Key:branch

Chain locations

Used with brand=* for a local branch of a bank, a shop, restaurant, a gas station or similar, which are part of a  chain.

• name=* should hold what can be physically observed on signs at the individual branch.
• Also see operator=*

This page previously proposed: "For smaller towns with only one branch, give the name of the town. For cities with multiple branches, give the name of a neighborhood, street or intersection. Note that this is often both less complex than and different from the address."

However, OpenStreetMap follows the on-the-ground principle: we map what features are called locally, usually indicated by signs or other verifiable evidence. Do not invent a branch name which is not used locally, outside of OpenStreetMap.

Railway branch

Used for a way tagged with railway=* to specify the name of a branch. See also ref=* and name=*, which are more commonly used for this purpose, and the similar tag line=* which is also controversial.

As of 2020, this key is used on many railway=* ways to indicate branch line names. These may be cases where name=* needs to be moved to operator=*, and branch=* needs to be moved to name=*. It may also be more appropriate to create a route relation with route=railway to map the branch or line. (See OpenRailwayMap/Tagging for more information.)

Hutterite Colonies

Hutterite Colonies consist primarily of four branches that branched out from each other in the 1800s.

Dariusleut

Schmiedleut

Lehrerleut

Independent

This key is the used as branch=* (one of the four above branches) together with community=hutterite.