Deprecation process

How to manage to deprecate a tag (and to make it right)? Find it out on this page.

Step by step process

1. Find the good candidate (see examples)
2. Make a proposal. Make sure to mention the deprecation in the proposal, not only approval of a new tag.
3. Have the community to agree by a vote
4. Follow-up the deprecation process
5. Take actions to help the community deprecate the tag. Suggestionsː
   • organise a MapRoulette challenge

Make a proposal for deprecation

There are different cases

1. Standard proposal to replace an existing tag with a new one.
   • Don't forget to include in the request, not only the validation of the new tag but also the deprecation of the old one(s).
2. Proposal to deprecate a tag not officially deprecated, but whom deprecation is largely accepted and under process.
   • Sometimes, the formal deprecation was just forgotten in a proposal for a new tag or a new scheme.
   • Sometimes, the formal deprecation was voluntarily not requested, in order to give time to the different data consumers to support the new tag or new scheme.
   • Include the steps listed in the follow-up table  :
     • Links to https://taghistory.raifer.tech/#***/old_tag&***/new_tag or https://taginfo.openstreetmap.org/tags/XXX in order to show the informal acceptation of the deprecation by the OSM community.
     • Documentation to be updated
     • List of the projects (editors / renders / routers / search engines / others) that would be impacted if the proposal is approved. This list would be used later as a base for the transition plan's table.

Follow-up the deprecation process

Get the help of the community by adding the dedicated table to the deprecated wiki page.

• Update the deprecated tag wiki page (for every available language)
  • Add Template:Deprecated on the english page and on all translations
• Update the approved tag wiki page (for every available language)
• List the deprecated tag on the deprecated features page (for every available language)
• Update every single page mentioning the deprecated tag
  • Use this page to check where the page you changed is being linked around the wiki
• Update the deprecated data item (at least for English)
• Update the approved data item (at least for English)
• Send a request for changing the presets of the Editors: main ones (JOSM, iD, Vespucci, etc...) and the specific ones regarding the specific topic of the tag
• Send a request to create validators for the main editors and QA tools (JOSM, iD and Osmose) suggesting to replace or delete the deprecated tag
• Send a request to render (standard tile layer ...) to support the approved tag