- Search using wildcards - see the 'Wildcard' search.
- Search for any word(s) in the businss name - see the 'Contains' search.
- Select from matching categories - if you enter a business type (such as Restaurants) on the search form, you will get a list of matching Yellow Pages categories plus the number of businesses in each. (See example). Click the appropriate category to get accurate search results.
- Sort your results - when you enter a business type in the search form, you will be able to toggle your results between being sorted by advertiser (so that listings with the most information are at the top), or alphabetically by name, or by distance. Read more.
- View enhanced data - you will see extra data in certain listings. This data may include products, services, brands, hours of operation, etc, just as you would find in a phone book.
- Narrow your search - once you have your search results, you can select attributes within that results set. For example, if you search for Restaurants, you can click to know which has Banquet Facilities. Read more.
The following instructions explain the various searches.
Search by Type of Business or Business Name
When you go to the Yellow Pages, the search form includes all fields needed to perform any Yellow Pages search within the U.S. You can search by type of business and/or business name, and you can search within a specific location, by distance (Include surrounding areas), or nationwide (omit a location).
You must enter either a business type or business name on the search form.
Specify the business type
In the "Type of Business" field (on the home page it is called the Category field.), enter a description of the kind of business you are looking for (such as Restaurant, Dry Cleaners, etc). Either:
- Type in a word or phrase. (After you fill out the other fields and click Search, you will get a list of categories that match what you entered or are related in some way. If you get no results, try making your search more general - such as Sporting Goods rather than Snorkel.)
- Or, click the View List link (next to the 'Type of Business' label) to see popular categories. You are shown a list of categories beginning with letters A, B, and C. To view the next page of categories, click Next Page. To go back, click Previous Page. Or, use the A to Z bar to view any part of the list.
To view all categories beginning with a specific letter, click the view all categories link beneath the category beginning with that letter. For example, to see the Baby categories, go to the B categories and click the view all "B" categories link beneath the list.
When you find the category you want, click it to add it to your search form.
Enter a business name
You can now find a business by entering any part of the business name:
- 'Contains' search - You can find businesses whose name contains whatever word or words you enter. For example, to find a business with the word Lodge somewhere in it, enter Lodge as the name. You will get results such as Cliffrose Lodge & Gardens and Lodge at Aspen.
If you enter two or more words, such as Ski Lodge, your results will include Ski Tip Lodge (with your words separated) and Mountain Lodge Ski (with the words in different order). The search will look for business names that contain all the words you entered, so be careful not to enter too many words. - Wildcard search - If you aren't sure how to spell a business name, use an asterisk (*) as a wild card. Place it in the part of the name you are unsure of - for example, Br*n will match Brian, Bryan, Brennan, etc. The asterisk matches any number of letters (zero or more).
At least two letters must precede the asterisk for each word in which it is used: Mat*hew Br*n Contractor.
To search by business name only, enter the business name and any city/state information. Don't specify a category. Then click Search.
To search for a business nationwide, enter the business name and click Search. Don't specify a category. Do not enter a city or state. (You can click the Search Nationwide link for a simpler search form.)
Enter a location
When you search by business type, you must enter a state. Enter the 2-letter state abbreviation (for a list, click the State link on the search form). It is often helpful to enter a city also. (For Washington DC, enter Washington in the city field and DC in the state field.)
Using Saved Addresses - To make your search more efficient, you can save up to 5 addresses to search on. To save an address, enter a street address (optional), city and state, then check the Save this address box (below the State field). Once you click Search, the address is saved. These addresses will be available in future Yellow Pages, White Pages, and Product searches. (Saved addresses are not available from the home page.)
If you have saved one or more addresses, you can either:
- Select the location you want from the Saved Addresses box.
- Or, type in another location under New Location. To save this location, click Save this address.
To make changes to your address book, click the Edit saved addresses link, which is located below your list of saved addresses.
