad.
Does not satisfy user intent: Result is for a
Costco
Costco gas station, not a Costco store. The
Gasoline
store and the station are at the same address
[costco] 1601 Coleman None
and share a brand name, but the result is not
Ave, Santa
what the user asked for and does not satisfy
Clara
the query intent. Rate Bad.
Does not satisfy user intent: Result is for a
Costco Costco store, not a Costco gas station. The
1601 store and the station are at the same address
[costco gas] None
Coleman Ave, and share a brand name, but the result is not
Santa Clara what the user asked for and does not satisfy
the query intent. Rate Bad.

37
5.2. Satisfying User Intent

The user’s intent can be determined by considering the query, the user’s location/viewport, and your
local knowledge. Sometimes queries are ambiguous or can have multiple interpretations.

In order to determine a query’s primary and secondary intent, look at the relationship between the
query and the result. Ask yourself:

• Is there a logical relationship between the query and the result?

• How likely is the user to be looking for this result given the query and the location intent?

Intent Type Definition Highest Initial Rating

Primary Intent Result satisfies the most obvious and likely user Navigational or
intent Excellent
Secondary Intent A result which is less likely to be the user’s intent. Good (User Intent)
Results matching secondary intent are often not as
prominent as the originally queried entity but still
satisfy the intent of the query.
Unlikely Intent A result which matches the query but is very unlikely Acceptable (User Intent)
to be the user’s intent.
Non-Relevant There are issues that make the result useless for Bad (User Intent)
Intent the user.

For any Relevance Rating of Good or below, you must select the appropriate check box(es) to
indicate the reason(s)for demotion: User Intent and/or Distance/Prominence. If both reasons apply,
use both checkboxes.

When determining intent, keep in mind:

• It is rare that a navigational query will have multiple primary intents.

• Rating one result Navigational and one Excellent within the same set of results is also rare,
but possible (see examples in Navigational Results for Category Queries).
• A navigational query will most often produce one result that satisfies the distinct intent and
multiple other results that satisfy a secondary intent or do not satisfy the intent at all. This
means there will be one result rated Navigational and all other results will be rated Good or
Acceptable for secondary intent or Bad for not satisfying user intent.
• Most non-navigational queries will produce results that are rated from Excellent to Bad.
• Since the queries were made by actual users, there will be cases where a query is gibberish
or has no maps intent. Do your best to understand it and see how well the results fit the
user’s intent, but don't be shy about assigning a Bad rating if a result doesn’t fit.

Satisfying the user intent is only the first step in the rating process and covers the minimum
requirements for a result to be considered relevant. The rating determined by deciding how well
intent is met is called the Initial Rating. Distance and prominence will be considered next in order
to establish the final rating.

38
5.3. Prominence

Once you’ve made an initial rating by establishing that there is a relationship between the query and
the result and determining the intent type, consider the result’s prominence.

The prominence of a feature refers to its popularity, including the number of people visiting and media
sources referencing it. Prominence can vary based on the test locale and even local knowledge.
Consider the following list to get a general idea how to establish prominence, ordered from the most
prominent to the least prominent:

• The feature is known internationally

• The feature is known in the country
• The feature is known in the region
• The feature is known locally
• The feature may not even be known locally

A result that may not directly appear to be user intent can be promoted for being internationally
prominent.

Query Result Rating and Explanation

Relevance Navigational
Sydney, Australia The city of Sydney is clearly the user's primary
intent.
Relevance Good (User Intent)
Sydney Opera House The Opera House does not satisfy primary intent.
Sydney, NSW, Australia However, it is promoted to secondary intent due
[Sydney]
to its international prominence.
Relevance Bad (User Intent)
Sydney Town Hall
483 George St, The Sydney Town Hall does not satisfy primary
Sydney, NSW, 2000 intent. While the civic center is historically
Australia important, it is not internationally prominent and
will not be promoted to secondary intent.
Relevance Bad (User Intent)
Sydney Buses Depot The depot matches the query string but is unlikely
Randwick to be the user’s intent and has very low
34-36 King St, Randwick prominence given how many other internationally
NSW 2031, Australia prominent POIs Sydney has to offer.

Relevance Navigational

39
 Query Result Rating and Explanation

Agra
Uttar Pradesh, India Query is for a small locality in India and the result
satisfies the user intent.

Relevance Good (User Intent)

[Agra]

Result is for a prominent site in the queried

Taj Mahal locality. The Taj Mahal does not satisfy the user’s
Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India primary intent. However, it is promoted to
secondary intent due to the international
prominence of the feature in the queried locality.

Relevance Navigational
Japan The country of Japan is clearly the user’s
primary intent.
[japan]
Relevance Bad (User Intent)
(User is in
Seattle) Sarku Japan
401 NE Northgate Way A chain restaurant with “Japan” in its name does
Seattle, WA 98125 not satisfy the query’s primary intent (the country
of Japan) or any secondary intent (entities with
international prominence).

[Link]

Generally, the farther away the result is from the area of expected results, the less desirable it
becomes. This is especially true for queries highly driven by distance to the user/viewport, such as
chain businesses, hospitals, pharmacies, or grocery stores.

Because the user can be offered many possible results that are all very similar, the closest entities
providing the expected service can be considered the best options. Results which are farther away
are less relevant and should be demoted according to their additional distance. Defining what is close
and what is far depends on the context of each individual query. Factors affecting distance include:

• Number of possible results in the real world

• Distribution of all possible results
• Population density (rural, urban, or suburban)

Distance refers to the direct distance from one point to another and is measured via a straight line.
There is no need to account for the actual distance required to travel from one point to the other, such
as driving distance.

40
 Viewport Location Intent (see section 2.3.2)

When the user is within a fresh viewport, the user’s location should be
used as the location intent. All ratings made should be based on the
user’s location. Results inside the fresh viewport may be demoted
based on distance to the user but they cannot be demoted by 3 (to
Bad) for distance alone.

Note: Consider the viewport fresh when the viewport age is missing.

Fresh Viewport, User Inside

When the user is outside the fresh viewport, the fresh viewport should
be used as the location intent. All ratings should be based on the fresh
viewport’s location and any results within the fresh viewport receive
No demotion for distance.

Note: If no results can be found in or near the viewport, use the user
location as a secondary location intent.

Fresh Viewport, User outside

When the viewport is stale, the user’s position is considered the

location intent whether the user is inside or outside of the viewport.

Note: If the user is missing, use the stale viewport as location intent.

Stale Viewport

41
Do not demote a result for distance when:
• This is the closest possible result, even if it is far away from the area of expected results.
• Other, closer results are found to be closed or non-existent.

Demote a result for distance when:

• Other results that satisfy the query and provide the same or similar service are closer.

5.5. Distance vs. Prominence

Once you’ve decided how relevant the result is based on user intent, consider the result in the context
of all possible results in the real world. Use the distance to the user or viewport and the prominence
of the result to decide if a demotion should be applied.

A result’s fit to user intent, prominence, and distance should all be relative to the query and the
context around the query. Before deciding whether to demote because of prominence or distance, it’s
important to look at:

• The type of area around the result – rural, urban, or suburban

• The number of businesses that satisfy the query
• The distance to the user or viewport

The following examples of multiple query/result pairs will demonstrate how to interpret the relationship
between distance, prominence, and satisfying the user’s intent. The examples address common
rating situations and explain how to evaluate the relevance of the results.

5.6. Many Possible Results

Some queries, like [starbucks], have many results that could satisfy the user. In cases like this,
distance is more important than prominence, so results that are closer to the user’s location/viewport
should be rated higher than results that are farther away. To illustrate the high density of Starbucks,
possible results are shown as purple dots.

42
User Inside Fresh Viewport

When the user is inside the viewport, consider all possible results, including real-world results not
returned for rating (purple dots), and demote by distance from the user.

Query and Screenshot Result Rating and Explanation

Starbucks Relevance Excellent

865 Market Rate Excellent for Starbucks locations that are in
Street close proximity to the user.

Relevance Good (Distance/Prominence)

[starbucks] Starbucks
170 O’Farrell Rate Good for locations that are a bit farther
User and fresh viewport in San St away from the closest relevant locations to the
Francisco, CA user.
Acceptable (Distance/
Relevance
Prominence)
Starbucks
264 Kearny St Rate Acceptable for relevant locations that are
even farther away from the user but still inside the
viewport.

Relevance Bad (Distance/Prominence)

Starbucks
580 California
When there are many locations close to the user,
St
rate Bad for locations that are significantly farther
away and outside the viewport.

Relevance Excellent
➄ Starbucks
140 Mason
Rate Excellent for Starbucks locations that are in
Street
close proximity to the user, even if they are
outside the viewport.

43
User Outside Fresh Viewport

When a user is outside the viewport, results are expected in or near the viewport. In cases where
there are a large number of possible results inside the viewport, even if they are not returned for
rating (purple dots), rate Bad for those outside it.

Query and Screenshot Result Rating and Explanation

Relevance Excellent
Starbucks
865 Market Rate any Starbucks within the fresh viewport
Street Excellent when the user is outside the viewport.

[starbucks]
Relevance Excellent
User in Alameda with fresh Starbucks
viewport in San Francisco, CA 170 O’Farrell
St Rate any Starbucks within the fresh viewport
Excellent when the user is outside the viewport.

Relevance Excellent
Starbucks
264 Kearny St Rate any Starbucks within the fresh viewport
Excellent when the user is outside the viewport.

Relevance Bad (Distance/Prominence)

Starbucks
580 California
When there are many possible results within the
St
viewport, including those not returned for rating
(purple dots), rate Bad for results outside it.

Relevance Bad (Distance/Prominence)

➄ Starbucks
140 Mason
Street When there are many possible results within the
viewport, including those not returned for rating
(purple dots), rate Bad for results outside it.

44
5.7. Few Possible Results

When the query has only a few results in the real world, be more lenient when considering distance.
Because there are only a few Zara clothing stores in Miami, results for the query [zara] are demoted
more leniently for distance than the many Starbucks locations in the example above.

Query and Screenshot Result Rating and Explanation

➀ Zara Relevance Excellent
19501 Biscayne
Blvd, Aventura Rate Excellent for the closest Zara location, even
when outside the fresh viewport.

Zara Relevance Good (Distance/Prominence)

[zara] 420 Lincoln

When there aren’t any possible results in the
Rd, Miami
fresh viewport, rate Good for locations that are a
User and fresh viewport in North Beach
bit farther away from the user/viewport.
Miami Beach, FL

Zara Relevance Good (Distance/Prominence)

590 Collins
When there aren’t any possible results in the
Ave, Miami
fresh viewport, rate Good for locations that are a
Beach
bit farther away from the user/viewport.

