I’ve nominated almost 30 Pokéstops, and for some reason, none have made it into the voting stage, and I’ve lost the ability to appeal a rejection! I’ve nominated locations from a Donut Shop to a Footbridge, and have received a rejection email 
for each! I’ve studied many Pokéstops and ones in voting. I’ve based by information on their various styles, and have met no success. Does anybody have any advice for me on how to finally have a nomination proceed into the voting stage? Is this an issue with my background photos? (My suspicions… example-Duck Donuts 
| donut shop-below)
Hello and Welcome @player2662 ,
Getting used to nominating can take a bit of time. It sounds like you have been studying what’s out there and reading up on things. Unfortunately you can’t always base good nominations on what is already out there, but I do think Donut shops can be eligible (as a great place to be social). But there are some pitfalls in knowing how to put together a nomination for best results.
I am going to move your question to the Nomination Support area and I’d ask you to copy one of your nominations in full (maybe the donut one) and include it here. Then we can give you some feedback. I’ll also put together some links for you!
Hello and welcome,
This is actually a generic chain business, as they have several locations in several states, just from their website:
Generic chain businesses are ineligible in most situations, and being this is an area with a good population, it would be hard to get approved. More info on generic businesses can be found here:
Hi. We would love to help you. Is that image above part of your nomination?
It would help us if you would show us screenshots of both photos, title, description, and your supplemental information. Location would be a big help too, but we understand if you don’t want to post that on the internet. Thanks for giving us those.
Let me start by showing you something I’ve submitted. I don’t have a donut shop, but I have a Brazilian Bakery.
Notice that the main image is closely cropped to show the name of the business. You don’t see much of the building and nothing of the parking lot.
Now, in this case, I knew that the shop was visible on street view:
So in my supplemental, I kept it fairly simple. I explained what criteria it meets and why I think this bakery is different from others in the area (a gathering spot for Brazilians).
Thank you so much! However, this is not the only case of this occurrence. I will paste another example below:
Note: THIS IS A NEIGHBORHOOD WITH NO POKÉSTOP (If it matters at all).
Neighborhood/apartment/condo complex signs are typically seen as indistinct and ineligible. Yes, there may be some in the games, but most here agree they only meet criteria if there is something else to them, such as a water fountain or unique art. This is a pretty ordinary sign to me, so I would reject it for being indistinct.
Nope, not having any pokestops is not relevant. Neighborhood signs don’t meet any of the criteria to be a great place to:
- explore
- exercise
- socialize
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Thank you for your advice, but that has actually been the case for each of my nominations… do you have any other suggestions?
That may be true, but another of my neighborhood signs actually made it into the voting stage a few moments ago! (I was elated!) So, why would this be any different? (There is a sidewalk at both locations if it matters).
First off, read up on the Wayspot Criteria, to know what may or may not be eligible. You may also want to take a look around the Criteria Clarification Collection for further examples.
Again, do not base what is in-game off of what the criteria is and what to subnit. Some get through voting, even though they aren’t usually eligible.
Thank you for your help, and I’ll be sure to follow what you’ve given me for criticism!
It looks like you are in good hands. I’m just going to add a link or two for you to read at your convenience.
This section goes over the Clarifications that have been made for a variety of possible nominations:
This next one is focused on rural areas, but sometimes suburbs are challenging for nominations too.
One more question, though! I have a few nominations that actually meet all of this criteria, and we’re still declined! Can you explain why (in general) this may happen?
Any nomination could be rejected, even if they may meet criteria. No nomination is guaranteed to be approved; it all depends on what the community decides when voting, or, if reviewed by ML (the AI system) or staff, if they meet criteria or may need some improvements.
I think improvements are typically what may be needed for nominations that may meet criteria but get rejected, such as a better photo; the Duck Donuts main photo wasn’t the best, as shown be Seaprincess. Maybe reviewers couldn’t find the nomination with the info you provided, especially if it isn’t on Street View, and the supporting photo may not show the nomination with the surrounding area, just the surrounding area.
Really, there’s no exact answer, as it can differ from case to case.
We are here to help. I’d suggest sharing another one of your nominations and we can walk through it.
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Anyway you can ask here to get advice before nominating any. Some other might be able to suggest if they know the location.