Quick start

This page is for those who want to jump right into Wikimapia. Here you can find some advice and a simple manual to the main Wikimapia functions - exploring the map and place adding. Though there a lot of other features on Wikimapia, adding places is what a new user might use first. Besides, there are some features like adding linear features that are available only for 2+ User levels. For more information about Wikimapia features read Tools section.

Advice for new users

1. Wikimapia is not a very complicated thing to understand, so you could probably figure out everything just during its usage. Though if you face anything that may seem obscure, please read this manual carefully (you don’t need to memorize it but you'll see how it helps to know what topics are covered here) and don’t be afraid to ask more experienced users for help. Use messages and forum to communicate.

2. Add local places, as many as you want, all information (outline, title, description, etc.) must be accurate, useful and organized. Remember that the number of places created is not really important, to create more and more places should not be your goal. It is MUCH more important that you create local places (tags) with QUALITY: Places that will be of interest to others, that will help people learn about the world.

3. Familiarize yourself with Wikimapia policies and guidelines, so you’ll be aware of unpleasant situations, like being banned because of accidentally violating the rules or deletion of your tags.

4. Think twice before you edit or delete a particular location that created another user. Someone added it and had reasons to make it the way it is, so be ready to argue your editing/deletion and refer to Documatation as an official manual. If you have any doubts we recommend you to send user a message with your suggestions first.

5. Be patient, be good, and be co-operative with other Wikimapia users. Remember: you are representing yourself, your family, your community and your country. Try to give a good impression on them all.

Exploring the map

Main article: User interface

Wikimapia provides a lot of data, you just need to know how to get it.

• Fist of all you can choose how to watch the map. Different map types can give you different information. See Map types for details.

• You can search for a particular place. Just type keywords, its address or coordinates in search bar. You can also search type of places through categories filter. See User interface:Categories for more details.

• You can learn about a particular place by clicking on its title. In tag window you can see place information: description, address, Wikipedia link, categories, photos and its child objects.

• Every city has its own page called cityguide. Every cityguide (ie, rio-de-janeiro.wikimapia.org ) contains an overview of the city, lists of all streets, categories, tags and photos.

Adding place

First of all, we recommend to use ‘Satelite + old places’ map type (choose it at the top menu) for adding new places, this will prevent creating duplicates. Find the place you would like to tag and make sure this wasn't done already. Then, select "Add Place" from the Menu at the top of the screen. You may have to zoom in some more. Using the tool that appears, outline the place. When you are done, click the "Save" button.

Another window with the form should pop up, in which you can describe the place you've added:

Language

Main article: Language

This selects a language for your new place. This field is required.

Title

Main article: Title

The first text box is labled "Title." Enter a title for your new place. This field is required. Keep in mind that "CAPS LOCK" should be avoided, because this is web lingo for someone shouting, and it doesn't make your tag more important.

Description

Main article: Description

The next box is titled "Description." Type something that describes the place. It can be anything about the place - history, what makes it special, etc.. Place's description is what makes a tag useful. Try to be correct, neutral, and avoid advertising.

Addresses

Main article: Address

The next two boxes are labeled "Street" and "Building Number."

The "Street" is the name of the street the place is located on. Sometimes, a scrolling menu is here; this means that there are streets nearby that were created. For instance, a building might have a postal address of "Main Street". Note that the street field is optional. Please remember that adding a street name must be the exact street's name not the whole address. For the same reason it is not necessary to enter the zip code/postal code of the street into this field. Instead put the whole address at the Description Field and whenever you search it, the search engine will find it accurately.

The "Building Number" is the number of the building. For example, in this address: 215 South Main Street, Rochester, MI, USA, 215 is the building number. This field is optional.

Category

Main article Categories

There is a list of categories that you can choose for your new place. To make things easier, there's a search box. Categories are very important, always add them to your tags, if possible. Basically, they allow you to define the type of the place you've added and others to find it among the similar tags.

Wikipedia Link

Main article: Wikipedia link

If your new place has a Wikipedia entry, it goes herback to Main Pagee. If your new place does not have a Wikipedia entry, don't invent one just so you can put it in this field. This field is optional. When the place has a valid Wikipedia page in that language with an appropriate title, update the Wikimapia title so that the Wikipedia entry and the Wikimapia entry are the same.

Saving the place you've created

When you are all done, click the "Save" button (You might have to scroll down a little bit to see it). Voila! You have just created a place in Wikimapia.

More

Read more detailed description of tools and explanation of guidelines and policies. If you didn't find answers to your questions, they could be in our FAQ.