Relevance Good (Distance/Prominence)

Zara
701 S Miami When there aren’t any possible results in the
Ave, Miami fresh viewport, rate Good for locations that are a
bit farther away from the user/viewport.

Acceptable (Distance/
Relevance
Prominence)
Zara
7535 N Kendall
Dr, Miami The Zara store is located significantly further
away than the second closest stores and is
therefore rated Acceptable.

45
5.8. Few Possible Results and Greater Distance

Leniency on distance is acceptable when there are only a few possible results for the query in the
requested area. For example, a user close to Berlin queries for [Wartestraße], which is a street
name. There are only four streets in Germany called “Wartestraße” that can satisfy the user’s intent
and all four streets are returned as results. Because of the limited number of results, each result’s
relevance remains fairly high even over longer distances.

Query and Screenshot Result Rating and Explanation

[Wartestraße] Relevance Excellent

User and
➀ Wartestraße, Wartestraße in Gransee is the closest to the
Gransee user and viewport and is therefore the most
fresh viewport close to Berlin,
Germany relevant.
Relevance Good (Distance/Prominence)
➁ Wartestraße, Wartestraße in Siegen is far away from the
Siegen user, but is the second closest possible result.

➂ Wartestraße, Wartestraße in Wiesbaden is at a similar

Wiesbaden distance from the user as the one in Siegen
and receives the same rating.

Wartestraße, Acceptable (Distance/

Relevance
Prominence)
Geislingen
Wartestraße in Geislingen is the fourth closest
[Wartestraße] result but significantly farther away. Given all
other results and their distances, this result is
User and rated Acceptable.
fresh viewport
close to Berlin,
Germany

46
5.9. Rural Areas

Results are often farther away in rural areas, but can still be considered relevant if there are no
reasonable results close to or within the fresh viewport. In a rural area, generosity can be applied to
ratings with respect to distance. The criteria for rating are similar to the [zara] example in the Few
possible results section, but with an emphasis on distance. Here is an example for the query
[american legion] in North Dakota.

Query Result Rating and Explanation

Relevance Excellent
American
Legion This result is closest to the user
based in Bismarck, ND.
[american legion]
Relevance Good
American The second-closest result is
Legion significantly further north than the
closest result.

Relevance Acceptable

American While quite remote from the user, this

Legion result is still a good option for the
user given that there are only two
closer results.

Relevance Acceptable

American Like result 3, this location quite far

Legion away but is still an acceptable result
given that there are only two
significantly closer results available to
the user.

47
5.10. Location – User Intent Deviation

When the location intent and user intent do not allow for a clear result (because either the user or
viewport are in an atypical location, like the middle of the ocean), rate with a focus on high
prominence. For example, the query [Hong Kong] in a test locale set to en_US with the viewport and
user location around Naples, Italy. There is no real change in rating if the user is inside or outside of
the viewport, or if the viewport is fresh or stale.

Query and Screenshot Relevance Rating Explanation

[Hong Kong] The most prominent result is the
Navigational
territory of Hong Kong in Asia.
User and
Fresh Viewport close to Naples, Italy Businesses/locations with the same
name that are within the viewport or
Excellent
close proximity to the user and
prominent. (This will be rare.)

Locations that are too far away and

less prominent to be considered
relevant should be rated Bad. A
Bad (Distance/
restaurant in Rome named “Hong
Prominence)
Kong” should be rated Bad because
it is very far away from the user
location, which is in Naples.

48
5.11. Rating for User Inside and Outside Viewport

The following two examples show the differences in rating when a user is inside and outside a fresh
viewport. The query is for a chain business called Great Wolf Lodge found across the United States.
The examples show all possible results within and around the large viewport.

In general, when the user is outside the fresh viewport, no result within the viewport is demoted for
distance. The only exception to this is when the viewport is large enough to include an unusually
large area, like an entire continent, and the results within it would not realistically be useful or
interesting to a user with this query.

(Note that even though the viewport in the example below is large, because of the limited number of
Great Wolf Lodges with it, the results still might be useful or interesting to a user with this query.)

Query and Screenshot Result Rating and Explanation

Relevance Excellent
Great Wolf Lodge
Atlanta The result is within the fresh viewport
and fulfills the primary user intent.
[great wolf lodge] Relevance Excellent
Great Wolf Lodge
User in Savannah outside large, Charlotte The result is within the fresh viewport
fresh viewport and fulfills the primary user intent.
Relevance Excellent
Great Wolf Lodge
Williamsburg The result is within the fresh viewport
and fulfills the primary user intent.
Relevance Good/Acceptable
(Distance/Prominence)

Great Wolf Lodge The result is outside the fresh viewport.

Pocono Mountains Because there are a limited number of
possible results within the viewport and
this one is relatively close, demote to
Good or Acceptable.
Relevance Excellent
Great Wolf Lodge
Niagara Falls The result is within the fresh viewport
and fulfills the primary user intent.
Relevance Good/Acceptable
(Distance/Prominence)

Great Wolf Lodge The result is outside the fresh viewport.

Traverse City Because there are a limited number of
possible results within the viewport and
this one is relatively close, demote to
Good or Acceptable.

49
When the user is inside the fresh viewport, the user's location is used as location intent and results
are demoted for distance.

Query and Screenshot Result Rating and Explanation

Great Wolf Lodge Relevance Excellent
Atlanta
This result is amongst the closest
possible to the user and is inside the
fresh viewport.
Great Wolf Lodge Relevance Excellent
[great wolf lodge] Charlotte
This result is amongst the closest
User in Savannah inside large, possible to the user and is inside the
fresh viewport fresh viewport.
Great Wolf Lodge Relevance Good (Distance/
Williamsburg Prominence)
Though still inside the fresh viewport,
this result is significantly farther away
from the user location with closer
options available.
Great Wolf Lodge Relevance Bad (Distance/
Pocono Mountains Prominence)
This result not only is very far away from
the user, it is also outside the fresh
viewport.
Great Wolf Lodge Relevance Acceptable (Distance/
Niagara Falls Prominence)
While very far away from the user, this
suggestion is still within the fresh
viewport and therefore rated
Acceptable.
Great Wolf Lodge Relevance Bad (Distance/
Traverse City Prominence)
This result is not only very far away from
the user, it is also outside the fresh
viewport.

50
5.12. Partial Address Does Not Exist

Relevance is always rated independently of any data (name, address, or pin accuracy) issues the
result may have. This includes results for addresses that do not exist in real life.

When judging distance for existing addresses do not factor in any returned non-existent addresses.
Evaluate distance separately for existent and non-existent addresses. Do not demote existing
address results when closer, non-existent addresses are returned.

For example, a user in Half Moon Bay, CA is looking for [2373 chestnut] and is presented with three
residential addresses. The address in San Francisco is the only one that actually exists. The results in
Oakland and Redwood City are not supported by the postal authorities and no evidence can be found
that the addresses in either city exist.

Note: For cases where the query is a unique full address that does not exist and the result matches
the query, see Query Address does not Exist.

Query and Screenshot Result Rating and Explanation

Relevance Excellent
This is the closest existing result. The address
2373 Chestnut St, in Redwood City is disregarded and its
[2373 chestnut] San Francisco relevance is not promoted nor demoted for
User and Fresh Viewport Distance/Prominence because it does not
around Half Moon Bay, CA exist.

Relevance Excellent

This is closer to the user than the existing

2373 Chestnut St, result in San Francisco. Because data issues
Redwood City are not part of the relevance rating, the result
is rated Excellent due to proximity and user
intent. Address accuracy is rated Incorrect –
Address does not exist.

Relevance Good/Acceptable
(Distance/Prominence)

2373 Chestnut St, This is significantly farther away than the

Oakland existing result in San Francisco and the non-
existent result in Redwood City, and is
demoted in relevance. Address accuracy is
rated Incorrect – Address does not exist.

51
5.13. City vs. Municipality

In many cases, a city and a state/county/municipality (or other similar market-specific components)
have the same name, but the city is typically more prominent. In this case, the chances that a user is
looking for the state/county/municipality and not the city, are very small, but still a possibility.
Therefore, states, counties, and municipalities will be treated as a secondary intent and given an
initial rating of Good. Consider the relationship between the city and the municipality in terms of their
locale and adjust if necessary. On the other hand, if the query specifically requests the state/county/
municipality, that result’s relevance should be rated as Navigational and the city should be rated
Bad.

See your Country Specific guidelines for more information.

Query Result Rating and Explanation

Relevance Navigational
New York City
New York, USA The result is for the city, which is considered more
prominent than the state.
[new york]
Relevance Good (Distance/Prominence)
New York State
New York State, USA Result is for the state, which is less prominent than the
city.
Relevance Navigational
Santa Clara
Santa Clara, CA Query is for the city, which is considered more
prominent than the county.
[santa clara]
Relevance Good (Distance/Prominence)
Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County, CA Query is for the city, which is considered more
prominent than the county.
[santa clara Relevance Navigational
county] Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County, CA Query is specifically requesting the county, so the result
for the county will be rated Navigational.
Relevance Bad (User Intent)
Santa Clara
Santa Clara, CA Query is for the county and a result for the city is
considered irrelevant for the query.
[Link] Results

Straightforward queries can have unexpected results which at first glance might not fit the query
intent. For these kinds of results, consider:
• Is there a logical relationship between the query and the result?
• How likely is it that the user is going to be looking for this result given the query and location
intent?

A result can partially satisfy a secondary intent due to:

52
 • Prominence of the feature
• Transit intent

Promoting for prominence should only occur for internationally prominent POIs.

In the examples below, two ratings are provided for some results: Good and Acceptable. The
difference between the two ratings rests in how well the result satisfies user intent. Choose Good if
there is a strong likelihood that it will satisfy user intent and Acceptable if it is less likely to satisfy.

Query Result Rating and Explanation

Relevance Navigational
Mission St & 14th
St
San Francisco, CA Query is for an intersection and the result
[mission & 14th satisfies the user intent.
street]
Relevance Good/Acceptable (User Intent)
User and fresh
viewport in San Mission St & 14th St Bus Result is for the bus stop at the queried
Francisco, CA Stop intersection. The bus stop carries the name of
San Francisco, CA the intersection and users tend to look for
intersections when seeking transit POIs.

Relevance Navigational
[soho]
Soho
User and viewport in London, UK Query is for a neighborhood in London and the
London, UK result satisfies the user intent.

