Editorial policy — Detroit Guides
These are the rules Detroit Guides follows for everything it publishes about Detroit, MI.
How rankings work
Our best-of lists are ranked from stored data only — ratings, review volume, how complete a listing is and how recently it was checked. Nobody can pay for a place on a list or a higher position. Sponsored placements on Detroit Guides are always labelled “Sponsored”, sit in their own spaces outside the ranked order, and never change any ranking. How we rank explains the method in full.
Only real places, only real facts
Every business on Detroit Guides exists and was found in public business data. We never invent a business, a rating, a review, an opening time or a photo. When we don't know something, the page leaves it out rather than guessing.
Where our information comes from
- Google business data. Names, addresses, hours, photos and categories for our 3,127 listings come from public Google business data. The 2,781 listings that show a star rating label it as a Google rating with Google's review count — it is never presented as our own score.
- Official city and county websites. 5 city service pages from Detroit's official website, 1 local rules guide. Each one links to the official page it came from.
- Reader reviews on Noemic. Readers can write reviews; each one is moderated before it is published, and none are published here yet. These are the only reviews we present as our own.
- Submissions. Business owners can add or claim a listing, and anyone can suggest an edit or submit an event. Submissions are reviewed before anything goes live.
- Event calendars. Events come from public venue, city and ticketing calendars; every event page links to its source.
- Garage & estate sales come from GarageEstateSales.com.
How descriptions are written
Short descriptions and list write-ups are drafted with AI assistance, using only facts already stored about that place — category, hours, price level, amenities and quoted review snippets. Anything that can't be supported by stored data is left out, and descriptions our checks flag go to a review list before they are corrected.
Ratings and reviews
Google ratings are shown as Google's, labelled as such, with the review count. Short review quotes are attributed and dated and link back to the source. Only reviews written directly for Detroit Guides are ever presented as ours.
Corrections and claiming a listing
- Spot a mistake? Use “Suggest an edit” on any listing, or write to us through Contact & corrections. A person checks every change before it is published.
- Own a business in Detroit? Use “Claim this listing” on your page, or find and claim it on Noemic for Business to update your hours, photos and details.
Thin pages stay out of search
A page is only offered to search engines once it carries real photos, real facts and a grounded write-up. Pages that don't clear that bar remain reachable on the site but are kept out of search results. Read more on About Detroit Guides.
