House Numbers in WME

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This page covers editing house numbers in Waze Map Editor.

Overview

Waze keeps its own internal database of addresses, or what is called house numbers or HNs. These addresses are used only when a specific address is searched from the Waze Map Editor or Waze client app. House numbers are independent from any other address or mapping provider.

House numbers are points on the map and can be adjusted at a fine level of detail to ensure Wazers are properly directed to the correct location for that address. It is therefore important to pay attention to all details regarding house numbers to ensure proper routing.

Things to remember (caveats/warnings)

• The house numbers interface cannot be activated when there are unsaved edits.
• House numbers are editable only at the 100m/200ft zoom level and lower.
• House numbers cannot be added to segments without a name.
• House numbers are not searchable unless there is a city name on the segment (Primary or Alternate). This is true whether the house number is an import or added/adjusted by an editor.
• House numbers will direct the user to the location of the HN's anchor point on the named road segment.
• A segment cannot have its street name removed if there are house numbers attached to it.
• An individual segment cannot have its primary city name removed if there are house numbers attached to it. Selecting two (or more) segments with different street names will allow the primary city name set to "none", but all segments selected must have the primary street name changed to the same name. Therefore be sure to go back and fix any improperly changed street name if this method is used.
• House numbers can contain numbers and letters, but cannot start with a letter.
• The Waze app does NOT automatically update position data for already-obtained destinations! Even after an address has been adjusted using WME and/or Google Maps, the app will retain the stale position data indefinitely and navigation will continue to fail. To eliminate stale position data, ask the reporter to first delete any existing instances of the destination in their recent search history and home/work/favorites list and then conduct a new search for the destination.
• If the destination is located on an unnamed non-public road segment (private road, parking lot road, etc.), delete the Waze House Number and replace with a Residential Place Point (RPP). Ensure the RPP's street name and city are listed as the primary or alternate street/city pairing the nearby named segment.

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  If the correct stop point for a house/business is on a different road than its address road — for example, when its entrance is located on a cross street or back street — then a Waze house number for that address should not be used (but note that house numbers may often be used for entrances located on service/frontage roads; see House Numbers on Service Roads). Instead, add a residential point place (RPP). Be sure to have the number, street name, city name, and entry/exit point in the RPP; additionally ensure the RPP's street name and city name are listed as the primary or alternate street/city pairing on a nearby segment. Please review these cases:

1. In the case that RPPs have been added to a segment other than where their corresponding house numbers are anchored, these house numbers should be deleted. This will reduce potential problems with searching for the address or editing the RPP.
2. In the case that RPPs have been added to the same segment as their corresponding house number (e.g. people just taking pictures of their houses), those HNs should remain, as they will be in the same location as the RPP and routing will not be negatively affected.

• See the FAQ for more information.
• If the addresses are on service, frontage, or outer roads, see the House Numbers on Service Roads article for a guide on adjusting the house numbers to route to service road properly.

House numbers vs residential point places

House numbers are attributes linked to road segments, whereas residential point Places (RPPs) are independent from road segments, and vary in the following ways:

• House number addresses automatically update when the road segment name changes; RPPs do not.
• House number addresses automatically update when the road segment's primary or alternate city name changes; RPPs do not.
• House numbers utilize the various street or city names listed as alternate names listed in the segments's address box; RPPs only can have one street/city combination per Place.
• House numbers are indexed on their own update schedule; RPP location and details go live almost immediately to existing road segments. Both house number and RPP search results are indexed separately. House numbers will normally be updated by the second road segment tile update. This ensures a new road segment is created in the segment database prior to adding the house number to the house number database, otherwise there may not be a linkable segment based on the different update schedules.
• House numbers only route to road segments with names; RPPs will route to any road segment named or not.
• RPPs could not contain letters prior to October 2019; there are some older ones that may require updating to include the full address.
• House numbers are Interpolated/extrapolated; RPPs are not interpolated/extrapolated.

Address search hierarchy

The following is a simplified order listing, other more complex items can come into play during search queries:

1. Waze RPP (with house number, street name, city name, and entry/exit point) if there is the listed city name as a primary or alternate city name on a nearby segment
2. Waze house number (base import or adjusted by editor), if there is a primary or alternate city name on the segment
3. Google address pin
4. Google interpolation address
5. Waze interpolation house number

Note: addresses on an area place (AP) or a point place (PP) are cosmetic only and not used in address searches in the Waze app; only addresses for residential point places are searchable.

