Complete Guide to Waze in Canada
- Welcome to Waze map editing in Canada and the editing community.
- Since the USA and Canada share the same Waze server, many of the policies and best practices that have been developed for the US also apply to Canada. This page contains information that is unique to Canada. Because some of it is still being developed, please follow the guidance for the US where it is not in conflict with the information here.
- This page is now in development will soon be available in French.
Getting Started
Please see the article Getting Started.
Another great resource for new map editors is the Welcome to WME.
Help Improve Waze
Please see the article Help Improve Waze
Forums
Please check out the Canada-specific forums here: Canada Forum
Feel free to post questions and ask for advice in your editing. Our region is very different in a number of ways from the United States, so the generic editing guidelines don't always apply.
Social Media
Area/Country Managers
If you are an Area Manager that covers part of Canada, or a Country Manager that does a lot of work in Canada, please add yourself to this list. See comments via an "Edit" of this section to add yourself.
| Username | Primary Areas Managed | Comments | Forum PM |
|---|---|---|---|
| doctorkb | Western Canada (Alberta & BC) | Waze Global Champ, Rank 6 CM for Canada; AM for Edmonton, Prince George, and various places in between | PM |
| hmarian | Ontario | Waze Global Champ, Rank 6 CM for Canada; AM for Greater Toronto Area and the surrounding communities | PM |
| manoeuvre | Ontario | Waze Global Champ, Rank 6 CM for Canada; AM for Greater Toronto Area | PM |
| Kayos_On_The_Road | British Columbia | Waze Global Champ, Rank 6 CM for Canada, AM for British Columbia | PM |
| Webs101 | Quebec | Waze Local Champ (Canada), Rank 6 CM for Canada | PM |
| EECGeek | Ontario / Quebec, Canada | Waze Local Champ (Canada), Rank 5 CM for Canada and US; AM for Ottawa/Gatineau, Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec | PM |
| MushyMedic | Manitoba | Waze Local Champ (Canada) / Rank 5 Manitoba Manager | PM |
| restless_in_nb | Atlantic Canada and Gaspe Peninsula | Waze Local Champ (Canada), Rank 5 CM for Canada, AM for Atlantic Canada and Gaspe | PM |
| SkiDooGuy | Saskatchewan | Waze Local Champ (Canada) / Waze Local Champ (US) / Rank 5 CM for Canada and US; AM for Saskatchewan | PM |
| phil-mtl | Quebec | Waze Local Champ (Canada), Rank 5 CM for Canada, AM for Quebec | PM |
| Taxy57 | Quebec | Rank 5 CM for Canada; AM for Quebec | PM |
| kkarkid | Ontario | Rank 4 Ontario Manager | PM |
| codgerd | British Columbia | Rank 4 AM for Greater Vancouver, BC & Saguenay-Lac St-Jean, QC | PM |
| IamtheLexx | Ontario | Rank 4 Ontario Manager | PM |
| ChevyLuke1 | Ontario | Rank 4 Ontario Manager | PM |
| Nagamasa | Ontario | Rank 4 Ontario Manager based in GTA-Tricity area | PM |
| Dry_B0nes | Alberta | Rank 4 AM for BC, Alberta and Ontario | PM |
| Aztek985 | Ontario | Rank 4 Ontario Manager - Based in London region | PM |
| alexs001 | Okanagan Valley, BC | Rank 3 AM - Okanagan Valley, BC | PM |
| CoolCanuck | Ontario some rural Northern Ontario Fox Valley, SK Edmonton, AB Newfoundland And Labrador |
Rank 3 AM in Central Ontario | PM |
| Got2BeKD | Manitoba | Rank 4 Manager in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario | PM |
| mhh60 | Southwestern ON | Rank 3 AM in Sarnia / Lambton County, ON | PM |
| PsstDizel | York Region | Rank 4 AM North / West GTA | PM |
| ShaneYYZ | Halton Region | Rank 3 AM based in Ontario | PM |
| e-sarge | Durham Region | Rank 4 AM based in Ontario | PM |
| ColinsGoat | Atlantic Canada & some rural Saskatchewan | Rank 3 AM Atlantic Canada and some rural Saskatchewan. | PM |
| BryceCampbell | Various BC - Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Hwy1, and More | Rank 3 AM | PM |
| mtylerb | AB, SK and BC's Eastern "Boot" | Rank 3 AM in Central AB | PM |
| Trexer0 | Greater Vancouver, Vancouver Island & Sea-to-Sky, BC | Rank 3 AM | PM |
| Harmonious4 | Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley, BC | Rank 2 AM | PM |
| Heyjaypay | South Okanagan | Rank 2 AM | PM |
| TheGoodAndHolyLord | Barrie, ON | Rank 1 AM | PM |
Area/Country Manager Requests
To request Area Manager or Country Manager access, please see this thread: AM/CM Application
Unlock/Update Requests
Canada has its own forum area for unlock/update requests. Please make your requests here.