Relevance Bad (User Intent)

Mildreds Restaurant
45 Lexington St, Carnaby, Result is for a specific restaurant in Soho. It is
London W1F 9AN, UK very unlikely to satisfy the user intent.

Relevance Bad (User Intent)

Happy Lamb Hot Pot The query is for a street and the result is a
[stevens creek
blvd cupertino] 19062 Stevens Creek Blvd, specific business on that street. This specific
Cupertino, CA, 95014 result is unlikely to satisfy the broad intent of the
User and fresh
query.
viewport in Relevance Bad (User Intent)
Cupertino, CA 19062 Stevens Creek
Blvd The result includes a street number when the
Cupertino, CA, 95014 query is for a street, making this result too
specific for the more general query.

53
 Query Result Rating and Explanation
[The Slanted Relevance Bad (User Intent)
Door
One Ferry Building #3
One Ferry Result is for the address and not the business
One Ferry Building #3 San
Building #3 requested in the query, so it does not satisfy the
Francisco, CA 94111
San Francisco, user intent.
California 94111]

[One Ferry Relevance Navigational

The Slanted Door
Building #3 San The query is for an address and the result is the
One Ferry Building #3
Francisco, business at this address. Including the business
San Francisco, CA 94111
California 94111] name provides additional correct information.
Relevance Navigational
San Francisco
[san francisco] San Francisco, CA Query is for the city of San Francisco and the
result satisfies the user intent.
User and fresh
viewport in San Relevance Good (User Intent)
Francisco, CA San Francisco
International Airport The result represents the airport within the
San Francisco, CA queried locality, which satisfies the secondary
transit intent.

The Pruneyard Relevance Navigational

1875 South Bascom Ave The query is for a mall and the result is the mall
Campbell, CA the user asked for.

The Pruneyard Relevance Bad (User Intent)

Pruneyard Cinemas The query is for an entire mall and the result is
1875 South Bascom Ave for a cinema inside the mall. Even though the
Campbell, CA cinema shares the mall’s name and address, it
does not match the query intent.

5.15. Multiple Transit POIs with the Same Name

Many large transit POIs include multiple means of transportation at the same location. For example,
large airports can have metro or train service within the same location, or train stations can be a hub
for trains, metros, and buses. Other transit POIs at the queried transit POI should be treated as
secondary intent with an initial rating of Good, but can also be considered Acceptable if the result is
less likely to satisfy the user’s intent. Additional demotions can be applied based on the prominence
of the returned feature.

54
 Query Result Rating and Explanation

Hamburg Airport Relevance Navigational

22335 Hamburg, Germany Result is for the queried airport.
Relevance Good (User Intent)

[hamburg airport] Hamburg Airport Station

22335 Hamburg, Germany Result refers to the train station at Hamburg
User and fresh Airport.
viewport in Germany
Relevance Bad (User Intent)

Lufthansa Basis The result is for a small bus stop that seems to
22335 Hamburg, Germany service the Lufthansa training center. The result
does not share the same name as the queried
transit. Therefore, the result is not relevant.
Relevance Navigational
The query is for a unique transit station. The
Embarcadero Station result (a unique BART station) fully satisfies the
[Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA user’s intent.
Station]
Acceptable (User Intent &
User and fresh Relevance
Distance/Prominence)
viewport in San Jose,
CA Ferry Building & The result (a historic streetcar) name includes
Embarcadero Station the queried station name, but has low
San Francisco, CA prominence, given that there is a unique
Embarcadero Station. Therefore, the result
should be demoted based on user intent.

5.16. POIs and Transit Intent

A non-transit POI can be associated with a transit POI with the same name. You can establish the
relationship between the two entities by using local knowledge, researching prominence, and
understanding how well the result satisfies user intent. This way you will learn whether the query has
a distinct navigational intent or if the prominence of the two POIs that share a similar name is so
strong that both can be the intent.

Query Result Rating and Explanation

[mall of America] Relevance Navigational
Mall of America
User and fresh viewport 60 E Broadway,
in Bloomington, MN Result is POI requested in the query.
Minnesota 55425 United States

55
 Query Result Rating and Explanation
Good/Acceptable
Mall of America Relevance (User Intent &
Station Distance/Prominence)
8240 24th Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55425 Even though the station has the same name as
United States the POI, it is not prominent and therefore
demoted.
Relevance Excellent

Result is for famous square in London. The

Piccadilly Circus square and the train station are both equally
[Piccadilly circus] London, UK prominent and local users would be looking for
the station while tourists would be looking for the
User and viewport in square. As both features are equally prominent,
London, UK it is hard to establish a distinct user intent.

Piccadilly Circus Relevance Excellent

Station Result is the famous station that is just as
London, UK prominent as the square.
Dam Square Relevance Navigational
Dam Square,
Amsterdam, The result is the famous square in Amsterdam.
[dam square] Netherlands
User and viewport in Dam Square Line 2 Good/Acceptable
Relevance
Amsterdam Dam Square, (Distance/Prominence)
Amsterdam,
Netherlands Result is for the tram stop for line 2. The stop is
on a street adjacent to Dam Square. However, it
is not prominent and should be demoted.

5.16.1. Transit Queries

The criteria described above should be applied to understand the transit queries. Additionally, if it is
determined that a query has a clear navigational intent, all other results will be Bad (see [12th st
oakland bart] example below). If a result is promoted to Navigational, other results that could
potentially satisfy the user intent should be demoted further for distance and prominence (see [BART
daly city] and [stockport station] examples below). In general, the fewer the results that satisfy the
user intent, the farther away the results can be and still be considered relevant. The more available
results that can satisfy the user intent, the closer they need to be.

56
 Query Result Rating and Explanation
Relevance Navigational

The query is for a specific BART station with a

12th St. Oakland unique name that is not the same as the name of
Station the locality where the station is found. (Compare
Oakland, CA this to the examples below). This result matches the
[12th st oakland query exactly and fully satisfies the user’s intent for
bart] this specific station.

User and viewport in Relevance Bad (User Intent Issue)

California
The query intent is for a specific BART station with a
19th St. Oakland unique name that is not the same as the name of the
Station place where the station is located. The result
Oakland, CA returned is for a different BART station and does not
satisfy the user intent. This result should receive a
rating of Bad.
Relevance Navigational

Daly City Station The query intent is for a BART station in Daly City.
Daly City, CA Research shows that there is only one BART station
in Daly City and its name is Daly City Station, so
this result fully satisfies the user’s intent.
Relevance Good (Distance/Prominence)

The query intent is for a BART station within Daly

City. This result fits intent as it is a BART station.
Colma Station This station is in a neighboring locality just outside
Colma, CA of the requested locality. Even though the station is
[BART daly city]
outside of the requested locality, it provides a choice
User and viewport in of BART stations in the area for the user. This result
California is demoted due to distance.

Relevance Acceptable (Distance/Prominence)

San Francisco
International Airport
Station The query intent is for a BART station in Daly City.
San Francisco This result fits intent as it is a BART station. This
International Airport, station is in a neighboring locality, but is farther
CA away than the Colma station and is demoted due to
distance.

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 Query Result Rating and Explanation
Relevance Navigational

Stockport Station The query intent is for a station in Stockport.

Stockport, England Research shows that there are several stations in
Stockport, but only one named Stockport Station, so
this result fully satisfies the user’s intent.

Davenport Station Relevance Excellent

Stockport, England
[stockport The query intent is for a station in Stockport. There is
station] one station with a name that matches the query
Heaton Chapel Station exactly, which receives the Navigational rating. All
User and viewport in Stockport, England other stations within the queried locality should
Stockport, England receive Excellent.

Relevance Good (Distance/Prominence)

This station is just outside of the requested locality, in

a neighboring locality. Even though the station is
Burnage Station outside of the requested locality, it provides a choice
Manchester, England of stations in the area for the user. The fewer choices
there are available, the farther away the results can
be and still be relevant. This result is demoted due to
distance.

Relevance Excellent
San Jose Diridon
Station
[san jose station] San Jose, CA The query intent is for a station in San Jose. There
are several stations in San Jose, but no stations with
User and viewport in a name that matches the query exactly, so we should
California rate every station within the queried locality equally.
Tamien Station There are two stations that match the user’s intent,
San Jose, CA so both results should be rated Excellent.

Relevance Good (Distance/Prominence)

This station is just outside of the requested locality, in

Lawrence Caltrain a neighboring locality. Even though the station is
Station outside of the requested locality, it provides a choice
Sunnyvale, CA of stations in the area for the user. The fewer choices
there are available, the farther away the results can
be and still be relevant.

58
 Query Result Rating and Explanation
Relevance Acceptable (Distance/Prominence)
This station is just outside of the requested locality, in
Sunnyvale Caltrain a neighboring locality. Even though the station is
Station outside of the requested locality, it provides a choice
Sunnyvale, CA of stations in the area for the user. The fewer choices
there are available, the farther away the results can
be and still be relevant.
Relevance Bad (Distance/Prominence)
Palo Alto Train Result is far from the queried station. The farther
Station away the result is from the queried station, the less
Palo Alto, CA likely it is that it will be considered relevant, so the
relevance rating should be lowered.

5.16.2. Stops vs. Stations

A transit stop is a location typically designated by a bench or covered waiting area, a posted sign, or
street markings. Transit stations, on the other hand, are typically larger areas associated with major
structures including, but not limited to, platforms, ticketing offices, enclosed waiting/seating areas, or
terminal buildings/structures encompassing the transit area. The term “station” is primarily used to
refer to transit locations that are larger and typically a terminal housing multiple routes. All stations
are stops, but not all stops are stations.

Since all stations are stops, but not all stops are stations, returning a station for a stop query is ok, but
returning a stop when the query is station should result in a rating of Bad with the User Intent
checkbox selected. Try to identify these corresponding terms in the test locale and understand the
relationship between them.

For the category [bus stops], relevance should be based mainly on distance from the user location
or fresh viewport and the physical size of the bus stop. If the result is a small bus stop in a rural area
and the bus stop is among the closest ones to the user’s location intent, it should be rated Excellent.
On the other hand, if the result is a large bus hub that is a bit farther away from the user, it should still
receive an Excellent because of its size, regardless of the fact that there are closer, smaller bus
stops. Results close to the user should not be demoted because there is a larger bus stop farther
away, instead, the large bus stop should be promoted because of its importance.

