Any capitalised terms used in these FAQ’s, which are not defined herein, have the same meaning as in the ‘OEP Rules’.

1. How do I register?
Click on the ‘Sign up now’ link that can be found in the Explore title bar on the home page of the portal; you will be directed to a registration page for you to fill in your details. A confirmation email will be sent to the email account you specify. You will then be able to activate your account.

2. What does it mean when it says my password is weak/average/strong?
When entering your password for the first time, the strength of your chosen password will be indicated. You will be asked to make sure your password is more than six characters long. To increase the strength, consider using a mixture of letters (upper and lower case), punctuation and numbers.

Password strength criteria – what qualifies a weak/average/strong password. Here is a breakdown of how the strength calculator works.

A password is awarded a rating between 0 and 7 points based on the following rules. (1 point for each rule that passes)

1. Length – greater than 6 characters
2. Number – if it contains a number
3. Lowercase character – if it contains a lowercase character
4. Uppercase character – if it contains an uppercase character
5. Punctuation – if it contains any punctuation
6. Different from user name
7. English word – if it does not contain a vowel

Examples:

Very weak (2 points or less): test
Weak (3 points): tests
Average (4 or 5 points): Test65
Strong (6 points): Tst45r
Very Strong (7 points): Tst45rr

3. I have registered but not received a confirmation email to activate my login.
It is possible you have mistyped your email address on the sign-up page. Go back to the sign-up page and re-register using the same details or contact the Administrator who will be able to edit the email address entered. A definition of, and contact details for the Administrator can be found on the ‘contact us’ page, which can be located at the bottom of the homepage.

4. I have registered but not received a confirmation email to activate my login and I have entered the correct email address.
Spam filtering will block emails from the Administrator. People who access the portal from behind a firewall may experience problems with not receiving emails from explore@ordnancesurvey.co.uk as the spam filtering may block these. Contact your network administrator to resolve this issue.

5. I’ve registered but have forgotten my password/username
To reset your password go to the ‘My account login’ page and click on ‘Forgotten password’. This will direct you to a page where you will be asked for the email address provided at registration and we will send you a link to reset your password.

To find out your user name please contact the Administrator by email. Contact details for the Administrator can be found on the ‘Contact us’ page, which can be found at the bottom of the homepage.

6. How do I navigate back to the explore homepage?
Click on the 'Welcome to explore' text in the top left hand corner of the page.

7. Who can find a route?
Anyone can search for a route whether or not they are registered on the portal.

8. How do I find a route?
To find a route click on ‘Find a route’ and enter a place name, post code or grid reference in the search box above the main map. You can search for a specific route by name using the search field on the homepage.

9. The place name entered in the search field is not recognised
Check the spelling of the name you have entered. Only exact matches are returned.

10. The postcode entered is not recognised even though it is valid
It could be you are searching for a new postcode. The postcode data on the portal is provided by our Code-Point® product, which, is updated every quarter (three months).

11. What is the extent or radius of a search for a route?
A search will return all posted routes within a 50km radius of the location searched.

12. Who can create a route?
Anyone who has registered on the portal can create a route.

13. How do I create a route?
Once you have registered or signed in, click on the ‘Create a route’ link in the Explore title bar, which will direct you to the ‘Create a route’ page.

To start creating a route
1) Enter the place name, postcode or grid reference at the start of your walk, then click on the map to plot the route using way points. The path of your route will be represented by a blue line. To move to an area outside the mapping screen click on the map and drag to the area you wish to plot. Click ‘Undo’ if you wish to remove the previously plotted way point or click ‘undo all’ to remove the route completely from the mapping and start over. You can end your route at the starting point by clicking on the first waypoint and click OK at the message. If you want to return on the same path rather than completing a full circuit that ends back at the beginning of your route, check the box that says ‘At the end of this route, do you return along the same path?’

2) Describe your route, select the activity it is suitable for, plus any keywords you wish to add and click ‘Next’ at the bottom of the page to proceed. Please note that the route name must be a minimum of four characters.

