Preview testing guidelines

Check your routes in preview on Google Maps

After you’ve verified the random queries, you can manually plan trips on Maps using the stops’ geo coordinates.

Generate a random trip

You can generate a sample trip that contains your data on the Queries tab on the validation report.

Plan a trip

Important: Make sure you're signed in to the Transit Partner Dashboard with your Google Account before manually testing.

To manually test a trip, follow these steps:

1. Open Maps.
2. Click Directions .
3. Click Transit .
4. Use the lat / long values of the stops to plan a trip. Keep the following in mind:
   • Station and stop names aren’t available for preview
   • Connections to existing bus / train / ferry services from other transit agencies aren't available
5. Test queries using the Leave now and Depart at options.

After a trip is planned

Routing results for the trip appear on a light pink background. This data is confidential and isn’t displayed to end users.

After the trip is planned, check the following details:

• Route short name / Route long name
• Stop time and date
• Stop name
• Travel duration
• Shapes (if provided)
• Agency name
• Agency url
• Agency phone number (if provided)  
• Fare information (if provided)
• Fare url

Make sure all the entities match the data provided on your website, and will be recognizable to end users.

The routing results are a visual representation of the fields displayed to end users.

Check your GTFS feed

Preliminary tests

• Service period: Make sure the service period is more than 28 days and less than 3 years
• Coverage: Provide complete coverage. In case you’re providing limited coverage, notify us with a valid explanation in the checklist form.
• Validation warnings: Check and resolve the validation warnings on the Error tab in the most recently generated validation report

Detailed tests (GTFS files)

• Agency.txt: Agency information provided is correct and matches the agency’s website
  • Agency phone number and fare URLs are recommended to enhance user experience
• Calendar.txt: All the services with active days of the week included
• Calendar_dates.txt: 

  • Exception dates match the service period defined in calendar.txt

  • All the dates on which services are running differently (reduced / added) from the usual dates (like festival / gazetted holidays) are included.
  • If your services run without service exceptions, ignore the "Feed has no calendar date exceptions" warning.
• Routes.txt:
  • Route names and color match agency’s website and are recognizable to end users
  • When both route_short_name and route_long_name are provided, end users will find route_short_name.
  • Routes aren't split by direction
  • Route_urls are route-specific or not provided at all
• Trips.txt
  • Trip_headsigns provided indicate the correct direction of the trip and are recognizable to end users
  • Trip_headsigns don’t duplicate route names
  • Trip_headsigns are only defined for linear routes
  • Trip_short_names are only defined for route_type: heavy rail
  • Trip short name values are only defined for heavy rails or long-distance trains
• Stops.txt
  • Stop names look reasonable and match agency’s website
  • Stop names don’t include stop_codes (except Brazil)
  • Stop names can use abbreviations but need to be consistent
  • Stop locations are accurate (on correct side of the road, near the footpath)
  • Stop_codes, if provided, are available on the agency’s website and end users must be familiar with them
  • Stop urls are stop-specific
• Shapes.txt (optional but highly encouraged)
  • Shapes accurately follow the roads / rails 
  • Shapes are provided for all trips and referenced by trips.txt file
  • Fix any validation warnings related to shapes.txt file
• Stop_times.txt
  • Stop times defined in feed should be available on the website and recognizable to the end users
  • Check pick up, drop off type, if defined Note: pickup_type and pickup_type 2 (Must phone agency) and 3 (Must coordinate with driver) are currently not supported
  • For loop routes, stop_headsign must be defined at each stop
• Feed_info.txt
  • Feed Language defined in this file or in agency.txt
  • Compare start and end date with calendar files
• Validation warnings
  • No Stop Too Far From Shape warnings
  • No Stops Match Shape in Wrong Order warnings
  • No Too Many Consecutive Stop Times With Same Time warnings
  • No Overlapping Stop Times For Trips in Same Block warnings
  • No Feed Service Date Gap warnings
  • Stops in Wrong Timezone warnings
  • Route Color Contrast Warning warnings
  • Min Transfer Time is Missing warnings
  • Stop Headsign Duplicate Stop Name warnings
  • Point of Location Too Close To Origin (0,0) warnings

Submit your pre-launch checklist

After you’ve tested your feed according to the guidelines above and are satisfied with the routing results on Maps, you can go ahead and complete the pre-launch checklist form. Then, your submitted feed will undergo a quality analysis check.