59
 Query Result Rating and Explanation

Relevance Excellent
Greyhound Lines
200 Folsom St This is a major bus station in San Francisco
San Francisco, CA 94105 where a user can take Greyhound buses.

Main St & Folsom St

San Francisco, CA 94105 Relevance Bad (User Intent)
[bus station in san
francisco]

User and viewport in

San Francisco, CA These results are small local bus stops and do
5th St & Howard St not satisfy the user intent for a bus station.
San Francisco, CA 94103

Relevance Bad (Distance/Prominence)

Sacramento Bus This result is another Greyhound station, but it is
Station in Sacramento, quite far from San Francisco.
420 Richards Blvd There are closer real world results we could
Sacramento, CA 95811 return. This result is too far and should be
demoted due to distance.

Relevance Excellent
Chicago Bus Station
630 W Harrison St The query intent is for a bus stop. This result is
Chicago, IL 60607 a Greyhound station, which fully satisfies the
user's intent. This result is close to the user.

Relevance Excellent
[bus stop] W Harrison St & S The query intent is for a bus stop. This result is
Jefferson St a Greyhound station, which fully satisfies the
User and viewport in Chicago, IL 60607
Chicago, IL user's intent. This result is close to the user.

Relevance Bad (Distance/Prominence)

Harlem Ave & W 115th The query intent is for a bus stop. This result is a
St bus stop and matches the user's intent, but there
Worth, IL 60482 are many bus stops closer to the user in the real
world we should be returning instead. Therefore,
this result should be demoted due to distance.

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5.17. Parking Intent

When evaluating [parking] queries, note that:

• Free and paid parking are equally relevant.

• Parking time limits do not affect relevance rating. Your rating should not be changed by the
fact that a parking lot is long term, short term, or limited-time (like a two-hour limit) parking.
• Parking for small cars, large cars, RVs, or motorcycles is equally relevant.
• If you can find evidence that a result is for private parking that cannot be used by the general
public, give it a rating of Bad.

Public parking vs Private Parking

Public parking is:

• Parking that is a mix of residential/staff/permit and visitor parking and is not in a gated
community
• Parking that can be used only when visiting a certain business (limited-use parking)

Private parking is:

• Parking that is residents only, staff only, or by permit only

• Parking in a gated community

If you cannot confirm whether parking is public or private, give the result the benefit of the doubt
and consider it public parking.

5.18. Relevance: Service-Level Mismatch

Sometimes a query specifically requests a certain level of service, which may or may not be reflected
in the result. Common requests include:

• Specific stores (e.g. Walmart Supercenter)

• Outlet stores (e.g. J. Crew Factory)

When the query requests a specific level of service which is not reflected in the result, give an initial
rating of Good and demote as necessary depending on how well the result would satisfy the user
intent.

When the query requests a type of business with a generic level of service, providing a result that
offers more service than requested still satisfies user intent and should receive an initial rating of
Excellent.

When the query does not specify the type of service, any relevant result can be rated Excellent.

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 Query Result Rating and Explanation
Relevance Excellent

Walmart Supercenter Query is for a generic Walmart and the result is a

3435 East Broadway Walmart Supercenter store that offers more
Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85716 services than the average Walmart store. User
intent has been met and there is no need to
demote for service level.
[walmart]
Relevance Excellent

Walmart Neighborhood
Market The query does not specify the type of Walmart,
5500 E 22nd St, Tucson, and any Walmart can be rated Excellent. Demote
AZ 85711 further for distance.

Relevance Good (User Intent)

Walmart Neighborhood Query is for a store with specific level of service.

[walmart Market Walmart Supercenters are very large stores that
supercenter] 5500 E 22nd St, Tucson, have a full range of grocery and general
AZ 85711 merchandise. A Walmart Neighborhood Market is
generally smaller with a more limited array of
grocery and general merchandise.
Relevance Good (User Intent)
Nordstrom The query is for an outlet store, but the result is for
[nordstrom 55 E Grand Ave, Chicago, a full-price store. The result satisfies the query
rack] IL 60611 intent, but to a lesser degree.
Bank of America Relevance Excellent
10900 Orangewood Blvd,
Orlando, FL 32821

[bank of When the query is for a bank or a general bank

america] Bank of America ATM brand, an ATM or a branch location of that specific
10900 Orangewood Blvd, brand are equally relevant.
Orlando, FL 32821

62
 Query Result Rating and Explanation
Relevance Excellent

The result is a bank branch location. Since many

Citibank branches contain ATMs, and would be able to
3333 E Tropicana Ave provide the same level of service as an ATM, this
Las Vegas, NV 89121 result usually fulfills the user’s intent.

[ATM] Note that if research indicates the result does not

offer cash services, rate it Bad.

Relevance Excellent
Citibank ATM 7-Eleven
3421 E Tropicana Ave This is an ATM located inside a 7-Eleven
Las Vegas, NV 89121 convenience store. It satisfies the primary intent of
the category.
Relevance Bad (User Intent)
A user has asked for a specific fast food restaurant
McDonald’s and the result is another fast food restaurant that
[burger king] 6875 Sand Lake Rd, offers similar food and service. Even though the
Orlando, FL 32819 service level in the two restaurants is similar, this
result does not match the user intent for the named
restaurant.

63
5.19. Rating Relevance When the Result Status is PERMANENT_CLOSURE

A business/POI that has its status set to

PERMANENT_CLOSURE requires special consideration
during relevance rating.

Note: A result without any status indicated should be

rated as usual, including when research indicates the
business/POI is closed or does not exist.

There are some situations where you can expect to see results with the status
PERMANENT_CLOSURE and others where such results are not expected. The following sections
will describe how to identify and rate them.

5.19.1. Expected PERMANENT_CLOSURE Status

Sometimes you can expect to see results whose status is shown as PERMANENT_CLOSURE.

This can happen when:

• The permanently closed result satisfies the user intent completely.

AND
• There is/are no other result(s) that satisfy the actual user intent in the area of location intent.

64
Examples of results where PERMANENT_CLOSURE status is expected

• Navigational queries:
• Queries that can only return a single result, which is permanently closed. This could be
because the POI or business name is unique or the query contains location intents like
locality or street components.
• Chain queries for closed chains:
• All chain locations within the area of location intent are permanently closed and the closest
open chain result is significantly farther away.

Rating Approach

Rate results with an expected status of PERMANENT_CLOSURE as if they were open. This means
that in most cases the rating will be either Navigational or Excellent, because even though they are
closed, these are the best or only results that could ever be returned.

65
[Link]. Expected PERMANENT_CLOSURE Status: Naviga@onal Query

The user is looking for a unique business in a specific location.

Query User and Viewport

[99 bottles santa cruz] User and fresh viewport in San Luis Obispo, CA

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 Result Rating and Explanation
Relevance Navigational
Business/POI
99 Bottles Of Beer On The Closed/Does not Yes
Wall exist
PERMANENT_CLOSURE
This permanently closed restaurant is the only result that meets
110 Walnut Ave, Santa Cruz, CA
the user intent, which makes it expected. Choose the
Business/POI Closed/Does not exist checkbox and rate the
business as if it were open.
Relevance Bad (User Intent)
99 Cents Only Stores
260 E 10th St, Gilroy, CA The 99 Cents store does not match the user intent and is rated
Bad.
Relevance Bad (User Intent)
99 Bottles & Cocktails While also a restaurant with a name that starts with 99 Bottles,
8901 Katella Ave, this is not in Santa Cruz, does not match the user intent, and is
Anaheim, CA rated Bad.

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[Link]. Expected PERMANENT_CLOSURE Status: All chains closed in area

Chico’s has closed all of its locations in Canada. The closest locations to the user are across the
border in the United States.

Query User and Viewport

[chico’s] Fresh viewport in Toronto, ON, user in Hamilton, ON

Result Rating and Explanation

Relevance Excellent
Business/POI Closed/
Chico’s Yes
Does not exist
PERMANENT_CLOSURE
100 City Centre Dr, The permanently closed location for Chico’s is in the center of the
Mississauga, ON fresh viewport. Since there are no open locations anywhere close
to the area, this result is expected. Choose the Business/POI
Closed/Does not exist checkbox and rate the business as if it
were open.
Relevance Excellent

68
 Result Rating and Explanation

Chico’s The open Chico’s closest to the user is just across the border.
5151 Main St, Because it is the closest open result, it is rated Excellent.
Williamsville, NY
United States

Chico’s Relevance Good (Distance/Prominence)

3349 Monroe Ave Ste 45,
Rochester, NY As the second-closest open location, the Chico’s in Rochester is
United States demoted to Good.

5.19.2. Unexpected PERMANENT_CLOSURE Status

These are results whose status is shown as PERMANENT_CLOSURE, but are not expected to be
shown at all.

Results with the status PERMANENT_CLOSURE are unexpected when there are also open results in
the area of location intent that would satisfy the actual user intent fully without changing or altering the
user query.

Examples of situations where results with PERMANENT_CLOSURE status are not expected

• Category queries:
• There are always a large number of possible results for category queries like [restaurant] or
[hair salon]
• Note: In cases where there is only one match for the category query within a large area and
it is marked with the PERMANENT_CLOSURE status, consider it an exception and choose
Business/POI is closed or does not exist, then rate it as if it were open. This should be
extremely rare.
• Queries with several possible interpretations:
• These are queries could have several possible results and/or result types available, and do
not depend on PERMANENT_CLOSURE results.
• Most chain queries:
• There are often multiple locations of a chain available within the area of location intent, and
a permanently closed result does not need to be shown in these cases.

Rating Approach

Unexpected permanently closed results should be demoted by 2 for relevance which means the
highest rating starts at Acceptable.

69
[Link]. Unexpected PERMANENT_CLOSURE Status: Open Op@ons are Nearby

There are many options available near the user for this category query, so there is no reason to show
a permanently closed business.

Query User and Viewport

[vintage store] User and fresh viewport in Washington, DC

Result Rating and Explanation

Relevance Excellent
Meeps Vintage
2104 18th St NW, Washington, Meeps Vintage matches the user intent and is close to the user
DC within the fresh viewport.

Relevance Excellent
Miss Pixie's
1626 14th St NW, Washington, Miss Pixie’s sells vintage clothing and is among the closest
DC results for this category query.

Buffalo Exchange Bad or Acceptable

Relevance
PERMANENT_CLOSURE (User Intent)
1318 14th St NW, Washington, Business/POI Closed/
DC Yes
Does not exist

70
 Result Rating and Explanation

The permanently closed Buffalo Exchange did sell vintage

clothing, but since there are other open stores that do this in the
area of location intent, this result is unexpected. The relevance
rating starts at Acceptable. Given the abundance of nearby
results, this could be rated Bad, as well.

