When a player reaches level 38, the gain the ability to suggest new PokéStop locations to Pokémon GO. While that may be an exciting new prospect to help shape your community. But before you start submitting every location near you, here are some pieces of advice.
To start, lets do a quick break down of the submission process.
- Go to settings
- Select New PokéStop under nominations
- Set the location
- Take the showcase photo
- Take photos of surrounding area
- Add title and description
- Preview and confirm submission
- Add context (why this spot is important)
- Wait for community review
The process seems about as easy as you’d expect. Unfortunately, many of them fail, usually for reasons a bit more in-depth than the official instructions say. But why? And how can you help that?
User Tehstone shares some advice that will both help a submission be accepted and help reduce on invalid submission that otherwise clog the system.
- No Private Residential Property. Apartments don’t count. But don’t even bother trying for the pond in your backyard or anything like that.
- Make Sure the Photo is Good. Well lit, the subject taking up 80% of the image, and ensuring that the most important qualities are clearly seen can all help ensure acceptance.
- Check the Pokémon GO and Ingress Area. Pokémon GO has a limit to the number of stops you can have in a certain area. They claim there’s a 20-meter minimum distance. Even if the coast seems clear, there might be an Ingress location that’s already there, which can still lead to a rejection.
- Choose your Words Carefully. The title and description text should not contain any references to Pokémon GO itself. It should be a clear and honest. The supporting statement should not be “we need more spots.” This doesn’t help. Just explain why that location is historically, artistically, socially, or religiously significant and why people should visit that spot.
If you can’t confidently meet these suggestions, then we recommend not submitting the location. Some people may think that an exception might be made, and they’d be wrong. Submitting locations doomed to fail only waste the reviewers time, causing worthwhile locations to take longer to be seen. So please be confident of your location before submitting.