The easiest way to improve Waze is just drive around with Waze turned on. You can further add to it by recording roads and report issues. The current page provides the basics to directly edit the Waze Map, intended for South Asian areas. Most of the paragraphs include links to elaborate information, which might be in specific countries. Please use it as a reference and adapt to the needs of your area. You can contact other editors in South Asia via the South Asia Support Slack communication platform.
Note: Waze is a navigation tool and not a topographic map, some things may be drawn differently than expected. If recently edited, better not change it before contacting the last editor.
How to get to the Waze Map Editor (WME)
Log in to www.waze.com. If prompted to login, use the same username and password as you do on the Waze client app and the rest of the Waze website.
Search for your location
Click 'live map'
Click 'edit the map'
Or, go directly to www.waze.com/editor/?env=row.
After logging in, you will see the following page:
If you want to learn more about the controls and functions of WME (Waze Map Editor), you can find more details on the WME Interface and Controls page.
If you're a first time editor, it can be useful to start in Practice Mode (global page). In Practice Mode you can practice editing without risking damaging the map, since your edits and changes are not saved. For more experienced editors this can also be useful to test out complicated or new road constructions.
To edit in Practice Mode, you go to the editor, and without logging in, click on "Practice Mode".
Most starting editors at first try to match the map of Waze perfectly to the satellite image. They split roads, add walking trails, make the roads very fluently and draw detailed places. However, Waze is NOT a topografical map, but a navigation system that routes you to your destination in the best/fastest way. Therefore, keep the Waze map simple: The lesser the detail, the clearer the map, lesser data use, faster calculations, and easier maintainance. With that in mind, let's start edit the map!
You can add roads from the app with the Pave function, or directly in WME. Be sure the road actually exists before creating it. If you turn on the GPS layer, you can verify if the road has been driven on already. Of course it's also possible that the road exists, but hasn't been driven on by a Wazer yet. Avoid deleting roads, as they contain valuable information.
Hover the mouse over the button on the toolbar at the top of the page and click "Road"
Click the mouse on the map at the point where you want to start the new road segment.
Move the mouse cursor along the path of the road and click the mouse to add a geometry node for each point that changes direction along the road.
When finished, double-click the last point to end the segment.
Select the segment again, and fill in the details of the segment in the menu pane on the left.
You can cut a segment into two new segments. You can do this by adding a new segment from some random point nearby, to the point of the segment where you want to cut it. A new junction will be added. Delete the new segment just created. The newly created junction will remain and you made two new segments out of one. If you need to actually separate the road segments at that point, just relocate the end point of one of the two new segments.
Division of a multi-lane road from 1 two-way segment to 2 one-way segments is often not needed and makes the map unnecessary complex. Remember it is not a topographic map. If you think a division is needed anyway, please read this paragraph on splitting or not.
Connecting roads
When drawing new segments, or moving segments around, the editor will automatically make junctions.
For new roads, if you start and/or end the new segment on an existing segment, a junction is created at the location were you start/end the new segment
For existing roads, if you move the start or the end of a segment onto an existing segment, a junction is created
If you move a junction to an existing segment or junction, all roads connected will be part of the junction.
Bridging roads
Select two adjacent segments which should be joined together
Click the icon over the junction
The properties of the segments to be bridged must be identical or you will not see the bridge icon
Bridging should automatically increase the level of the new merged segment. You can change the elevation level in the menu left.
Generally, if two segments can be joined, you can also select the junction and press the trash can icon to have them join as well. If the trash can icon does not appear, the segments are different in some way. This might be the reason there is a junction in the first place. For more detail, see Overpasses, Underpasses and Bridges in the global wiki (might be outdated, but still informative).
Crossing roads
When two roads cross each other at the same elevation level, they can be joined together easily. This is useful if you draw several new roads for a neighborhood by drawing segments from end-to-end and allowing new segments to cross each other. Once drawn, you can junction them using this method.
