The Place categories used in Waze are not always directly applicable in BeLux, for they are global categories. At this time, it is not possible to adapt these categories to local customs.
Waze has several major categories, which in turn includes quite a number of sub categories. If you choose a main category within WME, you automatically get to see the sub-categories to choose from. It is also possible to directly type in a category. If you cannot find an applicable sub category, just use the main category and add the missing category in front of the name in the alternate name field.
This overview shows the categories used for the Waze Places, with a description and a guideline for mapping. . In general, a point is used, unless the Place is large, significant and distinctive for drivers to help visual orientation. Read more under When to use an Area Place.
Note that circumstances may require a different approach. The different regions use a different locking strategy (see table below). In any case counts: if a Place needs more protection, a higher lock level can be used.
Regional differences
| Regional guidelines | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flanders | Brussels | Wallonia | Luxembourg | |
| lock | If a lock is required, the minimum lock level is described in the tables below. | Places may be locked at L3 or higher when considered completed. In any case do not do not reduce the lock of complete POIs. | Places that are considered complete, aka contain all relevant information available, are locked to L3, to prevent unwanted edits. | Places that are considered complete, aka contain all relevant information available, are locked to L3, to prevent unwanted edits. |
Categories
Parking Lot
| Sub-category | Description / Examples | Naming | type | min. Lock | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fl | W | ||||
| Parking Lot | For distinctive parking areas | {Name} | area | 2 | 3 |
Car Services 
| Sub-category | Description / Examples | Naming | type | Lock ≥ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gas Stations | Use the Brand and official name. If there is a locally different name in use, put it in alternative name field. The use of the picto ⛽️ before the name is optional |
{Brand} + {Name}, e.g., ⛽️ Shell VanPé |
area | 3 |
| Garage / Automotive Shop | Technical inspection, Tire center, Independent garage, Body Shop. Official brand, choose dealer | {Brand} + {Name} | point | |
| Car Wash | {Name} | point | ||
| Charging Stations | Essent 20kW (2) | {Provider} + {MaxPower} + ({Amount} | point | 3 |
* if the place is larger than 500 m2 and distinctive/helping visual orientation, you can use an Area type. See the Regional Guidelines for details
** If the place needs to be protected, a higher lock level can be applied. See the Regional Guidelines for details
Transportation
| Sub-category | Description / Examples | Naming | type | Lock ≥ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airport | You can replace "airport" in the name with the picto ✈, but the picto should be in front | {Name}, e.g.,
|
area | 3 |
| Bus Station |
|
area | ||
| Ferry Pier | area | |||
| Seaport / Marina / Harbor | area | |||
| Subway Station | Underground Station for or Metro. Put the city name in front of the station name if different |
|
point | |
| Train Station | e.g., Station Antwerpen |
|
area | |
| Bridge | Use only to represent a named road bridge with local or navigational significance | {Name} | area | |
| Tunnel | {Tunnel Name} | area | ||
| Taxi Station | point | |||
| Junction / Interchange | Junction {Name} | area | ||
| Rest area | area | |||
| Carpool spot | ||||
| others / without sub category | all other POIs belonging to transportation, and not to car services. Examples: |
|||
| Car Sharing & Bike Sharing Stations | {operator} + {station name} | point | ||
* if the place is larger than 500 m2 and distinctive/helping visual orientation, you can use an Area type. See the Regional Guidelines for details
** If the place needs to be protected, a higher lock level can be applied. See the Regional Guidelines for details
Professional and public
For public buildings or services such as fire departments, town halls and the like, we set the location of the name after the name, e.g., Stadhuis Antwerpen. For Organisations that have several locations, specify the location after a hyphen, after the general name of the organisation, e.g., UZ leuven - campus Gasthuisberg.
