TLDR: Learn how to add brand presets to OpenStreetMap by following the official Name Suggestion Index contribution guide.

A video tutorial demonstrating this process is available here.

Introduction

Brand presets help OpenStreetMap editors like iD, Every Door, and StreetComplete maintain consistent tagging and spelling across the map. These presets appear as suggestions when adding businesses and points of interest. This guide explains how to contribute new brand presets to OpenStreetMap.

The image above shows a brand preset for Warby Parker appearing in the iD editor's search interface.

Background: Name Suggestion Index (NSI)

The Name Suggestion Index (NSI) is:

• A comprehensive database of brand information and identifiers

• Connected to WikiData for retrieving logos and brand details

• Separate from but used by the OpenStreetMap community

• Integrated into multiple OSM editing tools

Using NSI Guide

Checking Existing Brands

1. Visit NSI Guide

2. Search for your brand of interest

3. Review the results to see:

   • WikiData information

   • Geographic coverage

   • Existing preset details

Regional Availability

Brand presets are region-specific. For example, Warby Parker presets only appear when editing in the United States since that's where their locations are.

Contributing New Brands

Prerequisites

1. Verify Brand Notability

   • The brand should have at least 30 physical locations

   • This requirement may be flexible in some cases

   • Use official sources, Wikipedia, or OSM queries.

2. WikiData Entry Required

   • Brand must have a WikiData entry

   • You can create one if it doesn't exist

How to Contribute

For developers:

• Follow the technical guidelines in the CONTRIBUTING.md

For non-technical contributors:

1. Check Existing Entries

   • Search NSI Guide

   • If a brand appears in NSI but not your editor:

     • Verify the brand's configured regions match your editing location

     • Check when the brand was added - recent additions may not be in your editor yet

2. Submit via GitHub Issues

   • Go to the NSI GitHub repository

   • Create a new issue including:

     • Brand name

     • WikiData link

     • Number of locations

     • Supporting documentation (Wikipedia links, official sources)

Review and Integration Timeline

• Maintainer review typically only take a few days

• Complex cases may require community discussion

• Editor integration depends on their release schedule

Conclusion

You now know how to contribute brand presets to OpenStreetMap. Whether adding new brands or updating existing ones, your contributions help improve mapping consistency for everyone.

PS: I created this blog post as a companion to the video tutorial, focusing on searchability rather than traditional blog formatting. After repeatedly struggling to find the Name Suggestion Index documentation, I wanted to create an easily discoverable resource for others looking to add brand presets to OpenStreetMap.

Update Nov 19, 2024: If you have a JSOM preset and you want to merge it into NSI someone shared a script to do so here.