POI at Address

POI at Address
June 2020
1. Introduction..............................................................................................................................3
1.1. POIs ......................................................................................................................................................3
1.2. POIs Within POIs ...................................................................................................................................4
1.3. The Rating Tool .....................................................................................................................................4
1.3.1. POI Information ...........................................................................................................................5
1.3.2. Research Hints ...........................................................................................................................5
1.3.3. Research Links ............................................................................................................................5
1.3.4. Rating Questions ........................................................................................................................5
2. Research ..................................................................................................................................7
2.1. Research Rules ......................................................................................................................................7
2.2. Research Workflow...............................................................................................................................8
2.2.1. Online Research .........................................................................................................................8
2.2.2. Research Hints...........................................................................................................................8
2.2.3. Evidence ....................................................................................................................................8
2.2.3.1. Official Websites ...............................................................................................................9
2.2.3.2. Official Website Copyright Dates .....................................................................................9
2.2.3.3. Official Mall Directory .....................................................................................................10
2.2.3.4. Social Media and Crowdsourced User Review Sites ......................................................10
2.2.3.5. Single-Source Rule ..........................................................................................................11
2.2.3.6. Unreliable Resources ......................................................................................................12
2.2.4. Screening Residential Addresses.............................................................................................13
2.2.5. Comments ................................................................................................................................13
3. Active POIs .............................................................................................................................14

3.1. POI Validity Rating Options .................................................................................................................14
3.2. Rating Address Types and Components.............................................................................................14
3.2.1. Missing Address Components ..................................................................................................14
3.2.1.1. Unit Numbers ...................................................................................................................15
3.2.2. Address Ranges .......................................................................................................................16
3.3. Rating POI Types ................................................................................................................................16
3.3.1. POIs with Shared Addresses .....................................................................................................16
3.3.2. Convenience Stores .................................................................................................................17
3.3.3. Residential Addresses ..............................................................................................................17
3.3.4. Apartment Complexes ..............................................................................................................17
3.3.5. POIs without a Physical Address ..............................................................................................17
3.3.6. Unattended POIs ......................................................................................................................17
3.3.7. Online-Only POIs ......................................................................................................................18
3.4. Rating POI Based on Open Status ......................................................................................................18
3.4.1. Temporary Closures ..................................................................................................................18
3.4.2. POIs that are Coming Soon ......................................................................................................19
4. Evidence ................................................................................................................................20
4.1. Evidence Rating Options.....................................................................................................................20
5. Official URL ............................................................................................................................21

5.1. Official URL Rules ................................................................................................................................21
5.1.1. Evidence URL vs. Official URL ...................................................................................................21
5.2. Official URL Examples ........................................................................................................................22
6. Official Name .........................................................................................................................23
6.1. Official Name Rules.............................................................................................................................23
6.1.1. POI Names and Branch (Store Location) Numbers ...................................................................23
6.1.2. Holding Name and Corporate Structure ..................................................................................24
6.1.3. POIs with Geographic Words in Name .....................................................................................24
6.1.4. Hotel Brand Names ..................................................................................................................25
6.1.5. Brands and Products Sold in Retail POIs ..................................................................................25
6.1.6. Classes, Meetings, or Groups Hosted by a POI ........................................................................27
6.2. Official Name Examples .....................................................................................................................28
7. POI at Address Rating Examples ..............................................................................................29
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1. Introduction
In this task, you will be given an address. Your job is to conduct online research to find evidence that a POI
currently exists and operates at this address. If your research proves that a POI is active and located at the
address, you will also record the official URL and name of that POI.
You may also be provided with additional information, including POI Name and/or URL Hints. These are
provided for research purposes only. Do not rely on these hints without conducting research to confirm recent
activity, as these hints may be inaccurate or outdated.
1.1. POIs
The term POI refers very generally to any entity that would normally be covered in a yellow pages directory,
and is anything other than a residential listing. POIs are places that users would want to find on a map and
potentially navigate to.
Examples of POIs include, but are not limited to:
POI Categories Examples

Conventional for-profit Restaurants, hotels, day care centers, law firms, company
businesses headquarters
Non-profit organizations Schools, churches, museums, foundations
Offices and departments at all levels of government;
Government offices however, restricted access administration offices are not
valid
Including apartment complexes; however, individual
Housing complexes
apartments or not valid
Landmarks Public monuments, bridges, squares
Transit stations and
Metro/subway stations, railway stations, bus stops
airports
Including public and paid lots; however, restricted access
Parking lots
parking lots are not valid
Public restrooms located in parks and public spaces,
Public restrooms departments stores and malls; however, restricted access
restrooms are not valid
Including ski resorts, Christmas tree farms, pumpkin
Seasonal POIs
patches, haunted houses, etc.
Farmers markets Markets with regular, recurring dates
Areas of Interest (AOIs) Parks, beaches, lakes, mountains
Businesses within malls or airports or other POIs. This may
POIs Within POIs
include departments or specific buildings within a university.
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1.2. POIs Within POIs
Single or multiple rooftop POIs may also contain individual POIs within them: POIs Within POIs. This occurs
when there is a parent-child relationship between two POIs and one of the POIs (Child POI) is physically
located within the other (Parent POI), such as an individual shop (Child POI) within a mall (Parent POI).
This table matches types of Parent POIs with the Child POIs that they frequently contain:
Example of Parent POI Examples of Child POIs
Hospitals have many departments and sub-departments
such as cardiology, oncology, family practice, etc. Hospitals
Hospitals, Clinics, Medical
also have doctors, labs and similar health care related
Centers
services. Thus hospitals can contain medical departments,
doctors and labs, etc.
Universities, Public/Private
Universities have colleges and research departments.
Schools
Malls, Malls or department stores can contain other retail stores,
Outlet Malls, Department restaurants, and cafes. All of these are unique sub-offerings
Stores contained within a mall or department store POI.
Hotels, Motels, All-Inclusive Hotels and Resorts can contain restaurants, bars, spas, and
Resorts various other retail shops.
Amusement Parks, Leisure/Entertainment destinations can contain restaurants,
Museums, Stadiums bars, retail shops, spas, and various other attractions.
Parks, Golf Courses, AOIs can contain restaurants, bars, spas, and various retail
Beaches, Boardwalks shops.
1.3. The Rating Tool

