You found the perfect location and the perfect container, you checked to make sure it all complies with the guidelines, and after putting the final touches on the cache page for your new hide, you submit your new geocache for publication. Congratulations! You’re now just one step away from having your new hide published on the geocaching map. This final step, the review process, is an important one and it can look very different for each cache hide. Below, we’re sharing three scenarios to demystify the process and help new hiders know what to expect after they hit the submit button.

Scenario 1: Your geocache is published
If you’ve reviewed the guidelines and put thought into your geocache and its location, there’s a good chance that your geocaching community volunteer reviewer won’t have any questions or feedback and will publish it after they look over the submission. It’s important to remember, though, that even if everything is good to go with your new cache hide, it can still take time before it is published. Typically, review begins within seven days of the date that you submit your cache, but it may take longer in the week before or after holidays and large geocaching Events.

Scenario 2: Your reviewer needs more information
Sometimes your reviewer will need more information about your geocache in order to complete the review process. Common questions a reviewer might ask are:

• How is your cache hidden?
• What container did you use?
• If it’s not close to your home, what is your plan for maintaining it?

If this kind of information is not in the cache description for your hide, you can post a reviewer note log on your cache page after submitting it in order to communicate the information to your reviewer. These logs won’t appear on the cache page after it’s published.

Scenario 3: Something needs to change
Another common scenario is that your reviewer will catch something about your geocache that needs to change before they can publish it. For example, your geocache might be closer than .1 miles from the final location or physical waypoint of a Multi-Cache or Mystery Cache, or it might be too close to a restricted area such as railroad property. If you get this kind of news from your reviewer, don’t worry. You’re not in trouble, your reviewer is just helping to make sure that your new geocache is safe and will create great experiences for everyone who finds it. The best thing you can do is to promptly respond to your reviewer and take action to change whatever needs to be changed.