Interpolation

On road segments where Waze house numbers exist, Waze will approximate the position of 'missing' House Numbers. In the example image shown to the right, the end unit townhomes have the Waze house numbers marked, Waze will therefore approximate the location of the unmarked house numbers, roughly shown in blue.

• Waze interpolation/extrapolation is fairly simple:
  • Need to have a primary or alternate city name on the particular road segment
  • Need to have at least two house numbers on affected side of the particular road segment
  • Cannot have any forced house numbers on the particular road segment
  • Works better if the missing house numbers are evenly dispersed along the segment
    • Examples
    • Having the first and last house number on a segment at the two ends usually works better than other places
    • Having two even house numbers on a segment will allow Waze interpolation/extrapolation for other even numbers on that side of the segment
    • Having two even house numbers on a segment will not allow Waze interpolation/extrapolation for odd numbers on the other side of the segment. At least two odd numbers must be added to the other side for Waze interpolation/extrapolation
    • Having two even house numbers on a segment will not allow Waze interpolation/extrapolation for the even numbers on adjacent segments

Residential place points (RPPs) are not used for interpolation by Waze. Missing addresses that do not have HNs nearby, will default to third party sources or interpolation from 3rd party sources.

Finally, Waze will estimate some house numbers beyond where house numbers are marked in the WME. For example, if house numbers 4, 6, and 8 are marked on a named road, Waze will also extrapolate (at least) numbers 2 and 10.

New roads must have house numbers added

Waze will not be doing any future imports or merges of external data for house numbers. It is therefore very important that any new roads you add must have house numbers added in order for Waze to provide accurate routing to those addresses. Each road segment with a house number must have a primary or alternate city name for the Waze house number to be searchable. Therefore if not in an incorporated city, town, or village and your region does not use township, census designated place, or parish name; then add the US Postal Service's city name as an alternate city name for the road segment.

Activating the interface

To edit, update or delete house numbers on a street, select any segment of the road then click the Edit house numbers button or tap the H keyboard shortcut.

The House Numbers interface cannot be activated when there are unsaved edits or multiple segments with differing addresses selected.

Using the interface

View of house numbers and default distance highlighting.

Waze will often select an additional segment or two connected to the segment you selected when they are the same city and name (same Street ID). You can pan the map along that selection to edit house numbers on more than just the single segment you selected.

The lighted area around the road is the default distance that house numbers are allowed from the street. If a house number must be located beyond that distance, you will need to Force the house number into place (discussed below).

If you are zoomed out farther than 100m/200ft, you cannot edit house numbers, and there will be a message at the top center of the window which reads, "Zoom in to edit."

Toolbar

When the house numbers interface is activated, a new toolbar appears with the standard complement of action buttons specific to working with house numbers.

Descriptions of the house numbers toolbar buttons:

	Click to add a new house number.
	Click to save current changes to house numbers.
	Click to undo the last house number action or modification.
	Click to redo the last house number action or modification.
	Click to exit the house numbers interface.

Markers

The two images to the right show what a house number looks like in the editor. Which one is used depends on the density of house numbers and how WME determines the marker should be flipped for best visibility and handling.

• The red "X" is the delete button.
• The blue dot on the other side is the drag handle.

The house number itself should be placed on the center of the rooftop of the house. For large buildings such as box stores which have a single address, and addresses within shopping malls, it is recommended to NOT add the house number to Waze. These stores are typically within parking lots and the stop point for house numbers is not a good location for navigation to end. For these locations, use a Residential point place (RPP). A Place point or area with the store, restaurant, park, etc. name should also be added.

Modifying

• To Edit a house number, click in the number and enter a new number.
• To Move a house number, click in the number or on the blue drag handle, and then click and drag using the blue drag handle.
• To Delete a house number, click in the number, and then click the red X.

Adding

To add a house number, click the Add house numbers button on the toolbar or tap h on the keyboard. Click on the location of the house or business address. Enter the house number.

Setting the Stop Point

The stop point (sometimes referred to as the segment marker) is the location on the segment to which the house number is attached, and this is where the Waze navigation destination will be set in the client app. This is represented by a white dot with a blue outline attached to the street (see the image on the left.