The web-based Rating Tool is where you will find information about each address and where you will record
each of your ratings. It is divided into four sections: POI Information, Research Hints, Research Links, and
Rating Questions.
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The following sections explain how to use each part of the Rating Tool and introduce you to the Rating
Questions for POI at Address.
1.3.1. POI Information

This section will provide you with a Target Address. Your task will be to conduct online research to determine
if there is a valid POI with evidence of recent activity at this address.
1.3.2. Research Hints

A URL and/or Name Hint may be displayed, when they are available. However, the Hints that you see in this
section are based on preliminary web searches and may be inaccurate or outdated. This task is not
designed to verify the validity or accuracy of these hints.
Rather, because initial web searches suggest that URL and Name Hints may correspond to a POI at the Target
Address, they are provided to aid in your research.
If a URL or Name Hint does not match an active POI at the Target Address, you should always conduct
additional research to see if there is any other active POI at the Address.
1.3.3. Research Links

The information listed in the POI Information and Research Hints sections are linked to a variety of search
engines. These are provided as optional shortcuts to begin your online research.
1.3.4. Rating Questions

Your ratings and comments will be collected in the Rating Questions section.
POI at Address asks three types of questions:
1. POI Activity - Is a POI active at this address?: This question asks you to determine whether or not
there is an active POI at the Target Address that should be included in a database of POIs.
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If you respond Yes, indicating that an active POI is located at the Target Address, additional questions will
appear, each with their own checkboxes or text fields.
2. Evidence - What evidence did you find?: This question asks you to confirm the source type that you
used as evidence that there is an active POI at the Target Address.
3. Provide Official Data - If an active POI is present, you will be asked to provide specific information
about that POI, including the POI’s official URL and Name in the text fields provided.
4. Comments - Comments are optional but may be provided to explain the reasoning behind your
ratings. Comments should include the websites used for research and any information useful for future
reviewers.
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2. Research
POI at Address requires online research using official sources to verify that a POI is present at the Target
Address. Once you have located an official source for any POI associated with the Target Address, you will
also search for evidence of recent activity.
Recent activity may include, but is not limited to recent copyright date on official websites, current calendar of
events, recent blog posts, user reviews, or other recent social media posts. Recent activity provides evidence
that a POI is currently open at this location.
2.1. Research Rules

• Always begin your search by looking for an active, official website with recent copyright or posts,
within the last 6 months
• If the POI is located within a mall, you may also use the official mall directory
• If an official website is not available, look for an official social media account or claimed crowdsourced
user review pages that have recent activity, within the last 6 months
• Always verify that the social media page or crowdsourced user review page is the correct, official site
and is claimed by the correct POI
• In order to be considered an active POI, you must be able to locate a single source of evidence that
verifies the address and recent activity (single-source rule - see Sec 2.2.2.5.)
• Always look at available satellite and/or street imagery to confirm that the POI is an actual, physical POI
in the real world. A personal, residential address should never be considered an active POI.
• Do not use unofficial social media or unclaimed crowdsourced user review pages
• Do not use a mapping service, including online maps, to verify the address of any POI
• Do not use data aggregators/spammy directory sources.
• Do not use crowdsourced user reviews from search engines or mapping providers
• Do not use the information provided by automated responses from search engine result pages
(SERPs), as these may be outdated or inaccurate. SERPs list results from a web search engine in
response to a query and may include automated responses to POI searches
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2.2. Research Workflow
Research Steps Explanation
Step 1 - Online Research Conduct online research to determine if a valid POI exists at the
Target Address.
Step 2 - Hints If Name or URL Hints are provided, begin by checking to see if
these match a POI that is active at the Target Address.
If neither hint matches a POI at the address, then conduct

additional research to see if any other valid POI exists at the
Target Address.
Step 3 - Evidence Verify that there is evidence of recent POI activity on either the
official website or official social media page.
Step 4 - Screening Residential Always look at the most recent available satellite and/or street
Addresses imagery to confirm that the POI is an actual, physical POI in the
real world and not a residence or service business operating out
of a home.
This following sections explain the research workflow and how to identify websites that are officially owned or
managed by a POI.
2.2.1. Online Research

Begin your research by conducting a general web search of the Target Address to see if an official resource
can be found that confirms that an active POI is located at the address.
Search engine results, however, are not considered official sources and may not be used as evidence of POI
activity.
2.2.2. Research Hints

Name and URL Hints, when available, are provided for reference and research purposes only because they
may be outdated or inaccurate. Here are some rules to keep in mind when using Research Hints in your online
research:
• If a Name Hint is provided (regardless of any URL hint) and matches a POI at the Target Address, then
use this information to confirm the POI
• If there is no Name Hint, but there is a URL Hint that matches a POI at the Target Address, then use this
information to confirm the POI
• If neither a Name Hint or a URL Hint are provided, or no real POI matches the hint(s), then identify any
one POI that shows up most prominently in web search results for the Target Address
• The Hints are not required to be a match to the Target Address
2.2.3. Evidence
In order to verify that an active POI is located at the Target Address, you’ll need to find authorized sources that
confirm this. The following sections define the sources that are authorized for the POI at Address task.
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2.2.3.1. Official Websites
If a POI has an official website, and its official website is actively maintained, its website should be used as a
resource to confirm that the POI is active. A web page owned and maintained by the POI usually has a distinct
address, corporate design, and logo, and will typically be customized with information regarding the POI, such
as contact information, history or general background about the POI, as well as the services or products that
the POI offers.
POI Name Official URL
GameStop www.gamestop.com
Best Buy www.bestbuy.com
San Francisco International Airport www.flysfo.com
XL CENTER www.xlcenter.com
Mamacita’s Grill www.mamacitasgrill.com
2.2.3.2. Official Website Copyright Dates

