Updating data via XML files
If you have more than 30 branches in your chain, we recommend updating chain information in Yandex Business using XML files.
Data about your branches will be updated based on the contents of the XML file:
- New branches will be added to the database and will appear in Yandex services with the specified attributes.
- Branch cards whose details weren't added to the XML file will be closed.
Step 1. Prepare an XML file
Content requirements
Alert
If these requirements aren't met, or if the file data doesn't match the website, the file won't be published.
Moderators verify that the data in the file matches the data on the website:
-
Address
Legal addresses don't need to be included. -
Phones
Numbers must be identical.
If the website displays proxy numbers that differ from those in the file, specify this when submitting the file. -
Business hours
If any locations have restricted access, specify this when submitting the file. -
Category
The primary category must be the same on the website and in the file.
Categories must be semantically compatible.Correct:
Tire fitting, Auto repair shop
Incorrect:Tire fitting, Confectionery -
Number of branches.
-
No duplicates — no two organizations may share identical addresses or coordinates.
Exceptions
Categories that may share an address but must have distinct coordinates (differing by more than 30 meters):
- ATMs
- Parcel lockers
- Vending machines
- Payment kiosks
The following attributes are recommended to match the organization's website:
- Extension number
- Additional categories
- Holiday hours
- Building number and letter designations in addresses
Technical requirements
-
The XML file must be UTF-8 encoded.
-
The file must not be empty.
-
The file must not contain empty elements.
-
The standard XML header must start from the first line, from the zero character. For example:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> -
The XML must be well-formed.
The file can be checked:
- In the Webmaster validator.
Choose Business as the document validation option and a source of XML data for validation — a file, link, or text. - Manually on your computer using the schema (XML Schema Definition).
- In the Webmaster validator.
-
The data can't contain HTML attributes.
-
ASCII control characters in the range
0–31are not permitted in text fields. -
The data can't contain HTML attributes.
-
ASCII control characters in the range 0–31 are not permitted in text fields.
Note
Exceptions:
9(tab),10(line feed),13(carriage return). -
&must be escaped as&. -
To describe branches, use a set of mandatory and additional attributes. Each branch property should be wrapped in a separate attribute (see Sample file).
If a property has multiple values (for example, phone numbers), pass multiple attributes with the same name. -
Each
company-idin the XML file must be unique. -
All data in an XML file must be in the same language. Multilingual attributes are an exception (see Attribute description).
A multilingual attribute is an attribute in an XML file with values in several languages.
The language is defined by the
langattribute. For each new language, create an item with the correspondinglangattribute in a separate row.Example
<address lang="ru">город Лондон, ул. Бейкер-стрит, 101, а</address> <address lang="en">101a Baker Street, London</address>You can find the current
langvalues in the XML schema. To add other languages, contact support.
Attribute description
|
Attribute |
Description |
Multilingual element |
Required field |
|
companies |
Root attribute. |
Not applicable |
Yes |
|
company |
Branch description. Nested in the root attribute. There can be any number of |
Not applicable |
Yes |
|
company-id |
Permanent unique ID of the branch (assigned by the chain owner). Can contain any set of numbers and Latin letters. |
No |
Yes |
|
name |
The name of this specific branch. Written in standard capitalization, with no quotation marks, all-caps formatting, or special characters. Must match the chain name exactly as it appears on the website, with no branch-specific additions. Branch-specific additions belong in the Correct: Chamomile |
Yes |
Yes |
|
shortname |
Short name of the branch to be displayed next to placemarks on Yandex Maps, up to 25 characters. Specified without quotation marks, case-sensitive. |
Yes |
No |
|
name-other |
A descriptive label that distinguishes the branch from others (for example, "Additional office 1"), or an alternative name for the branch. Use a separate element for each name. Specified without quotation marks, case-sensitive. The language attribute is required: |
Yes |
No |
|
address |
The full address of the branch — region, city, street, and building number (exceptions: villages, gas stations, highway-side businesses, and buildings not found in Yandex Maps). If the branch doesn't have a complete address, you may provide a partial address, but it must not conflict with the coordinates specified in the file. Entered on a single line. Correct: If the element contains only the street name and house number, use the The address must not include extraneous information such as floor numbers, office numbers, or landmarks. |
Yes |
Yes |
|
country |
Country. Specified in full, without abbreviations. |
Yes |
No |
|
address-add |
Additional address information that doesn't apply to other elements (shopping center/shopping and entertainment complex/shopping and entertainment center, floor, office, premises, boutique, entrance). For example, Landmark descriptions and turn-by-turn directions are not permitted (for example, "100 meters north of the subway station," "blue building to the right of Pushkin Square"). |
Yes |
No |
|
phone |
The organization's phone number. (if there are multiple numbers, specify each in a separate element). Compound element. Contains required elements.
