Claim Listings

Let Owners Take Control of Their Listings

Claim Listings is MakeADir's built-in ownership verification system. Any business or listing owner can claim their listing with a single click — no payment, no Stripe, no fees. You toggle claiming on at the directory level, a "Claim Listing" button appears on every unclaimed listing, and owners submit their claim with a reason for your review. You approve legitimate claims and the listing transfers to them instantly.

Claim Listings works hand-in-hand with Custom Forms. You build the claim form with the visual form builder — choosing which fields to collect from claimants — and MakeADir renders it on every unclaimed listing. The form builder handles the experience; Claim Listings handles the ownership transfer.

How Claiming Works

Directory-Level Toggle

Claiming is configured once, globally, for your entire directory. Navigate to your directory settings, enable the claiming feature, and every unclaimed listing automatically gets a "Claim Listing" button. Disable it and claiming is turned off everywhere — no per-listing configuration, no complicated setup.

Best for: Directory owners who want a simple, hands-off claiming system that just works.

Free for Everyone

Claiming costs nothing. Listing owners don't pay a cent to claim their business, and you don't pay anything to offer the feature. There's no Stripe integration, no payment gateways, and no transaction fees — it's built into MakeADir as a core directory feature.

Best for: Directories that want to encourage listing ownership and keep listings accurate without introducing friction.

Admin Approval Workflow

Every claim goes through you before it takes effect. When a listing owner submits a claim, it enters a pending state. You review the claim — checking the reason they submitted — and either approve or reject it. Approved claims transfer ownership instantly; rejected claims keep the listing unclaimed and available for others.

Best for: Directories that need to verify ownership legitimacy before handing over listing control.

Customizable Claim Form

The claim form is built with Custom Forms, MakeADir's drag-and-drop form builder. You decide which fields claimants must fill out — add text fields for a business license number, a file upload for proof of ownership, a dropdown for the claimant's relationship to the business, or any other field your verification process calls for. The form is reusable too: build it once and every unclaimed listing in your directory shows the same claim form automatically.

Best for: Directories that need more than just a reason field — collect documents, structured details, or anything else that helps you verify claims confidently.

The Claim Lifecycle

1. Owner clicks "Claim Listing" — The button appears on every unclaimed listing page. The owner clicks it, fills out your custom claim form, and the claim enters a pending state.
2. You review the claim — You see the claim in your dashboard — who claimed what, and the details they submitted through your form. Review everything and decide whether it's legitimate.
3. You approve or reject — Approve the claim and ownership transfers instantly. The claimant can now edit and manage their listing. Reject and the listing stays unclaimed.

Admin Controls

You have full control over every claim:

• Global Toggle — Enable or disable claiming for your entire directory with one switch. Changes take effect immediately.
• Claim Review Dashboard — View all pending, approved, and rejected claims. Filter by status and take action from a single screen.
• Custom Claim Form — Use the Custom Forms builder to design the claim form with any fields you need. Edit it anytime — every listing updates automatically.
• No Payment Complexity — Claiming is free, so there are no payment settings, no pricing tiers, and no Stripe configuration to manage.

Common Use Cases

• Local business directories — Let restaurants, plumbers, and salons claim their listings and keep hours, phone numbers, and descriptions up to date.
• Professional service directories — Lawyers, accountants, and consultants claim their profiles and add credentials, photos, and detailed service descriptions.
• Community directories — Local organizations, clubs, and non-profits claim their listings and manage their own event calendars and contact info.
• Real estate platforms — Agents claim their agency profiles, add property listings, and keep availability current.
• Niche directories — Any directory where listing accuracy matters benefits from letting the people who know the business best manage their own information.

Built Into MakeADir — No Extra Setup

Claim Listings is a core MakeADir feature. There's nothing to install, no add-on to activate, and no third-party services to connect. Toggle it on in your directory settings, optionally customize the claim form with Custom Forms, and it's live. That's it.