An official company website or mall directory page must have a strong indication of recent activity.
Copyright dates may be used to satisfy this requirement as long as they are within 6 months. For example, If
you rate a POI during May 2020, the acceptable copyright dates will include 2019 and 2020. However, if you
rate a POI during June 2020, then only a copyright of 2020 will satisfy this requirement. Here are some
common copyright listing patterns and how to handle them:
Copyright Format Sufficient Explanation

Evidence of
Recency?
Sperone Westwater The listed copyright date for this POI is recent and can be used
Yes
Gallery, 2020 ® as evidence of recent activity.
® 2020 SPERONE The listed copyright date for this POI is recent and can be used
Yes
WESTWATER as evidence of recent activity.
The listed copyright date for this POI includes a date range.
Sperone Westwater
Yes Since it includes the current year, this copyright can be used as
Gallery, 2020-2025 ®
evidence of recent activity.
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Copyright Format Sufficient Explanation
Evidence of
Recency?
The listed copyright date is not sufficiently recent, so this cannot
be used to verify recent activity.
Sperone Westwater Always check to see if other forms of evidence are available,
No
Gallery, 2018 ® including event calendars, news, and other postings on the official
website or social media page.
If no other form of evidence is available, you should rate No.
The copyright date is missing. This cannot be used to verify the

recent activity of this POI. Instead, conduct additional research to
see if you can verify recent activity using other evidence.
Sperone Westwater
No Always check to see if other forms of evidence are available,
Gallery ®
including event calendars, news, and other postings on the official
website or social media page.
If no other form of evidence is available, you should rate No.
2.2.3.3. Official Mall Directory

If a POI is located within a shopping center, but does not have its own official website, you may use the POI-
specific page on the mall’s directory.
The mall directory must satisfy the following criteria:

• The mall directory can be used to verify that the POI is located at the Target Address
• The mall website has a copyright date within 6 months as evidence of recent activity
2.2.3.4. Social Media and Crowdsourced User Review Sites

Official resources are used to confirm any POI details that are not available on an official web page. Such
resources may include:
• Social media sites claimed by the business/POI and updated within the last 6 months.
• Crowdsourced User Review Sites that are claimed by the business/POI and updated within
the last 6 months.
POI-Operated Social Media Pages What to Watch For
Official pages will have updates and pictures posted by

the business. Unofficial pages will only have updates and
pictures added by members of the social media website.
Note: Blogs, news posts, photos, or events posted within

the past 6 months are key features in determining if a
page is actively maintained.
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POI-Operated Social Media Pages What to Watch For
Official pages will be verified or claimed by their owners.
Look for badges that confirm that a POI has been claimed
by the owner.
Official pages will often have a custom URL extension. Custom URL Extension:
https://www.facebook.com/LaTaqSF
Non-Customized URL Extension:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Equine-Calculator/
857469375913?ref=ts
Official pages will not have a "Claim this Page" or "Is this
your business?" link.
2.2.3.5. Single-Source Rule

Active POIs must satisfy two conditions. Both conditions must be satisfied by a single authorized source:
1) the POI is located at the address; and

2) there is evidence of recent activity for this POI at this location
How to apply the Single-Source Rule

In order to be considered an active POI, you must be able to locate a single source of evidence that verifies the
address and recent activity.
Evidence Confirms Recent Active Explanation

Address Activity POI?
When the official website can be used to

confirm that a POI is located at the Target
Official Website ✅ ✅ Yes Address and there is evidence of recent
activity, then you should rate Yes, there is an
active POI at this address.
If the official website can be used to confirm

only one of the conditions listed above, then
you should conduct additional research to
No locate another source that will satisfy both
conditions.
Official Website ✅ 🛑 *further
research For example, if an official website confirms the
required address, but has no evidence of recent activity
or a recent copyright, they you cannot use this
as evidence that there is an active POI at this
address.
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Evidence Confirms Recent Active Explanation
Address Activity POI?
If no official website is available, then conduct

research to locate an official social media page
or claimed crowdsourced review page.
Official Social
✅ ✅ Yes When the official social media page can be
Media
used to confirm that a POI is located at the
Target Address and there is evidence of recent
activity, then you should rate Yes, there is an
active POI at this address.
If an official social media page can be used to

confirm only one of the conditions listed above,
then you should conduct additional research to
No
locate another source that will satisfy both
Official Social conditions.
🛑 ✅ *further
Media
research
For example, if an official social media page has
required
evidence of recent activity, but does not confirms
the address, then you cannot use this as evidence
that there is an active POI at this address.
In some cases, you may find confirmation of both

conditions on different sources. For example, an
Official Website ✅ 🛑 official website may have confirmation of address
No and their social media page has evidence of recent
activity.
*further
research For the purposes of this task, you should not mix
Official Social required evidence sources to satisfy conditions separately.
🛑 ✅
Media
Remember that both conditions must be satisfied
by a single authorized source
2.2.3.6. Unreliable Resources

Some resources are unreliable and may be inaccurate or outdated. Unreliable sources may include,
but are not limited to:
• Data aggregators
• Spammy directory sites
• Unofficial social media
• Unclaimed crowdsourced user review sites
• Mapping services
• Search engines result pages (SERPs)
• Crowdsourced user reviews from SERPs or mapping services
Do not use these as sources in your research. Consensus between unreliable resources should be
disregarded.
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2.2.4. Screening Residential Addresses
Online street and/or satellite imagery should not be used as evidence that a POI is present or has recent
activity.
However, a personal, residential address should never be considered an active POI. For this reason, you should
always look at available satellite and/or street imagery to confirm that the Target Address represents an actual,
physical POI in the real world.
A POI located in a residential structure, including single apartments, are only valid when each of the following
criteria are satisfied:
• The POI operates regular, public business hours