Closures
Please report future planned road closures via this form.
This form allows for complete (or directional, i.e. A->B only) closures to be reported. Partial closures (i.e. one of two lanes in a direction) should not be reported.
Major Events (e.g. Commonwealth Games, Tour d'Alberta, etc.) should still be dealt with using the Waze Major Traffic Events form.
This method is preferred over adding restrictions -- it is nearly immediate (processed several times per day by Waze staff), and does not rely on a tile rebuild. The closure will also be visible in the app and on the livemap, in addition to avoiding routing through the segment.
Map Editing in Quebec
The province of Quebec has distinct issues to take into account when editing the map. The Montreal Area has unique issues of its own.
U-Turns
Practical application in Waze: restrict all U-turns in Canada unless there is a sign outright permitting them.
British Columbia Statute: Motor Vehicle Act of British Columbia
Alberta Guidelines: A Driver's Guide to Operation, Safety and Licensing: Cars and Light Trucks
Manitoba Statute: C.C.S.M. c. H60 The Highway Traffic Act: Section 191
Ontario Statute: R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 143. Highway Traffic Act
Quebec Statute: Highway Safety Code [1]
City Naming
To save space, only enter the name of the city. For example, "Toronto" not "City of Toronto", or for smaller places use "Springfield" not "Town of Springfield", "Village of Springfield", "Springville Township", "Regional Municipality of Springfield".
NEVER include the province in the City field. For example don't put in "Springfield, Qc" or "Springfield, On".
If you find a city that can't save without the province name (perhaps it changes when you save it, or generates other save error), please post a message in the applicable province's forum.
This applies to both primary names and alternate names -- the alternate city is assumed to be in the primary province and country.
Road Naming
Highways
Freeway, Minor and Major Highways should be named in this format:
- Hwy # (H is capitalized, the 'wy' in lower case, followed by a number) e.g. Hwy 16
- Not 'Highway #' or 'HWY # (all caps)'.
- Where the signage indicates the highway based on a name ("Lougheed Hwy" or "Sooke Rd"), the name should be used. If, however, the signage refers to it by number primarily, that is to be the primary name, regardless of the local knowledge (e.g. the Sea-to-Sky Highway is signed as Hwy 99).
Abbreviations
Please follow the Canada Post street type abbreviation at all times even if it differs from in-real life road signs.
See https://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/manual/PGaddress-e.asp#1437339 for full details in English and French.
Check to make sure that the Canada Post Abbreviation has a working TTS. If it does not, then please check the list of abbreviations below. Note that while Canada Post does not abbreviate "Place" in French, Waze does abbreviate it as "Pl", just like Canada Post does in English.
With regards to the use of ordinals, please avoid using them unless they are consistently on most street signs. "109 St" is preferred to "109th St," generally.