|
No |
Yes |
|
Elements nested in phone |
|||
|
number |
The landline or mobile phone number. The format is |
Yes |
|
|
ext |
Extension, without comments, words, or delimiters. |
||
|
info |
Information about the phone number, such as "director" or "reception". This element shouldn't contain information about the phone type. |
||
|
type |
Phone type. Acceptable values:
|
Yes |
|
|
|
Email address (if there are multiple addresses, specify each one in a separate element). |
No |
No |
|
url |
The chain's main website URL (without social media pages). Specified in lowercase, in full, including To add social media links, use the URLs must not contain UTM parameters. |
No |
Yes |
|
add-url |
Additional website of the chain (such as links to social media pages). The URL of the page with branch information on the chain website is specified in the |
No |
No |
|
info-page |
URL of the page with branch information on the chain website. The address must contain the domain name of the chain website. Specified in lowercase, in full, including http:// or https://. |
No |
No |
|
working-time |
Opening hours. Days off and non-working days aren't specified. General business hours (without separate hours for individual departments). Example
If the business observes holidays, a separate |
Yes |
Yes |
|
scheduled-working-time |
Holiday hours. |
No |
|
|
rubric-id |
The ID of the business category to which this branch belongs. Each branch requires between one and three categories, at least one of which must match the chain's category. When a branch belongs to more than one category, list each in a separate element. |
No |
Yes |
|
actualization-date |
Date updated. Corresponds to the time of the last update. Used to avoid downloading information received during the previous check. The content can be specified in the following format:
|
No |
Yes |
|
coordinates |
Country. Specified in full, without abbreviations. Each file may contain only one country. For additional countries, create separate chains and update them with separate files. |
No |
Yes (if the address is inaccurate) |
|
Elements nested in coordinates |
|||
|
lon |
Longitude. Use the dot as the decimal separator. Coordinates must not conflict with the address. A mismatch between the address and coordinates is only permitted when address data is unavailable in Yandex Maps. Coordinates must be placed on the building in Yandex Maps. If the building isn't on Yandex Maps, coordinates that don't fall on it are permitted. |
Yes (if the address is incomplete) |
|
|
lat |
Latitude. Use the dot as the decimal separator. Coordinates must not conflict with the address. A mismatch between the address and coordinates is only permitted when address data is unavailable in Yandex Maps. Coordinates must be placed on the building in Yandex Maps. If the building isn't on Yandex Maps, coordinates that don't fall on it are permitted. |
Yes (if the address is incomplete) |
|
|
photos |
A link to the gallery or a page on the chain site with all photos. If there are multiple photos, each one is in a separate
|
No |
No |
|
Elements nested in photos |
|||
|
tag |
Photo tag. Set inside the
|
||
|
feature-boolean |
Branch property. If there are multiple properties, each one is specified in a separate element. Acceptable values:
|
No |
No |
|
feature-enum-single |
Branch property. |
No |
No |
|
feature-enum-multiple |
Branch property. If there are multiple properties, each one is specified in a separate element. |
No |
No |
|
feature-numeric-single |
A branch property with a numeric value. |
No |
No |
|
feature-numeric-multiple |
A branch property with a numeric value. If there are multiple properties, each one is specified in a separate element. |
No |
No |
|
feature-in-units-single |
A branch property whose value is defined in units. |
No |
No |
|
feature-in-units-multiple |
A branch property whose value is defined in units. If there are multiple properties, each one is specified in a separate element. |
No |
No |
|
feature-range-single |
A branch property that has a range value. |
No |
No |
|
feature-range-in-units-single |
A branch property that has a range value in units. |
No |
No |
|
feature-range-in-units-multiple |
A branch property that has a range value in units. If there are multiple properties, each one is specified in a separate element. |
No |
No |
|
feature-text-single |
A branch property in text format. |
No |
No |
Additional attributes
You can pass additional parameters for your chain or branch in an XML file. For example, you can show if there is parking available near your shopping center or which currency can be withdrawn from your ATM.