3) Click on the mapping if you wish to highlight a ‘Point of interest’ along your route and this will be represented by an orange numbered icon. Upon clicking ‘Add selected’ you will be able to enter the name and description of the point of interest. If you also have a photo or image of the point of interest, upload it here. (Reference question 18 on supported image types.) To add additional points of interest, click within the mapping window once again and repeat the steps to enter name and description. It is possible that the same point of interest has already been selected by another user on a similar route or it’s possible that there are other points of interest within the vicinity. These will be displayed on the mapping by a dark blue numbered icon. You can either create your plotted point of interest or you can add the existing point of interest (and its associated description and images) to your route by selecting the appropriate check box. You are not able to edit the details of a point of interest already created by another user.

4) Review the route details prior to ‘Save & Finish’. It is not possible to edit the route’s way points, points of interest or images after clicking ‘Save & Finish’. When your route has been successfully created, you will be presented with the route profile as other users will see it. Only the owner of a route is able to edit the name and description of the route after it has been saved.

Creating a route constitutes ‘making a submission’. All users must adhere to the Content Standards when making a Submission.

14) What are waypoints?
Waypoints are represented by yellow squares where the user has clicked on the mapping when creating a route.

15. What are keyword tags?
Keyword tags are the words and phrases that users might enter when creating a route or an interest group. These are displayed in alphabetical order on the homepage. When viewing a route profile you can click on the keyword tag to view any other routes that have been ‘tagged’ with the same word. To enter multiple, single keywords on a route or group profile separate each keyword with a comma (,). A keyword phase is made up of more than one word, for example, ‘Roman ruins’. These should be entered with a space between each word.

16. How do I add an image?
When plotting your points of interest on a route, click the ‘Browse’ button and select the location of the image on your computer. Enter the title (mandatory) and description and click ‘Upload image’. This will upload the image to the website and link it to the point of interest.

Images can be added on your account profile, routes and interest groups. The portal supports the following image types: png, bmp, jpg, gif, tif, psd. Before images are displayed on the portal they are all converted to a png file format.

Adding an image constitutes ‘making a submission’. All users must adhere to the Content Standards when making a submission.

17. How reliable are the routes?
The routes which are included on the Explore Portal are created and posted by the portal Users and not by Ordnance Survey. Users must always comply with our Content Standards whenever they create a route and route description (and post associated information) and it is therefore the Users responsibility to ensure that the route and description are, amongst other things, accurate, relevant and any opinion is genuinely held. Please see our Content Standards for the full list of obligations a User must comply with when creating a route and description. Routes may be rated for accuracy and/or enjoyment, but such ratings are created by other portal Users and not by Ordnance Survey. Users must equally comply with our Content Standards when posting ratings or other comments. If you would like to complain about a route, description, rating or comment, on the grounds of inaccuracy, or any other failure to comply with, or abuse of, the Contents Standards, please see Question 29.

18. How do I comment on or rate routes?
To comment on or rate routes you must be a registered user. You can add a new comment on a route by viewing the route profile.

You can rate a route by selecting the number of stars – maximum rating 5 out of 5 stars. When scoring a previously rated route, the total mark out of 5 is calculated using the average of the total ratings.

Posting a rating or other comment on a route constitutes ‘making a submission’. All Users must adhere to the Content Standards when making a submission.

19. How do I buy a map which covers the relevant route area?
Subject to a maximum number of copies, and other limitations, set out in our Copyright/IP Policy, you can print copies of any route on the Explore portal. You may however decide that you wish to buy a more detailed map of the route area. To buy a map of the relevant area, use the link below the map which says ‘To buy a paper or digital map of this route area visit our map shop.’ You can also click on the map shop tab at the top of the page. Once in the map shop insert the name of the route into the ‘search for a place or product’ search box. A selection of relevant maps will be shown on the right hand site of the screen.