6. Name and Category Accuracy

The Name and Category Accuracy rating is used to evaluate the accuracy of a Business/POI name.
Your final rating will take into consideration both the accuracy of the Business/POI name and the
category assigned to it. Inaccuracies in either or both of these elements will result in rating
demotions.

You’ll see this rating referred to throughout the guidelines as both “Name Accuracy” and "Name and
Category Accuracy.”

Business/POI Name and Category Accuracy can be rated as:

• n/a
• Correct
• Partially Correct
• Incorrect
• Can’t Verify

If you give a final Name and Category Accuracy rating of Partially Correct or Incorrect, you may be
presented with two checkboxes:

• Name Issue
• Category issue

If they appear, use one or both them to select the reason(s) for your rating.

6.1. Name Not Applicable (n/a)

The n/a rating should be used for all address type results, including residential addresses, streets,
localities, and so on.

Unlike Business/POI type results, address type results do not actually have a result name. Instead,
the first line of address type results appears as the result title. This is because this field is meant to
present the most relevant part of the address information.

71
Since address results do not have a name or category, their Name and Category Accuracy cannot be
evaluated. This is why the n/a rating should be selected.

Result Rating and Explanation

1703 NW Taylor St Name and Category Accuracy n/a

1703 NW Taylor St This is a residential address, not the name or title of a business or
Topeka, KS 66608 POI.

1600 Pennsylvania Ave Name and Category Accuracy n/a

1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Although this is the address of a well-known POI (the White House), it
Washington, DC, 20500 is still an address result and contains no name or title. It cannot be
United States rated for Name Accuracy.
Name and Category Accuracy n/a
Paris, France
Paris, France This is the name of a locality and country, not the name of a business
or POI.

6.2. Result Names

Your final Name and Category Accuracy rating will take into consideration both the accuracy of the
Business/POI name and the category assigned to it.

First, consider the name.

6.2.1. Correct Name

A business/POI result name is accurate when it is used on the POI’s official website or on other
official resources. Even if the official website does not use the name, if it is used on other official
sources, the name is correct. Note that the name has to be used to refer to the particular POI. The
corporate name by itself is not automatically the correct name.

72
Business Name

Every name that a specific business location uses to refer to itself is considered correct. These
names can be listed in a variety of ways in different sections of the entity's official website or official
social media website(s):

• Chain business locator page on the official website

• About/About Us section on an entity’s official website
• Signs and storefronts seen on official sites or social media pages
• Claimed social media pages

If these resources are not available, other reliable sources that can be used for researching business
names include:

• Signs and storefronts seen on recent street or online imagery or crowdsourced review pages
• Recent articles in primary publications (newspapers or similar publications that do their own
reporting)
• Official restaurant menus (user photos or scanned images from restaurants)

If the name cannot be confirmed with these resources and there is nothing objectively wrong with it,
rate it Can’t Verify.

Corporate name

The corporate name (and sometimes brand or product name) is often used to refer to a particular
entity, but might be not the preferred name for a specific location. This depends on the particular
company and the specific result.

Some official websites have a local language and an international (English) version. Consider the
name given in the international version only if English is the language/script of the test locale, the
query, or the result region, or if the official company, chain, or brand name is commonly used and
understood in English in this market. If it is not, select the Result name/title is in unexpected
language or script checkbox. No further rating is required.

Result Name Official Business Name Rating and Explanation

Name Accuracy Correct

McDonald’s McDonald’s The chain calls all stores McDonald’s and has the
name in front of all locations as corporate
branding.
Name Accuracy Correct
The name is considered Correct, because it is
Peet’s Coffee Peet’s - Polk Street used on the sign on the storefront. The store is
officially called “Peet’s - Polk Street” on the
website, as it refers to the Polk Street location.

73
 Result Name Official Business Name Rating and Explanation
Name Accuracy Correct

The chain Best Buy uses a location modifier in

Best Buy Best Buy San Jose their store names, but their store sign (logo)
shows only the corporate brand name “Best Buy”
and can be rated Correct.

Name Accuracy Correct

The Microsoft storefront shows only the Microsoft
logo without any text. On the webpage, stores are
Microsoft Microsoft Store referred to as “Microsoft Store” or named together
with a location modifier such as “Microsoft Store –
South Coast Plaza”. Because of the close
similarities between the result name and the store
name, rate Correct.

Location modifier or affiliation

Businesses can include the name of the locality or the larger complex or organization they belong to
as additional information. These modifiers, even when not specifically used by the official resources,
can be considered correct. A name with missing modifier can also be considered correct as long as
the modifier isn’t crucial for understanding the particular result. If a modifier is present, it must be
spelled correctly. If it is misspelled, the name is partially correct.

See your Country Specific guidelines for cases where the location modifier is essential for
understanding the result.

Result Name Official Business Name Rating and Explanation

Name Accuracy Correct

Apple Apple Valley Fair The result name is missing the location modifier
(Valley Fair) given on the official website, but is still
considered Correct.

74
 Result Name Official Business Name Rating and Explanation
Name Accuracy Correct

Peet’s Coffee Peet’s – Ferry Bldg SF The result name is Correct because it is used as
the name on the official website, while the specific
store has an optional location modifier.

Name Accuracy Correct

Old Navy – Belle Old Navy doesn’t officially use the mall name as
Old Navy
Isle Station part of the store name, but the location modifier is
correct, so the business name is rated Correct.
Name Accuracy Correct
Delgado
Community
Charity School of The result for the Nursing School includes the name
College –
Nursing of the college that it is affiliated with. Even though
Charity School of
Nursing this form is not official, it is rated Correct.

Stylized logos and letters

A variation is still correct when a business uses stylized logos and letters (like the backwards “R” in
Toys ”R” Us) that are outside the regular set of letters.

Result Name Official Business Name Rating and Explanation

Name Accuracy Correct

Toys ‘R’ Us Toys Я Us This business uses a special character in its name,
so the name is still considered Correct.

“The” is missing or added

• Missing: The use of definite articles depends on the individual result. When a company using
“the” is often referred to without it, the name is correct both with and without the article.
• Added: A business/POI that does not officially include a definite article in its name but has one
included in the result should be considered partially correct.

Result Name Official Business Name Rating and Explanation

Name Accuracy Correct

Home Depot The Home Depot The official name of this business is “The Home
Depot,” but since it is so often referred to as “Home
Depot” the name is considered Correct.
75
6.2.2. Partially Correct Name

A partially correct name differs from the official versions but can still be recognized by the user.
Partially correct names can include minor and moderate misspellings, service level mismatches, and
missing or unnecessary name parts, including holding names/corporate structures. When the
business name on the storefront does not include the corporate status (Ltd., Inc., etc.) seen in the
result, it is partially correct.

[Link]. Minor and Moderate Misspellings and Missing or Extra Words

Consider names partially correct when they contain issues that don’t prevent the user from identifying
the business:

• Name contains repeated, redundant, or missing information or parts

• Incorrect or missing punctuation or special characters
• Unnecessary or missing spaces
• Unexpected use of lower/upper case and ALL CAPS letters
• Acronyms are often expected in ALL CAPS: YMCA, TGIF
• Minor and moderate misspellings that don’t influence the user’s understanding. See your
Country-Specific guidelines for more information on misspellings.
• Mix of expected languages in the result title. Expected languages are the languages of the
query, test locale, or region, or of an official business name.

Result Name Official Business Name Rating and Explanation

Name Accuracy Partially Correct
Macys Macy’s
The result is missing an apostrophe.

Name Accuracy Partially Correct

HM H&M
Missing the “&” in H&M is a misspelling but the
name is still recognizable.

Name Accuracy Partially Correct

uhaul uhaul U-Haul

The result name is duplicated and in all lowercase
with no “-”.

Name Accuracy Partially Correct

Seven Eleven 7-Eleven The name is in an unexpected form not used by the
business itself.

76
 Result Name Official Business Name Rating and Explanation
Name Accuracy Partially Correct
GAMESTOP GameStop The name written in ALL CAPS is not expected for
this business and demoted.
Name Accuracy Partially Correct

Mosjaw Moosejaw The name of this outdoor store has two missing
letters but is still identifiable.

Name Accuracy Partially Correct

Ecofuture
Ecofutures Building Inc The business shows two misspellings and the
Buildng Co
incorrect business structure (Co. vs. Inc.).

Name Accuracy Partially Correct

Napoli The result name has additional parts not used by

Coffeehouse & Napoli Coffee the business. Because the additional parts are in
Pastries line with the business and don’t make the result
ambiguous, it is considered Partially Correct.

Name Accuracy Partially Correct

The additional “superstore” is not used officially, but

GAP Superstore GAP also does not change the user’s ability to identify
the well formatted and correct corporate name and
is therefore considered Partially Correct.

Name Accuracy Partially Correct

BerkeleyLaw BerkeleyLaw The query [law] was issued in a cz_CZ (Czech)

Univerzitní of University of locale and the result locale is the US (English).
California California Consider this Partially Correct due to the mix of
expected languages: English and Czech.

77
 Result Name Official Business Name Rating and Explanation
Name Accuracy Partially Correct

Aqua Spa Aqua Spa - Ocean The query [aqua spa] was issued in the zh-
City Hant_HK (Hong Kong) test locale and the result
locale is in the US (English). Consider this Partially
Correct due to the mix of expected scripts.

Name Accuracy Partially Correct

URLs can give an indication of a businesses’ official

name, but because a URL lacks formatting choices,
it should generally not be used to confirm the official
att AT&T business name. Similar restrictions exist for certain
social media such as Twitter.

The company’s name is confirmed by the URL

([Link]), but the name stated in the URL, “att”, is
clearly poorly formatted, but still recognizable.

Name Accuracy Partially Correct

University of University of California Irvine is more than a location modifier for this
California Irvine university. The city name differentiates the Irvine
location from other universities in the University of
California network.

Name Accuracy Partially Correct

Even though the Nike symbol appears on this

Nike NIKELAB 21M NYC store’s official website, the preferred store name
for this specific location is not the general brand
name but the NIKELAB name seen on the store
sign and website.

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 Result Name Official Business Name Rating and Explanation
Name Accuracy Partially Correct

The Sears Sears Sears does not use “The” in any of their official
webpages. Adding it to the company name gives
the name a rating of Partially Correct.