| Sub-category | Description / Examples | Naming | type | Lock ≥ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cemetery | area | |||
| City Hall | local name use | {Municipality} | area | |
| College / University | area | |||
| Conventions / Event Center | area | |||
| Courthouse | area | |||
| Doctor / Clinic | Use this category for non-urgent medical care. See for urgent medical care Hospital / Medical Care below | point | ||
| Embassy / Consulate | point | |||
| Emergency shelter | point | |||
| Factory / industrial | area | |||
| Fire department | {City} {department} | area | ||
| Government | Only large ones are Area | point | ||
| Hospital / Urgent Care | Hospitals, First Aid Posts and other places that offer emergency aid. Use Doctor / Clinic for non-urgent medical care | area | ||
| Information point | point | |||
| Kindergarten | point | |||
| Library | {City} {location} | point | ||
| Military | area | |||
| Offices | point | |||
| Organization or Association | point | |||
| Police Station | {City} {department} | area | ||
| Prison / Correctional Facility | area | |||
| Post Office | point | |||
| Religious Center | Big centers are often well recognisable and can be drawn as Area | point | ||
| School | area | |||
* if the place is larger than 500 m2 and distinctive/helping visual orientation, you can use an Area type
** If the place needs to be protected, a higher lock level can be applied
Shopping and services
| Sub-category | Description / Examples | Naming | type | Lock ≥ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arts and Crafts | point | |||
| ATM | Use the translation for ATM, followed by the brand, e.g., "Geldautomaat SNS Bank" | ATM {Brand} | point | |
| Bank / Financial | {Brand} | point | ||
| Bookstore | point | |||
| Car Dealership | In case there is a gas station, use Gas Station as the primary category unless they have different opening times | {Brand} {Name} | point | |
| Car rental | Rental-car facilities and returns, including at airports, should be marked as a Point with the “Rental Car” Place category. If the return location is a normal Parking Lot, then mark it with the Parking Lot category and the building with the Car Rental category | point | ||
| Convenience Store | like a kiosk | point | ||
| Currency Exchange | point | |||
| Department Store | like De Bijenkorf? | point | ||
| Electronics | point | |||
| Fashion and Clothing | point | |||
| Flowers | point | |||
| Furniture / Home Store | area | |||
| Gifts | point | |||
| Gym / Fitness | point | |||
| Hardware Store | point | |||
| Jewelry | point | |||
| Laundry / Dry Cleaning | point | |||
| Market | {City} {Location} | area | ||
| Music Store | point | |||
| Personal Care | point | |||
| Pet Store / Veterinarian | point | |||
| Pharmacy | point | |||
| Photography | point | |||
| Shopping Center | area | |||
| Sporting Goods | point | |||
| Supermarket / Grocery | Delhaize. Intermarché, Lidl | {Brand} {Location} | point | |
| Swimming Pool | solely public swimming pools | point | ||
| Toy Store | point | |||
| Travel Agency | point | |||
* if the place is larger than 500 m2 and distinctive/helping visual orientation, you can use an Area type
** If the place needs to be protected, a higher lock level can be applied
Food and Drink
| Sub-category | Description / Examples | Naming | type | Lock ≥ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery | point | |||
| Bar | Note: a "Plaza" is not a Place (in French) but a food court/food market. | point | ||
| Coffee shop | point | |||
| Dessert | point | |||
| Fast Food | McDonald's may include drive-thru, then draw Parking Lot Road | point | ||
| Food Court | Can be used for a caterer or a wholesaler | point | ||
| Ice Cream | point | |||
| Restaurant | {Name} | point | ||
* if the place is larger than 500 m2 and distinctive/helping visual orientation, you can use an Area type
** If the place needs to be protected, a higher lock level can be applied
Culture and Entertainment
| Sub-category | Description / Examples | Naming | type | Lock ≥ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art Gallery | point | |||
| Casino | point | |||
| Club | point | |||
| Game Club | point | |||
| Movie Theater | point | |||
| Museum | point | |||
| Music Venue | point | |||
| Performing Arts Venue | point | |||
| Racing Track | area | |||
| Stadium / Arena | area | |||
| Theme Park | area | |||
| Theater | point | |||
| Tourist Attraction / Historic Site | If the place functions as a landmark it may be represented as an Area Place | point | ||
