Admin

The way that a website is submitted to DMOZ can often delay its inclusion in the directory. Here are some things to watch out for when submitting a site.

Submit to the correct category
DMOZ has a set ontology (category structure). Editors don't go around making up their own categories unless one is needed that isn't included in the ontology. If a site is submitted to the wrong category, this is what happens:-

The editor of the category where the site is submitted to has to review it. This can take a long time to happen but, when it happens, it is found that the site has been submitted to the wrong category. The chances are that the editor is unable to edit in the correct category, so the submission is forwarded to the unreviewed list of the correct one. Actually, the editor may forward it to a higher category up the tree than the one where it belongs, because s/he can't be bothered looking for the correct one. Another lengthy delay occurs until the editor of that category gets around to reviewing it. If it is still in the wrong place, it is forwarded again and a new delay begins.

A site that has been forwarded to a different category does not get any priority. It goes to the bottom of the new category's unreviewed list and has to wait its turn. Submitting to the correct category is essential if you want to avoid those extra, unnecessary delays.

If there is a Description for the category you are going to submit to, read it to make sure that it is the right category for the site. A link to the Description is at the top right of the category page - opposite the bread-crumb trail.

Get the Title and Description right - especially the description
Read the submission guidelines on the Add URL page and try to make sure that your Title and Description fit what is required. Remember that the description is not an advertisement. It should reflect/state what is in the site. Read a few of the listed sites' descriptions to get the idea.

Getting the Title and Description right are nowhere near as important as getting the category right, as they are not likely to cause long delays, but it's quite possible that an editor will add sites with good Titles and Descriptions more readily and quickly than those where s/he has to spend extra time in the site in order to rewrite them.