BarScout works because people trust the crowd reports they see. These guidelines exist to keep that trust intact. They apply to every user — if you use the app, you agree to follow them.
Submit crowd levels based on your genuine real-time observation of a venue — how full it looks, the energy, the line at the door. GPS verification is a bonus, but honest reporting matters more.
Don't report bars you haven't visited, report inflated or deflated levels to game the leaderboard, or repeatedly report the same bar to farm points. This degrades the experience for everyone.
Pick a name you'd be comfortable seeing on a public leaderboard. Something fun, a nickname, a clever handle — all good.
Display names that are obscene, harassing, or that impersonate real people or businesses will be removed. Accounts that repeatedly violate this will be suspended.
Verified venue owners and staff can post photos and short videos to their own venue page. Everything posted is automatically screened before it can appear publicly, and anything flagged is reviewed by a person.
The room, the band, the crowd, the specials board. Post content from your own venue, recently — the whole point is to give people an honest look at what they're walking into.
Don't post someone else's photos or video, footage of another venue, or stock imagery presented as your own. If people are clearly identifiable, make sure they're comfortable appearing on a public venue page.
Nudity, sexually explicit material, violence, hate speech, illegal activity, or anything designed to shock. Automated screening catches much of this, but posting it is a violation whether or not the screening flags it.
If you see a photo or video that's inappropriate or harassing, report it from the app. Reports go to our review queue and we act on them.
Don't report a venue's content because you dislike the venue, or to suppress legitimate posts. Abusing the reporting system is itself a violation.
The Friends feature is designed for your actual social circle — people you'd want to know where you're going out tonight.
Don't send unwanted friend requests en masse or use the app to contact or track someone who has not consented. Any behavior that amounts to harassment will result in account termination.
Venue claims are reviewed before they take effect. Claiming a bar you don't own, manage, or work at — or posting on a venue's behalf without its permission — will result in the claim being rejected and may result in account termination.
Automated reporting, GPS spoofing, cooldown circumvention, and any other attempt to manipulate the app's mechanics are prohibited and will result in permanent account termination.
We take violations seriously because the integrity of BarScout's data depends on honest participation. Depending on the severity and frequency of violations:
We may act on violations with or without advance notice. Appeals can be sent to support@barscout.app.
If you see something that violates these guidelines or want to report a concern, email us at support@barscout.app.