| Zoo / Aquarium | area | |||
* if the place is larger than 500 m2 and distinctive/helping visual orientation, you can use an Area type
** If the place needs to be protected, a higher lock level can be applied
Other
| Sub category | Description / Examples | Naming | type | Lock ≥ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Site | Construction sites are not necessariliy mapped but it may be useful for editors checking roadworks under way. Ask your Country Manager in case of doubt | area | ||
| General category for all landmarks you can't find an existing suitable category for; add the missing category in front of the name | {missing category} {Name} | point | ||
* if the place is larger than 500 m2 and distinctive/helping visual orientation, you can use an Area type
** If the place needs to be protected, a higher lock level can be applied
Lodging
| Sub-category | Description / Examples | Naming | type | Lock ≥ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| point | ||||
| Bed & Breakfast | point | |||
| Camping / Trailer Park | area | |||
| Cottage / Cabin | point | |||
| Hostel | Used for Motels and Inns in the BeLux | F1 hotel Waalwijk | point | |
| Hotel | point | |||
* if the place is larger than 500 m2 and distinctive/helping visual orientation, you can use an Area type
** If the place needs to be protected, a higher lock level can be applied
Outdoors
| Sub-category | Description / Examples | Naming | type | Lock ≥ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beach | area | |||
| Golf Course | area | |||
| Park | area | |||
| Playground | point | |||
| Plaza | area | |||
| Pool | area | |||
| Promenade | Probably not used in the BeLux | |||
| Scenic Lookout / Viewpoint | point | |||
| Ski Area | area | |||
| Sports Court | area | |||
* if the place is larger than 500 m2 and distinctive/helping visual orientation, you can use an Area type
** If the place needs to be protected, a higher lock level can be applied
Natural features
| Sub-category | Description / Examples | Naming | type | Lock ≥ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farm | Farmlands should never be mapped as areas. Editors should remove farmland areas immediately.?? | point | ||
| Forest / Grove | area | |||
| Island | area | |||
| River / Stream | Use only if water itself is visually obvious to drivers on nearby roads.?? Features under approximately 20 meters wide will not be visible in the Waze app. Handy tool for drawing rivers: street to river | area | ||
| Sea / Lake / Pool | Use only if water itself is visually obvious to drivers on nearby roads.?? | area | ||
| Canal | area | |||
| Swamp / Marsh | area | |||
| Dam | area | |||
* if the place is larger than 500 m2 and distinctive/helping visual orientation, you can use an Area type
** If the place needs to be protected, a higher lock level can be applied
Missing Categories
If you cannot find a suitable category, choose the most applicable category. You can add the missing category in front of the name in the alternate name field. Example Butcher Sans Os Use the main Waze Category Supermarket/Grocery. Add the regular name in the Primary name field "Sans Os". In the alternate name field, enter "butcher Sans Os". Note that when the name in itself is clear enough indicative for the kind of Place (ING, Décathlon, Carrefour, etc.) there is no need to put a category in front of the name.
| category | WME Category to use | Naming | type | Lock ≥ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community center | Conventions / Event center | primary: {Name} alternate {missing category} + {Name} |
||
| Village hall | Conventions / Event center | |||
| Dentist | Doctor / Clinic | |||
| Residential care centers | Personale Care | |||
| Butcher | Food and Drink | |||
Tools
- WME Place Interface Enhancements (WMEPIE) Script adding functionality Places,such as showing the size and possibility to resize area Places, buttons to zoom and center, quick categorization, auto set address, verify link with GM, etc.
- WME Split POI script This script adds a button to the WME that allows you to split or cut Places from the category Natural Features into two, keeping the specifics. Can be used for all Natural Features like Island, Sea/Lake/Pool, River/Stream, Forest/Grove, Farm, Canal, Swamp / Marsh, Dam
- WME Color Highlights Adds color highlighting to Places according to their status and type. Shows rivers blue in WME.
- WME Toolbox can select and filter Places, and show the area size. And many more other tools, see Toolbox
- Place Browser