PlaceLocal standards
Build trust. Show up well. Be useful.
PlaceLocal is a network of genuine Australian businesses. These guidelines explain the standards we use to keep business profiles, networking activity, Groups and public content credible, professional and useful.
You do not need a perfect brand, expensive photography or a large marketing budget. You do need to represent your business accurately, communicate professionally and respect the people you interact with.
These guidelines work alongside our Terms, Privacy Policy and Trust & Safety standards.
Business behind the account
The business itself must control its PlaceLocal presence.
Be accurate
Information, images, credentials and claims should reflect reality.
Put your best foot forward
Give people enough useful information to understand and trust the business.
Participate professionally
Make connections, referrals, Groups and content useful rather than noisy.
Membership & account authority
Real businesses, represented by real people.
PlaceLocal is a curated network for genuine Australian operating businesses that other members could reasonably know, hire, refer, collaborate with or build a professional relationship with. A business does not need a public shopfront or fixed premises to fit: mobile, home-based and remote professional businesses may be eligible where they genuinely serve customers.
A business account may be created and controlled by an owner, an authorised employee, or an authorised networking representative who genuinely acts for the business in its relationships and can respond on its behalf.
The person operating the account must have appropriate authority to represent the business and participate in networking activity.
We want the business in the network, not someone managing its listing.
Agencies, SEO providers, listing services, virtual assistants and other service providers may help prepare content, images or account information. They must not create, claim or operate a PlaceLocal account as a substitute for the business itself.
Membership is subject to network fit.
Pure software products, generic SaaS tools, app-only businesses, directories, lead-generation platforms, marketplaces, affiliate sites, SEO or listing operations, and businesses created mainly to obtain exposure may not be eligible where they do not fit the purpose of the network.
PlaceLocal may refuse, pause or remove an account that does not fit the network's purpose, or where we reasonably believe its presence would reduce the relevance, trust or quality of the member community. We assess fit in context and may ask for clarification before taking action where appropriate.
Is this your business?
Request access to a business profile.
If a PlaceLocal profile has been created for your business and you do not control it, contact support@placelocal.com.au. To protect businesses from unauthorised claims, we require a valid email address using the business's own domain before ownership can be transferred. We may request additional information where necessary.
We may verify who is behind an account.
PlaceLocal may investigate an account where the email address, contact information, business identity or activity does not appear consistent with the business being represented. This may include comparing public business information, contacting the business directly or requesting further information.
Where we cannot reasonably establish appropriate authority, we may restrict, pause, suspend or remove a profile or account with or without prior warning. We are not required to disclose the specific methods, signals or information used in integrity checks.
Business information & content
Make it easy to understand who you are.
Your PlaceLocal presence should accurately represent the business customers and other members will actually deal with. Information should be current, truthful, useful, consistent with the business represented, and written for people rather than search engines.
Where relevant, include accurate
- Business or trading name
- Location and service areas
- Products or services
- Contact details and official links
- Team information and availability
- Relevant qualifications, licences or registrations
Avoid
- Keyword stuffing or repetitive location lists
- Copied competitor content
- Misleading superlatives or unsupported claims
- Fake urgency or irrelevant promotional material
- Content designed primarily to manipulate search rankings
Claims such as “Australia's best”, “#1”, guaranteed outcomes, awards, qualifications, customer numbers or performance statistics should only be used where the business can reasonably substantiate them.
Images & AI
Improve the presentation. Do not invent the business.
Strong images help people understand the quality, personality and professionalism of a business. We encourage real completed work, staff or owners, premises, equipment, products, vehicles and relevant customer environments where permission exists.
Strong business images are
- Clear and reasonably high resolution
- Relevant, properly oriented and suitably cropped
- Authorised for the business to use
- Representative of the real business
Avoid
- Blurry, extremely low-resolution or duplicate uploads
- Excessive text overlays, large promotional banners or third-party watermarks
- Irrelevant stock photography
- Images without permission to use
- Imagery that materially misrepresents the business
Eligible plans may include tools that help businesses analyse their market, improve marketing copy, enhance imagery and strengthen public presentation. Those tools are intended to help a genuine business present itself more effectively. They must not be used to fabricate completed projects, customers, staff, premises, licences, qualifications, awards, testimonials or capabilities.
Enhance the presentation. Keep the substance true.
We may require unsuitable images to be replaced.
PlaceLocal may ask you to replace or remove images that are unclear, low resolution, offensive, misleading, irrelevant, excessively promotional, unauthorised or materially unrepresentative. Where a profile is so poor, incomplete or misleading that it undermines network confidence, we may limit visibility, pause publication, suspend the account or remove content with or without prior warning.
PlaceLocal is not required to publish or continue publishing content simply because it technically satisfies a minimum field requirement.
Networking, referrals & updates
Build relationships, not mailing lists.
PlaceLocal networking exists for genuine business conversations, introductions, relationships and referrals. Appropriate activity includes connecting with relevant businesses, continuing existing professional relationships, making useful introductions, sending genuine referrals, participating in relevant Groups and sharing useful Business Updates.
Do not use PlaceLocal primarily to
- Send mass unsolicited sales pitches or repeatedly contact businesses that have not engaged
- Scrape or harvest member information
- Artificially inflate connections or use multiple accounts to circumvent safeguards
- Impersonate another person or business
- Pressure members to provide referrals or create misleading arrangements
- Submit fake enquiries, referrals, reviews or testimonials
Be relevant. Be respectful. Give people a reason to want the relationship.
