How to Add Missing Roads and Edit Incorrect Street Names in Google Maps

When new residential housing estates, private driveways, or commercial developments are built, navigation services frequently take months to register the new street layouts. In other cases, municipal renamings or typographical errors result in incorrect road names on digital maps, leading delivery drivers, emergency services, and visitors astray. Fortunately, Google Maps provides an integrated crowdsourcing framework that allows verified users to draw missing roads, correct street names, adjust traffic directions, and report permanent road closures directly to Google’s cartography team.

Submissions undergo automated satellite imagery verification and regional moderator review before going live for billions of navigation users worldwide. In this tutorial, you will explore how to add missing roads, edit misspelled road names, and manage road edit contributions in Google Maps across both desktop web browsers and mobile devices.

What Road Edits Can You Submit to Google Maps?

Google Maps accepts several distinct categories of road updates:

• Add Missing Road: Allows you to draw the exact path of a newly paved street, connecting it between existing intersections.
• Fix a Road: Corrects misspelled road names, changes road types (e.g. residential street vs private road), or updates speed limits.
• Change Traffic Flow: Marks a two-way street as a one-way thoroughfare, or indicates prohibited turn restrictions.
• Road Closed or Blocked: Flags temporary or permanent closures due to infrastructure construction or pedestrianisation.

Step 1: Adding a Missing Road on Desktop (Web Browser)

The desktop browser interface offers the most precise road-drawing tool using satellite imagery overlays:

1. Navigate to Google Maps in your web browser and sign in with your Google Account.
2. Search for or navigate to the area where the road is missing. Switch to Satellite view in the bottom-left corner to clearly see the real-world road pavement.
3. Click the Menu (hamburger icon) next to the search bar and select Edit the map (or right-click the empty space on the map and select Report a data problem).
4. In the side panel, click Add or fix a road.
5. Click Missing road.
6. Click on the map at the exact point where the new road begins, then click along the path to draw line segments following the satellite layout. Click the final point where the road terminates or connects to another street.
7. In the left panel, type the Road name and select the Road type (such as Local / Residential, Highway, or Parking aisle). If the road is private or gated, tick the corresponding box.
8. Click Submit.

Step 2: Adding a Missing Road on Mobile (Android & iPhone)

You can also submit road additions directly from the Google Maps mobile app:

1. Open the Google Maps app on your smartphone.
2. Tap the Contribute (+) button located in the bottom navigation bar.
3. Tap Edit map at the top of the screen.
4. Select Add or fix a road.
5. Tap Add a road.
6. Pan and zoom the crosshair to the beginning of the missing road and tap Add first point. Move the map and tap Add next point to trace the entire road route.
7. Enter the road name, specify whether it is a two-way or one-way street, and tap Save.
8. Tap Send in the top-right corner to submit your edit.

Step 3: Correcting Misspelled or Incorrect Road Names

If an existing road has the wrong name or has been recently renamed by your local council:

1. On Google Maps desktop, click the incorrect road on the map.
2. In the information panel that appears on the left, click Suggest an edit on [Road Name].
3. Select the specific segment of the road that requires updating.
4. Choose Road name.
5. Enter the correct official legal name of the road.
6. Include supporting details in the optional notes field (such as municipal council documentation links or official development plans) to accelerate moderator verification.
7. Click Submit.

Step 4: Tracking Your Road Edit Submissions

Google sends an email acknowledgement immediately upon submission. You can monitor the approval status of your cartographic contributions:

1. Open Google Maps and click/tap your profile icon in the top-right corner.
2. Select Your contributions.
3. Navigate to the Edits tab.
4. Each submission displays one of three statuses:
   • Pending: Under automated satellite cross-referencing or manual community moderator review.
   • Accepted: Approved and queued for worldwide map rendering (typically published within 24 to 72 hours).
   • Not applied: Google’s automated verification could not confirm the road layout through current satellite imagery or street records.