Click the which should appear above the intersection
A junction is added
The sign won't appear if the roads cross each other multiple times, or when aspects differ, like elevation levels or speed limits. You can often use this method with unconfirmed (red) roads, but sometimes the editor will refuse to do this process until the roads are confirmed. Additionally, changing zoom level sometimes helps to get the sometimes-stubborn junction creator icon to appear.
Be sure to check the
turn restrictions for your newly created junctions.
Draw single road segments that will lead to the roundabout and ensure they extend into the center of the roundabout area. Use the visual map or gps points to align the roads.
Hover the mouse over the button on the toolbar at the top of the page and click "Roundabout" (Shortcut key: o).
Click the mouse on the map at the center of the roundabout area.
Move the mouse cursor outside, up to the middle of where the roundabout road should be, and single-click. WME now creates the roundabout and will remove all segments within it.
A roundabout should be assigned the same road type as the highest type connected.
Roundabouts should not get a Streetname to enable proper routing. Enter the City name if knwon/applicable in the Edit menu left. Check the "None" box for the Streetname.
Roundabouts in WME will yield specific routing instructions to drivers, such as "at the roundabout, take the third exit". If those routing instructions could confuse drivers, the Roundabout tool should not be used.
Incorrect
Correct
Roundabouts should never be used for cul-de-sacs or other dead end streets, regardless of how round they are. A single road segment leading to a cul-de-sac should be drawn as a dead end. With very large roads it might be advisable to create a loop, but not a roundabout.
Traffic circles without roundabout signs should not be drawn as a roundabout. In some cases, a roundabout is not used even if there is a roundabout sign, to create the best possible instructions for the situation.
Every loop must be made up of three or more segments. Any loop that does not follow this rule can cause problems for the Waze routing server. To avoid problems, make sure there is always only 1 segment between the same 2 junction nodes. Therefore, a loop road always needs 2 extra junction nodes, if there are no side-streets.
If you have to correct a loop road with less than three segments, cut one of the looping segments somewhere, following the instructions in Cutting a segment and check the Junction Arrows.
Please note, a real loop road should only be sparsely used. For more information, see the article Loops in the global Wiki page Junction Style Guide.
Segment geometry nodePlaces geometry nodeWhen editing a segment or Area Place, large white circles appear where the segment changes direction ultimately altering its shape. Click and drag them individually to alter the geometry of the segment or Place. Press the d key while the mouse is hovered over them to delete the geometry node. Alternately, hold the d key and then move the mouse over the nodes you want to delete.
The smaller white circles between the geometry nodes are "inter"-geometry nodes. When you click and drag an inter-geometry node, it becomes a larger geometry node and two more inter-geometry nodes appear halfway between each side again.
Tips:
-Under the Layer icon at the top right of the Map Editor Tool Bar, you can turn off the road layer , to have a better view on the road structure and Satellite Image.
- More keyboard shortcuts
Junction Nodes
In practice: Junction nodes that are part of the same road with similar properties can be removed, of no side road is connected. You can click on it and press the trash can icon on the top right of the screen or press ‘Delete’ on the keyboard. If the Trashcan is greyed out, there are probably some properties different, which is the exact reason a junction node is there.
Geometry Nodes
You will see Geometry Nodes as large white circles when you select a segment or Place. You can delete unnecessary ones by hovering the mouse over it while pressing d on your keyboard.
All road properties that can be changed are visible in the left pane when you select a segment.
Menu after clicking the pencil
Name
Click on the pencil next to the name of the road. Clicking this will allow you to edit the address information. We try to keep the names uniform, which is important for the display as well as for routing purposes.
If the road has no name, or if you do not know the street or city name, check the None box (see picture on the right); otherwise the road will remain red outlined and this makes it difficult to use in routing.
DO NOT FORGET to click Apply after entering the street and city name.
For every segment in the WME, you can choose the type of road. Waze´s road types are important for the display and routing, and may differ from the actual road type. In general:
The main roads in a district or town should at least be set to primary.