Include Surrounding Areas - To find businesses in the city you entered and in surrounding areas, check the Include Surrounding Areas box. For example, if you are on vacation and want to find a specific restaurant, checking the box will help you locate the nearest one, regardless of whether it is located in the city you enter. When you click Search, the businesses are sorted by distance from the street you entered, or from the city's center (if you did not enter a street). You are shown all listings within a 100-mile radius. If you entered a street address, the mileage will be more accurate from your specific location.
Click 'Search'
When done, click Search.
Select from the List of Matching Categories
If you enter a Type of Business on the search form, you will be shown a page where you are asked to select from a list of matching categories. You will be shown a list of Most Popular Categories and/or a list of Other Related Categories.
For example, if you enter Movies in the Type of Business field, you may get categories such as:
. Theaters (5)For each category, you will be shown the number of businesses that exist in the location you specified. Click any category to view the business listings.
. Video Tapes and Discs - Renting and Leasing (4)
. Movie Theaters (Drive-ins) (1)
. Video Games - Renting and Leasing (3)
When you search by both Type of Business and Business Name, you get categories related to the type of business you entered AND which include business names that match the business name you entered. This is helpful when you know a business name contains a certain word.
If you did not get what you want, you can modify your search in the left margin.
Search by Distance
You can find a business based on how near it is to a specific location. For example, to find a restaurant near work, enter Restaurant as the business type, your work street address (if you wish), city and state. Or to find a specific store in an area, enter the store's name, plus the city and state you wanted.
If you specify a street address, you'll get a list of businesses sorted by distance from that street address, and the mileage from the specific location will be more precise than if you enter just a city and state. If you do not enter a street, businesses will be sorted by distance from the city's center. In either case, you are shown all listings within a 100-mile radius.
Specify the business type
In the "Type of Business" field, you can enter the type of business you are looking for. Either:
- Type in a word or phrase. (Once you fill out the other fields and click Search, you will get a list of categories that pertain to what you entered. If you get no results, try a more general category or view the category list.)
- Or, click the View List link (next to the 'Type of Business' label) to see popular categories. You are shown a list of categories beginning with letters A, B, and C. To view the next page of categories, click Next Page. To go back, click Previous Page. Or, use the A to Z bar to view any part of the list.
If what you want isn't in the popular categories, you can view all categories beginning with a specific letter (not just the popular categories), click the view all categories link beneath the category that begins with that letter. For example, to see the Baby categories, go to the B categories and click the view all "B" categories link beneath the list.
When you find the category you want, click it to add it to your search form.
Enter a business name
You can find a business by entering any part of the business name:
- 'Contains' search - You can find businesses whose name contains whatever word or words you enter. For example, to find a business with the word Lodge somewhere in it, enter Lodge as the name. You will get results such as Cliffrose Lodge & Gardens and Lodge at Aspen.
If you enter two or more words, such as Ski Lodge, your results will include Ski Tip Lodge (with your words separated) and Mountain Lodge Ski (with the words in different order). The search will look for business names that contain all the words you entered, so be careful not to enter too many words. - Wildcard search - If you aren't sure how to spell a business name, use an asterisk (*) as a wild card. Place it in the part of the name you are unsure of - for example, Br*n will match Brian, Bryan, Brennan, etc. The asterisk matches any number of letters (zero or more).
At least two letters must precede the asterisk for each word in which it is used: Mat*hew Br*n Contractor.
Enter a location
Enter as much of the address as you know:
- A street address is optional, but if you are sure of the street name, enter it (such as Oak Street). You can also add a street number, which is helpful on long streets. If you enter a street address, your Yellow Pages results will be sorted by distance from the address. Otherwise, they will be sorted by distance from the center of the city you enter.
- The city and state are required. For the state, enter the 2-letter abbreviation (for a list, click the State link on the search form). For Washington DC, enter Washington in the city field and DC in the state field.
If you have saved one or more addresses, you can either:
- Select the location you want from the Saved Addresses box.
- Or, type in another location under New Location. To save this location, click Save this address.
To make changes to your address book, click the Edit saved addresses link.
Click Search
When done, click Search. Business will be sorted by distance from the street address you entered, or (if you did not enter a street) sorted by distance from the city's center. You are shown all listings within a 100-mile radius.