Additionally, please do not shorten names when they are integral to understanding the street name:
e.g. Bad: N St, S St, Ave Rd e.g. Good: North St, South St, Avenue Rd
It is recommended to use the Custom Canadian WME Validator Script. It will highlight all the incorrectly abbreviated street names.
| Approved Abbreviation | Pronunciation | Do Not Use |
|---|---|---|
| Alley | Alley | Aly |
| Aut | Autoroute | Autoroute |
| Av | Avenue (French) | Avenue, Ave |
| Ave | Avenue (English) | Avenue, Av |
| Bend | Bend | Bnd |
| Blvd | Boulevard | Boulevard |
| Boul | Boulevard (French) | Boulevard, Blvd |
| Brg | Bridge | Bridge |
| Bypass | Bypass | By-pass |
| Carref | Carrefour | Carrefour |
| Ctr | Centre | Centre, Center |
| Ch | Chemin | Chemin |
| Cir | Circle | Circle |
| Circt | Circuit | Circuit, Cct |
| Close | Close | Cl |
| Common | Common | Common, Cmn |
| Conc | Concession | Concession |
| Crnrs | Corners | Corners,Cors |
| Crt | Court | Court, Ct |
| Cove | Cove | Cv |
| Cres | Crescent | Crescent, Cr |
| Crois | Croissant | Croissant, Croiss |
| Crossing | Crossing | Cross, Xing |
| Cds | Cul-de-sac | Cul-de-sac |
| Divers | Diversion | Diversion |
| Dr | Drive | Drive |
| Éch | Échangeur | Échangeur |
| Espl | Esplanade | Esplanade |
| Estate | Estates | Estates, Est |
| Expy | Expressway | Expressway, Expwy |
| Exten | Extension | Extension,Ext |
| Field | Field | Fld |
| Gdns | Gardens | Gardens |
| Glen | Glen | Gln |
| Green | Green | Grn |
| Grnds | Grounds | Grounds |
| Grove | Grove | Grv |
| Harbr | Harbour | Harbour, Harbor, Hbr |
| Hts | Heights | Heights |
| Hwy | Highway | Highway |
| Hghlds | Highlands | Highlands |
| Hill | Hill | Hl |
| Hollow | Hollow | Holw |
| Imp | Impasse | Impasse |
| Inlet | Inlet | Inlt |
| Island | Island | Is |
| Knoll | Knoll | Knl |
| Landng | Landing | Landing,Lndg |
| Lane | Lane | Ln |
| Lmts | Limits | Limits |
| Lkout | Lookout | Lookout |
| Manor | Manor | Mnr |
| Meadow | Meadow | Mdw |
| Montée | Montée | Mtée |
| Mount | Mount | Mt |
| Mtn | Mountain | Mountain |
| Orch | Orchard | Orchard |
| Pk | Park | Park |
| Pky | Parkway | Parkway, Pkwy |
| Psge | Passage | Passage,Pass |
| Ptway | Pathway | Pathway |
| Pines | Pines | Pnes |
| Pl | Place | Place |
| Plat | Plateau | Plateau |
| Plaza | Plaza | Plz |
| Pt | Point | Point |
| Port | Port | Prt |
| Pvt | Private | Private |
| Prom | Promenade | Promenade |
| Rg | Range | Range |
| Ridge | Ridge | Rdge |
| Rd | Road | Road |
| Rdpt | Rond-point | Rond-point |
| Rte | Route | Route |
| Rle | Ruelle | Ruelle |
| Sent | Sentier | Sentier |
| Sq | Square | Square |
| Subdiv | Subdivision | Subdivision |
| St | Street | Street |
| Terr | Terrace | Terrace, Ter, Tce |
| Tsse | Terrasse (French) | Terrasse, Terr |
| Thick | Thicket | Thicket |
| Tline | Townline | Townline |
| Trail | Trail | Trl |
| Trnabt | Turnabout | Turnabout |
| Villge | Village | Village, Vlg |
Road Types
Within Metropolitan Areas
In the US, the DOT has a Functional Classification system which had been adopted by Waze Champs as the method for classifying different road types. Overall, this has resulted in use of the highway types for arterial roads in the metropolitan areas, with the Primary Street type being available for collector-type roads.
Unfortunately, Canada does not have the same standardized government-published maps to adopt here, but we can consider many of the same principles. This was first looked at in Edmonton, and seems to have been met with great success.
With that in mind, we'd like to consider the following criteria for use within metropolitan areas and any city with a population exceeding ~40,000. In the event that the infrastructure of a smaller city has been designed with arterial routes, this may be adopted there, but will typically be less obvious.
