What is Open Web Directory ?

An open index of verified businesses. Every approved listing earns a permanent dofollow backlink from its own directory page.

Which businesses can be listed?

Any legitimate, operating business with a working website. The directory is open to every size, sector and country — there is no minimum age or size.

What do curators check before approving an entry?

That the business is real and trading, that the website URL loads and belongs to that business, that the details are accurate rather than keyword-stuffed, and that the entry meets the Terms & Conditions.

Can I list a business I do not own?

No. An entry must be submitted by the owner or by someone authorised to speak for the business. The account that submits an entry owns it, and it is the only account that can edit it afterwards.

How many entries can I submit?

One listing per business. Duplicate and near-duplicate entries are rejected, because the whole value of the index is that each entry is the business.

Which category should I choose?

The one that best describes your main activity. Curators manage the category list and may move an entry if a different category describes it better.

What do I need to submit?

A business name, a working website URL, a category and a short description. A full description, logo, contact details, social profiles and a location map are optional — but they make a much stronger profile.

What logo should I upload?

A square image, ideally at least 512×512 pixels, so it stays sharp in listing cards and on the profile page.

Is there a fee to be listed?

Standard listings are free. Where they are switched on, an optional Fast Track upgrade moves a submission to the front of the review queue, and a paid featured blog post adds a promotional article that links to your profile as well.

How long does review take?

Our aim is to review each submission within a few working days. Entries are queued in the order they arrive, and the status shown in My Account always reflects where yours is.

Can I speed up the review?

Yes. Where Fast Track is switched on, the one-time upgrade places your submission at the front of the review queue. It buys priority, not a different decision — the same guidelines are applied to every entry.

What happens if my entry is rejected?

You are given a reason. Correct whatever was flagged, save the entry from My Account, and it returns to the queue as a fresh submission. There is no limit on resubmissions.

Can I edit my profile after it is approved?

Yes, from My Account. An approved profile stays live while you edit it, and its URL — and the backlink on it — never change.

How do I know when my entry is live?

The status in My Account changes to Approved, and the entry appears in the directory straight away with its dofollow link live on the profile page.

No. An approved entry stays indexed permanently, as long as it keeps meeting the guidelines. Entries that stop meeting them can be removed by a curator.

What kind of link do I get?

A dofollow link — no nofollow, no sponsored and no redirect — in the Official Website block of your profile page. It points at the exact URL you provided.

Where does the link appear?

On your profile at /business/your-slug, both in the entry details and as the page’s main call to action. The link is rendered live from the URL stored on your listing.

How do I make the most of it?

Point the website URL at the page you most want to rank rather than a generic landing page. Keep the business name matching your brand, write the full description in your own words, pick the most accurate category, complete the contact details and social profiles, and share the profile. A featured blog post adds a second link from an article about your business.

Are profiles indexed by search engines?

Yes. Approved profiles are permanent public pages with their own canonical URL, a meta title and description built from your details, and structured data so search engines understand the entry.

What if I change my website address?

Edit the website URL from My Account. The profile keeps its own URL, and the backlink simply points at the new address — nothing is lost or reset.

Can I get more than one link?

Each listing carries one dofollow backlink to its website. Businesses that want a second link from the directory can commission a featured blog post, which links to the profile and to the business.

Help Centre

Frequently asked questions

How listings are reviewed, what makes an entry acceptable, and how the dofollow backlink on your profile works.

Listing guidelines Approval timelines Backlink visibility

Listing guidelines

What gets indexed

Every submission is read by a curator before it is published. These are the rules an entry has to meet to stay in the index.

Approval timelines

How review works

Submissions are reviewed in the order they arrive, by a person rather than a script.

Backlink visibility

Getting the most from your link

Every approved profile carries a permanent, dofollow link to the website you supplied.

Still have a question?

Send the curator team a message and we will come back to you, or submit your business and we will take it from there.