Search Nationwide
To search for a business nationwide, either click Search Nationwide in the left margin, or just enter the business name (and nothing else) in the Yellow Pages search form.
In either case, you can enter any part of the business name to search for it:
- 'Contains' search - You can find businesses whose name contains whatever word or words you enter. For example, to find a business with the word Lodge somewhere in it, enter Lodge as the name. You will get results such as Cliffrose Lodge & Gardens and Lodge at Aspen.
If you enter two or more words, such as Ski Lodge, your results will include Ski Tip Lodge (with your words separated) and Mountain Lodge Ski (with the words in different order). The search will look for business names that contain all the words you entered, so be careful not to enter too many words. - Wildcard search - If you aren't sure how to spell a business name, use an asterisk (*) as a wild card. Place it in the part of the name you are unsure of - for example, Br*n will match Brian, Bryan, Brennan, etc. The asterisk matches any number of letters (zero or more).
At least two letters must precede the asterisk for each word in which it is used: Mat*hew Br*n Contractor.
When done, click Search. Results appear alphabetically.
Yellow Pages results
We are continually gathering information about the businesses in our database - email addresses, Web sites, coupons, products, services, toll-free numbers, etc. - to help you more quickly find businesses that offer what you want.
When you search for a business by category, your Yellow Pages results may contain up to three different types of business listings, depending on what you searched for and where:
- Featured advertisers appear at the top of the Yellow Pages results. These listings include a Web site, and may also include a toll-free number, address, email address, coupon, logo, tagline, brand and product information, services offered, etc. To view their Web site, click the business name, Web site address, or logo (if included).
To see a list of business locations for a particular vendor in and near the city/state you entered, click See nearest locations. - Local advertisers appear after any Featured advertisers. These business listings include a Web site, contact information, phone number, and possibly also an email address, toll-free number, fax number, brand and product information, services offered, hours of operation, a coupon, a logo, etc. To view their Web site, click the business name, Web site address, or logo (if included). If there is a coupon, you can view it and print it.
- All businesses appear next. These are non-advertisers, but some of the listings contain additional information, such as products, services, hours of operation, brands, coupons, etc. You can click to a Map of the area, Directions to the business, and What's Nearby.
Sorting your Yellow Pages results
If your search included a business type (category), you will be able to toggle your results between being sorted by advertiser (so that listings with the most information are at the top), or alphabetically by name, or by distance.
If you searched by business name (no category), your Yellow Pages results will be alphabetical, and you will be able to toggle between the Yellow Pages results being sorted alphabetically and being sorted by distance.
Number of Listings Found
Each Yellow Pages results page contains up to 10 listings that match your search criteria. Above the listings you will see the number of businesses found that match your search criteria, such as Found: 21 Businesses (1-10 shown). On a distance search, you are shown the number of businesses within a 100-mile radius.
If there are more than 10 listings that match your search critera and you want to see the next group of 10 listings, click Next Page at the bottom of the listings. If you have already clicked Next Page and want to go back, click Previous Page.
Using the "You searched for" Area
Beneath the number of listings found, you are shown what you searched for. If any of these elements is hyperlinked, you can click any one to return to a specified page.
Viewing Businesses That Begin with a Certain Letter
To see businesses beginning with a certain letter, click that letter on the A to Z bar above or below the listings. If you select the # link, you will see business listings in which the business name begins with a non-alphabetic character (such as a number or symbol). If you do click one of these links and want to return to your original Yellow Pages results, click "All" on the letter bar.
Business Name Results - Using the Category List in the Left Margin
When you search for a business name (with no category), you get your search results immediately. On the left will be a list of categories - use these to view your business name results by category.
Example
To find a business with the name MacAllister in it, search for it. When your results appear, you will see a red box on the left entitled See Also, as shown. You can click a category to see all businesses found that contain the name MacAllister in that particular category. In some cases, clicking a category will provide a list of subcategories. If you see a category with a More... link, you can click it to see all subcategories for that category. (Clicking the category itself will have the same effect.) All categories listed in the hierarchy will also display the total count of businesses that match that particular category.