If the local government has published maps that define arterial and collector routes, please use those to set the street types.
Changing of Types
As a highway enters a city/town, it often becomes a named street, and sometimes would no longer fit the usual criteria for a "highway".
Due to a number of reasons, including long-distance routing issues, as well as appearance, the highway should remain as the same type it entered the city/town (except if it's a Freeway -- if it no longer fits the Freeway criteria, it may be downgraded to Major Highway until it is again a Freeway).
The road type designation should follow the entire numbered route.
Freeways
In general, Freeways will have:
- Multi-Lane, divided road
- No cross traffic
- No stop lights (except for ramp meters)
- No stop signs
- No parking
- No stopping (except for toll booths, freeway access metering, movable bridges, and traffic congestion)
- Highest speed limits (relative to region)
- Some have minimum speed limits
- Limited access:
- Access restrictions vary by region but some typical restrictions are:
- No pedestrians
- No bicycles
- No mopeds
- No Animal-Drawn Vehicles
- Entrance ramps are typically designed with an acceleration zone so that cars can accelerate up to freeway speeds before merging into freeway traffic
- Exit ramps are typically designed with a deceleration zone so that traffic can exit the freeway at freeway speeds without obstructing traffic, then have sufficient distance to slow down before any turns
- Access restrictions vary by region but some typical restrictions are:
When considering the road type, use the above noted Freeway classification as a guideline, with the idea that a Canadian "Freeway" may lack one of the criteria (e.g. Whitemud Freeway in Edmonton is 80 km/h, but meets all other criteria; Hwy 16 W of Edmonton doesn't have ramps for every junction, but meets all other criteria)
Major Highway
Use for major arterial roads. Often these have 2-3 lanes (or more) in each direction, and may be structured to be turned into freeways eventually. Usually this means relatively few intersections, higher speed limit, and higher capacity.
Additionally, if a road enters an area as a Freeway, but then loses its limited-access situation, it will generally continue on as a Major Highway.
If only one type of arterial is used by the municipality on their maps, the decision between a "major" and a "minor" will be that of relative importance and capacity. Generally, a "major" will have 2+ lanes, whereas a minor may only have one. Local knowledge is also especially useful in determining this.
Minor Highway
Use for arterial roads. They are more direct than using collector roads and sometimes have slightly increased speed limits.
Primary Street
Suitable for collector roads through neighbourhoods and thoroughfares that aren't arterial.
Outside Metropolitan Areas
Trans-Canada Highway
Road type: Freeway
Primary name: Hwy ## (e.g. Hwy 1)
Alternate: Trans-Canada Hwy
There are parts of the TCH that travel through National/Provincial parks with frequent stops, reduced speed and undivided portions. These segments should be reduced to a Major Highway until the speed increases, stops are minimized or the highway is divided again.
Quebec Roads
Autoroutes, or limited access highways, such as the 20/40/55 or any *40 are considered freeways
The big exception to this rule is Autoroute 50 which is still a freeway, even though some small parts of it are not limited access and some are only two lane with no divider.
The official road map of Quebec should be consulted to determine the status of provincial routes. The map is available in French and English.
Major highways on the map are in depicted in blue and should be blue in Waze.
Minor highways in green on the map should be in green.
A very general rule of thumb is that 100-series highways are in red while 200 and 300-series highways are in yellow. This is not completely accurate, however, so please consult the official map.
Ontario Roads
All 400 series highways are in purple, as they are limited access freeways. Also other highways, for example the 174 just east of Ottawa, are in blue as they are limited access.
Certain Major highways are two lane but are still in red because they collect the minor highways, and many county roads and we need to distinguish them, examples are the 174 east of Ottawa/Orleans, the 17, the 138, 38 the 7 in eastern Ontario.
County roads may be in yellow if they have higher speed limits than most main roads around them. Not all county roads should be designated "Minor Highway" -- grid roads should be addressed like Alberta's Range / Township Roads.
Manitoba Roads
Freeway
Currently in Manitoba, only Hwy 1 (including the highways Hwy 1 splits into), like Hwy 100 and 101 (perimeter Hwy in Winnipeg) are listed as Freeway.