If segments will be used for through-going traffic or for medium distances connecting districts or towns, they should at least be mH (minor Highway)
Main interconnecting roads for longer distances and/or with fast traffic should at least be MH (major Highway)
Always try to connect a road to a same level of road type or higher. Thus, Waze should be able to route from primary to primary (or higher), from minor to minor (or higher), from Major to Major (or higher), and from Freeway to Freeway. Another way of explaining this, is that you should be able to continuously drive on the same or higher type of segments for the routing engine to use that road type in the calculations.
This means we sometimes need to make small roads a higher road type than they are in real, for the possibility of calculating long distance routing. If anything is unclear, please ask South Asia Support community on Slack platform].
Two-way, one-way or unknown. Always choose 1 of these 3 options, never leave it blank.
Speed limit
Here you can enter the speed limit for each direction. Make sure you enter the proper units (metric (kilometers) or imperial (miles). Change the units in your settings. If you do not know the speed limits, better leave it open.
Elevation
This is for the elevation of the road if roads overlap without crossing. For example a bridge, flyover or overpass.
Roads can be locked to prevent breaks in the routing. Depending on the condition of the map and the road type, often the roads are locked to a specific locking standard.
You cannot edit roads locked at a higher level than your editing level. If you need to edit a road locked above your level, post an Unlock Request on the Forum of your country, or ask in the communication platform South Asia Support Slack.
Hover over this button to show Place categories. Choose one and click on the map to add it. This will add a point place. Use the left pane to change it to an area and to add other information about the place. For an area place, use geometry nodes of the place to change its shape.
Only actual "Places" or Points of Interests (POIs) should be mapped, i.e. those which help the driver to find their way.
Petrol Stations and Parking Lots
Special Places are Petrol Pumps (in Waze called "Gas stations") and Parking Lots. Waze saves a lot of data with these Places and they need to be handled with care. Always draw them as areas.
URs ( Update Requests; map problems reported by waze users) and MPs ( automatically generated Map Problem reports) show where the map needs work. We must solve them to fix the map. URs also give us a way to contact our fellow wazers, who may become interested in editing. It is important to handle them with care and attention.
A permalink is a URL used to take you or someone else directly to a specific location on the map. It contains all information necessary to discuss that location, like latitude, longitude, zoom level, visible layers, and optionally a junction or a place, or one or more segments.
To create a permalink, zoom and pan the map to show what you want to show. Next, hover the mouse over the permalink icon on the right side of the bottom bar until a message pops up. Then use Ctrl+C to copy the permalink. You can paste this link anywhere you need it.
To include a single place, junction, or segment in the permalink, click on it before using the permalink icon. To include several segments and/or objects, use ctrl+click (for MAC:⌘ Command+click).
This page is intended as a Quick-start and is not intended to answer all of your questions. If you need more info, you can post a message on the forum or contact supporting editors on the South Asia Support Slack platform.
button on the toolbar at the top of the page and click "Road"
icon over the junction
which should appear above the intersection
button on the toolbar at the top of the page and click "Roundabout" (Shortcut key: o).
Layer icon at the top right of the Map Editor Tool Bar, you can turn off the road layer , to have a better view on the road structure and Satellite Image.
or press ‘Delete’ on the keyboard. If the Trashcan is greyed out, there are probably some properties different, which is the exact reason a junction node is there.
pencil next to the name of the road. Clicking this will allow you to edit the address information. We try to keep the names uniform, which is important for the display as well as for routing purposes.
button to show Place categories. Choose one and click on the map to add it. This will add a point place. Use the left pane to change it to an area and to add other information about the place. For an area place, use geometry nodes of the place to change its shape.
Update Requests; map problems reported by waze users) and MPs (
automatically generated Map Problem reports) show where the map needs work. We must solve them to fix the map. URs also give us a way to contact our fellow wazers, who may become interested in editing. It is important to handle them with care and attention.
permalink icon on the right side of the bottom bar until a message pops up. Then use Ctrl+C to copy the permalink. You can paste this link anywhere you need it.