20. How do I set up an interest group?
To set up an interest group, go to the ‘Groups’ tab at the top of the page and click on ‘Create a group’. You will then be prompted to log in, if you have not done so already. You should then follow the instructions that will appear on the page. You will need to enter a name for your group (minimum of four characters) and a description of its main activities. You can upload an image, enter keyword tags and create your group.

20a) How do I join an interest group?
Search for an interest group from the ‘Groups’ tab at the top of the page. Click on the interest group name to open its profile. From this page you will be able to view the interest group owner’s profile. Click the link ‘Join this public interest group’ and you will be presented with a message to say you have successfully joined the interest group.

20b) How do I leave an interest group?
Currently, it is not possible for users to remove themselves from an interest group. You should contact the Administrator and asked to be removed from the interest group. Contact details for the Administrator can be found on the Contact us page, which can be found at the bottom of the homepage.

21. How can I set up an event?
To set up an event you must be the owner or a member of the group holding the event. If you are not the owner or member you can view group events that have been uploaded by other users. To set up the event, go to ‘Groups’, click on your group, click ‘Create new event’, enter the relevant details and click ‘Create’. The event must be approved by the group owner before it is displayed on the group profile.

22. How do I set up a blog?
Once you have signed in, click on ‘My account’ and at the bottom of your account page, there is a link that will take you to your blog. Simply fill in the title and content boxes, and then click ‘Create’. Other users will be able to view your newly created blog under the ‘What’s happening’ section on the homepage by clicking ‘See more blogs’.

‘Posting a Blog’ constitutes ‘making a Submission’. All Users must adhere to the Content Standards when making a Submission.

23. How can I add a news story?
To add a news story you must be the owner or a member of the group. If you are not the owner or member you are able to view the group’s news stories which have been uploaded by other users. To add a news story event, go to ‘Groups’, click on your group, click ‘Add news story’, enter the relevant details and click ‘Create’. The news story must be approved by the group owner before it is displayed on the group profile.

‘Posting a news story constitutes ‘making a Submission’. All Users must adhere to the Content Standards when making a Submission.

24. How do I update my profile?
To update your profile you need to be logged in and go to ‘my account’ page. In the first section of this page there is a link called ‘Update profile’. This will take you to a profile page for you to edit.

25. Can other users see my personal information?
Other users cannot see your personal information, for instance your address or email address. They will however be able to see anything you have added to the public domain including your unique user name and any submissions you have made, including routes, images, blogs, comments and events.

26. How do I send a message?
Registered users can send messages to other registered users via their mailbox which is accessible from the account page. Before you are allowed to send a message you must add another user as your friend. This can be done by viewing their public profile which is linked via a route or group profile they have previously created.

27. How secure are my personal details?
Please refer to the OEP Data Protection and Privacy Policy.

28. Are there community guidelines?
To find out about what you can and cannot upload to the portal, please see our OEP Rules and Copyright/IP Policy.

29. How do I complain about a route/comment/blog/image?
To complain about a route, blog , image or any other submission, click on the Report Abuse tab.

30. How accurate is the mapping data?
Any significant changes to roads, land masses and so on are usually inputted to our database within six months.

31. I can’t view a map on my screen?
To find a map of the location or route you want to plan, use the ‘Search for a place or find a route’ search box on the portal home page or ‘Find a route’ pages. These will display the map within the mapping window.

32. How do I make a suggestion to improve the site?
Suggestions to improve the site can be made by contacting the Administrator via email. Contact details for the Administrator can be found on the ‘contact us’ page, which can be found at the bottom of the homepage.

33. Why do I need to log off when I’ve finished my session?
You must ensure that you log off when you have finished your session in order to protect the security of your portal account. This is particularly important if you use a shared computer and have selected ‘Remember me’ when you log in, as your cookie will not be deleted when you close the browser. If you do not log off the next user may be able to open and use your account.

Please read our Privacy Policy for information relating to IP Addresses and Cookies.