To get an XML file with a list of possible attributes for your business category:
- On the chain page, go to Branches.
- Under Branch management, choose File.
- Click Export data → Download features.
Note
Errors in attribute values will not block publication of the XML file, but the affected attributes will not be published.
Sample file
Note
To view an attribute description, click the name of any underlined attribute in the sample file.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<companies>
<company>
<company-id>770704034</company-id>
<name lang="ru">Anchor</name>
<shortname lang="ru">Anchor</shortname>
<address lang="ru">101 Baker Street, London</address>
<country lang="ru">United Kingdom</country>
<country lang="en">UK</country>
<address-add lang="ru">Rosa Mall, Floor 2, Suite 203</address-add>
<phone>
<number>020 1234 5678</number>
<ext>555</ext>
<info>Secretary</info>
<type>phone</type>
</phone>
<phone>
<type>phone</type>
<number>034 2202 3303</number>
<info/>
</phone>
<email>info@anchor.com</email>
<url>http://www.anchor.com</url>
<add-url>http://www.anchor.com</add-url>
<info-page>http://www.test.com/anchor</info-page>
<working-time lang="ru">every day, 10:00-21:00</working-time>
<rubric-id>184106414</rubric-id>
<rubric-id>184106394</rubric-id>
<actualization-date>1511724300</actualization-date>
<photos gallery-url="http://test.com/anchor/gallery">
<photo url="http://test.com/anchor/11_b.jpg" alt="Hotel restaurant"
type="interior"></photo>
<photo url="http://test.com/anchor/19_b.jpg">
<tag>EXTERIOR</tag>
</photo>
<photo url="http://test.com/anchor/25_b.jpg"></photo>
<photo url="http://test.com/anchor/26_b.jpg"></photo>
<photo url="http://test.com/anchor/17_b.jpg"></photo>
<photo url="http://test.com/anchor/drink1.jpg" alt="Cocktail in bar hotel">
<tag>FOOD</tag>
</photo>
</photos>
<feature-boolean name="internet" value="1"/>
<feature-enum-single name="star" value="five"/>
<feature-numeric-single name="room_number" value="15"/>
<feature-enum-multiple name="hotel_type" value="art_hotel"/>
<feature-numeric-multiple name="license_number" value="004555"/>
<feature-in-units-single name="minimum_order" unit="money" unit-value="gbp" value="30"/>
<feature-in-units-multiple name="ats_by_type" unit="apartment_type" unit-value="single" value="200"/>
<feature-range-single name="number_seats_banquet_hall" from="15" to="20"/>
<feature-range-in-units-single name="tickets" unit="money" unit-value="gbp" from="10" to="15"/>
<feature-range-in-units-single name="price_1_min" unit="money" unit-value="gbp" from="7" to="10"/>
<feature-range-in-units-multiple name="tea" unit="money" unit-value="gbp" from="100" to="300"/>
<feature-text-single value="Anchor_free_wi-fi" name="ssid"/>
</company>
<company>
<company-id>7707040070</company-id>
<name lang="en">Anchor Bank</name>
<shortname lang="en">Anchor Bank</shortname>
<name-other lang="ru">Branch 2</name-other>
<address lang="en">6 Mathew Street, Liverpool, United Kingdom</address>
<phone>
<ext/><type>phone</type>
<number>040 9988 7444</number>
<info/>
</phone>
<url>http://www.anchorbank.com/</url>
<working-time lang="en">weekdays 8:30–18:00, Sat 9:00–14:30</working-time>
<rubric-id>184106974</rubric-id>
<actualization-date>23.09.2019</actualization-date>
<coordinates>
<lon>48.295532</lon>
<lat>55.616051</lat>
</coordinates>
</company>
</companies>
Step 2. Upload the file to your website
Upload the file to your website using an updatable link. The data should be accessible via HTTP or HTTPS.
Step 3. Add a link to the file in Yandex Business
- On the chain page, go to Branches.
