To protect our Local Guides community, we use filters to comb through content and look for anything that shouldn’t be on Connect. This can sometimes lead to topics, posts or replies being sent for spam review. The reason will vary from situation to situation, so here are a few things to consider before posting.
Keep your topics related to your experience and contributions as a Local Guide. Off-topic conversation will be flagged by your fellow Local Guides, Connect Moderators, or Google Moderators to keep discussions cohesive.
Our automatic spam filters are sensitive to help ensure all content adheres to the Local Guides program rules. Because of this, sharing links repeatedly to the same outside websites, using inappropriate language, and using a Connect account to spread spam will lead to your posts getting flagged and removed from the community.
Promoting a business will lead to your topic being marked as spam. Please do not participate in the Local Guides program — and Connect — on behalf of a business. This includes linking to your business or adding your phone number and email to posts. In addition to your posts being marked as spam, your account may be removed from the Local Guides program. Instead, head over to Google Business Profile and get started on growing your company’s reach with this free service.
I am deeply disappointed by the consistent blocking of my posts aimed at promoting services that directly help my community. As a community leader, entrepreneur, and advocate in Brooklyn NY, my work is centered around empowering individuals to stand up for their rights, whether in the workplace, housing, or other areas where injustice occurs.
I find it disingenuous to label this as a “community” if initiatives that directly serve people are treated as violations rather than contributions. How can we foster meaningful engagement if the tools meant to support connection are used to suppress it?
When I attempt to share my services with the community—services designed to provide assistance and make a meaningful impact—I am met with accusations of spamming or being overly promotional. This is disheartening. If this platform is truly a space for community leaders and advocates to connect and contribute, then why are posts that provide real solutions being flagged and blocked?
I urge you to reevaluate your guidelines and the way such flags are handled. Community leaders like myself should be supported, not stifled, when trying to uplift and help others. This platform has the potential to drive change and empower voices—but only if it truly acts as a space for collaboration, not a gatekeeper for arbitrary restrictions.
Sincerely,
Vanuska Sylvester
Community Leader & Advocate
Founder of Laughing Ladies Empower & Breaking Bias Channel
Welcome to Connect, @anon46423165
As a community leader you should know that every community has rules (Read first! Connect community guidelines).
We are a community of Local Guides, and what we share here is related to our experience (What are Connect categories?) to the Local Guides Program, and not what may appear as “Self promotional Contents”.
Thank you for your response, but I must clarify that my intention was never to self-promote in a manner that disregards community rules. As a Local Guide Level 7 and a dedicated community leader, I understand the importance of adhering to guidelines and contributing in meaningful ways.
However, the services I offer—through platforms like Laughing Ladies Empower and Breaking Bias Channel—directly contribute to the local community by advocating for workplace rights, assisting with housing and business complaints, and empowering individuals to take action. These are not self-promotional endeavors in the traditional sense; they are resources designed to support and uplift the very community we are part of.
It is disheartening to be flagged for attempting to share valuable resources and services that can improve the lives of local residents. The content I shared is aligned with the spirit of what Local Guides should be about—helping others with practical solutions and guidance, which ultimately fosters a stronger, more informed community.
As a Local Guide, my goal is to offer support and provide relevant information to those in need, not just to promote a personal agenda. I encourage a deeper understanding of what truly serves our community and the spirit of what Local Guides stand for.
What you do for others is undoubtedly remarkable, congratulations, but how do you do it “as a Local Guide”?
This is what would make your content relevant for our Community.
In fact, you introduced yourself in Connect several times, at least three times in August plus one in November. Then you started posting about your activities. You did it several times always with the same content not related to your activity as a Local Guide.
Why not share some examples of this? Your reviews, the photos you post on Google Maps, and that serve to help people in need.
I’m sure the community would find a topic geared towards your contributions very informative. This would certainly be relevant, because from your previous posts what you let us know is that
In the community we have many contributors who are oriented towards helping others, people in difficulty, against gender discrimination, with a commitment to the environment or to the promotion of territories.
They do it as Local Guides, and this is what they talk about.
I myself deal with the Environment and Social Inclusion, but I have never shared the activities of my association here in Connect. Google did it, inviting me as a speaker at conferences on Social Inclusion and assigning me the title of Guiding Star twice, but I personally have always avoided doing so because it is not in line with the Guidelines.
Stick to these principles, and you’ll see that your topics will have no problems.
Thank you for your feedback. I want to address your concerns about my posts and clarify that my intention has always been to contribute to the community in a meaningful way.
I’ve posted several times because the platform itself is challenging to navigate, which is why I understand the recent redesign of the website was necessary. It’s not always easy to share valuable information in an efficient manner here, and I’ve tried to provide relevant content to help the community in the best way possible.
As a Local Guide 7 with over 3 million views on my reviews, I have consistently offered guidance that is useful to our community. My activities, which include solo dates, community service, advocating for workplace rights, helping individuals with housing issues, and providing resources for consumers, align with the Local Guides spirit—offering support and contributing positively to the people around me.
I understand the importance of posting content that directly relates to the Local Guides program, but the activities I promote, such as offering services and resources to the community, are a direct extension of my work as a Local Guide. My contributions are valuable, and I believe they help people navigate the challenges we face in everyday life.
I hope this clarifies the nature of my posts, and I encourage more flexibility in how we define what’s relevant for the community. I’m committed to improving the experience for others and continuing to contribute positively.
Best regards,
Vanuska Sylvester
Local Guide Level 7 & Community Leader
Thank you for taking the time to share your point of view in response to @ErmesT’s question.
What you do for your local community is brilliant, however, the activities you tend to talk about in your posts on Connect are not related to your contributions as a Local Guide on Google Maps, but rather to your entrepreneurial businesses. This on its own goes against our Community guidelines and Content category guidelines, but most of all, it doesn’t connect with other Local Guides on this platform, who come to Connect to discuss their love for exploration and giving back to others through a common tool - Google Maps.
So in light of this, I want to reiterate what Ermes said above: if you focus on your contributions as a Local Guide and how they make a positive impact in your community, rather than your business activities, your posts won’t get flagged as spam. And you will be able to connect better with others.
