No, please do not do this. There is generally one category which best fits any site (there are some exceptions). Choose the one most relevant category and suggest your URL there. If you are still having trouble finding a category, just do your best and select the one that you think might be most relevant. If it is not quite right, the reviewing editor will make sure to move it to the correct category for consideration.

What you are seeing at the bottom of the category is that there is no editor named. This does not mean that a category gets no editor attention. Any editor "higher-up" the category tree can edit in a category lower down. In addition to this, there are two categories of editor, called Editalls and Metas who can edit any category in the directory. So yes, someone will eventually review every suggestion.

The simple answer is "forever".

The Curlie submission guidelines used to say to do it every month, but this has been rendered unnecessary by changes in how the directory works. Once a suggestion has been received, it will never go away. It will sit in that category, awaiting review. Suggestions do not expire, and will be carried over to the new directory automatically.

So the preferred method is now to suggest the site to the category and wait at least a month. If, after a month, the site has not appeared, then feel free to suggest it one more time only. Please note that a new suggestion to the same category overwrites the previous one. Editors have many ways of sorting the pool of unreviewed sites in a category and one of them is by suggestion date. If this is the case, then a re-suggested site will show up further down the list and may end up taking longer to get reviewed.

Curlie is a directory, not a search engine. The directory search function is intended primarily as a convenient tool to find relevant categories on a particular topic, rather than sites. Its data is based on the title and description in Curlie, not a crawl of the website. It does not have a very sophisticated keyword algorithm, does not perform any type of ranking analysis, and is not intended for use by the average surfer as a search engine.

The best way to search for a specific site with Directory Search is to search on the URL without the www. For example, if you are looking for all occurrences of https://www.example.com , including individual pages (known as "deeplinks" in the editing community), try searching for “example.com”. The search database usually lags behind the true state of the categories by at least a week, although sometimes it is longer.

Because of these factors, it is certainly not a reliable means of finding out whether a particular site is listed in Curlie or not.

If the site has something that is clearly of regional relevance, yes. Examples would be a business that has a physical office which a user could walk into, or a kennel - anything which obviously would be of interest to a user looking for local things. A prerequisite of this, of course, would be that this location information be fairly prominently displayed on the site (like in a "Contact" page).

Some types of sites are ONLY listed in the Regional "tree", some never in Regional, so there are always exceptions. If you believe that a site could fit into both, then suggest it to both - you will not get penalized for doing this.

The time between suggestion and an editorial review ranges anywhere from two minutes to over two years. This is due to the voluntary nature of the directory - editors volunteer their time free of charge to do what they can to build the directory. Reviewing suggested sites is only one of many tasks which editors need to perform, and for many editors, not the top priority.

Sites suggested to the directory by users is just one source of content for Curlie - editors are encouraged to go out on their own and find sites which could be listed.

We look at each site individually, and in whichever order an editor wants to. Therefore it is perfectly possible that a competitor has been listed first (someone has to be, after all).

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say. First, different people have different views on what makes a "good" site. It is for this reason that we have the directory guidelines and note that a lot of it is left up to editor discretion.

Second, standards change - years ago, when Curlie was a fledgling directory, the priority was to increase the size as quickly as possible. The focus has changed much more now onto the quality of the sites listed. So there may well be some sites listed which, if suggested today, would not be. In these sorts of cases, random reviews of categories by editors will remove those. If "worse" means "not meeting Curlie guidelines", then you can use the abuse report procedures on Curlie itself, or PM a meta or admin as described in the abuse forum.

Third, sites change - what was once a great resource might well have been abandoned by its webmaster or changed to become something completely different. If you find such sites, and wish to help Curlie become a better directory, then please submit the category and site information in the Abuse forum - this will bring it to our attention.

Finally, as the directory matures, the bar for "unique content" gets raised higher and higher. We don't look at suggestions and think "Well, this is no worse than anything else so I'll add it." How does that improve the category? If you wish your site to be listed in a particular category, it should be better than the best site already listed and offer content not offered by any other site already in the category. Don't aim to be second worst, aim to be best.

See "I found an error in a site listing. How can I report it?"

To suggest a request for changes, go to the category that contains the listing. Click on the "Report" :update-flag: link to the right of the listing. Read and complete the form as requested, being sure to fill in the correct fields.

• Will the change happen automatically?
• Does it matter whether I am affiliated with the site?

The first thing that needs to be made very plain is that the Curlie is not Google, and we have no affiliation with them. Google is one of the many sites that use the Curlie Directory in their search results. The mechanisms that Google (or any other user) employs to get at Curlie data and what they do with them are totally outside of the control of any Curlie editor. If you have an issue with Google then you will need to contact them.

Help us to help you! Set up the new domain with all of your content. Then, on the old domain, put either a so-called "permanent 301 redirect" or a note on the site saying something like "This site has been moved to..." - this will help your users get redirected to the new site, but also provide proof to Curlie that the site has really been moved and isn't just someone trying to steal the business of an existing site. Once you have that in place, go to the category where the old site is listed and click on the "Update URL" link at the top right of the page, and follow the instructions there.