Major Highway
Major Highway is used for Highways designated as Provincial Trunk Highways, that are not considered a Freeway. These Provincial Trunk Highways are numbered from 1 to 99 for mainline routes and 100 to 199 for loop/spur routes (only four currently exist).
Minor Highway
These Provincial Roads are numbered from 200 to 632. Some of these routes are gravel for part or all of their length. As Waze lacks a road type for all-weather gravel roads, the consensus is to use "Unpaved" for gravel highways in regions where paved alternative routes are available for many destinations, but to use "Minor Highway" in regions where there are no paved alternatives.
Rural Municipal Roads
Township and range roads are maintained and signed by the local rural municipality. These roads should use locally signed names where available as the primary name. Names such as Rd 74 N can be used as an alternate name, or as the primary name when a specific road name is not known, or the road does not have a name. Unless specifically in a city, town or village, these roads should have "No City" selected at this time.
Township and Range roads are not highways and should be (at highest) Primary Street.
Saskatchewan Roads
Freeway
Highway 1, Highway 16 (where twinned), Highway 11, Circle Drive in Saskatoon, Ring Rd in Regina.
Major Highway
Highways 1 - 99 when not at Freeway standards. These highways connect major areas of the province.
Minor Highway
Highways 100 - 399, and 900 - 999. These highways connect cities and towns to other highways.
Primary Street
Highways 600 - 799. These are grid roads (6xx run North/South, 7xx run East/West). While not as sturdy as other Highways, these roads will stand up to truck traffic and should be preferred over other rural roads.
Other Rural Roads
Other Rural roads should be entered as Unpaved, as these should only be used for routing if no other option is easily available.
Alberta Roads
Freeways in Canada need to follow a different standard than in the US.
Currently in Alberta, only ring roads (perimeter roads around a city), Hwy 1 (including the highways Hwy 1 splits into), Hwy 2, Hwy 16, and any highways with limited access (e.g. highways with no traffic lights, and access is exclusive to ramps entrances).
When considering the road type, use the above noted Freeway classification as a guideline, with the idea that a Canadian "Freeway" may lack one of the criteria (e.g. Whitemud Freeway in Edmonton is 80 km/h, but meets all other criteria; Hwy 16 W of Edmonton doesn't have ramps for every junction, but meets all other criteria)
Generally highways in the 1–216 series are major highways (except when they are freeways), and highways in the 500–999 series are minor highways. However, a highway with a letter suffix in its number should generally be one type lower than the corresponding highway without the letter suffix. For example Hwy 2A is major highway, one type lower than Hwy 2 (freeway), and Hwy 13A in Camrose is minor highway, one type lower than Hwy 13 (major highway).
Some highways in the 500–999 series are gravel, and this raises a dilemma for Waze editors because Waze lacks a road type for all-weather gravel roads. The consensus is to use "Unpaved" for gravel highways in regions where paved alternative routes are available for many destinations, but to use "Minor Highway" in regions where there are no paved alternatives.
Township and Range Roads
Township and range roads are maintained and signed by the local municipal district (MD). Some MDs have chosen a numbering format with a hyphen before the last digit (e.g. “Township Rd 38-4”) but most have chosen a hyphenless format (e.g. “Range Rd 15”). In WME, the road names should follow the local format as used on the signs. Abbreviate “Rd” but leave “Township” and “Range” unabbreviated.
Township and Range roads are not highways and should be (at highest) Primary Street.
List (incomplete) of MDs that use hyphens: Clearwater County, Lacombe County, Mountain View County, Special Area #2, Stettler County, MD of Taber
British Columbia Roads
Freeways in Canada need to follow a different standard than in the US.
When considering the road type, use the above noted Freeway classification as a guideline, with the idea that a Canadian "Freeway" may lack one of the criteria (e.g. Whitemud Freeway in Edmonton is 80 km/h, but meets all other criteria; Hwy 16 W of Edmonton doesn't have ramps for every junction, but meets all other criteria)
Highways are defined by the provincial numbering scheme. Any numbered route will be either a Freeway, Major Highway or Minor Highway, regardless of the use of stop lights or the path it takes through a city/town.
