About the Open Directory Project

The Open Directory Project is the largest, most comprehensive human-edited directory of the Web. It is constructed and maintained by a vast, global community of volunteer editors.

The Republic of the Web

The web continues to grow at staggering rates. Automated search engines are increasingly unable to turn up useful results to search queries. The small paid editorial staffs at commercial directory sites can't keep up with submissions, and the quality and comprehensiveness of their directories has suffered. Link rot is setting in and they can't keep pace with the growth of the Internet.

Instead of fighting the explosive growth of the Internet, the Open Directory provides the means for the Internet to organize itself. As the Internet grows, so do the number of net-citizens. These citizens can each organize a small portion of the web and present it back to the rest of the population, culling out the bad and useless and keeping only the best content.

The Definitive Catalog of the Web

The Open Directory follows in the footsteps of some of the most important editor/contributor projects of the 20th century. Just as the Oxford English Dictionary became the definitive word on words through the efforts of volunteers, the Open Directory follows in its footsteps to become the definitive catalog of the Web.

The Open Directory was founded in the spirit of the Open Source movement, and is the only major directory that is 100% free. There is not, nor will there ever be, a cost to submit a site to the directory, and/or to use the directory's data. The Open Directory data is made available for free to anyone who agrees to comply with our free use license.

The Internet Brain

The Open Directory is the most widely distributed data base of Web content classified by humans. Its editorial standards body of net-citizens provide the collective brain behind resource discovery on the Web. The Open Directory powers the core directory services for the Web's largest and most popular search engines and portals, including Netscape Search, AOL Search, Google, Lycos, HotBot, DirectHit, and hundreds of others.

You Can Make a Difference

Like any community, you get what you give. The Open Directory provides the opportunity for everyone to contribute.

Signing up is easy: choose a topic you know something about and join. Editing categories is a snap. We have a comprehensive set of tools for adding, deleting, and updating links in seconds. For just a few minutes of your time you can help make the Web a better place, and be recognized as an expert on your chosen topic.

Join the Open Directory Project

Find a category that you would like to maintain.
Follow the Become an Editor link at the top of the category page.

Note that some categories do not have a Become an Editor link; you should find a more specific category which interests you, and apply there. Once you have joined, and gained some experience, you can apply for more general categories.

Further Information

General FAQ - Want more info? Check out some general FAQs about us in our Help area.
Sites Using ODP Data - Category listing of all sites, search engines, portals, etc. using the ODP RDF dump.
ODP in the News and medias - News, articles and other reports about the ODP.
Linking to the ODP - Show your support of the ODP by linking to us from your site.
Downloading ODP Data - Get the Definitive Directory of the Web for your site. It's free and available to everyone.
Free Use License - License governing use of ODP data.
Social Contract - Our commitment and promise to all net-citizens to keep the ODP a free and open resource.
Awards - Our site has won a number of awards.

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Open Directory Editing Guidelines

Overview

Editing in the ODP can be a fun and gratifying experience. By joining the ODP, you are helping to build the most comprehensive and widely distributed Directory of the Web. The ODP is a diverse community of editors representing many nationalities, cultures, and interests. The common denominator is an interest in creating an unbiased, objective resource for the general public, fully covering the breadth and depth of human knowledge, and representing all topics and points of view.

The Directory guidelines outline the principles and standards governing the ODP's editorial content and community activity. All editors are expected to follow these guidelines, and use them as a basis for good editorial decision making and common-sense judgment. While there are definitive polices given here, many guidelines are sufficiently generalized to allow for unique and special circumstances. While it is critical that you follow these guidelines, it is equally important that you not apply them so rigidly that you sacrifice user-friendliness for the sake of editorial purity. Use these guidelines as a basis for your editorial decisions as well as category specific charters. Remember to always keep the end-user in mind.

The guidelines provide editing basics, and don't address all editing nuances and special circumstances. Editors should consult the Editor Resource Zone which gives additional guidance, examples, and other tips, advice, and how-tos. If you still have questions after consulting these resources, post them in one of the editor forums. Non-editors should consult the ODP Public Forum, where editors are available to answer any questions you have about the ODP.

Each section of these guidelines is described below.

Selecting and Evaluating Web Sites

Site Selection Criteria - Covers sites to include and not to include.
Site Specific Guidelines - Explains guidelines for specifics types of sites and URLs.

Describing Web Sites

Editing Style Guidelines - Covers URLs, titles and descriptions, editor notes, sort date field, and cool site feature.

Organizing Web Sites

Subcategories - Explains creating and naming subcategories, as well as regional subdivisions.
Category Features - Covers alphabet bars, sort priority, @links, category charters, and category links.

Link Maintenance

Link Errors (Robozilla) - Describes the automated link checker, and suggests methods of fixing erroneous URLs.
Spamming - Outlines policy on spam submissions.

Editor Information

Accounts - Explains that multiple logins are prohibited, and provides common reasons for removal.
Communication and Codes of Conduct - Covers e-mail, editor forums, communications privacy, writing to submitters, and editor abuse.
Conflicts of Interest - Explains how editors are required to be totally objective in their editing practices.
Copyright Information and ODP Data Users - Provides policy on copyright, and information on ODP data users.

Supplementary Guidelines

In addition to these core guidelines, ODP editors also rely on a series of permission and category specific editing guidelines.

Permission-based Guidelines
Category-Specific Guidelines

DMOZ: Open Directory Project