This section addresses frequently asked questions about Google Map Maker.

Adding and Editing Content

How do I draw a road?
Click the Line tool, draw the road and then follow the instructions that appear. Enter the required information and click Save.

What information do I need enter for a local business?
For adding a local business, please provide the business name, address, contact information and accepted payment types. Note that contact information and supported payment types are optional.

How can I mark my home on the map?
While you may mark your home on the map by adding the same as a point of interest, we suggest that you do not reveal such private information in Google Map Maker. Consider marking it as a Point of Interest.

Are there some features that cannot be modified or published?
While you can edit almost any feature or landmark on Google Map Maker, certain features may not be editable because of technical or policy reasons. Google may restrict editing as per our published policy.

Can I add map features for other countries?
Yes. Please make sure that you are familiar with this region before you add information.

Can I edit information that has been modified and is in pending status? Do I need to wait until the these edits are published?
You have to wait for the change to accepted or denied by a moderator. Learn about moderating and neighborhoods.

How can I make changes to the features I added some time back?
Locate the feature or in the left panel, click My MapMarker. Click the appropriate feature to edit it.

I don't see an option to draw mountains. How can I add mountain ranges to the map?
Currently, Google Map Maker does not allow you to add or modify mountain ranges.

Where are the error messages?
Error messages appear in three places.  Some error and status messages are shown in the orange box, immediately above the map. Other error messages appear in the left hand column, immediately below the Search Results / My MapMaker tabs. Finally, invalid data error messages appear in the info windows.

I logged out of my Google account while I was using Google Map Maker. Are my changes lost?
When you sign out of Google, Google Map Maker also signs you out. All completed changes are saved. If you are not done making changes, sign in again and continue working.

I've experienced a session timeout or accidental logout from Google Map Maker or a loss of network connection. Can I recover the changes that I have made?
All completed changes are saved.  However, if your session times out, or a network connection is lost while you are making a change, that change may be lost.

Can I undo the changes that I have made to the map? What about selectively undoing changes?
You can undo pending edits before they are approved. To do this, click My MapMaker and under the appropriate edit, click Undo.

How long does it take for changes to appear? Will my changes appear on other Google products?
The changes can be seen on Google Map Maker in real time.  Not all user contributions will appear on maps.google.com or other Google products.  The contributions that do appear on other Google products may take a some time to show up. Google Map Maker is a repository for user submitted information. Google may choose to accept some of that data for display on other websites and products.

How do I know which changes will show up on other Google products?
There is no way to know this. Content appears in other products at Google's discretion.

Why is someone reviewing my changes?
Occasionally, we request experienced users to review submitted content to ensure that information remains factual, accurate, fresh and comprehensive. This allows you to get feedback from these experienced users.  New users may expect many of their changes to be reviewed.

I cannot see the changes that I made on the web. What have I done wrong?
Not all changes made on Google Map Maker will appear on maps.google.com.

My changes have been incorrectly rejected. What should I do?
Please review your change to make sure that it conforms to the Google Map Maker Content Policies.  If you still believe that your change was rejected incorrectly, please file a support ticket describing why you think the rejection is incorrect.

I cannot search for features that I have added but I can see the features on the web. What is wrong?
Please file a support ticket that describes this behavior.

I added a feature some time back and later, it was modified. Who modified the content I added?
Google Map Maker creates high quality map data through collaboration among different users and user groups.

Can I view my changes in as KML files?
No, you can view your changes in Google Map Maker only.

Sharing

Can I stop people from making changes to the features that I have published? I am allowed to modify other people's features.
Google Map Maker creates high quality map data through collaboration among different users and user groups. Hence, it is beneficial to all if we can edit each other's information and make it better.

Someone else has been making changes to map data using my account. What should I do?
Please change your password regularly to ensure integrity of your login account.

Miscellaneous

Is all data appearing on in Google Map Maker valid?
Google Map Maker depends on users to create data, and to fix inaccurate or invalid data. Therefore, it is possible that some inaccurate data appears in the service. If you are seeing some invalid content, please fix it or file a support ticket.

What should I do if I enter incorrect information on the map?
Please edit the specific feature and fix the incorrect information.

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