• Customers, clients, and/or patients would be expected to visit the address for goods and services
provided by the POI
• Street signage for the POI is clearly visible in street imagery
2.2.5. Comments
Comments should be provided anytime you find information that contradicts the address or hints provided:
• Verification and research process: Please leave a short comment on the verification process for the
listing. If the verification process was not possible, explain why.
• Include online resources: If the POI’s official URL is different from the URL that you used as evidence
of POI activity, copy and paste the URL that you used as evidence in the Comments field.
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3. Active POIs
Active POIs must satisfy two conditions:
• a POI is located at this address

• recent activity confirms that the POI is active and open
3.1. POI Validity Rating Options

Once you have conducted online research, select one of the following ratings:
Rating Option Description
Rate Yes only if both conditions are met. If you verify that a POI is located
Yes at the Target Address and you find a post or review within the last 6
months, select Yes as the answer to the first question. Otherwise, rate No.
Select No if either condition is not met. if there is no evidence of recent

No
activity within the last 6 months, then select No.
Select Can't Verify only if you encounter international access

restrictions.
Can't Verify You should only select this option if you are unable to access all available
approved sources due to international access issues. If you are blocked from
accessing one approved source, always attempt to conduct research through
additional approved sources before rating Can’t Verify.
3.2. Rating Address Types and Components

The following sections explain how to research and rate Target Addresses based on the types of addresses
commonly seen, as well as the expected address components.
3.2.1. Missing Address Components

You may encounter addresses that are missing one or more address components (e.g. street number, street
name, etc.). If the Target Address is missing too many components, you will not be able to reliably determine
that an active POI is present at the intended address. At minimum, a valid Target Address will meet at least one
of the following criteria:
1. street number, street name, city/locality and postal code

-or-
2. building name, street name, city/locality and postal code
If a Target Address does not meet this criteria, rate No for the question, Is a POI active at this address?
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Unit Numbers: As long as the Target Address specifies the street number + name and/or building name, unit
numbers are not required.
Is a POI active
Target Address Explanation
at this address?
The Target Address does not include a street number or

A19 Doncaster Road,
building name. Research reveals that 'A19' refers only to the
Whitley East, Yorkshire, No
street name, so it is not possible to determine the location of
DN14 OJW
a specific, valid POI.
London, England The Target Address does not include a street number, street
No name or building name, so it is not possible to determine the
location of a specific, valid POI.
3.2.1.1. Unit Numbers

Unit numbers are not required elements in the Target Address. However, keep these rules in mind when
conducting research for Active POIs that may have unit numbers in their official addresses.
• If the Target Address does include a Unit Number, then the Active POI that you provide must match
that Unit Number.
• However, If the Target Address does not include a Unit Number, provide any POI that is active at the
Target Address.
Does the
Candidate POI
Target Address Candidate POI Explanation
match the Target
Address?
Double Thai
Cuisine The Target Address includes a Unit Number, so
2325 El Camino the Active POI that you provide must match
Real, Unit 101 that Unit Number. In this case, the unit number
2325 El Camino No
Santa Clara, CA for Double Thai Cuisine does not match the
Real, Unit 104
95050 unit number in the Target Address.
Santa Clara, CA
95050
Las Flamas
Restaurant The Target Address includes a Unit Number, so
2325 El Camino the Active POI that you provide must match
Real, Unit 101 that Unit Number. In this case, the unit number
2325 El Camino Yes
Santa Clara, CA for Las Flamas Restaurant does match the unit
Real, Unit 101
95050 number in the Target Address.
Santa Clara, CA
95050
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Does the
Candidate POI
Target Address Candidate POI Explanation
match the Target
Address?
Double Thai
Cuisine The Target Address does not include a Unit
2325 El Camino Number, so you may provide results for any
Real active POI that is located at the given street
2325 El Camino Yes
Santa Clara, CA address.
Real, Unit 104
95050
Santa Clara, CA
95050
3.2.2. Address Ranges

Some street numbers may be listed as a range. In order to be considered a match to a Target Address, the
address range must contain the location indicated by the specific street number, such that the two addresses
would lead a user to the same location on a map.
Actual Address Target Address Active POI Explanation
6 Radium Street, 6-8 Radium The actual POI address is included in the Target
Unit 1, Street Address range. As long as there is evidence of
Yes
Crestmead QLD Crestmead recent activity from approved sources for a POI at
4132 QLD 4132 this address, you should rate Yes.
The Target Address is included in the actual POI

Unit 3, 26-32 32 Kent Rd,
address range. As long as there is evidence of
Kent Rd, Mascot Mascot NSW Yes
recent activity from approved sources for a POI at
NSW 2020 2020
this address, you should rate Yes.
3.3. Rating POI Types

The following sections explain how to research and rate Target Addresses based on different POI Types.
These sections cover many commonly encountered POI Types, but are not an exhaustive list.
3.3.1. POIs with Shared Addresses

Sometimes multiple POIs may share the same address (for example, individual stores within a mall). When this
occurs, it may be difficult to determine which POI to base your research and ratings on. Here are some steps
for rating and researching POIs with shared addresses:
• If a Name Hint is provided (regardless of any URL hint) and matches a POI at the Target Address, then
use this information to confirm the POI
• If there is no Name Hint, but there is a URL Hint that matches a POI at the Target Address, then use this
information to confirm the POI
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• If neither a Name Hint or a URL Hint are provided, or no real POI matches the hint(s), then identify any
one POI that shows up most prominently in web search results for the Target Address
3.3.2. Convenience Stores

Convenience stores are often attached to gas stations. These can often be verified on the store locator for the
gas station brand or company that the store is attached to.
3.3.3. Residential Addresses