Additionally, streets that are named "Highway" (e.g. Barnet Highway in Burnaby) may also receive a highway classification.
Differentiation between a major and minor highway is largely based on its destination and importance of the route. Also, a highway with a letter suffix in its number should generally be one type lower than the corresponding highway without the letter suffix. For example Hwy 19A in Courtenay is major highway, one type lower than Hwy 19 (freeway), and Hwy 4A in Coombs is minor highway, one type lower than Hwy 4 (major highway).
Alleys and Laneways
Alleys and laneways should never be added to the map without approval from a Canadian Champ. In some cases (e.g. Toronto area), we have left the ones in place, but in most cases they should be removed.
This is particularly relevant to basemapped areas that included them -- e.g. Saskatchewan -- small towns should certainly have the alleyways removed.
In places where they are retained, they should have their city name set and the "None" box checked for Street Name. They should also be changed to Parking Lot street type.
In considering whether one should be mapped, the primary question is "would it be appropriate for a stranger (e.g. pizza delivery guy) to park there and enter the residence from that side" - if the answer is "no", then they should definitely not be mapped.
Parking Lot Roads
Please read the Best Map Editing guidelines on parking lot roads and remember that parking lot roads must have a navigational function and are to be used sparingly.
Locking Standard
Canada has active "Traffic Locks", these locks are based on usage from users. They are limited to a max rank of 4, but can be any rank below.
Segments that have restricted turns must be locked to a minimum Level 3.
If the current lock or traffic lock is higher than the minimum standards listed below, please don't lower the lock.
| Segment Type | Minimum locks | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Freeway | 4 | ||
| Ramp | highest rank of connected segment | ||
   |
3 | ||
| Major Highway | 4 | ||
| Minor Highway | 3 | ||
| Primary Street | 2 | ||
| Street | 1 | ||
| :|:|:|:|:Railroad:|:|:|:|: | 4 | ||
Place Editing
PUR should be reviewed for accuracy, once approved all relevant information pertaining to the place should be entered. Please use each company's website to gather all the information you can. Once a place is complete please lock to rank 3.
This practice will prevent app trusted users and most IGN editors from making incorrect changes to places we know are right. App trusted users and IGN editors are rarely rank 3.
Following are general standards for place locking in Canada:
| Place Type | Minimum locks |
|---|---|
| Airports | 4 |
| Hospitals | 4 |
| Major Tourist Attractions/Landmarks | 4 |
| Police/Fire Stations | 3 |
| Gas Stations | 3 |
Telephone Number Format for Waze Places
+1-NPA-NXX-XXXX
This number format allows mobile phones, regardless of their home network, to dial a number without having to modify the number first.
Place Naming
Place Naming in Canada should adhere to the following guidelines. Following the government agency naming guide is a list of businesses which are chains or franchises. Please use these name spellings when creating or updating a place.
Hospitals & Other Medical Services
Hospitals with Emergency Rooms are the only place type permitted to use the Hospital category. All other day clinics, surgical centres, doctors etc must use the Doctor / Clinic category. Other non core medical services services such as Naturopaths, physio-therapists, chiroprators, etc should use the Office category. Emergency Rooms must have a separate Waze Point Place with "ER/Urgence" prefixed in the primary name, for example:
- ER - Brampton Civic Hospital
- ER - St. Michael's Hospital
- Urgence - Hôpital de Verdun
Government Agencies
Police Stations: City, Agency followed by division name, for example:
- Toronto Police 12 Division
- Peel Police 22 Division
- OPP Collingwood Detachment
Fire Stations: City, Agency followed by station number, for example:
- Brampton Fire Station 221
- Toronto Fire Station 347
Nested Places
If a secondary business within another business location has a different category, contact numbers and opening times, it may be added to the map as a new (second) point place with the new primary category and relevant contact details and opening times. Typical examples of this type of nesting would be pharmacies or post offices within supermarkets or superstores.
Place Name Harmonization
If you don't find the business you're looking for, please use this form to submit the missing information.