Business Updates are for useful business activity: completed projects, new services, relevant offers, networking opportunities, requests for help, referrals and genuine announcements. Do not post to build an audience. Post because your business has something useful for the network.
Groups & communities
Create communities people actually want to belong to.
PlaceLocal Groups may support professional networks, referral groups, masterminds, local business communities and other legitimate business communities. Organisers are responsible for accurately describing who the Group is for, how membership works, who operates it, whether fees apply, and whether it is public, private, application-based or invite-only where those options are supported.
Groups may promote legitimate business activity including cafe or breakfast catch-ups, lunches, workshops, masterminds, member meetings, local networking events and online sessions. Event information should accurately state what is offered, where and when it occurs, who it is for, and any costs or conditions that apply.
PlaceLocal does not independently guarantee the conduct or outcome of third-party Groups or events simply because they are promoted through the platform.
Review, curation & verification
Publication, moderation and verification are different things.
Published
A profile may be visible to the public or the network.
Reviewed
PlaceLocal may have assessed some part of the profile or its presentation.
Verified
A separate status, shown only after explicit approval.
Being published on PlaceLocal does not automatically mean a business is Verified. A Premium profile or paid subscription does not guarantee verification. Payment can increase capability and visibility. It cannot buy trust.
Moderation & discretion
We would rather fix a genuine problem than punish a genuine business.
Where practical, PlaceLocal may ask a business to correct an issue before taking stronger action. However, profiles, content, Groups or participation may be refused, paused, restricted or removed for misleading identity, unauthorised account operation, fake contact details, impersonation, inaccurate information, deceptive claims, unlawful activity, persistent spam, abusive behaviour, fake referrals or reviews, serious misuse of member information, or deliberate attempts to bypass safeguards.
Serious safety, fraud or legal concerns may result in immediate action. We may also contact an account holder to clarify identity, contact details, material claims, reports or policy concerns. Repeated failure to respond to important trust-and-safety requests may affect publication or participation.
Support & service expectations
We prioritise support where it is needed most.
PlaceLocal provides self-service tools, help information and platform guidance to help members manage their own accounts. Free accounts do not include guaranteed technical support or response times. We may respond when reasonably able, but support is best-efforts and may be limited to account, safety, access or platform-critical matters.
Paid members receive priority support appropriate to their plan. Priority may depend on plan, severity, urgency, available capacity and whether an issue materially prevents normal use of a paid feature. Unless a specific service level is expressly included in a plan or separate agreement, PlaceLocal does not guarantee a particular response or resolution timeframe.
Support priority does not change our approach to genuine account security, fraud, impersonation, privacy, safety, legal or regulatory concerns.
Before you publish
A quick checklist for a strong PlaceLocal presence.
- ✓You have authority to represent the business.
- ✓The business name, contact information, services and service areas are current.
- ✓Customers and members can reach the genuine business or an authorised contact acting for it.
- ✓Images are relevant, authorised and reasonably professional.
- ✓Licences, qualifications, reviews and claims are truthful.
- ✓AI-assisted content still accurately represents the real business.
- ✓You understand that publication does not automatically mean Verified.
- ✓You are prepared to participate respectfully in the network.
Our standards evolve with the network.
These guidelines describe standards PlaceLocal generally applies to business profiles, content and participation. They are not exhaustive and should be read with our Terms, Privacy Policy and Trust & Safety standards. PlaceLocal may update them as the platform, its features and the risks we need to manage evolve.
Nothing here requires PlaceLocal to publish, verify, endorse or continue providing access to any particular business, profile, Group, event or content, subject to applicable law and our contractual obligations.
Questions & review requests
Clear standards, without the fine print fog.
Who can operate a PlaceLocal business account?+
An owner, employee or authorised networking representative who genuinely acts for the business in its business relationships and can respond on its behalf. The business must remain in control of its account, identity, contact details and participation.
What kinds of businesses are eligible?+
PlaceLocal is for genuine Australian operating businesses that other members could reasonably know, hire, refer, collaborate with or build a professional relationship with. A physical premises is not required: mobile, home-based and remote professional businesses may be eligible where they genuinely serve customers.
Can my marketing agency manage my profile?+
An agency or service provider may help with content or setup, but must not create, claim or operate the account as a substitute for the business. The genuine business must retain control.
Does every published business become Verified?+
No. Publication, review and verification are separate. Verified status is only shown after explicit PlaceLocal approval. A paid subscription or Premium profile does not guarantee verification.
Can I use AI-generated or AI-enhanced images?+
AI can help improve lighting, framing, clarity, backgrounds or presentation. It must not fabricate completed work, customers, staff, premises, licences, awards, testimonials or capabilities that do not exist.
What happens if PlaceLocal asks me to improve my profile?+
We normally aim to resolve genuine issues through clarification or improvement. Depending on the issue, we may request changes, limit visibility, pause publication, suspend an account or remove content.
Can a Group charge membership or event fees?+
A Group organiser must describe who operates the Group, how membership works, any relevant fees, and the conditions of an event or community accurately.
What kind of networking messages are allowed?+
Relevant, respectful professional contact. Do not use PlaceLocal as a mailing list, send mass sales pitches, repeatedly contact people who have not engaged, or evade platform safeguards.
How do I question a moderation decision?+
Contact support@placelocal.com.au with the relevant business details and information that may help us review the decision. Where available, an in-product review pathway may also be offered.
A better network starts with better members
Show up well. Build trust. Create value.
PlaceLocal works best when genuine businesses represent themselves professionally, build useful relationships and treat the people on the other side of the screen like real business partners.