Key:branch
 branch
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Identifies which branch of a brand or chain this object represents, or controversially the name of a branch railway. 
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| Group: shops |
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Status: in use
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The key branch=* is used to either identify which branch of a brand or chain an object or community represents, or controversially the name of a branch railway.
Usage
Chain locations
Used with brand=* for a local branch of a bank, a shop, restaurant, a gas station or similar, which are part of a 
chain.
- name=* should hold what can be physically observed on signs at the individual branch.
- Also see operator=*
This page previously proposed: "For smaller towns with only one branch, give the name of the town. For cities with multiple branches, give the name of a neighborhood, street or intersection. Note that this is often both less complex than and different from the address."
However, OpenStreetMap follows the on-the-ground principle: we map what features are called locally, usually indicated by signs or other verifiable evidence. Do not invent a branch name which is not used locally, outside of OpenStreetMap.
Examples
| Tags | Photo |
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| name=Tesco Express
branch=Canary Wharf |
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branch=Hamburg |
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branch=Vitoria |
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Railway branch
Used for a way tagged with railway=* to specify the name of a branch. See also ref=* and name=*, which are more commonly used for this purpose, and the similar tag line=* which is also controversial.
As of 2020, this key is used on many railway=* ways to indicate branch line names. These may be cases where name=* needs to be moved to operator=*, and branch=* needs to be moved to name=*. It may also be more appropriate to create a route relation with route=railway to map the branch or line. (See OpenRailwayMap/Tagging for more information.)
Examples
| Tags | Photo |
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| name=Кругобайкальская железная дорога
branch=В-СИБ name:en=Circum-Baikal railway operator=ОАО "РЖД" |
Hutterite Colonies
Hutterite Colonies consist primarily of four branches that branched out from each other in the 1800s.
Dariusleut
Schmiedleut
Lehrerleut
Independent
This key is the used as branch=* (one of the four above branches) together with community=hutterite.