[Link]. Service-Level Mismatch

Chain businesses often indicate the level of service provided at that location in their name. If the
result name does not reflect the correct type, it is considered a service-level mismatch and is
considered partially correct.

Result Name Official Business Name Rating and Explanation

Name Accuracy Partially Correct

Patagonia Outlet Patagonia The result name suggests that the store is an outlet,
which it isn’t.

Name Accuracy Partially Correct

Depending on its size and the services available,
Delhaize Delhaize Supermarkt this chain business comes in five varieties. The
result is missing part of the name indicating its
service level.
Name Accuracy Partially Correct

Best Buy Best Buy Express A Best Buy Express is a vending machine and not a
store. This is a service-level mismatch and
considered Partially Correct.
Name Accuracy Partially Correct
Best Buy The user is expecting a vending machine where
Best Buy
Express there is a store. This is a service-level mismatch
and considered Partially Correct.

[Link]. Holding Name and Corporate Structure

Holding names or corporate structures are not considered correct if they are not explicitly used by the
individual stores. Holding names or names that include corporate structure are considered partially

79
correct or incorrect depending on how recognizable the name is in context with the particular
business.

Result Name Official Business Name Explanation

Name Accuracy Partially Correct

IT’SUGAR LLC IT’SUGAR The addendum “LLC” refers to the corporate

structure and should not be used for the store,
However, this name is still recognizable.
Name Accuracy Partially Correct

Nordstrom, Inc. Nordstrom The addendum “Inc.” refers to the company’s

corporate structure and should not be used for the
store. However, the store can still be recognized.

6.2.3. Incorrect Name

An incorrect result name is one that can’t be recognized because of severe misspelling or ambiguous
or unnecessary/missing parts in the name.

Consider names incorrect when they contain issues including:

• Severe misspellings that prevent the user from identifying the business because of:
• Change in meaning
• Misspelling that results in an entirely different word or gibberish
• Holding names that are completely different than the recognized name
• Unnecessary or missing parts in the name that prevent the user from recognizing the
business
• Slang and inappropriate language
• Using the previous name of the same entity that is not a variation of the current name and
therefore cannot be identified

Note: If a result name is incorrect, the final Name and Category Accuracy rating will always be
Incorrect, even if the category is correct.

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 Result name Official Business Name Rating and Explanation
Name Accuracy Incorrect

JAB Holding
Peet’s Coffee The holding company name is completely different
Company
than the store name.

Name Accuracy Incorrect

IEA IKEA In short business names, even small errors can

prevent the user from recognizing the business.

Name Accuracy Incorrect

Zatas Tacos + Zacatecas Tacos + The misspelling is severe and does not allow the
Tequila Tequila user to identify the business with certainty. The user
is likely under the impression that it is a different
restaurant.

Name Accuracy Incorrect

The misspelling changes the meaning, which

Taco Bull Taco Bell makes the name ambiguous: It could be a “Taco
Bell” chain store or a different business named
“Taco Bull”.

Name Accuracy Incorrect

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 Result name Official Business Name Rating and Explanation

With the unnecessary word “Pizza,” the name

Walgreens Pizza Walgreens becomes ambiguous and the user does not know if
this is a pizzeria named Walgreens or a wrongly
labeled Walgreens pharmacy.

Name Accuracy Incorrect

Cheesecake The Cheesecake Factory When missing the word “factory”, the result name
“Cheesecake” is not specific enough and the chain
business cannot be identified with certainty.

Name Accuracy Incorrect

UPS USPS USPS (United States Postal Service) and UPS

(United Parcel Service) are both in the delivery
business, but are entirely different companies.

Name Accuracy Incorrect

Starbucks &
Marks & Spencer By switching Marks with Starbucks, the business
Spencer
can no longer be identified.

Name Accuracy Incorrect

Mickey D’s McDonald’s Mickey D’s is British slang for McDonald’s brand.
However it is not an official variation of the brand
name.
Name Accuracy Incorrect

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 Result name Official Business Name Rating and Explanation
Showing a former name that is not shown on the
Bridgestone arena’s official webpage is not a good experience.
Sommet Center
Arena Even when the name might still be in use among
users, if a result shows a former name, rate it
Incorrect.

6.3 Result Category

Once you have determined the correctness of a result’s name, you must evaluate the accuracy of its
category in order to determine the final Name and Category Accuracy rating. The category of a result
refers to the category of the Business/POI.

Not every result will include a category, but when one appears, you will find it below the address
details

If the category is missing or listed as N/A, make your final Name and Category Accuracy rating based
on the name alone.

6.3.1. Correct Category

When a business or POI is categorized correctly, the category accurately reflects the business,
service, or function of the entity. This includes broad or alternate categorizations that are not the
preferred choice but are not misleading.

A correct name paired with a correct category is rated Correct for Name and Category Accuracy.

• Not every result will include a category. If the category is missing or listed as N/A, do not
demote.
• Some categories may seem slightly too specific or too general. As long as the categorization
is not misleading, consider it correct.
• Categories can vary for similar POIs and vary per market. Localization of categories should
be taken into account when deciding on correctness.

Result Name and

Category Rating and Explanation
Category
Category Accuracy Correct
Restaurant Toqué
French Cuisine Restaurants are commonly classified by their respective cuisines. French
Cuisine is an appropriate category for the result.

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 Category Accuracy Correct
Jocko’s World Famous
Chicken and Seafood This categorization may seem a bit too specific but it is not misleading.
Seafood Restaurant Although this restaurant sells more than just seafood, categorizing it as a
seafood restaurant still properly reflects the nature of this entity.
Category Accuracy Correct

Walmart As long as research shows that the particular Walmart location

Grocery Store represented by the result sells groceries, this would be an appropriate
category. This is because grocery is a major department in this store and
represents a large part of what it sells.

Category Accuracy Correct

Walmart
Discount Store This category accurately represents the POI. Walmart is known to offer
merchandise at low prices.

6.3.2. Incorrect Category

When the category is wrong, the final Name and Category Accuracy rating is always Incorrect. This
is true whether the result name is Correct, Partially Correct, or Incorrect.

Consider the category incorrect when it is:

• Wrong
• Misleading
• Misspelled
• Incomplete (missing parts or has uncommon/odd abbreviations)
• In an unexpected language/script. The category must match the language/script of the query,
test locale, or result region

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 Result Name and
Expected Category Final Rating and Explanation
Category
Incorrect (Category Issue)
Denver Zoo Category is wrong since the result is a zoo. This
Zoo
Active Life category does not represent the nature of the result.
Final Name Accuracy rating is Incorrect.

Incorrect (Category Issue)

Macy’s The result is a department store and should not be

Bar Department Store categorized as bar. Final Name Accuracy rating is
Incorrect.

Incorrect (Category Issue)

Category is misleading. The result is a department
Macy’s store and it should be categorized as one. Although
Shoe Store Department Store this store does sell shoes, the category does not
reflect the wide variety of other merchandise it offers.
It is misleading to categorize this result as simply a
shoe store. Final Name Accuracy rating is Incorrect.
Incorrect (Category Issue)
Fry’s Electronics Category is misspelled. Any misspelling in the
Electronics Store
Electrnics category name should be considered wrong. Final
Name Accuracy rating is Incorrect.
Incorrect (Category Issue)

Macy’s Category is incomplete. The category shown is not a

Department Store common abbreviation for “Department Store” and
Depart Store
appears incomplete. Final Name Accuracy rating is
Incorrect.
Incorrect (Category Issue)

Test Locale: Germany

Category is in an unexpected language or script.

Aral The category “Gas Station” is in English instead of
Tankstelle
Gas Station the expected German “Tanskstelle.”
English should be considered an unexpected
language in this locale (even if it could be understood
by a user there). Final Name Accuracy rating is
Incorrect.

Incorrect (Name Issue, Category Issue)

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 Result Name and
Expected Category Final Rating and Explanation
Category
The result name should be considered partially
Macys correct because it does not include the proper
Bar Department Store punctuation: “Macys” should be “Macy’s.” The
category of Bar for this department store is wrong.
When the name is partially correct and the category
is wrong, rate Name Accuracy Incorrect.

6.4. Can’t Verify

When, due to a lack of available data online, the business or POI name cannot be confirmed, rate
Can’t Verify. This can be because of a lack of official resources or street imagery, or can be the case
for small businesses that don’t maintain their own webpage or social media profile.

6.5 Transit Names

Transit stations and other transit results (like airports and shipping ports), are often named after the
locality or street where they are located and can include a transit indication such as "Station" or
“Subway.” The transit indication in the result name/title is considered optional and can be missing and
still be considered correct. The user query for [san mateo station] can therefore return the name
San Mateo Station or simply San Mateo to be Correct. The category of the result will help you
correctly interpret the result because categories for transit POIs should be a reference to transit.

Keep in mind that some transit POIs located on street intersections may have a result title that is the
name of the street intersection (e.g. “Lincoln Way & 19th Avenue”). This is also considered Correct.

If there are multiple transit systems operating out of the same station, any of the systems can be
included in the name to be Correct. If transit stations are close to each other, but users have to walk
outside to get from one building to another, consider the results for the two stations as two separate
POIs.

Query Result Rating and Explanation

Millbrae Name Accuracy Correct
Millbrae, CA “Millbrae” has no transit indication in the result name,
Category: Train Station but the category indicates it is a train station.
[Millbrae
station] Millbrae BART Name Accuracy Correct
Millbrae, CA “Millbrae BART” has a transit indication for the BART
User and Category: Train Station system in the result name.
viewport
in Palo Alto, CA Millbrae Amtrak Name Accuracy Incorrect (Category Issue)
Millbrae, CA “Millbrae Amtrak” has an incorrect Amtrak transit
Category: Train Station indication. Only BART and Caltrain operate from
Millbrae station.
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6.6. Parking Names

A parking lot may or may not have a name. Confirm this on the lot’s official webpage:

• The generic names “Parking,” “Garage,” or “Lot” (or any other words that indicate parking can
take place at the location) are considered Correct when no official name can be found.
• If an official name can be found, rate the generic names “Parking,” “Garage,” or “Lot” (or any
other words that indicate parking can take place at the location) as Partially Correct.
• If the official website provides a name that differs from the standalone brand name found in
the result, rate the brand name (e.g. “Impark”, “Qpark”, etc.) as Partially Correct.
• If the parking lot is specialized (for instance, motorcycle-only parking), and the result’s name
doesn’t reflect that specialization, the result should be rated Incorrect for name accuracy.

