Question 1

What is YourFirstLocal?

Accepted Answer

YourFirstLocal is a guide to local businesses and events across Greater Houston. Search for anything from tacos to plumbers, see what's open right now, and find events near you, all in one place. Own a business? Find your business and claim it, or add it free if it isn't listed yet.

Question 2

Is YourFirstLocal free to use?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Searching, browsing and creating an account are all free. Own a business? Find your business and claim it, or add it free if it isn't listed yet. Both are free.

Question 3

Do I need an account to use the site?

Accepted Answer

No. You can search, browse and open any listing without signing in. You need a free account to save spots, follow neighborhoods, cuisines or organizers, and keep your recent searches on every device.

Question 4

How do I sign in?

Accepted Answer

On the Sign in page, use "Continue with Google" if that's how you joined, or pick the Sign in tab and enter your email and password. On devices that support it, you may also see "Sign in with a passkey." Forgot your password? Tap "Forgot password?" or go to reset your password. If you joined with Google, use "Continue with Google" instead.

Question 5

How do I save a place or event?

Accepted Answer

Tap the heart on any business or event. Everything you save shows up in My Spots, with your saved places on a map and your saved events listed above them. Tap the heart again to unsave.

Question 6

What does Follow do?

Accepted Answer

You can follow a neighborhood, a cuisine, or an event organizer with the "+ Follow" button on their page. Picks from what you follow show up on your homepage. You can see and remove your follows on your account page.

Question 7

What emails will I get, and how do I change them?

Accepted Answer

Go to Notifications to choose which emails you get. A new account starts with events near you, deals near you, categories you follow and product updates switched on, and new places in your area switched off; your area emails come weekly. Emails about something you just did, like a listing being approved, always reach you.

Question 8

Is there an app?

Accepted Answer

You can add YourFirstLocal to your phone's home screen. Nothing to download from a store: it opens full screen and keeps your area. Visit yourfirstlocal.com/app on your phone for the steps.

Question 9

How do I browse a neighborhood?

Accepted Answer

Open Neighborhoods and pick an area. Areas with a guide have their own page where you can browse by category, see what's open right now, find events nearby, and follow the area.

Question 10

Can I browse by category instead of searching?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Houston by category lists every category, and Houston food by cuisine groups restaurants by cuisine. Each page shows places near your location, with the same filters as search.

Question 11

What are Houston lists?

Accepted Answer

Houston lists are hand-picked collections of spots by theme, like laptop-friendly cafés or BBQ worth the line. Each one is picked and checked by hand.

Question 12

How does the weekly poll work?

Accepted Answer

Each week there's a community poll on the homepage. Tap an option to vote and you'll see the results right away. You get one vote per poll each week. The poll resets every Monday, and when it's a poll between local businesses, the winner gets the Locals' Choice badge.

Question 13

What is Know Your City?

Accepted Answer

Know Your City is a directory of Houston-area civic places: libraries, parks, community and senior centers, courthouses, recycling drop-offs and school districts. It also has a short history of how Houston got here.

Question 14

What are the Discover pages?

Accepted Answer

Discover groups businesses by who runs them. A business shows up there only because its owner said so on their own listing. We never guess from a name, cuisine or language.

Question 15

How do I contact you?

Accepted Answer

Email is the best way to reach us. For support, write to support@yourfirstlocal.com. For general questions or feedback, write to info@yourfirstlocal.com. You can also start an email from our Contact page.

Question 16

How do I search?

Accepted Answer

Type what you want in the search box on the homepage, like "brunch in Katy" or "nail salon open now", and tap "Ask AI →". You get a short answer up top and the matching places or events below it.

Question 17

What are the suggestions under the search box?

Accepted Answer

As you type, we suggest searches and matching business names. Tap one to jump straight there. When the box is empty, you'll see your recent searches and the places and events you opened lately.

Question 18

How do I clear my recent searches?

Accepted Answer

Tap the × next to any recent search to remove it. To clear them all, go to Account settings and tap "Clear all" next to Search history. If you're signed in, your recent searches follow you to every device; if not, they stay on this device only.

Question 19

How does "near me" work?

Accepted Answer

When you search for something "near me" and we don't know where you are yet, we'll ask first. Tap "Use my location" and your browser will ask for permission. We use your location only to measure distance, and it isn't stored on our servers.

Question 20

I blocked location. How do I turn it back on?

Accepted Answer

Turn location back on for yourfirstlocal.com in your browser's site settings. Until then, pick your area from the 📍 pill at the top of the page and distances will still be right.

Question 21

How do I change my area?

Accepted Answer

Tap the 📍 pill at the top of the page. Search for any neighborhood, city or zip code, tap "Use my location", or choose "All Houston" to see the whole metro. Your choice sticks until you change it.

Question 22

Can I filter my results?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Above the results you can turn on Open now or Top rated, pick a price level, and change the sort and distance. You can also switch between Cards and List view. On a phone, sort and distance live under the ⇅ Sort button.