When moving a house number or adding one, you will see a dashed white line leading to a white dot on the road you selected. This white dot is the stop point for navigation to that house number. It can be moved anywhere on the named segment for that address. It cannot be moved to any other segment including driveways (at this time).

The stop point should be placed:

1. Where you would park if you wanted to park closest to the main entrance to the building or an entrance to the building parking lot.
2. Where the driveway intersects the road. For houses with driveway which intersects the same road more than once or two different roads, put the stop point where the mailbox is located.

Think of it this way: "If you can get the driver to this point and have the app display a directional marker flag and announce the correct side of the road the destination is on, the driver should be able to figure out which building it is."

If you have aerial images turned off, such that the background screen is white, you will not be able to see the dashed line. Because it's white.

The Waze development team is working on a way to specify a stop point on a street other than the named segment to which the address is attached. This is important for any house whose driveway may not be on named street, mall location, unnamed long private streets/drives with multiple addresses, or businesses which have an entrance from a parking lot off the named street. At this time, there is no way to guide the drivers within a parking lot.

Errors

There are two categories of errors related to house numbers:

• Errors you can force
• Errors you cannot force

Errors you can force

When the error message pops up:

1. Dismiss it by clicking on Continue editing to check the error.
2. Hover the mouse over the red-bordered House Numbers to review the errors.
3. Fix the House Numbers which are in error, if they are indeed in error.
4. Save if errors are fixed.
5. Save and then Force if the House Numbers should be submitted as they are.

The following errors can be forced if you are a rank 2 or higher editor:

• Number too far from segment: House number is beyond the standard allowed distance from its segment.

• Number out of sequence: House number stop point doesn't align with existing house numbers on the segment.

• Wrong side: House number doesn't align with other existing ones for odd/even numbering scheme.

When you are fully confident there are no errors with any of your House Numbers after you have reviewed the House Numbers highlighted as being in error, click the Save button and then click the Force button.

Errors you cannot force

You will need to fix the errors in order to save. The following errors cannot be forced:

Note that this is the same message as the errors you can force listed above, but when you click the "Force" button nothing happens and the "Force / Continue editing" error message box remains.

• Number already exists: House number already exists somewhere on the same selected segments. This means that somewhere in the state there is another segment with the same house number, primary street name, and primary city name combination. You may have several throughout the state that has the same house number and primary street name when there is "none" as the primary city name. Note that alternate city names do not help alleviate this problem.

• Unsupported number format : House number contains too many numbers, or has letters or other characters which do not align with the allowed format for the country.
  

House number tips

• Forcing of house numbers is currently limited to rank 2 editors and higher.
• The wrong side and out of sequence errors are often a problem in a cul-de-sac or court where stop points for houses tend to bunch up at the end of the street, and the exact position of the segment must align between the house number sequence or odd/even switch (in those countries which follow this method).
• Another common out of sequence error occurs on circular roads with multiple segments. A junction node should be placed at the point where the sequence starts as the interface can only "start" a sequence at a node. For example, if a sequence of house numbers on a circular road runs from 50 to 250, then a junction node must be located between the stop points of 50 and 250 in order to avoid the need to force.
• For an address which must be moved beyond the normal accepted distance, when you Add it, it must first be placed within the highlighted area, and once the number is entered, then you can drag it to the correct location and adjust the stop point as necessary.
• If you have more than one which requires forcing, only one click of Continue editing will force them all. Be sure you are confident that all are correctly located.

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  When a house number has been forced and saved, it will display differently than other house numbers, with the word "Forced" included in the marker as shown to the right.
• House numbers are uploaded for indexing through a separate process than tile updates. The HN index update process is run at the same time as the tile builds. Performing trigger edits nearby to force the tile to be included in an update is not necessary. House number edits will be reflected in app searches within one or two tile update cycles.
• House numbers often take two tile updates to become searchable/workable in the app. This allows new roads to be incorporated into the app during the first tile update so that there is a road that the house number can be assigned to on the second tile update.

Any cases where HNs are not indexed and searchable after a couple of tile builds should be sent to staff for review via your champs.

Remember to save

Before you tap Esc on the keyboard or click Close, remember to Save your changes.

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