Some Listing Decisions Need Context That Does Not Belong on the Public Page

A moderator may approve an unusual address, protect a manually corrected phone number from a feed, or decide that two same-address businesses are not duplicates. Without a note, the next reviewer may undo the decision months later.

Write notes for the next person

A useful note explains the issue, evidence checked, decision, and any follow-up date. “Looks fine” provides little value.

Keep notes separate from owner-facing comments

Internal observations may include source quality or fraud concerns that should not appear in public profile text.

Link notes to fields or events when possible

A note attached to a merge, closure, or protected field is easier to understand than a long unstructured history.

Avoid storing unnecessary sensitive data

Moderation notes should contain only information needed for directory operations.

Use expiry or review dates for temporary decisions

A manual exception made during a renovation may no longer be relevant six months later.

Moderator notes create organisational memory. They prevent the directory from re-investigating the same unusual case every time a profile is reviewed.

Moderator notes should explain decisions, not repeat the listing

Internal notes are most useful when they capture context that another moderator cannot infer from the public profile. Record why a duplicate was merged, which source confirmed a closure, why a category exception was approved, or what evidence supported an ownership change.

Keep notes factual and professional because they may be reviewed during disputes or account handovers. Avoid copying full descriptions or storing unnecessary personal information. A clear note should help the next moderator understand the decision without reopening the entire investigation. Consistent labels for common actions can make the history searchable while free text preserves the unusual detail. Good moderation notes reduce repeated work and make difficult changes easier to defend later.