Question 23

How do I see only places that are open now?

Accepted Answer

Tap "Open now" above your results. If everything nearby is closed, we'll tell you and offer to show their hours for tomorrow instead.

Question 24

How do I change how far away results can be?

Accepted Answer

Use the Distance setting above the results to pick 5, 10, 15 or 25 miles. When it says Auto, we set the distance from what you searched for, and may widen it to find enough options.

Question 25

Why am I getting few or no results?

Accepted Answer

Usually a filter is hiding them, often "Open now" late at night. When nothing shows, we explain why and give you a one-tap fix, like clearing filters or searching a wider distance. You can also try different words or change your area.

Question 26

How are results ordered?

Accepted Answer

Featured spots come first and always carry a ★ Featured label; then the rest by distance. Change the order anytime with Sort.

Question 27

What is the ✦ answer at the top of my results?

Accepted Answer

It's a short summary written from the results you're looking at, such as which match is closest. Numbers in the sentence match card positions below, so tap one to jump to that place. You can also open "Ask Houston AI" to ask a question and see top picks in a panel.

Question 28

Can I ask a question about a specific business?

Accepted Answer

On business pages managed by their owners you'll find "✦ Ask about this place". Tap a suggested question or type your own, and you'll get an answer drawn from that business's page, such as whether it's open right now.

Question 29

What are the trending searches and quick chips?

Accepted Answer

The chips under the search box are quick ideas that change with the time of day, and we only offer one when there's something near you. "Trending searches" on the homepage shows what people are looking for; a ↑ means it's up from last week. Tap any chip to run that search.

Question 30

How do cuisine and category pages pick what to show?

Accepted Answer

They work like a saved search: they show places near your current area, with the same filters and sort as regular search. A place appears under a cuisine only when its own category names that cuisine, and national chains are left off cuisine pages but stay findable in search.

Question 31

How do I write a review?

Accepted Answer

Open the business page and press Write a review. You'll pick a star rating, write 20–1,000 characters, and can add up to three photos. You need to be signed in, and we'll bring you right back to the form after you sign in.

Question 32

Do I need an account to leave a review?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Reviews are tied to a YourFirstLocal account so each person gets one review per business. If you press Write a review while signed out, we'll send you to sign in and bring you back to the form.

Question 33

Can I review the same business more than once?

Accepted Answer

You get one review per business. If you post again, it updates your existing review instead of adding a second one. Your button will say Edit your review once you have one.

Question 34

I posted a review. Why don't I see it?

Accepted Answer

Most reviews go live right away. Some are held so a person can check them first, and you'll see a note saying it's being checked. Common reasons are a phone number, email address or link in the text, strong language, the same text posted on another business, several reviews in a short time, or a review from an account connected to the business. We email you when it's published or if it isn't.

Question 35

How do I edit or delete my review?

Accepted Answer

On the business page, find your review (it's marked You) and press Edit or Delete. An edited review goes through the same check as a new one. Deleting asks you to confirm and takes your review off the page.

Question 36

What's allowed in a review?

Accepted Answer

Write about your own experience with the business. Leave out phone numbers, email addresses and links, and keep the language clean. Everything posted on YourFirstLocal follows our Content Policy.

Question 37

Can I add photos to my review?

Accepted Answer

Yes, up to three per review. JPEG, PNG, WebP and HEIC images up to 8 MB each work. Each photo is checked on its own, so a photo can be held for a look while your review text goes live.

Question 38

What does the Helpful button do?

Accepted Answer

It lets you tell others a review was useful. You need to be signed in, you can mark each review once, and pressing it again takes your vote back. You can't mark your own review.

Question 39

Can the business reply to my review?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The owner who manages the listing can post one public reply under a review, and edit or delete it later. Replies are checked like reviews. If the owner replies to yours, we'll email you.

Question 40

How do I report a review?

Accepted Answer

Sign in, find the review, and press Report. Choose a reason: Not about this business, Spam or ad, Offensive, or Conflict of interest. Each account can report a review once, and when several people report the same one it's taken down until a person checks it.

Question 41

What's the difference between the Google rating and YourFirstLocal reviews?

Accepted Answer

Some business pages show two numbers side by side. The "on YFL" number comes from reviews written here. The number marked "Google" is that business's public Google rating, shown with credit to its source. Only YourFirstLocal reviews can be written, edited or reported on our site.

Question 42

Can I add a photo to a business I don't own?

Accepted Answer

Yes, on listings that show the "Add a photo" button. Sign in, press Add a photo, and choose a picture of the place itself, like the storefront, the room or the food. JPEG, PNG, WebP and HEIC work, up to 8 MB. A moderator checks every photo before it appears.

Question 43

Where do the photos on YourFirstLocal come from?

Accepted Answer

Area photos are licensed photographs, and each one's author, license and source are listed on Photo credits. Business photos come from the business or its owner, from visitors once a moderator approves them, or from public map data with a credit on the photo. If a photo is wrong or shouldn't be there, tell us and we'll pull it.