A script is available to assist with Place Harmonization and has been localized for use in Canada.
View this list full-screen in Google Sheets
Fuel Retailers
For modification of fuel retailers in Canada, please use the Gas Stations Brands form.
When to use Area or Point in Canada
Here is the Canadian guidance on selecting Area or Point for Places in the Waze Map Editor.
Optional Area shall only be used after consulting local area managers on regional guidelines. The place must be a significant landmark with navigational value in the community. For example: a Tim Hortons in Hepburn, SK (population 500) is of significance. However, the same sized Tim Hortons is of zero significance in the Greater Toronto Area.
We do not want to impose hard & fast rules for the Optional Area category. Please use some judgement, we do not want to see wall-to-wall areas for every single building structure on the map.
Optional Area shall be landmarked to just the building structure only, do not include the parking lot area.
Fence-line Areas shall be landmarked from fence line to fence line to include all parking lots, roads, and anything associated with the property. Parking lot roads (PLRs), parking lots, and gas stations all serve the same purpose.
The Primary Category for a Place is used to determine whether to use a Point or Area.
| Parent | Category | Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car Services | Car Wash | Point | |
| Car Services | Charging Station | Point | |
| Car Services | Garage / Automotive Shop | Point | |
| Car Services | Gas Station | Fence-line Area | Many gas stations also have convenience stores and ATMs. Remember to use "Gas Station" as the primary category and the add any others which are relevant. Please see the Places/Gas Station article. |
| Car Services | Parking Lot | Both | There are very few parking lots which should be mapped at all. Please see the Places/Parking lot article. |
| Transportation | Airport | Fence-line Area | Special-handling |
| Transportation | Bridge | Area | Should only be use for bridges with significance: Peace Bridge, Golden-gate Bridge |
| Transportation | Bus Station | Point | |
| Transportation | Ferry Pier | Point | |
| Transportation | Junction / Interchange | Area | Will not be used in Canada. |
| Transportation | Seaport / Marina / Harbor | Area | Size-dependent. |
| Transportation | Subway Station | Point | |
| Transportation | Taxi Station | Point | |
| Transportation | Train Station | Point | |
| Transportation | Tunnel | Area | |
| Professional and public | Cemetery | Fence-line Area | |
| Professional and public | City Hall | Point | |
| Professional and public | College / University | Area | |
| Professional and public | Conventions / Event Centre | Area | Size-dependent |
| Professional and public | Courthouse | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Professional and public | Doctor / Clinic | Point | |
| Professional and public | Embassy / Consulate | Area | |
| Professional and public | Factory / Industrial | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Professional and public | Fire Department | Area | |
| Professional and public | Government | Optional Area | |
| Professional and public | Hospital / Urgent Care | Area | ONLY Hospitals, Emergency Rooms, and places offering Urgent Medical Care should use this category. ERs encompassed in a hospital Place Area should be Points.
Clinics, and Medical offices which do not offer urgent medical care for Walk-Ins should use the Doctor / Clinic or Office, (and any other appropriate) category as discussed above regarding Hospitals. |
| Professional and public | Information Point | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Professional and public | Kindergarten | Point | |
| Professional and public | Library | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Professional and public | Military | Area | |
| Professional and public | Offices | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Professional and public | Organization or Association | Point | |
| Professional and public | Police Station | Area | |
| Professional and public | Prison / Correctional Facility | Area | |
| Professional and public | Post Office | Point | |
| Professional and public | Religious Centre | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Professional and public | School | Fence-line Area | |
| Shopping and services | Arts & Crafts | Point | |
| Shopping and services | ATM | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Bank / Financial | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Bookstore | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Car Dealership | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Shopping and services | Car Rental | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Convenience Store | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Currency Exchange | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Department Store | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Shopping and services | Electronics | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Shopping and services | Fashion and Clothing | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Shopping and services | Flowers | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Furniture / Home Store | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Shopping and services | Gifts | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Gym / Fitness | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Shopping and services | Hardware Store | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Shopping and services | Jewelery | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Laundry / Dry Cleaning | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Market | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Shopping and services | Music Store | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Personal Care | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Pet Store / Veterinarian | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Shopping and services | Pharmacy | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Shopping and services | Photography | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Shopping Centre | Area | |