A personal, residential address should never be considered an active POI. Always look at available sattelite
and/or street imagery to confirm that the Target Address represents an actual, physical POI in the real world.
A POI located in a residential structure, including single apartments, are only valid when each of the following
criteria are satisfied:
• The POI operates regular, public business hours

• Customers, clients, and/or patients would be expected to visit the address for goods and services
provided by the POI
• Street signage for the POI is clearly visible in street imagery
3.3.4. Apartment Complexes

Apartment Complexes are considered businesses and may be considered active as long as they meet the
same criteria as other POIs, including address match and evidence of recent activity from an approved source.
3.3.5. POIs without a Physical Address

In order to be considered a valid, active POI, the Target Address must be associated with a physical location
associated with a specific POI. If the Target Address is for a POI without a physical presence, such as a service
or business operated out of a home, this should not be considered an active POI.
If a Target Address is the mailing address of a POI, but not the physical address that a user would visit, this
should not be considered an active POI.
Is a POI active
at this address?
3673 16th Street, San This address is associated with the Duboce Triangle
Francisco, CA 94114 Neighborhood Association. However, it is listed on their
No
official website as their mailing address. This address is not
for an active POI.
3.3.6. Unattended POIs

If a Target Address is for an unattended mail or donation box, but not the physical address for delivery service
or donation organization, this should not be considered an active POI. However, often unattended donation
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boxes will be located at the address of another POI. Whenever you locate a mail or donation box at an address,
conduct additional research to answer the following questions:
• Is the mail or donation box attended and does it provide public service hours? If so, rate Yes.
• Is there another active POI at the Target Address? If so, rate Yes.
• If neither of the above can be verified, rate No.
Is a POI active
at this address?
In this example, a name hint for Goodwill is included. This

address is associated with Goodwill. However, this location is
listed on the official Goodwill website as an unattended
donation box. Further research, however, reveals that there is
352 Church Avenue, SW a valid Red Cross Blood Donation Center at this address, so
Roanoke, Virginia 24016 this address would be rated, Yes.
Yes
Name Hint: Goodwill Remember: Name Hints are optional and provided to aid in
your research. If a Name Hint does not match an active POI
at the Target Address, conduct additional research to see if
there are any other active POI at the address, and rate
accordingly.
3.3.7. Online-Only POIs

Businesses that provide services exclusively online, should not be considered valid, active POIs. Do not rely on
the following to verify that a POI is active.
• User logins - do not log in to a website to verify current activity of a POI. User logins are not date-specific
and do not indicate that a POI has an actual location in the real world, so these should not be used for
verification of recency.
• Online shopping - though online shopping may seem to suggest that a POI exists, online shopping is not
date-specific and does not determine that a user should be directed to this business on a map.
3.4. Rating POI Based on Open Status

The following sections explain how to research and rate Target Addresses based on the current open status of
POIs. These sections cover commonly encountered POI Statuses, but are not an exhaustive list.
3.4.1. Temporary Closures

Temporary closures occur when a POI in a fixed location experiences a one-time closure due to construction,
remodeling, natural disaster, disease, or other reasons. To verify a temporary closure, review official resources
for changes to the POI’s hours as well as any statements, announcements, or postings by the POI that confirm
the temporary closure, including any notification pages added to the POI’s official website.
18
If a POI has temporarily closed, but otherwise meets the criteria of a valid POI with evidence of recent activity,
then rate Yes.
Is a POI active
at this address?
The Target Address is for Berkeley Repertory Theater. The

theater has recently cancelled public events, due to the
2025 Addison St,
Yes COVID-19 pandemic, and is temporarily closed to the general
Berkeley CA 94704 public. However, this is a valid POI and there is evidence of
recent activity, so it should be rated, Yes.
3.4.2. POIs that are Coming Soon

Sometimes a POI that has not yet opened to the public will already have an official website, or other evidence
of their presence. POIs that have an announced opening date in the future, even if they have evidence of
recent online activity, should not be considered open and active POIs.
If a POI is scheduled to open to the public for the first time on a future date, rate No.
Is a POI active
at this address?
The Target Address is for a specific Stonebrook Lodge

location. On the date that this address was rated, official
270 Main Street sources listed this location as "Coming Spring 2020". Since
No
Bryson City, NC 28713 the POI had not yet opened on the date that it was rated, even
though it was scheduled to open in the future, this should not
be considered a active POI.
19
4. Evidence
If you responded, Yes, to the first question, next select the type of evidence that you found.
4.1. Evidence Rating Options

To verify that an active POI is located at the Target Address, search for the following types of evidence, listed in
order of priority.
Valid Types of Evidence Explanation
Begin your research by looking for an official company website.
Official websites must have evidence of recent activity, including a recent

copyright date or other dated activity within the last 6 months.
Official Company
Website with recent
Dated activity may include, but is not limited to:
copyright date
• Recent copyright
• News posts
• Event calendar with current and/or future events
• Blog posts
If a POI is located within a shopping center, but does not have its own
official website, you may use the POI-specific page on the mall’s directory.
Official Mall Directory

The mall directory must satisfy the following criteria:
with recent copyright
date • The mall directory can be used to verify that the POI is located at the
Target Address
• The mall website has a copyright date within 6 months as evidence of
recent activity
If you are unable to verify a POI with recent activity on an official website or
mall directory, you may also search for social media or claimed
crowdsourced user review sites.
Official Social Media or
Claimed Crowdsourced Social media or claimed crowdsourced user review sites must have
User Reviews within the evidence of recent activity within the last 6 months.
last 6 months
Dated activity may include, but is not limited to:
• posts by the business
• user reviews
Reminder: In order to be considered an active POI, you must be able to locate a single
source of evidence that verifies the address and recent activity (Single-Source Rule).
20
5. Official URL
If a POI is active at the Target Address, you will enter the POI’s official URL in the provided text field.
5.1. Official URL Rules

