How to Do Map Editing in A Country Where Map Maker is Unavailable?

[dirmawanhatta]

I live in Indonesia, and Map Maker is not available for my country. Is there anything I can do to edit Map?

[Csaba]

Hi @dirmawanhatta, 

Once you click on a label on Google Maps (like this one of the Grand Indonesia Shopping Mall in Jakarta), you will see the basic info in the popup window. There is a link with a pencil icon saying "Suggest an edit". Click on that link and the whole range of info that you can edit will appear. 

To add a new place, click on the Map and it will tell you what Street and house number it is. There will be a link saying "Add a missing place". Click on it and fill in the necessary info. At the beginning, selecting the right category might seem to be hard as the categories start to appear as you start typing. But after a while, you will learn the categories you use the most (or click on other places to see what categories they belong to so you will see what you can add). Don't forget to place the marker as precisely as you can (building numbers usually "default" to certain spots and a business is not necessarily right there).

The more data you provide like opening hours, telephone number, website (name and category are requred), the more chances are that your edits get published sooner. 

Edit: I am at work now and here I cannot take screenshots but if you get stuck, just let me know and once back home, I can take those screenshots for you.

[AlidAbdul]

@dirmawanhatta I knew how it feels, because I'm Indonesian too 😄

[dirmawanhatta]

Hai @petocsaba thank you for answering my question..

I understand the procedure you describe, and it works for many places I have added (and published) on Google Maps. But what I mean is if I try to add a place which on a street that doesn't have name yet, then it is hard to fill the address. What I can do is drag the marker into the exaot position. It can be done, and works, but the address Map auto-fill will not be precised, and sometimes it mislead. Say, the place is actually on Jalan (Street) X, but Google hasn't named it, then the address will auto filled into larger category, for example, the name of the village/town, which is true, but doesn't proper. In some cases, I have read that I should contacted Regional Lead, but since Map Maker is not available in Indonesia, it doesn't have any Regional Lead. I think this the case which happened to @AlidA as well. Do you think any solution for this, or just wait for Map Maker to be applicable in Indonesia and then somebody like a Regional Lead chosen to take care of this?

Thank you once again.

[Csaba]

Hi @dirmawanhatta, in such cases I usually post the new place with the marker in the correct place and whatever Google thinks the address is. Then once it's published, you can go back and correect the address - the marker won't move with it at this time.

[dirmawanhatta]

@CsabaP 

Yes that is what I do. But in a few cases, I try to add a place like that with marker, but it is hard to be ACCEPTED by Google. Most cases is NOT APPLIED or they PENDING it for review. Or, if they ACCEPTED it, it is hard for them to published it. I have a place like that, and even I add it with different account and same drop marker, the responses are different. So I presumed that it correspond to the unavailability of the street name. 

[Csaba · Accepted solution]

Well, true that the more complete a new place's data, the bigger chances there are that it gets published instantly (or soon). Also, by time, as your reputation grows (i.e. the more successful and published edits you have), the quicker your edits will get published. So you also need to be patient.

Currently I have slightly over 7,500 published edits in MapMaker (I know you do not have it) so about 60-70% of my edits go live instantly. Certainly it's a lot easier this way than having to wait for ages...