- Under Branch management, choose File.
- Add a link to the file, select the XML type, and click Check. Checking the file may take several hours.
- If the file is verified successfully, click Post. In the window that opens, check the changes in the branches. The map can show up to 50 branches with changes.
- Click Yes, start the upload. The file data will be moderated and uploaded to the Yandex Business database. If the file is large, the data upload may take several days.
If errors are found when checking the file, you'll see an error message. Fix the errors and re-submit the file for review.
To view the branch changes uploaded to the Yandex Business database from the file, click Upload history. The button will be available 24 hours after the first upload.
Yandex Maps will show new branches and other changes in a few days.
Alternative name of the branch (if there are multiple names, each one is listed in a separate element). Specified without quotation marks, case-sensitive.
Root attribute.
Branch description Nested in the root attribute. There can be any number of company attributes.
Permanent unique ID of the branch (assigned by the chain owner). Can contain any set of numbers and Latin letters.
Name of the branch. Specified without quotation marks, case-sensitive.
Short name of the branch to be displayed next to placemarks on Yandex Maps, up to 25 characters. Specified without quotation marks, case-sensitive.
The branch address (on one line). Multilingual element. If the element contains only the street name and house number, use the locality‑name element specifying the locality.
Country. Specified in full, without abbreviations.
Additional address information that doesn't apply to other elements (shopping center/shopping and entertainment complex/shopping and entertainment center, floor, office, premises, boutique, entrance). For example, Romashka shopping center, floor 2, office 203. Doesn't include a detailed description of the route to the address (100 meters from the metro station to the north, the blue building to the right of Pushkinsky Public Garden). Don't use brackets or quotation marks.
Compound element. Phone number (if there are several phone numbers, specify each one in a separate element).
The landline or mobile phone number. The format is [country code] ([city code]) [phone number].
Extension, without comments, words, or delimiters.
Information about the phone number, such as "director" or "reception". This element shouldn't contain information about the phone type.
Phone type. Acceptable values:
-
phone: Phone number. -
fax: Fax number. -
phone‑fax: Phone/fax number.
Email address (if there are multiple addresses, specify each one in a separate element).
The chain's main website. Specified in lowercase, in full, including http:// or https://.
Additional website of the chain (such as links to social media pages). The URL of the page with branch information on the chain website is specified in the info‑page element.
URL of the page with branch information on the chain website. The address must contain the domain name of the chain website. Specified in lowercase, in full, including http:// or https://.
Opening hours. Days off and non-working days aren't specified.
The ID of the business category this branch belongs to. Branches can have up to three business categories, but at least one of them should match the chain category. If a branch has multiple business categories, specify each one in a separate element.
Date updated. Corresponds to the time of the last update. Used to avoid downloading information received during the previous check. The content can be specified in the following format:
-
DD.MM.YYYY; -
UNIX-time: specified in milliseconds from
00:00:00.000 01.01.1970.
A link to the gallery or a page on the chain site with all photos. If there are multiple photos, each one is in a separate photo element. It can contain the following attributes:
-
alt: Text description of the photo in free form. -
type: Photo type. Can take a single value:interior.
Photo tag. Set inside the photos element. Acceptable values:
INTERIOR: Interior.EXTERIOR: Exterior.ENTER: Entrance.LOGO: Logo.FOOD: Food, drinks.GOODS: Goods.MENU: Cafe or restaurant menu.ACCESSIBILITY: Ramps, lifts for people with disabilities, and more.DEVICES: Electronic devices.SERVICES: Services.
Branch property. If there are multiple properties, each one is specified in a separate element. Acceptable values:
0: No;1: Yes.
Branch property.
A branch property with a numeric value.
Branch property. If there are multiple properties, each one is specified in a separate element.
A branch property whose value is defined in units. If there are multiple properties, each one is specified in a separate element.
A branch property whose value is defined in units.
A branch property whose value is defined in units. If there are multiple properties, each one is specified in a separate element.
A branch property that has a range value.
A branch property that has a range value in units.
A branch property that has a range value in units. If there are multiple properties, each one is specified in a separate element.
A branch property in text format.
Compound element. Coordinates (latitude and longitude).
Longitude. Use the dot as the decimal separator.
Latitude. Use the dot as the decimal separator.