Question 44

A business gave me a QR code to leave a review. How does it work?

Accepted Answer

Scanning it opens that business's page on YourFirstLocal with the review form ready. If you aren't signed in, you'll sign in first and land right back on the form.

Question 45

I own a business. How do I get a QR code for reviews?

Accepted Answer

Open your business editor and go to the Share room. You'll find a "Leave us a review" QR code you can download as a PNG or SVG or print as a PDF. Scans show up in your Insights.

Question 46

How do I create an account?

Accepted Answer

Go to Sign in and choose Sign up. Enter your first and last name, email and a password (at least 8 characters with an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter and a number), then confirm your email from the link we send. You can also press Continue with Google instead.

Question 47

I forgot my password. What do I do?

Accepted Answer

Use the password reset form. Enter your email and we'll send a reset link if an account exists for it. If it doesn't arrive, check spam. After a few requests you'll be asked to wait an hour.

Question 48

I can't remember which email I used.

Accepted Answer

Can't remember which email you used? Try your addresses one at a time on the password reset form. It gives the same reply for every address, so the way to tell is which inbox actually receives the link. Still locked out? Email support@yourfirstlocal.com.

Question 49

It says too many failed sign-in attempts.

Accepted Answer

After several wrong passwords in a short time, sign-in pauses. Wait 15 minutes and try again, or reset your password. If you made your account with Google, use Continue with Google instead of a password.

Question 50

How do I change my password?

Accepted Answer

Go to Account settings and use the Password panel. You'll enter your current password, then the new one twice. If you only sign in with Google, you'll see a button to email yourself a link to set a password instead.

Question 51

How do I change my email address?

Accepted Answer

In Account settings, enter your new address in the Email panel, plus your current password if you have one. We send a confirmation to both your old and new addresses, and the change only happens once you confirm from both inboxes.

Question 52

How do I turn on two-step sign-in?

Accepted Answer

Go to Security and press Turn on two-step sign-in. Scan the QR code with an authenticator app and type the 6-digit code it shows. After that, signing in needs your password and a code.

Question 53

What if I lose my phone with my authenticator?

Accepted Answer

When you turn on two-step sign-in you get 10 one-time backup codes. At sign-in, choose Use a backup code. Using one signs you in, turns two-step sign-in off, and emails you, so turn it back on in Security. You can also add a second authenticator ahead of time.

Question 54

Can I sign in with a passkey?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In Security, press Add a passkey to sign in with Face ID, Touch ID or your phone's fingerprint. Next time, choose Sign in with a passkey. Your password still works, and you can remove a passkey anytime.

Question 55

How do I see where I'm signed in, or sign out other devices?

Accepted Answer

Security lists every device signed in to your account. Sign out any one of them, or press Sign out of all other devices. We also email you when a new browser signs in.

Question 56

How do I change the name and photo on my reviews?

Accepted Answer

In Your profile, set a display name (up to 40 characters) and choose your home neighborhood. Add or change your photo (JPEG, PNG, WebP or HEIC, up to 10 MB). Remove it anytime to show your initials.

Question 57

How do I choose which emails I get?

Accepted Answer

Open Notifications. Switch topics on or off for your businesses, your events, and around you, such as events and deals near you. Emails that are a direct result of something you did, like a claim decision, always come through.

Question 58

Why does it say "verify you're human"?

Accepted Answer

Some forms run a quick, automatic security check to keep bots out. You normally won't see anything. If it says the check didn't finish, wait a moment and try again. Blocked scripts or a strict browser setting can stop it.

Question 59

Can I download my data?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In Account settings, press Download my data. We email you a link to a ZIP with your profile, saves, reviews, photos, searches and notification settings. The link works for 24 hours, and you can ask twice a day.

Question 60

How do I delete my account?

Accepted Answer

In Account settings, press Delete account and type your email to confirm. Your reviews, photos, replies and saved places are deleted, any business you claimed is released, and events you posted stay up. This can't be undone. If you have an active subscription, cancel it in Manage billing first.

Question 61

How do I find events happening in Houston?

Accepted Answer

Go to Events. Tap a date pill like Today, Tomorrow, This weekend or Next week, then narrow it by category, community or neighborhood. Every filter is part of the link, so you can share a filtered view with friends.

Question 62

How do I add an event to my calendar?

Accepted Answer

On the event page, tap Calendar. Choose Google Calendar, Outlook, or the .ics file, which works with Apple Calendar and most other calendar apps.

Question 63

Can I save an event or get a reminder?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Tap Save on the event page to keep it in your saved list. For upcoming events you can also tap Remind me the day before, and we'll send you one email the day before. Both need a free account.

Question 64

How do I post my event?

Accepted Answer

Sign in and go to Post an event. Listing is free. Fill in the details, upload a poster, and submit it for review. Every event is checked by a person before it goes live, usually the same day, and you'll get an email either way.

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👋 Getting started

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✅ Trust & safety