Many directories start with listings collected or imported by the directory owner, before the businesses know about the website. Claiming lets each business owner take over their listing, which is the first step towards turning them into a paying customer.
Which listings can be claimed
A Claim this listing link appears on listings that do not belong to any registered user, typically listings you imported or added yourself in the admin panel without an owner. Claiming must be enabled with Enable Claim Listing in Directory Settings › Configuration Options › Listings And Approvals.
How an owner claims a listing
- The owner opens the listing and clicks Claim this listing.
- They enter their name, email address, phone number and a message explaining their relationship with the business, for example "I am the owner and need to update our opening hours".
- The claim is sent. A notification is emailed to the System Email Address, and the claim appears in Admin Panel › Directory › Claimed Listings.
What happens next
You verify the claim, for example by calling the phone number listed for the business, and approve it. The listing is then marked as claimed and transferred to the claimant, who receives an email with a private link for managing it. See Handling Listing Claims.
Claiming is free by default. After an owner has claimed their listing, it is a natural moment to offer an upgrade to a featured package.