Finding No Businesses in a Specified City
If you enter a city and state and there are no matching businesses in that city, you will automatically get a list of matching businesses within 25 miles of that city, sorted by distance.
Include Surrounding Areas
If you selected "Include surrounding areas" on the search form after entering a street address (optional), city and state, then the listings are sorted based on their distance from the street address (if entered), or from the city's centerpoint. On the left of each listing, you are shown how far the business is (in miles) from the location you entered. You are shown all listings within a 100-mile radius. If you did not check this box, the listings are sorted alphabetically.
Using the Links Beneath the Listings (see listing below)
To get a map of the business or directions to it, click the Map or Directions link beneath the listing. (If the listing does not have a street address, there will be no Maps/Directions link.) You can read instructions on how to use the Map controls.
If you are going somewhere and want to find places to go and things to do, click the What's Nearby link. You will be able to do all the things described in the What's Nearby help section.
Too many results
If your search produces too many results, try any of the following:
- Scroll down to the Modify Search form (or click the Modify Search link at the top of the results page) and enter a business type and business name. If you entered just part of the business name, try adding more of it if you can. Add more address information if possible.
- If you know the street address, use the Search by Distance form and include the street address.
- Do not select Include Surrounding Areas if not interested.
No results
If your search produced no results, scroll down to the Modify Search form (or click the Modify Search link at the top of the results page) and try broadening your search:
- If you entered multiple words for the business name, try removing a word, or in general enter less of the business name.
- If you have entered a business name, try a variation on the name, such as the acronym for the business (FBI) or its full name (Federal Bureau). If a business is listed by an abbreviation, you must search for it that way.
- Check the spelling of the business name. If you are unsure, try using wildcards.
- Choose a more general category - Sporting Goods rather than Soccer Equipment.
- If you have entered both a business name and category, try omitting one.
- Omit the city.
- Omit the street on a distance search.
- Select Include Surrounding Areas. In this case you must include a city and state.
Narrowing your search
"Narrowing your search" means you are targeting the exact business you want based on the products and services it offers.
For businesses in large cities, we have added information about brands, products, services offered, etc. (We have focused mainly on the most-popular yellow pages categories, such as Autos, Hotels, Physicians, etc.) You can use this additional information to narrow your search, or find more specifically what you want. You will see the Narrow Your Search box on the Yellow Pages results page (in the left margin), and you can click the various attributes that match your interests, to focus in on the business(es) you want.
For example, try this:
- Search for Auto in Los Angeles, CA.
- You get a list of categories. Select Automobile Dealers-New Cars.
- You are shown a list of businesses - your Yellow Pages results. On the left is the Narrow Your Search area. Select Collision Repair/Body Shop under the Services heading. You will see a list of businesses that provide collision repair in Los Angeles.
You have just narrowed your search to Auto Dealers in Los Angeles that offer collision repair/body repair. - To see just Honda body shops, go to the Vehicle Makes area and select Honda.
Above the Narrow Your Search box is a box entitled Your Selections, which shows the attributes you have selected. - To undo all your selections, click the Reset Selections button (below the Narrow Your Search box). To undo just one selection, go to the Your Selections area and deselect the attribute you selected (uncheck the box).
If a Narrow Your Search attribute is grayed out, it means that selecting it will produce no results.
If you narrow your search too much, go to Your Selections on the upper left and deselect the attribute you selected.
Using the "You searched for" Area
At the top of the search results page, you are shown what you searched for. You can click any of these to return to a specified page.
Is a business listing incorrect?
If a business listing is incorrect, write to webmaster@Switchboard.com and include:
- The incorrect listing (so we can find it). You can cut and paste the incorrect listing into an email to us. We generally need you to send the business name, address, city, state, and phone number to identify a listing as distinct from other listings. If some of these parts do not exist in the listing, just send what is available.
- The correct listing. Include the business name, address, city, state, zip code, phone number, fax number, and toll-free number.
- Any Yellow Pages categories that the business should be listed under. To see popular categories, go to Yellow Pages search and click View List.