Nothing whatsoever. The Curlie Directory lists URLs - if your URL hasn't changed, then you need do nothing.

No: like all other suggestions, an editor will review it. A request will be accepted only if it meets Curlie guidelines, and accurately reflects what can be found on the site itself. Note that requests full of promotional language may be rejected at first glance, so please follow Curlie guidelines for titles and descriptions.

No, absolutely not! Your help correcting ANY inaccurate listings is appreciated. But as the webmaster you are in a position to ensure your site's contents correspond to your suggested description.

Recommended reading
It's a very good idea to read carefully the information provided when you push that "become an editor"-link - both the initial screen and the form itself. This may seem obvious, but a lot of the applications we receive indicate that the applicant hasn't done this.

There is also useful information in the Curlie help section.

Choosing your first category

Size and complexity
As the application information states, "Your chances of becoming an editor are greater if you apply for a small, underdeveloped category to start (generally categories with less than 100 sites)." This also includes sites in subcategories. The total number of sites is given in brackets after the category name at the top of the page. It's not impossible to be accepted for bigger categories, but it's more difficult.

You do not have to choose a category which is without any subcategories, but please note that a category with a lot of subcategories will usually be more difficult to be accepted to than one with few or no subcategories.

Where?
Some common myths include: "It's easier to get accepted in Regional", "New editors aren't accepted in commercial categories (including Business, Shopping and most of Computers)", and "New editors aren't accepted in areas with a lot of unreviewed (including Business, Shopping and most of Computers)".

These myths are not true. Choose a category which interests you, and which you feel you can improve. Please note, though, that some areas are more prone to abuse than others. For these areas it is difficult - but not impossible - to get accepted as a brand new editor.

It's OK to apply for a category that already has a listed editor. Almost all categories provide opportunities for more than one editor to make useful contributions, and no editor "owns" a category. Also, it is possible that the listed editor is not very active. However, we do try to avoid creating situations where conflict is likely, so there might be a little extra scrutiny of your request if you ask for a category with an editor listed.

Affiliations
The application form says it all, really: "We do not bar editors with business affiliations, since those editors with their own sites usually know their competition and related sites better than anyone. This knowledge can be ideal for helping build an authoritative directory. However, we will not tolerate editors who only add their own sites, or maliciously interfere with others' listings in the directory." Being open and honest about affiliations is crucial.

Language
You should be able to write well in the language of the category that you're applying for. For everything outside of World, that means that you should be able to write reasonably well in English, including using proper punctuation, spelling, grammar, and capitalization. If English isn't your native language or you feel you don't have strong skills in it, please consider applying for a category in World in the language in which you are most comfortable.

Anonymity - or not?
In some cases it helps if we can verify who the applicant is, especially if you think your credentials are part of why we should accept the application. And in abuse prone areas, it may be easier to trust someone who is open about his/her identity than someone who chooses to hide behind a pseudonym.

...and finally
Murphy's law will invariably cause the server to have a hiccup just as you post your lovingly crafted application. Saving a copy before you push that submit button may save you some tears.

After the application is submitted, you will get a confirmation email which you need to reply to. If you don't get this email, try again using another email address.

If you get an error message when submitting the application form, try again using another browser. If that doesn't help, post here, and we'll try to sort it out.

The review process
Each application is reviewed by an experienced volunteer editor - a meta or a category moderator (catmod). This can take anything from a few hours to several weeks.

If the application is approved, you'll get a welcoming email with further information. Have fun! :) (And don't forget to read the guidelines.)

If the application is rejected, you will usually get a reply - a form letter and possibly some more specific comments.

If your application is rejected, feel free to reapply. There is no reason to wait some set period of time before reapplying. You should, of course, try to do something about those factors which caused your application to be denied.

Editor accounts expire if an edit has not been made in four months, even if you have logged in regularly during that time period. You may request account reinstatement by filling out the reinstatement form. Reinstatement requests are usually processed fairly quickly but may take as long as several weeks depending on work load.

If you were an editor in good standing, your account will likely be reinstated. If your account was revoked or you had received warnings for poor or abusive editing, then we may decide not to reinstate your account. In all cases, we reinstate editing privileges (in full or in part) at our sole discretion, and we may choose not to reinstate an expired account for any reason. Editors should contact either Curlie Admins (admin@curlie.org) or a meta editor if they have questions about account reinstatement.

Use the Password Reminder form.

Start a thread in the Becoming an Editor forum, briefly explaining the situation, but DO NOT provide any personal details at that stage. A forum administrator/moderator will respond and advise you how to proceed. Please do not send private messages about it until invited to do so.

Start a thread in the Becoming an Editor forum, briefly explaining the situation, but DO NOT provide any personal details at that stage. A forum administrator/moderator will respond and advise you how to proceed. Please do not send private messages about it until invited to do so.

