We take mapping the world pretty seriously here at Google. And for millions of kids, trick-or-treating on Halloween is pretty serious business, too. With Halloween just a few days away, let’s take a look at Nextdoor and how they use Google Maps Platform to build local communities and drive in-person connections for festive neighbors with their annual Halloween Treat Map.

First, Nextdoor is the world’s largest social network for the neighborhood, used in over 248,000 communities globally to get connected, stay in the know, and get things done. Nextdoor enables truly local conversations that empower neighbors to build stronger and safer communities. Since neighborhoods are often defined by physical boundaries, Nextdoor has used Google Maps Platform since the company started in 2011. They use Maps to display their neighborhood maps and Places to show business and point of interest information alongside member recommendations.

While Nextdoor uses Google Maps Platform as a part of its core service, it also uses Google Maps Platform to develop its Treat Map, which allows Nextdoor users to indicate directly on the map if they’re handing out treats or hosting a haunted house on Halloween. Google Maps Platform provides Nextdoor’s team with a simple means to add custom markers to the map. And when it comes to the annual Treat Map, those custom markers fit the occasion–candy corn for a home that’s handing out candy, a haunted house to indicate a home that’ll give you a scare, and a teal pumpkin to show when a home is offering non-food treats to create a safe, fun alternative for children with food allergies and other conditions for whom candy may present a problem. 

Over the years, Nextdoor has evolved the Treat Map to include new markers (the teal pumpkin for non-food treats debuted in 2018) and this year is working with a corporate sponsor to display store locations on the map to help members easily find Halloween decorations and treats. This new addition involved custom functionality to import and display the sponsor’s store locations as map markers alongside those of homes giving out candy, non-food treats, or scares. And for the first time with the Treat Map, Nextdoor has taken advantage of Google Maps Platform’s global scale by launching it in several international markets, including Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.

The Treat Map isn’t just for fun, it’s a way for neighbors to plan a safe trick-or-treating route and to drive engagement for Nextdoor, with feedback demonstrating that members truly find it useful on Halloween. In addition, by working with a corporate sponsor and being able to add store locations to the Treat Map, Nextdoor has been able to realize a new revenue opportunity this year. 

Don’t worry–it’s not too late to join the fun! To let your neighbors know whether you’ll provide candy, non-food treats, or a scary Halloween trick, download the Nextdoor app from Google Play or the App Store or find it on the web at nextdoor.com. Have a happy and safe Halloween! 

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