Introduction:
When it comes to media contributions on Maps, each day we’re seeing more and more Local Guides contributing awesome videos, sharing their experiences so that others can get a much better appreciation and make better informed decisions about visiting the places they enjoy. This post is about such videos. More specifically, it’s about showcasing the “best” videos taken by Connect Local Guides from all over the world. In the absence of a better metric, we use the number of views that a video has gained as a measure of that video’s “quality” and we refer to the video having the most views as being our star video.
The post includes leaderboards for different Local Guide levels and in this way, whether you are a level 10 or a level 5 Local Guide, if you have contributed video on Maps, you can join in to showcase your star and it’s simple to do. To join the fun, sharing and learning about video contributed to Maps simply hit this link or leave a message on this post and someone will help you get started.
So what can you learn from the Star Videos Leaderboards?
By sharing our video contributions and achievements we can learn a lot about how to improve the quality of our videos so that we can achieve even better outcomes in terms of video views and the impact that they have on our communities. We have been doing this successfully with photos over many years and we can do the same with videos so join in and let’s see if together we can learn what type of videos work “best” on Maps.
Are you new to the Leaderboards?
If you’re new here then you may not be aware that this post forms part of a series of leaderboard posts each covering different aspects of the Maps contributions made by Local Guides. To see an index to these different leaderboard posts and all posts associated with them, simply hit this link
Readme - How to Read the Star Video leaderboards (May, 2025)
Briefly, this is what you need to know about the leaderboards in this post. For more details see the leaderboard documentation and the Leaderboard System’s online context-sensitive help information.
1. The leaderboards in this post present details about the star videos of participating Local Guides from all over the world. If you have contributed videos on Maps then you will have a star video, it’s your video that has the most views and we call this, the star video.
2. As well as an overall leaderboard, you will see leaderboards for different Local Guide levels which provide you with direct comparisons of your star video’s performance with that of your peers. Finally, there’s a leaderboard ranking the top 100 star videos by average star views per day which gives an indication on how good your star video is. To be included in this leaderboard, you must have updated your star video’s views in the period since the date of the last average star views per day leaderboard as posted here on Connect last month.
3. The average star views per day is calculated by dividing the star views by the life of the star video expressed in days. The life of the star video is equal to the number of days between when you first uploaded your star video on Maps and the date that you last updated the star views and thus, will be different for each participating Local Guide. Therefore, for accuracy of the information it is important that you enter the correct dates. When it comes to the date that you last updated the star views, point #2 above is very important.
4. As well as the star views and the date uploaded onto Maps, each listing on the leaderboards shows the Maps Category, and a description (e.g. Storefront, Building or Park) of the respective Local Guide’s star video.
5. If the Maps Category of a star video is shown as a link and if the name of the relevant Place of Interest was provided by the respective Local Guide, then hovering over that link will show you the name of the place and selecting that link will take you to a screenshot with details of that place as stored on the Local Guides, 2025 Star Videos post, a “star video album” if you will, of star videos.
6. If the Maps Category of a star video is shown on a colored background then that star video has been selected as one of the best that meets the formatting requirements as specified in the star video album post. Select that star video’s category and see why it has been rated as one of the best and read more about that star video on the “star video album” post.
7. Preceding some of the leaderboards, you may see a number of screenshots of featured star videos. If so, these are a selection from those that best meet the requirements as detailed in the “star video album” post.
8. Clicking or selecting any of the featured star video images shown will take you to where you can view the Local Guide’s video.
9. Where shown, around leaderboard sequence numbers indicate that this is the first time that the Local Guide has participated on the Top 100 Local Guides leaderboards.
10. Where shown, ( ) around leaderboard sequence numbers indicate that this Local Guide levelled up/down onto this leaderboard.
11. An asterisk (*) shown after a Connect Username indicates that that Local Guide is a Connect Moderator.
12. Double asterisks (**) shown after a Connect Username indicates that that Local Guide is a Googler.
13. Hovering over a Local Guide’s username will display the integration number that integrates that Local Guide’s details on the Leaderboards System and Connect; the umbilical chord if you will between the two disparate systems.
14. Selecting a Connect Usernames will take you to that Local Guide’s Connect Profile.
15. Local Guides suspended or who have left the Local Guides program as well as those who have hidden their Maps profile are excluded from the Leaderboards.
16. A ? or the words “Not set” in a cell indicates that the respective value cannot be determined or hasn’t been provided by or for the respective Local Guide.
17. The data for the leaderboards in this post was read at 1145 on Monday, June 2, 2025 (UTC).
18. Local Guides included on the leaderboards must check their entries for any errors. If you should find any errors or omissions, please add the details in a comment on this post. Regarding omissions, please note point 15 above.
Caption: Screenshot of @Silvi’s star video of Mod Pizza in Orlando
You may have seen @Julie_A’s challenge on International Burger Day, challenging us to share menu photos on Google Maps to win a Connect badge. If you have yet seen this “delicious” challenge then I recommend that you check it out - here’s the link. Well when browsing through the 2025 album of star videos, @Silvi’s star video of her visit to Mod Pizza in Orlando caught my attention. Now Silvi did add a photo of the menu on Maps (screenshot shown below), however, I thought how the short video that she also added, ended on the menu was rather interesting. Hit this link to see what I mean. Well done Silvi.
Sadly, I’m seeing yet another month of not much action on the star video front with average views per day in the main, continuing to decline I see quite a few not updating their deets…I’m not going to mention names but what’s up? Lost interest in your stars? Hint: Even if your star views don’t increase in the month, before the end of the month you should use the Leaderboard System to note this and it only takes a minute or two to do so
In my last comment, I added two videos of the restaurant I received service from, but they were not published.
I publish my comments through the center because there is a problem. This means dealing with it every time, but there seems to be no other solution.
There is a general problem with Google Maps, or maybe I am having problems. I formatted my phone, but the problem persists.
When I added a video, it did not appear in my comment, and the comment was not published with the form I filled out to the center. After deleting the comment, I published it with only the pictures, and the center published the comment.
It is super quick. I’ve been lucky that my video keeps increasing. My photo will skip months at a time, but I don’t know it until I go through the T100 update process.
Big shoutout to @efcxp for making the jump to Level 10! Congrats, man.
Thank you very much to select my photo as cover, @AdamGT!
A short description:
You can see two Nations here. The green on the right belongs to Germany, while the pond is in the Netherlands. It belongs to Gitstappermolen in Vlodrop NL an old watermill right at the river marking the border line. The mill was in my back, when I shot this photo.
Great to see these boards @AdamGT was looking forward to seeing My star video Average views ( only because my video has gone somewhat viral) But it is not there.
Would it have something to do with it being too New???
@WilfriedB@TerryPG@AdamGT
Nice video. Well my question is clear noob…how do you actually find your star video? I mean if you have uploaded 10s of thousands images or videos, how can you tell which video is highest? Photos is simple. Sorry if this has been answered before.
I see quite a few not updating their deets…I’m not going to mention names but what’s up? Lost interest in your stars? Hint: Even if your star views don’t increase in the month, before the end of the month you should use the Leaderboard System to note this and it only takes a minute or two to do so 