Accept the following combinations of names as Correct if no official name is found:

• (Business name/Plaza name/Shopping area name) + (parking/ garage/lot)

• Without the addition of parking/garage/lot, the name is Incorrect
• Parking/ Garage/Lot (or any other words that indicate parking can take place at the location)

Query Result Rating and Explanation

Name Accuracy Correct
Union Square Garage
This garage’s official website confirms its name.
Name Accuracy Partially Correct

Parking
(Result is for the Union Research shows that the official name for this
Square Garage) parking location is Union Square Garage

[Parking] Safeway Parking Name Accuracy Correct

(Result is for the parking
User and viewport lot attached to a This parking lot has no official website or name, but
in San Francisco, CA Safeway store in San is associated with a Safeway store.
Francisco)
Parking Name Accuracy Correct
(Result is for the parking
lot attached to a
Safeway store in San This parking lot has no official website or name.
Francisco)
Safeway Name Accuracy Incorrect
(Result is for the parking
lot attached to a Without the words “Parking,” “Garage,” or “Lot,”
Safeway store in San users will have no way to know they can park at this
Francisco) Safeway.

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6.7. Final Name and Category Accuracy Rating (Summary Table)

This table shows the final ratings produced by different combinations of name correctness and
category accuracy.

Final Name and Category

Name/Title Correctness Category Accuracy
Accuracy Rating
Correct Correct or N/A Correct
Correct Incorrect Incorrect

Partially Correct Correct or N/A Partially Correct

Partially Correct Incorrect Incorrect

Incorrect Correct or N/A Incorrect
Incorrect Incorrect Incorrect

Remember: If you give a final Name and Category Accuracy rating of Partially Correct or Incorrect,
you may be presented with two checkboxes:

• Name Issue
• Category Issue

If they appear, use one or both to select the reason(s) for your rating.

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7. Address Accuracy: Components and Issues
Address Accuracy is split into two main parts: Components and Issues and Result Expectation. This
section will discuss Components and Issues and the next section will discuss Result Expectations.

7.1. Address Components

Address components are the elements used to form the address details
for each result. These components include street number, unit/apt,
street name, locality, region/state, postal code, and country. The
components are defined in these guidelines with a global approach in
mind. There may be variations for specific markets that are not
addressed here. See your Country Specific guidelines for more
information on the address component requirements for each type of
result.

This section covers the issues that can be associated with the address
components as well as the possible issues that can be associated with the address itself. It refers to
the checkboxes presented in the rating interface when Incorrect is selected. Checkboxes should be
selected for incorrect or missing information. Issues can occur within parts of the address or the entire
address.

Choose all identified incorrect or missing components. If the issue is not tied to individual
components but to an issue pattern, choose the appropriate issue instead.

Never select issues and components at the same time to report the same problem. That is, do not
rate Incorrect —Language/Script issue for the entire address and also Incorrect—Street Name
because street name is in an incorrect language.

When a Language/Script issue is present, make sure to check the address components for
accuracy and to select the appropriate checkbox. For instance, if you select language issue for the
entire address, you can also mark street number as incorrect, since this is an error that's not
language related.

7.1.1. Street Number

If the result address has an incorrect or missing street number rate Address Accuracy as Incorrect –
Street Number.

Result Official Address Rating and Explanation

Address Accuracy Incorrect – Street Number
7-Eleven 834 E Fremont Ave,
836 E Fremont Ave, Sunnyvale, CA Select the Street number checkbox because the
Sunnyvale, CA 94087 94087, USA street number in the result address is incorrect.

89
 Result Official Address Rating and Explanation

Defour Potgieterstraat 47, Address Accuracy Incorrect – Street Number

Potgieterstraat, 1053 1053 XS Select the Street number checkbox because the
XS Amsterdam, Amsterdam, street number is missing in the result address.
Netherlands Netherlands

The way street numbers are assigned varies by country and area. Some patterns you may see:

Street Number Extensions

Some markets use a street number extension system. Street number extensions are part of the street
number, not a further breakdown of it like building or unit numbers. If a street number extension is
incorrect or missing from a POI address it should be treated as an incorrect/missing street number.
Refer to Country Specific Guidelines for more details.

Result Official Address Rating and Explanation

Address Accuracy Incorrect – Street Number
Elkjøp Halden Walkersgate 8c, In Norway, street number extensions are part of the
Walkersgate 8, 1771 1771 Halden, street number and are not unit numbers. The street
Halden, Norway Norway number in the result is missing a street number
extension ‘c’ which is listed as part of the official street
number.
Address Accuracy Incorrect – Street Number
REMA 1000 Tynset Elfengveien 4 B, In Norway, street number extensions are part of the
Elfengveien 4 A, 2500 2500 Tynset, street number and are not unit numbers. The street
Tynset, Norway Norway number in the result has an incorrect number
extension ‘A’ when ‘B’ is listed as the official street
number extension.

Address Range

Address ranges are used to assign numbers to a stretch of road. Given the nature of these ranges,
not all numbers will have a building assigned to them.

When an address range is given by the query or returned as a result, consider it Correct when:

• The result street number is within the queried range

• The result address range exists and contains the queried street number
• The range or number matches the odd/even numbering system for left/right side of street
required by the country

The same criteria apply to POI addresses.

90
 Suggestion Official Address Rating and Explanation
Address Accuracy Correct
The Crutched Friar
39 Crutched Friars, No need to select the Incorrect – Street Number
London checkbox since the street number in the
39-41 Crutched Friars,
suggestion is within the official address range.
London EC3N 2AE,
United Kingdom Address Accuracy Incorrect – Street Number
The Crutched Friar
45 Crutched Friars, Select the Incorrect – Street Number checkbox
London because the street number in the suggestion is
outside of the official address range.

Address Accuracy Incorrect – Street Number

26 Winchester Avenue 25-27 Winchester
Burpengary East Qld Avenue, Burpengary Select the Incorrect – Street Number checkbox
4505 Australia East Qld 4505 Australia because the number 26 is even while the official
address range is odd.

Address Accuracy Incorrect – Street Number

Select the Incorrect – Street Number checkbox
Rua de Dom Hugo 17 because the street range in the suggestion does
Apartamentos Oporto 4050 Porto
Rua de Dom Hugo 1-45 Portugal not exist. This is a random address range and
Porto should be considered incorrect even if it contains
the official street number.

7.1.2. Unit/Apt

A street number can be divided into unit, apartment, or building numbers. Commonly seen forms
include the use of letters: A, B, C as well as the character # in front of a number: #420. Less common
are forms like ½.

A unit number should be correct and present when the official address of a business/POI contains a
unit number.

When a business does not list a unit number and the unit number cannot be confirmed, no unit
number should be given in the result. Rate Incorrect – Unit/Apt when unit number is present in the
rating tool in these cases.

Result Official Address Rating and Explanation

Vuori Address Accuracy Correct
333 Santana Row This is the correct address listed on the official
Suite #1110 website of the business.
San Jose, CA 95128
Address Accuracy Incorrect – Unit Number
Vuori 333 Santana Row
333 Santana Row Suite #1110 This result address is missing the unit number listed
San Jose, CA 95128 San Jose, CA 95128 on the official website. Unit number checkbox should
be selected.
91
Vuori Address Accuracy Incorrect – Unit Number
333 Santana Row This result address has a different unit number than
Suite #2490 the one listed on the official website. Unit number
San Jose, CA 95128 checkbox should be selected.

7.1.3. Street Name

If the result address has an incorrect or missing street name rate Address Accuracy as Incorrect –
Street Name.

Result Official Address Rating and Explanation

Van Gogh Museum Address Accuracy Correct
Museumplein 6, 1071
DJ Amsterdam, This is a correct address as displayed on the official
Netherlands website of the business.

Van Gogh Museum Address Accuracy Incorrect – Street Name

Museumplein 6,
Van Baerlestraat 6,
1071 DJ Amsterdam,
1071 DJ Amsterdam, This address has the wrong street name. Street
Netherlands
Netherlands name checkbox should be selected.
Van Gogh Museum Address Accuracy Incorrect – Street Name
6, 1071 DJ
Amsterdam, This address has a missing street name. The street
Netherlands name checkbox should be selected.

Alternative Street Names

A street can have alternate names or route
numbers, as well as multiple names in different
languages in bilingual areas. Consider a street
name correct when the name used is still valid and
in the language expected given the test language,
result region, or user query. If the street name has
changed and the older name is no longer in use,
consider the old name to be Incorrect – Street
Name if returned.

Misspelled Street Names

Misspellings in the street name, including missing diacritics (e instead of é, l instead of ł) may be
rated Incorrect – Street Name. See your Country Specific guidelines for more information.

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 Result Official Address Rating and Explanation

Van Gogh Museum Address Accuracy Incorrect – Street Name

Museumplein 6,
Musuemplein 6, 1071
1071 DJ Amsterdam, The result street name is misspelled (“ue” instead of
DJ Amsterdam, “eu”), so the street name checkbox should be
Netherlands
Netherlands selected
Address Accuracy Incorrect – Street Name
Bozego Ciala The result street name is missing diacritics in two
Bożego Ciała,
Bozego Ciala, letters (ż and ł) which should be treated as a
Wrocław, Poland
Wrocław, Poland misspelling in the Polish market. The street name
checkbox should be selected.

Street Directions and Types

Street directions (North (N), East (E), South (S), West (W)) as well as street types (Street (St),
Boulevard (Blvd), Avenue (Ave), etc.) are part of the street name. If they are incorrect or missing, the
street name is wrong and rated Incorrect – Street Name. Exceptions are when such elements of a
street name are used interchangeably for the same street.

Result Official Address Rating and Explanation

Address Accuracy Incorrect – Street Name
Van Gogh Museum Museumplein 6, This address has the wrong type of street: both
Museumkade 6, 1071 1071 DJ “plein” (square) and “kade” (quay) are street types.
DJ Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The official street type is listed as ‘plein’, therefore
Netherlands Netherlands the type of street is considered wrong and the
checkbox for street name should be selected.

118 El Camino Real 118 E El Camino Address Accuracy Incorrect – Street Name
118 El Camino Real, Real, Sunnyvale, CA This address is missing the direction. Therefore, the
Sunnyvale, CA 94087 94087 street name checkbox should be selected.
Blue Stones Address Accuracy Incorrect – Street Name
3530 El Camino
3530 E El Camino
Real, Santa Clara, This result address has additional direction, which is
Real, Santa Clara, CA
CA 95051 wrong and does not exist in real life.
95051

7.1.4. Sub-Locality and Administrative Subdivisions

Some countries or areas require an additional subdivision, like sub-locality, for correct address
information. See your Country Specific guidelines for specific guidance. The general guidance is to
rate a wrong sub-locality as Incorrect – Sub-Locality. This is also true if the sub-locality is required
but missing.

