Where our listings come from.

What an unclaimed listing is

An unclaimed listing is a directory entry for a local tradesperson who has not joined Loacally. It carries the business name, the trade, the borough and, where the business publicly listed them, a link to its own website, a general description of the trade, and a phone number you can reveal on the listing with a click. It is marked "Unclaimed listing" wherever it appears, it cannot be booked or messaged, and it carries no reviews, ratings, photos or prices.

Being listed does not mean the business uses Loacally, asked to be listed, or endorses us. It also does not mean we have checked or verified the business. Only tradespeople who have joined and passed our checks appear as members.

Where the data comes from

The current listings are built from OpenStreetMap, the open map database, using its public query service. We record which source each listing came from and the date we gathered it, and both are shown on the listing itself.

OpenStreetMap data is published under the Open Database Licence. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What we show, and what we do not

We keep this to the minimum that makes a listing useful, and show less than we hold.

• Shown publicly. The business name, the trade, the borough, the source and the date we gathered it. Where the business publicly listed a website, we show a link to it. Where a phone number was publicly listed, we show a general description of the trade and let anyone reveal that number on the listing with a click.
• Held, and shown only as described above. An outward postcode (the first half only) and a rough location so the listing can appear in a nearby search. A publicly listed phone number, where there was one: we never put the number in the page itself, we reveal it only when someone chooses to on the listing, and we log each time that happens.
• Not held at all. A street address, an email address, opening hours, photos, prices, reviews or ratings.

Because an unclaimed listing is built from publicly available business information, its page can appear in search engine results and is included in our sitemap, the same as any other public page on Loacally. Within Loacally, the business can appear in a clearly marked "not yet on Loacally" section when you search or browse our area and trade pages, so it can be found and claimed; it is never counted among our members or shown as a rated or bookable business. If you would rather it was not listed, you can have it removed straight away, and it will no longer appear in search or on the site (see "Removing a listing" below).

Claiming a listing

If the business is yours, you can claim the listing for free from its page. You set up a login, then confirm you are connected to the business, either by giving a phone number customers use to reach it, which we check against what we hold, or by telling us how you are connected so a person on our team can check by hand.

Claiming does not put the profile live on its own. Same as any new tradesperson on Loacally, our team checks the details by hand before the profile appears in search.

Removing a listing

Anyone can have a listing taken down using the 'Not your business? Remove this listing' link on the listing itself. There is no account, no ID check and no charge, and it comes down straight away.

We keep a minimal record that the listing was removed, so the same business is not added again the next time we read the same source. That record holds the business name, the area, where the listing came from, any phone number that was publicly listed, the date, and anything you write in the optional box on the removal form. We delete what you write there after 12 months. Removing a listing does not stop you joining Loacally later under your own steam.

Questions and complaints

The full detail of what we hold, why, and the rights you have over it is in our privacy notice. If something here is not right, or you would rather deal with a person, use the Contact page and we will pick it up.