We welcome back past editors, and restore their editing privileges to the equivalents in the new directory. The other remarks here apply, such as keeping the same editor name, what to do if you've forgotten the editor name, the password, or lost access to the email account you used to sign up with Curlie...

Because we decided to discontinue that service as of May 21, 2005.

There were a number of factors involved in making this decision, but probably the biggest was that these requests were always beyond the mission of this forum. The original mandate of this forum was to put a better light on the Directory by allowing the public to interact directly with the editors. At some point the submission status requests seem to have taken over and almost become the focus.

Our feedback indicates that the information we are giving out really is not a practical help in the vast majority of cases. People want information we either simply do not have or cannot for confidentiality reasons give out. Therefore, despite our communications, the existence of the status check forum raises unrealistic expectations, leading to more frustration but no satisfaction, for anyone.

We also found that a large number of people have regularly ignored the "rationing" policies set up, and this problem is getting worse. Much of the editors' time here is simply spent playing monitor, and that isn't productive for the editor whose basic mandate is really to be building a better Curlie, not monitoring threads on Resource-Zone.

Participation on this forum is a volunteer activity beyond being an editor on Curlie, so the number of editors who participate here often fluctuates. Unfortunately, this means that when there are fewer editors who are active here they naturally feel obliged to do even more work than we should expect of volunteers who ought to be spending their time editing anyway.

• Come on...do you really mean you will never answer a site suggestion status query? Ever?
• But what about those of us who had already posted and were just waiting out our 1 month or 6 month waiting period? Don't we at least get one more status check?
• That's pretty brutal. Why can't you make exceptions in special cases?
• Then how can I find out what the status of my suggestion is?
• Well, if you won't do status checks here anymore, why don't you provide an automatic status reporting system for URL listing suggestions?

We welcome questions about how Curlie works, suggestions for improvement or correction, quality control reports (dead links, hijacks, reports of bugs, etc.), queries and questions about becoming an editor, and questions about how to use the Curlie data...pretty much anything Curlie-related except asking about the status of your site suggestion, public posting of details of suspected abuse (please use the public reporting system for that), discussion of internal editing issues or confidential Curlie information, discussions of how to SEO your site or circumvent/violate Curlie policies, and complaints about being removed as an editor (please contact admin@curlie.org if you wish to appeal the removal of your editing account) or rants/complaints about Curlie, its editors (either specific editors or in general) or how the whole system functions. See our posting guidelines for more information about what can and can't be posted here.

NOTE: While we do provide a Members Lounge for members to post about non-Curlie topics, this forum exists primarily for the discussion of Curlie-related topics and excessive off-topic threads/posts may be either closed or deleted at the discretion of the forum moderators and administrators. Members coming here strictly to chat about non-Curlie topics should probably find another forum to join.

RE: Suggestions for improvement/change:
Please note that many of the more common suggestions for improvement that people make have already been discussed to death on this and other forums. Please do a search of this forum first to make sure that the suggestion you want to make hasn't already been made before. Some of the suggestions that have already been more than adequately discussed are having Curlie offer paid listings, paying editors or reducing the quality requirements for potential new editors in an effort to decrease review times, making the unreviewed pools or edit logs public, and providing an automated tool for site owners to check up on their site suggestions.

Yes, yes, we do.

As of May 21, 2005, we will no longer give site status checks under any circumstances. If you post asking for your status in any forum at this site, your post (and possibly your entire thread) will be deleted unanswered. Please keep in mind that "site suggestion status checks" include asking if the suggestion was received, when it will be reviewed, why it was deleted, did it get moved (and if so where), or any other related questions about the status of any particular site suggestion regardless of whether the site has ever been listed or not..

No. The policy is strict. There will be no more status checks done as of May 21, 2005. Period.

It's brutal because it needs to be. If we start allowing certain status queries (e.g. "why was my site deleted?"), we start sliding down the slippery back to where we were pre-May 21. The only way to be fair and equitable at this point is to make it a blanket policy.

You can try other forums. Some permit people to ask about the status of their suggestions and sometimes editors are lurking at those sites and are able to give answers. However, many forums do not permit the mentioning of specific sites so make sure you follow the policies of the forum you are at.

Beyond that, we can only tell you some things you shouldn't do:

• DO NOT send PMs to editors here asking for a status check.
• DO NOT send emails to the Resource-Zone site admins or use the "Site Feedback" link asking for a status check.
• DO NOT use the curlie.org public abuse system to find out why your site hasn't been listed. That system exists for the reporting of abuse, not for people to ask "Why hasn't my site been listed yet?" or "Did you get my suggestion?"

We see no benefit to the directory and several downsides:

1. We have very limited programming resources and we prefer to focus them on improving the directory itself and the tools that our editors use.
2. We have finite server capacity. This would be adversely affected by automated status inquiries from anxious site owners.
3. Some areas of the directory suffer from a deluge of websites that don't satisfy our listing requirements. An automated status reporting system would make the re-suggestion of declined websites more efficient. This is hardly constructive.