You cannot create a Pokéstop yourself, but you can request one through Niantic's official process
Pokéstops are submitted and reviewed by Niantic, the company that makes Pokémon Go. You do not build them directly in the game. Instead, you nominate a real-world location you think should become a Pokéstop, and Niantic's review team decides whether to accept it. The process takes weeks or months, and many nominations are rejected.
To submit a nomination, you need a Niantic account, access to the Pokéstop nomination tool, and a location that meets Niantic's guidelines. The location must be a real place that is safe and legal to visit, and it should be something of community interest — a landmark, public art, historical marker, or gathering place.
Key Takeaways
- Pokéstops are reviewed and placed by Niantic, not created by players, and you submit nominations through the official Wayfarer tool.
- Your account must be at least level 40 in Pokémon Go and have a verified email address before you can nominate a location.
- Niantic rejects nominations for private residences, businesses that exist mainly to sell things, and locations that are unsafe or require trespassing to reach.
- Approved nominations can take two to six months to appear in the game, and some are never approved.
- You can appeal a rejected nomination once, and you can see why it was rejected by checking the Wayfarer tool.
Account requirements before you can nominate
Your Pokémon Go account must reach level 40 to unlock the nomination feature. This is a high bar — it requires weeks or months of regular play. If your account is below level 40, you cannot nominate a location, even if you have a Niantic account.
Your email address must also be verified. Open Pokémon Go, go to Settings, tap Account, and confirm your email is marked as verified. If it is not, Niantic will send you a verification link to click.
You also need to be in good standing — accounts that have been suspended or banned for cheating cannot nominate. Niantic does not publish a list of what counts as cheating, but using location spoofing apps, bots, or modified game clients will disqualify you.
How to submit a nomination through Wayfarer
Open the Wayfarer website at wayfarer.nianticlabs.com and sign in with your Niantic account. Click the plus icon or "Nominate" button. You will be asked to enter the location's address or search for it on a map. Be as precise as possible — the exact coordinates matter.
Upload a photo of the location. The photo must show the actual place you are nominating, not a screenshot or a photo from the internet. Niantic's reviewers will use this to confirm the location exists and matches your description.
Write a title and description. The title should be short — "Oak Street Mural" or "Veterans Memorial Park" — and the description should explain why this location matters to the community. Mention if it is a historical site, public art, a gathering place, or a landmark. Be specific: "This mural was painted in 2019 by local artist Maria Chen and depicts the history of the neighborhood" is stronger than "Nice mural."
Select a category that best fits the location. Niantic offers options like "Park or Recreation Area," "Public Art," "Historical Site," "Community Center," and others. Choose the one that most closely matches what you are nominating.
What Niantic accepts and rejects
Niantic accepts nominations for public landmarks, historical markers, public art, parks, libraries, community centers, and places of worship that are open to the public. The location must be safe to visit during daylight hours and must not require trespassing or entering private property.
Niantic rejects nominations for private homes, apartment buildings, and residential addresses. It also rejects businesses that exist mainly to sell things — gas stations, fast food restaurants, and chain stores are typically denied. Nominations for dangerous locations, locations on private property, and places that are not real or cannot be verified are also rejected.
Nominations for schools are complicated. Public schools are sometimes accepted if they have a community gathering space, but private schools and daycare centers are usually rejected. Niantic's guidelines change, so a rejection today does not mean a location will never be accepted in the future.
The review process and timeline
After you submit a nomination, it enters a queue. Niantic's review team and a community of volunteer reviewers examine it. The process is not transparent — you will not see who reviewed your nomination or get detailed feedback unless it is rejected.
Most nominations take two to six months to be reviewed. Some take longer. During this time, the status in Wayfarer will show as "In Voting" or "In Queue." You can check the status by opening Wayfarer, signing in, and viewing your nomination history.
If your nomination is approved, the location will appear as a Pokéstop in Pokémon Go within a few days to a few weeks. If it is rejected, you will see a reason — "Duplicate," "Doesn't meet criteria," "Private residence," or similar. You can appeal once by providing new information or photos.
What to do if your nomination is rejected
Read the rejection reason carefully. If it says "Duplicate," another Pokéstop or Gym already exists very close to your location. If it says "Doesn't meet criteria," the location did not fit Niantic's guidelines. If it says "Photo does not show the real location," your photo was unclear or did not match your description.
You can appeal a rejected nomination once. Open Wayfarer, find the rejected nomination, and click "Appeal." You can upload a new photo, rewrite the description, or provide additional context. Appeals are reviewed separately and may take as long as the original review.
If your appeal is also rejected, you cannot nominate that same location again. You can nominate a different location, and you can try the same location again after several months if you believe Niantic's guidelines have changed or if you have new information.
Alternatives if a location will not be approved
If a location is rejected and you believe it should be a Pokéstop, you can contact Niantic support through the Wayfarer website. Explain why you think the location meets the criteria. Niantic does not always respond, and support tickets can take weeks.
You can also look for nearby locations that might be easier to nominate. A park entrance, a public sculpture, or a historical plaque nearby might meet Niantic's criteria more clearly than the original location. Nominating a nearby alternative sometimes works when the first choice does not.
If you play in a rural area with few Pokéstops, nominating multiple locations — a town sign, a church, a library, a park — increases your chances of getting at least one approved. Niantic tends to approve nominations in clusters rather than spreading them evenly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take for a Pokéstop to appear after approval?
Most approved nominations appear in Pokémon Go within a few days to two weeks. Some take up to a month. Niantic does not publish a schedule, so there is no way to know exactly when your approved location will show up in the game.
Can I nominate my business as a Pokéstop?
It depends on what your business is. A restaurant, shop, or service business will almost certainly be rejected. A community gathering space, a historic building, or a location with public art or cultural significance may be accepted. Niantic's guidelines favor public landmarks over commercial establishments.
What if there is already a Pokéstop very close to the location I want to nominate?
Niantic typically rejects nominations for locations that are too close to existing Pokéstops or Gyms. The exact distance is not published, but generally if another stop is within a few hundred meters, your nomination will be rejected as a duplicate. Nominate a location farther away instead.
Can I nominate the same location twice if my first nomination was rejected?
You can appeal once through Wayfarer. After that, you cannot nominate the same location again for several months. Niantic's system prevents duplicate submissions to avoid spam, but you may be able to try again after a waiting period if circumstances change.
Do I need to visit the location to nominate it?
Yes. Your photo must show the actual location, and Niantic's reviewers will check that the photo matches your description. You cannot nominate a location from a photo you found online or from memory. You must be there to take a current photo.