The Open Directory Project (ODP) is a web directory of Internet resources, similar to a vast reference library. The directory is hierarchically arranged by subject, from broad to specific. The ODP is maintained by community editors who evaluate sites for inclusion in the directory. These editors are experts, and all submissions are subject to editor evaluation.

The ODP is not a search engine and prides itself on being highly selective. It doesn’t accept all sites, so please don’t take it personally if your site is not accepted. We aim to make the directory as helpful as possible for all users, not to include all possible sites or serve as a promotional tool for the entities listed.

The Open Directory Project has established policies to help keep the process smooth and assist in exercising editorial discretion. Submissions that violate these policies or that they otherwise believe, in their sole discretion, should not be included in the directory may be rejected, deleted, or edited. They may also reject, delete, or block other sites they believe are associated with a user who has violated these policies.

Before you begin, take a few moments to understand these policies and the steps to submit a site. Please understand and follow these instructions to avoid the rejection of a submission.

Step One

Determine whether a site is appropriate for submission to the ODP:

• Do not submit mirror sites. Mirror sites contain identical content but have different URLs.
• Do not submit URLs that contain only the same or similar content as other sites you may have listed in the directory. Sites with overlapping and repetitive content are not helpful to directory users. Multiple submissions of the same or related sites may result in excluding and deleting those and all affiliated sites.
• Do not disguise your submission; do not submit the same URL more than once. Example: and
• Do not submit any site with an address that redirects to another address.
• The Open Directory has a policy against including sites with illegal content. Examples of illegal material include child pornography, libel, material that infringes any intellectual property right, and material that specifically advocates, solicits, or abets illegal activity (such as fraud or violence).
• Do not submit sites “under construction.” Wait until a site is complete before submitting it. Incomplete sites containing “Under Construction” notices, broken graphics, or links aren’t good candidates for the directory.
• Submit pornographic sites to the appropriate category under Adult.
• Submit non-English sites to the appropriate category under World.
• Don’t submit sites consisting primarily of affiliate links.

Step Two

Quickly search the directory at dmoz.org to ensure your site still needs to be listed. This will save everyone time.

Step Three

Could you identify the single best category for your site? The Open Directory has an enormous array of subjects to choose from. You should submit a site to the single most relevant category. Sites submitted to inappropriate or unrelated categories may be rejected or removed.

Note: Some categories do not have “suggest URL” or “update URL” links. These categories don’t accept submissions, so you should find a more specific category for your site.

Step Four

Once you’ve selected the best category for your site, go directly to that category on dmoz.org and click “suggest URL.” Follow the instructions on the submission form carefully. Site descriptions should describe the content of the site concisely and accurately. They should not be promotional.

Note: Submitting a promotional description rather than an objective, well-written description may significantly delay or prevent your site from being listed at all.

Auto-submission software violates this procedure. Sites submitted automatically are flagged and deleted without notification after they are accepted. Persistent automatic submission may force us to ban you from the DMOZ site so we can provide resources to actual human beings.

Procedure After Your Site is Submitted

An ODP editor will review your submission to determine whether to include it in the directory. Depending on factors such as the volume of submissions to the particular category, it may take several weeks or more before your submission is reviewed. Please only submit a URL to the Open Directory once. Again, multiple submissions of the same or related sites may result in excluding and deleting those and all affiliated sites. Disguising your submission and submitting the same URL more than once is prohibited.

Updating Your Site

If a site has been accepted for inclusion in the directory but dissatisfied with how it is described or titled, you may go to the category where it is listed and fill out the “update URL” form. If you are dissatisfied with the category in which your site is listed, please feel free to send an email to an editor for the category explaining your disagreement. Be polite and civil—threatening or abusive behavior will not be tolerated.

If you are dissatisfied with the editor’s response, you may use the “Feedback” link at the top of the page to “appeal” the editor’s decision. Could you be specific about your disagreement? Comments made through the feedback link are reviewed by the ODP staff, who will make the final decision. But please remember that the ODP must exercise discretion and make numerous judgment calls regarding making the ODP as helpful as possible.

Getting Your Site Into Portals and Search Engines Using ODP Data

Suppose your site has been accepted into the Open Directory. In that case, it may take anywhere from 2 weeks to several months for your site to be listed on partner sites that use the Open Directory data, such as AOL Search, Google, Netscape Search, Yahoo Search, and hundreds of other sites. We make updates of the data available weekly, but each partner has its own update schedule.

Editorial Discretion

Please keep in mind that making the ODP a helpful resource requires the editors to exercise broad editorial discretion in determining the content and structure of the directory. That discretion extends to what sites to include, where in the directory sites are placed, whether and when to include more than one link to a site, when deep linking is appropriate, and the content of the site’s title and description.

In addition, a site’s placement in the directory is subject to change or deletion at any time at our sole discretion. It would be best to rely on anything other than any aspect of a site’s inclusion in the directory. Please remember that an editor’s exercise of discretion may not always treat all submissions equally.