Here are some rules to follow when determining the correct Official URL:
• Official Websites
• If the business has an official website and an official social media page, the official website should
be provided as the official URL
• POIs with multiple locations may have a location-specific page or the business's main page. Both
can be considered the POI's official URL
• If a POI has multiple official websites, any one of them can be considered the official URL
• Official Websites vs. Official Social Media Pages
• If a POI does not have an official website, but does have an official, claimed social media page,
that social media page must have been updated within the past 6 months to be considered the
official URL
• If the POI has no official website, but does have multiple officially claimed and recently updated
social media pages, any of them can be considered the official URL
• Official Social Media Pages
• Businesses with multiple locations can have either the location-specific social media page or the
business's main social media page provided as the official URL
• Additional Notes
• Do not click on ads, sponsored search results, mapping results or mapping services. The
URLs from these results often contain extraneous tracking information in their links
• Do not use url shorteners. Always insert the entire source URL in this field
5.1.1. Evidence URL vs. Official URL

In some cases, you may not be able to use an official website as evidence that a POI is active at the Target
Address, even when one is available. This may be because the official website does not have information
confirming the address or recent activity.
If a social media page was used as evidence to verify a POI’s address and recent activity, but an official
website is also available, you should still provide the available official website as the official URL.
This means that the website that you use as evidence might be different from the Official URL that you provide
in this text field.
21
5.2. Official URL Examples
Active POI at
Address Rating and Explanation
this Address
696 N Mathilda Ave, McDonald’s http://www.mcdonalds.com/
Official
Sunnyvale, CA 94085 URL
This is the main official website of McDonald’s.

https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/location/
Official ca/sunnyvale/696-n-mathilda-ave/37235.html
URL
The location-specific page on the McDonald’s website is also

accepted.
1535 Broadway, New York, New York http://www.marriott.com/
Official
New York, 10036 Marriott URL
Marquis
This is the main official website of the Marriott hotel chain.
www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/nycmq- new-
Official
URL
york-marriott-marquis/
This is the location-specific website for this hotel.
22
6. Official Name
If a POI is active at the Target Address, you will also enter the POI’s official Name in the provided text field.
6.1. Official Name Rules

Here are some rules to follow when determining the correct Official Name:
• If there are differences in the way that a POI name appears on an official website and social media
accounts, use the name as it is shown on the official website
• POI Names must use correct spacing
• POI Names must not be longer than 65 characters
• POI Names must not start with "http"
• Do not capitalize POI names (e.g. walmart, mcdonald's, 7-eleven, etc.)
• Do not include references to corporate structure (e.g. Inc., LLC., LLP., etc.)
• Do not include unnecessary geographic locations, unless they are part of the official brand name (e.g.
McDonald's - Sunnyvale, Best Buy - Downtown, etc.)
• Do not add unnecessary punctuation (for example, do not add parentheses or periods)
• Do not include extraneous information, descriptions, comments or URLs in this field
• Do not abbreviate POI names (For example, do not abbreviate the "university of north carolina" as
"unc")
• Do not use POI names as they appear on Search Results pages or on other non-official sources
6.1.1. POI Names and Branch (Store Location) Numbers

Store/Branch numbers should not be included in the official POI Name, unless a number is actually part of the
POI's official name.
Active POI Official POI Name Explanation
Dollar General is a chain of discount stores. The number

included here is a branch number for an individual store in this
Dollar General
dollar general chain. However, the number is not necessary and should not
#16263
be included in the official POI name.
Water District #1 refers to the water district office for Midland

County, Texas. Research reveals that the POI was renamed to
Water District #1 water district #1
include the number. Since this is specifically part of the POI
name, it should be included in the official POI name.
23
6.1.2. Holding Name and Corporate Structure
Holding names or corporate structures should not be included in the POI Name.
Active POI Official POI Name Explanation
The addendum “LLC” refers to the corporate structure and

IT’SUGAR LLC it’sugar
should not be used for the store.
The addendum “Inc.” refers to the company’s corporate

Nordstrom, Inc. nordstrom
structure and should not be used for the store.
6.1.3. POIs with Geographic Words in Name

Sometimes a POI may be associated with a specific location, such as a city. However, location names should
not be included as part of the official POI name, unless it is necessary for the POI name to make sense. Here
are some examples of geographic words that are not necessary in the listed POI name:
Official POI
Active POI Explanation
Name
Liberty Lift is located in Midland, Texas, but the city and state
Liberty Lift Midland, and not part of the POI name.
liberty lift
Texas
Children's Minnesota is located in St. Paul, but this is not part

St. Paul, Children's children's of the POI Name. Minnesota, however, is part of the official
Minnesota minnesota POI name, according to the official website.
Eurofins TestAmerica is located in Buffalo, New York, but the

Eurofins TestAmerica, eurofins official POI name does not include the city and state.
Buffalo testamerica
The Cheney Brothers has a number of locations in Florida,

Cheney Brothers, Riviera cheney North Carolina, and Georgia. The corporate headquarters is
Beach, FL brothers located in Riviera Beach, Florida. However, the city and state
are not included in the official POI name.
Playmobil is a multinational corporation that is occasionally

represented in search page results as well as in legal, and
Playmobil USA playmobil copyright names as Playmobil USA. However, the official
public branding for this company is Playmobil, so the
geographic suffix, USA, should not be included.
24
Official POI
Name
This company is specifically branded as Family Barn USA. In

furniture
Furniture Barn USA this case, the geographic suffix, USA, is considerd to be part
barn usa of the official brand name.
6.1.4. Hotel Brand Names

Hotels sometimes belong to larger chains of hotels. If a hotel is part of a chain, then the chain or brand name
should be considered the official POI name. Hotel search queries will often return sponsored ad results. These
results may alter the hotel name based on popular search queries.
Do not use links for sponsored ad results to identify a hotel's official name, always refer to the information
available through official sources.
Official POI
Name
A web search for the Target Address, "1105 Navajo Drive