93
7.1.5. Locality

Misspellings within the locality name, including missing diacritics (e instead of é, l instead of ł) may be
rated Incorrect – Locality. See your Country-Specific Guidelines for more information.

Every result requires the correct locality component within its address details. In cases of local
government reforms or other changes in naming, the result has to reflect the official name.
Exceptions are made when alternate names are accepted.

Result Official Address Rating and Explanation

Van Gogh Museum Address Accuracy Incorrect – Locality
Museumplein 6, 1071 Museumplein 6, 1071
DJ Utrecht, DJ Amsterdam, This address has the wrong locality. Locality
Netherlands Netherlands checkbox should be selected.

Address Accuracy Incorrect – Locality

Van Gogh Museum Museumplein 6, 1071
Museumplein 6, 1071 DJ Amsterdam, This address has a missing locality therefore
DJ Netherlands Netherlands locality checkbox should be selected.

Jana Matejki Jana Matejki Address Accuracy Incorrect – Locality

Jana Matejki 90-237 Łódź
Polska The locality within the street result is missing
90-237 Lódz diacritics in two letters (Ł and ź) which should be
Polska treated as a misspelling in the Polish market.

7.1.5. Region or State

Each country has its own understanding of what is expected (correct) or unusual (incorrect) for region
or state components. See your Country Specific guidelines for more information.

Result Official Address Rating and Explanation

Incorrect – Region/
Address Accuracy
1384 Navarro Dr 1384 Navarro Dr, State
1384 Navarro Dr, Sunnyvale, CA 94087, This address is missing the state, which is a
Sunnyvale, 94087, USA mandatory component in the USA. Region/State
USA checkbox will be selected for missing state.
Correct with
Address Accuracy
formatting issue
Van Gogh Museum
Museumplein 6, 1071 Region is not a mandatory component in the
Museumplein 6, 1071
DJ Amsterdam, Netherlands, but if present has to be correct.
DJ Amsterdam, North-
Netherlands Since the region is not necessary, it is a
Holland, Netherlands
redundant address component and should be
flagged as a formatting issue.

94
 Result Official Address Rating and Explanation
Incorrect – Region/
Address Accuracy
State
Van Gogh Museum
Museumplein 6, 1071 Region is not a mandatory component in the
Museumplein 6, 1071
DJ Amsterdam, Netherlands, but if present has to be correct. The
DJ Amsterdam, North-
Netherlands correct region for the city of Amsterdam is North-
Brabant, Netherlands
Holland, therefore the region/state checkbox will
be selected.

7.1.6. Postal Code

The postal code accompanies the locality name and provides further detail about where a feature is
located. See your Country Specific guidelines for more information on when postal codes are a
mandatory address component.

If a postal code is not mandatory but is present in the result address, rate Correct as long as the
postal code applies to at least part of the feature (street, locality, large POI without an expected
address, etc.).

For many localities, more than one postal code may apply. As long as the returned postal code is
correct for at least a part of the feature (street, locality, large POI) rate Correct. Columbus, OH, for
example, contains 45 postal codes.

Postal code standards differ between locales so be sure to consult your Country Specific guidelines
for details.

Consider any country specific conventions when it comes to the use and correctness of shortened
postal codes. For example, the US postal code does not need the four-digit extension that follows the
five digit main code. Ignore it if it appears.

Result Official Address Rating and Explanation

Van Gogh Museum Address Accuracy Incorrect – Postal Code

Museumplein 6,
Museumplein 6, 1071 This address has the wrong postal code “DM” instead
1071 DJ Amsterdam,
DM Amsterdam, of the correct “DJ.” Postal code checkbox should be
Netherlands
Netherlands selected.
Van Gogh Museum Address Accuracy Incorrect – Postal Code
Museumplein 6,
Museumplein 6
1071 DJ Amsterdam, This address has a missing postal code. Postal code
Amsterdam,
Netherlands checkbox should be selected.
Netherlands

7.1.7. Country
The country is a “nice to have” piece of information, but should always be included when the result is
located in a country other than the test locale. If missing, rate Incorrect and select the Country
checkbox.
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 Test
Address in Result Address in Reality Rating and Explanation
Locale

1384 Navarro Dr, 1384 Navarro Dr, Address Accuracy Correct

en_US Sunnyvale, CA Sunnyvale, CA This is a correct address since the test
94087 94087 locale is the USA.
Address Accuracy Correct
1384 Navarro Dr, 1384 Navarro Dr,
de_DE Sunnyvale, Sunnyvale, CA This address includes the country name
CA,94087, USA 94087, USA since it is outside of Germany, which is the
test locale.
Address Accuracy Incorrect – Country

Museumplein 6, Museumplein 6, The country is mandatory in this example

en_US 1071 DJ 1071 DJ because the address is in the Netherlands,
Amsterdam Amsterdam, which is outside the user's US test locale.
Netherlands Country checkbox should have been
selected.

7.2. Address Does Not Exist

An address-type result needs to be associated with a building or with a plot of land that has been
officially assigned that address. If you find strong evidence that there is no building at the address or
that no plot of land has been officially assigned the address, rate Incorrect – Address does not exist
and leave a detailed comment including links. If there are not enough resources available to make an
informed decision, rate Can’t Verify.

Within markets that use street number extensions, if the result offers an address with a generic street
number, but the street number alone does not exist without an extension (e.g. result returns “163
Main St.”, but only “163A Main St.” and “163B Main St.” exist), rate the address as Incorrect –
Address does not exist, since the street number without the extension is not a valid, real-life address.
Note that street number extensions differ from the building numbers referred to in Unit/Apt section.

In rare cases, an existing street address can be found in a different locality. Always mark such cases
as Incorrect – Address does not exist and not as Incorrect – Locality.

Use the Incorrect – Address does not exist checkbox for any address result that doesn’t
exist, like a street or sub-locality result. This rating should not be applied to POI addresses.

7.3. Language/Script Issue in Address

The address details must be in a language and script that matches the test language (like en_US),
the user query, or the result region.

96
Use the Address Accuracy Incorrect – Language/Script Issue checkbox if you find issues of this
nature in any of the address components in the address details of any result. (For business/POI
names and address titles in unexpected languages, see Result title/name in unexpected language.)

These examples show incorrect language and script for the result “Cafe Timber, 1066 Hippy Hollow
Rd, Red Boiling Springs, TN 37150” with a user in the US using English.

Any combination of unexpected language or script is considered Incorrect. An exception can be

made in cases when only special characters are added that are not used in the expected language.

Results located in a market with different scripts are hard to verify. Use the normal research steps to
confirm the address. It is not expected that you understand markets and address formats outside your
local knowledge expertise, so do the best you can without doing more research than normal.

Rate mixed languages and scripts found in any address details as Language/script Issue when
they use a different language or script than the one used in the query, test, or result location.

7.4. Country-Specific Issue

The variety of address formats and distinctive country specific issues is broad. In general, use the
checkbox for Country Specific Issue when there is an address problem that is not covered by the
available checkboxes. This includes things like instances when an address also requires a
municipality in addition to locality and state, but those components are either missing or incorrect.
See your Country Specific guidelines for more information.

[Link]-Specific Issue vs. Correct with Formatting Issue

Any additional components beyond the regular address format for a country are rated:

• Correct with formatting issue if correct

• Incorrect – Country Specific Issue if very unusual or wrong

7.5. Other Issue

Issues not mentioned in these guidelines are reported using the Incorrect – Other Issue checkbox. If
you choose this option, be sure to leave a comment as well as links to the resources you used to
identify the issue. The checkbox is also used for:

• Duplicate address components

• Name of POI reappears in the address details
• Natural features that contain street address elements (see Natural Features)
• P.O. Box addresses
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You may also use this checkbox if you notice formatting issues along with any Incorrect
components you’ve already selected. This is because once you mark a component Incorrect, you
can no longer choose Correct with Formatting issue.

7.6. Correct with Formatting Issue

When all the result address information is correct and present, but not in the format expected, mark it
as Correct with Formatting issue. Formatting issues include the order of address components and
other minor issues that are not necessarily considered wrong. They do not include misspellings which
are addressed under the relevant individual components. Some reasons to rate Correct with
formatting issue:

• Components are in unexpected order

• Non-required but correct address components
• Extra spacing
• Double comma [,,]
• Rate Incorrect if a required component is missing
• Valid but redundant or unnecessary components (See your Country Specific guidelines for
more information)

If optional components already discussed in this chapter appear in the address, use the guidance
provided in the section that applies to those components, not the Correct with formatting issue
rating. If your market has additional address components, consult your Country Specific guidelines
before demoting.

7.7. Can’t Verify

An address is rated Can’t Verify when it cannot be confirmed as Correct or Incorrect. This is usually
the case when there is a lack of resources or an unexpected address format is given on the official
website.

• Lack of resources:
• No official webpage found
• No official address listed
• General lack of official resources
• Lack of street imagery
• Unexpected address formats used by official resources can include:
• Intersection address (Main St and 2nd St)
• Exit address (Exit 5, Hwy 101)
• Descriptive address (Main St between 6th and 7th Streets)

Ask yourself: Is the location given by the result address at least not wrong given all information I
have found? Use the following examples to learn how reach a conclusion.

Note: If an address contains missing or incorrect components, it can be confirmed as Incorrect. Mark
the individual incorrect components. See your Country Specific guidelines for more information on
missing or incorrect components.

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7.7.1. Can’t Verify for Street Number

The following example shows address details for a business called “Utopia.” No information online
confirms the address and only a few street numbers can be confirmed with official resources.

Rule and Explanation Example

The street number has to fall within the possible

range of addresses.

The street number 165 falls within the possible

street numbers ranging from 103 to 175.

Those are the houses closest to the result

address that could have been confirmed.

Rate the address Can’t Verify.

7.7.2. Can’t Verify for Street Name

The following examples give different address details for a business called Aztec. The official address
is “Granite Ave & W Babcock St, Bozeman, MT” and is in a different format than the result addresses.

Rule and Explanation Example

The result address has to provide access and

be within the possible range of street numbers.

W Babcock St provides access to the business

and the number appears to be within the range
of addresses we can confirm.

Rate the address Can’t Verify.

Granite Ave provides access to the business

and the number appears to be within the range
of addresses we can confirm.

Rate the address Can’t Verify.

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