| Shopping and services | Sporting Goods | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Shopping and services | Supermarket / Grocery | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. Must be a Point if it is part of larger shopping mall/center. |
| Shopping and services | Swimming Pool | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Toy Store | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Shopping and services | Travel Agency | Point | |
| Food and drink | Bakery | Point | |
| Food and drink | Bar | Point | |
| Food and drink | Coffee shop | Point | |
| Food and drink | Dessert | Point | |
| Food and drink | Fast Food | Point | |
| Food and drink | Food Court | Point | |
| Food and drink | Ice Cream | Point | |
| Food and drink | Restaurant | Point | |
| Culture & entertainment | Art Gallery | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Culture & entertainment | Casino | Area | Large hotel-casinos perhaps could be Area Places. |
| Culture & entertainment | Club | Point | |
| Culture & entertainment | Game Club | Point | |
| Culture & entertainment | Movie Theater | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Culture & entertainment | Museum | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Culture & entertainment | Music Venue | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Culture & entertainment | Performing Arts Venue | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Culture & entertainment | Racing Track | Area | |
| Culture & entertainment | Stadium / Arena | Area | |
| Culture & entertainment | Theme Park | Area | |
| Culture & entertainment | Theater | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Culture & entertainment | Tourist Attraction / Historic Site | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Culture & entertainment | Zoo / Aquarium | Area | Size-dependent |
| Other | Construction Site | Area | Do not map in Canada. |
| Lodging | Bed & Breakfast | Point | |
| Lodging | Camping / Trailer Park | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Lodging | Cottage / Cabin | Point | |
| Lodging | Hostel | Point | |
| Lodging | Hotel | Point | |
| Outdoors | Beach | Area | Do not map without a name. |
| Outdoors | Golf Course | Area | |
| Outdoors | Park | Area | Do not map without a name. |
| Outdoors | Playground | Area | Do not map without a name. |
| Outdoors | Plaza | Point | Unsure about mapping these at all |
| Outdoors | Promenade | Point | Unsure about mapping these at all |
| Outdoors | Scenic Lookout / Viewpoint | Point | |
| Outdoors | Ski Area | Area | |
| Outdoors | Sports Court | Point | Can be Optional Area see notes above. |
| Natural features | Farm | Area | Do not map without a name. |
| Natural features | Forest / Grove | Area | Only map official state/national forests, not every stand of trees. |
| Natural features | Island | Area | |
| Natural features | River / Stream | Area | Use only if water itself is visually obvious to drivers on nearby roads. Do not remap features already present in the built-in Waze water layer unless that layer is incomplete or inaccurate. Map only the typical extent of visible water, not adjacent open space, greenbelt, culvert, meadows, or flood plain. If the river/stream is too narrow to map conveniently with an Area Place, it should not be mapped at all. |
| Natural features | Sea / Lake / Pond | Area | Use only if water itself is visually obvious to drivers on nearby roads. Do not remap features already present in the built-in Waze water layer unless that layer is incomplete or inaccurate. Map only the typical extent of visible water, not adjacent beaches or land. If the feature is too small to map conveniently with an Area Place, it should not be mapped at all. |
Speed Limits
Please refer to the USA Speed Limit guidelines.
Temporary Construction Speed Limits
Do not change the speed limit due to temporary construction; exceptionː a local editor who takes the route on a daily commute and assumes full responsibility of updating the speed limit.
Ramp Speed Limits
For ramps with only advisory speed limit signs, use the highest speed limit of the in or out segment.
Emergency Vehicle Roads 
"Emergency and Authorized Vehicles Only" are to be treated as Non-drivable roads. These are found primarily through the median of divided highways to connect opposite direction lanes.
- Recommended not to map them in Canada.
Ferries
The ferry road type is now working in Waze. If a ferry segment is misbehaving, adjust it slightly and save to force a tile rebuild. Canada will adopt US guidelines with respect to ferries.
- If the ferry has a toll, mark it as a toll road.
Technical Information
Please see the article Technical Information.