Raleigh NC", returns a search ad result for "Modern Hotel in
Modern Hotel in Raleigh hyatt
Raleigh". However, research through official sources reveals
that the POI at this address belongs to the Hyatt hotel brand.
A web search for the Target Address, "4670 Salisbury Road

Jacksonville Florida", returns a category result for "Southpoint
Southpoint Hotels in
marriott Hotels in Jacksonville". However, research through official
Jacksonville
sources reveals that the POI at this address belongs to the
Marriott hotel brand.
6.1.5. Brands and Products Sold in Retail POIs

Brands or manufacturers that sell goods or services to a POI at the Target Address, but are not permanently
located there, are not valid POIs.
For a POI to be considered active, it must actually operate at the Target Address and not just provide goods to
a POI at that address. For example, a shoe brand may list the addresses of individual authorized retailers on
their official website, but the shoe brand should not be considered an active POI at those retail locations.
25
Is a POI
Target Address Correct POI
active at this Explanation
& Name Hint Name
address?
The Name Hint and Target Address match

information on the official website for Always
Bearded, a brand that sells beard oil to retailers.
This brand does not exist as a valid POI at this
4720 51 Ave,
address, but sells it’s products to an authorized
Leduc AB T9E 6Y8,
nutter's retailer where customers can find Always Bearded
Canada
Yes everyday products.
naturals
Name Hint:
The retail store at this address, Nutter's Everyday
always bearded
Naturals, is a valid POI with evidence of recent
activity. You should rate Yes, and provide the
official URL and POI name for Nutter's Everyday
Naturals.

information on the official website for Junbucha, a
brand that sells handmade kombucha beverages to
2639 route 9 malta retailers. This brand does not exist as a valid POI at
ny 12020 united this address, but sells it’s products to an authorized
states retailer where customers can find Junbucha
Yes nanola
products.
Name Hint:
Junbucha However, the retail store at this address, Nanola, is
a valid POI with evidence of recent activity. You
should rate Yes, and provide the official URL and
POI name for Nanola.

information on the official website for Pina Zangaro,
a company that sells office supplies and printing
1078 Gayley Ave
services to retailers. This brand does not exist as a
Los Angeles, CA
valid POI at this address, but sells it’s products to
90024 flax pen to
Yes an authorized retailer.
paper
Name Hint:
However, the retail store at this address, Flax Pen to
Pina Zangaro
Paper, is a valid POI with evidence of recent
activity. You should rate Yes, and provide the
official URL and POI name for Flax Pen to Paper.
Remember: Name Hints are optional and provided to aid in your research. If a Name Hint does not match an active POI
at the Target Address, conduct additional research to see if any other active POI is located at the address, and rate
accordingly.
26
6.1.6. Classes, Meetings, or Groups Hosted by a POI
Individuals or groups that hold classes or meetings at the Target Address, but do not have a permanent,
physical presence at that location, are not valid POIs. For example, a community meeting group may list the
Target Address on their website because they hold regular meetings at this location. Or an independent
instructor may list addresses for locations where they conduct classes. However, they would not be
considered a valid POI unless they were permanently based at the Target Address and it would be considered
their primary, official address.
If the Name and/or URL Hint is for a business that uses another POI’s buildings or spaces, conduct additional
research to determine if any other valid POI is active at the Target Address. Often the venue that hosts the
meetings or community group will be a valid POI.
Is a POI
& Name Hint Name
address?
The Name Hint and Target Address match the

information on a website for a service that sells
33 Northumberland
health equipment and offers Basic Life Support and
St, North Dumfries
CPR classes at various locations.
ON N0B 1E0,
jenuine
Canada Yes
care Although the Name Hint does not correspond to a
valid POI at this address, additional research
Name Hint:
confirms that another POI, Jenuine Care is active at
bcls guy
this location. You should rate Yes, and provide the
official URL and POI name for Jenuine Care.

information on a website for an artist who rents a
1200 S Robinson
studio at this address, but is not permanently
Ave, Oklahoma City,
based there.
OK 73109
white
United States
Yes moose Although the Name Hint does not correspond to a
studios valid POI at this address, additional research
Name Hint:
confirms that White Moose Studios, is active at this
Mary Cramer
location. You should rate Yes, and provide the
Photography
official URL and POI name for White Moose
Studios.
27
Is a POI
& Name Hint Name
address?

13215 Minnetonka information on a website for a local dance troupe.
Dr, Minnetonka, MN The group holds classes at this address, but is not
55305 permanently located there.
United States mills
Yes
church Although the Name Hint does not correspond to a
Name Hint: valid POI at this address, additional research
Reign Dance confirms that another POI, Mills Church, is active at
Theater this location. You should rate Yes, and provide the
official URL and POI name for Mills College.
Remember: Name Hints are optional and provided to aid in your research. If a Name Hint does not match an active POI
at the Target Address, conduct additional research to see if any other active POI is located at the address, and rate
accordingly.
6.2. Official Name Examples

Official POI
Name
Starbucks starbucks This is the official branding of the Starbucks name.
“Starbucks Coffee” is an instantly recognizable variation of the

Starbucks starbucks
“Starbucks” name and is also a name the company uses to represent
Coffee coffee
itself.
Starbucks The suffixes ‘Co’ and ‘ UK Ltd’ are abbreviations and reflect the POI’s
starbucks
Coffee Co (U K) corporate structure. These should not be included in the Official POI
coffee
Ltd Name.
NY Marriott Research through official sources reveals that this hotel is owned by
marriott
Marquis the Marriott hotel brand.
Joe’s Liquor joe’s liquors This official POI Name includes correct placement of the apostrophe.
Walmart walmart This is the official branding of the Walmart name.
28
7. POI at Address Rating Examples
Active
Address Evidence Explanation
POI
Official URL https://www.marathonbrand.com
Official Name parrett's country store

