Coverage and licence
Accuracy, updates, and OpenStreetMap licensing: what a poster can claim
By Theo
Policy reviewed
An OwnHomeMap poster is a styled snapshot of map features available to the renderer for a chosen place and extent. It is not a survey, a cadastral plan, or a guaranteed record of current conditions. OpenStreetMap is maintained by contributors, and its own documentation explains that completeness and freshness vary by location and feature type as the world and the database change. OwnHomeMap does not publish a universal accuracy percentage, a fixed update interval, or a promise that all streets are present. The preview shows the composition returned for the current request and should be checked before purchase. When OpenStreetMap data is used, the product must credit OpenStreetMap contributors and identify the Open Database License. That attribution describes the data source; it does not mean OpenStreetMap endorses the poster. Styling, filtering and layer order are OwnHomeMap presentation choices. For navigation, emergencies, property boundaries, construction or other consequential decisions, use an authoritative service made for that purpose rather than a decorative poster.
Claim boundaries
- Accuracy
- No universal distance or completeness guarantee is published.
- Freshness
- The poster reflects data returned for the request, not a promised global update schedule.
- Attribution
- OpenStreetMap contributors are credited and the ODbL is identified.
- Purpose
- The output is decorative, not authoritative or navigational.
How to evaluate a specific poster
Inspect the preview
Check the visible roads, water, green spaces, crop, and labels for the selected location.
Adjust the extent
Change the center or radius when a meaningful feature sits outside the current composition.
Report source issues
OpenStreetMap provides community tools and documentation for reviewing source-data issues.
Choose the right authority
Use official or specialist data for decisions that require verified measurements or current legal status.
Limits to keep in mind
- A successful render confirms only that supported geometry was available to the renderer; it does not certify source quality.
- Source features can change after a poster is rendered, and a later render may differ.
- OpenStreetMap attribution is a licensing requirement, not a quality guarantee or endorsement.