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Contributing Overview

The Countries States Cities database thrives through community contributions. Whether you’re fixing a small typo or proposing major data additions, your contributions help millions of developers access accurate geographical data.

CSC Update Tool

Our official web-based tool makes contributing easy - no technical setup required!

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Contribution Methods

The easiest way to contribute is through our dedicated web application:

Browse & Search

Easily explore regions, countries, states, and cities with powerful search capabilities.

Submit Changes

Simple forms to request corrections, additions, or updates with proper source validation.

Track Progress

Monitor your submissions through our streamlined review process with real-time status updates.

Community Recognition

Contributors are recognized for their valuable additions to the database.
1

Access the Tool

Visit manager.countrystatecity.in and sign in with GitHub or use the Magic Link option.
No account required - we automatically create one when you first contribute.
2

Find Data to Improve

Use the search functionality to locate geographical entities that need updates:
  • Browse by region → country → state → city
  • Search for specific locations
  • Filter by data quality indicators
  • Review community-flagged issues
3

Submit Your Changes

Fill out the contribution form with:
  • What needs to change: Current incorrect data
  • Correct information: Your proposed updates
  • Source documentation: Links to authoritative sources
  • Additional context: Any relevant background information
Always include authoritative sources for your changes. Government websites and official statistical offices are preferred.
4

Track Your Submission

Monitor your contribution through the review process:
  • Pending: Under initial review
  • In Review: Being evaluated by our team
  • Approved: Accepted and queued for integration
  • Rejected: Not accepted (with feedback)
  • Integrated: Live in the database

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2. GitHub Contributions (Advanced)

For developers comfortable with Git workflows:
Direct GitHub contributions require technical knowledge of SQL and database management. We recommend using the Update Tool for most contributions.
1

Fork the Repository

git clone https://github.com/dr5hn/countries-states-cities-database.git
cd countries-states-cities-database
git checkout -b feature/your-improvement-name
2

Make Your Changes

Edit the sql/world.sql file directly:
-- Example: Adding a new city
INSERT INTO cities (name, state_id, state_code, state_name, country_id, country_code, country_name, latitude, longitude) 
VALUES ('New City', 1234, 'CA', 'California', 231, 'US', 'United States', 34.0522, -118.2437);

-- Example: Correcting city coordinates  
UPDATE cities 
SET latitude = 40.7128, longitude = -74.0060
WHERE name = 'New York' AND state_code = 'NY' AND country_code = 'US';
3

Create Pull Request

git add sql/world.sql
git commit -m "feat: add New City to California, US"
git push origin feature/your-improvement-name
Then create a pull request on GitHub with:
  • Clear description of changes
  • Source documentation
  • Justification for the changes

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Contribution Guidelines

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Quality Standards

Tier 1 Sources (Preferred):
  • Government websites and official portals
  • National statistical offices
  • International organizations (UN, ISO, etc.)
  • Official geographical surveys
Tier 2 Sources (Acceptable):
  • Reputable geographical databases (GeoNames, etc.)
  • Academic institutions and research papers
  • Established reference works
  • Well-documented Wikipedia articles with citations
Unacceptable Sources:
  • Personal blogs or opinions
  • Commercial directories without verification
  • Uncited crowd-sourced content
  • Outdated or deprecated sources
Coordinates:
  • Must be in WGS84 decimal degrees format
  • Precision appropriate to entity type (cities: 6+ decimals)
  • Should represent actual administrative center when possible
Names:
  • Use internationally recognized English names
  • Maintain consistency with established conventions
  • Include alternative names only when widely used
Administrative Data:
  • Must reflect current official administrative structure
  • Include effective dates for recent changes
  • Maintain proper hierarchical relationships
Every contribution must include:
Source: [Official source name and URL]
Date Verified: [When you verified this information]
Justification: [Why this change is needed]
Impact: [What this change affects]
Additional Context: [Any relevant background]
Example:
Source: Statistics Canada - https://www.statcan.gc.ca/
Date Verified: September 13, 2025
Justification: Nunavut coordinates incorrect by 2km
Impact: Affects coordinate-based queries for Canadian territories
Additional Context: Verified against official territorial government website

Join Our Community

Have questions? Want to become a regional coordinator? Reach out to our team!
Thank you for helping make geographical data more accurate and accessible for developers worldwide! 🌍