3780 NW
Gainesville Rd Official
Ocala, FL Yes Company Research, using street imagery, reveals that there is a valid POI at
34475 Website this location, Marathon Gas Station. Additional research, using
United States Marathon Station's official website, reveals that Parrett's Country
Store is the correct POI name for the Marathon gas station at the
Target Address. Since the POI name can be verified through the
POI's official website to be correctly associated with this address,
you should rate Yes and provide the correct, official POI name,
parrett's country store, in the "Official POI Name" field.
Official URL https://www.mybpfcu.org
Official Name bridgeport police federal credit union

3590 Main St
Bridgeport, Official
CT 06606 Yes Company Research reveals that the Bridgeport Police Federal Credit
United States Website Union is located at this address. This POI has an official website
without a listed copyright date. However, the official website does
include an events calendar with future events listed, so we can
infer that this is a current and active POI. Since the POI can be
verified by its official website, you should rate Yes and provide the
correct, official POI name bridgeport police federal credit
union, in the "Official POI Name" field.
Official URL https://www.therailsidecafe.com
Official Name rail side cafe

250 South
Ave
Official
Fanwood, NJ An official website for Rail Side Cafe, with a recent copyright and
Yes Company
07023 list of current and future events, exists for this address. Since
Website
United States there is a valid POI associated with this address with evidence of
recent activity, you should rate Yes, and provide the correct,
official POI name, rail side cafe, in the "Official POI Name" field.
29
Active
POI
Official URL n/a
41 Delfur Official Name n/a

Road,
Bramhall,
No n/a
Stockport, The official website for the Postal Mechanisation Study Circle
SK7 2HG lists this address on their Contact page. However, street imagery
England reveals that this address is for a single unit within a row of houses.
There is no evidence, including street signage, to indicate the
presence of a POI at this residence, so this should not be
considered a physical address for an active POI.
Official URL n/a
Official Name n/a

1251 Heritage
Way, Oakville
ON L6M 2X7, No n/a
Canada The official website for H&H Scientific Supplies lists this
address on their contact page. However, street imagery reveals
that this address is for a house. There is no evidence, including
street signage, to indicate the presence of a POI at this residence,
so this should not be considered a physical address for an active
POI.
Official URL https://www.victoriasquareapts.com
Official Name victoria square apartments
This address is for the Victoria Square Apartments. Since this

1550 N Hope address is for an apartment complex, and not for an individual
Avenue, Official apartment within the complex and the official website has a recent
Reedley, CA Yes Company copyright, it should be considered a valid, active POI. Rate Yes,
United States Website and provide the correct, official POI name, victoria square
apartments, in the "Official POI Name" field.
30
Active
POI
Official URL n/a
Official Name n/a
504 Jackson
Avenue, There are no approved online sources for a POI at this location,
Las Vegas, No n/a including reviews, social media posts or official websites. Since a
NV POI cannot be verified with approved online sources or official
United States websites, you should rate No.
Note: Do not rate Can’t Verify for addresses when the POI
cannot be determined or evidence is not available. These should
be rated No.
Official URL n/a
Official Name n/a
30 Bagley Ave Can't This address is located in the United States. Research reveals that
SW Verify Galli Furniture is an active POI at this address. However, raters in
Bagley, MN n/a some locales outside of the United States will not be able to
56621 *some access this page due to international access restrictions. If no
United States locales other approved source is available to verify the POI, this would be
rated Can’t Verify.
For raters outside of the United States, depending on their locale,

this would be rated Can’t Verify. Note: A rater within the United
States, or within a locale which is not restricted from access,
would rate based on the information available in the official
website.
31

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3. Active POIs .............................................................................................................................14

5. Official URL ............................................................................................................................21

7. POI at Address Rating Examples ..............................................................................................29

Examples of POIs include, but are not limited to:

POI Categories Examples

1.3. The Rating Tool

1.3.1. POI Information

1.3.2. Research Hints

1.3.3. Research Links

1.3.4. Rating Questions

2.1. Research Rules

If neither hint matches a POI at the address, then conduct

2.2.1. Online Research

2.2.2. Research Hints

POI Name Official URL

Best Buy www.bestbuy.com

San Francisco International Airport www.flysfo.com

Mamacita’s Grill www.mamacitasgrill.com

2.2.3.2. Official Website Copyright Dates

Copyright Format Sufficient Explanation

If no other form of evidence is available, you should rate No.

The copyright date is missing. This cannot be used to verify the

If no other form of evidence is available, you should rate No.

2.2.3.3. Official Mall Directory

The mall directory must satisfy the following criteria:

2.2.3.4. Social Media and Crowdsourced User Review Sites

POI-Operated Social Media Pages What to Watch For

Official pages will have updates and pictures posted by

Note: Blogs, news posts, photos, or events posted within

Non-Customized URL Extension:

2.2.3.5. Single-Source Rule

1) the POI is located at the address; and

How to apply the Single-Source Rule

Evidence Confirms Recent Active Explanation

When the official website can be used to

If the official website can be used to confirm

If no official website is available, then conduct

If an official social media page can be used to

In some cases, you may find confirmation of both

2.2.3.6. Unreliable Resources

• The POI operates regular, public business hours

• a POI is located at this address

3.1. POI Validity Rating Options

Rating Option Description

Select No if either condition is not met. if there is no evidence of recent

Select Can't Verify only if you encounter international access

3.2. Rating Address Types and Components

3.2.1. Missing Address Components

1. street number, street name, city/locality and postal code

The Target Address does not include a street number or

3.2.1.1. Unit Numbers

3.2.2. Address Ranges

Actual Address Target Address Active POI Explanation

The Target Address is included in the actual POI

3.3. Rating POI Types

3.3.1. POIs with Shared Addresses

3.3.2. Convenience Stores

3.3.3. Residential Addresses