Deprecated features

OpenStreetMap does not have "deprecated features", as anybody is allowed and encouraged to use any tag they think is useful.

However, from time to time the wiki community suggests a new feature instead of an older one, to improve tagging clarity or structure. If there is no strong reason to stick to the old tags in these cases, you might want to go along with the recommendation and use the new tags suggested here.

The following are features for which alternative tagging is recommended by those engaged in tagging discussions. Note that some of these features are still on Map Features and should remain there as long as they are still widely used!

Date	Old Key/Value	Usage of old key/value	Suggested Replacement	Reason
2007-07-13	amenity=bakers		shop=bakery	Shop introduced
2007-07-13	amenity=butchers		shop=butcher	Shop introduced
2007-07-13	amenity=candle_stick_makers		shop=chandler	Shop introduced
2010-11-04	amenity=nursing_home		amenity=social_facility	More generous tag that covers a lot of different social facilities
2009-02-12	amenity=signpost		information=guidepost
2007-07-16	amenity=store		shop=*	Shop introduced
2007-07-13	amenity=supermarket		shop=supermarket	Shop introduced
2006	class=*		highway=*	highway introduced
2007	highway=bridge		highway=* and bridge=*	any type of highway can cross a bridge.
2008-10-19	highway=gate		barrier=gate	Their "concept" better fits in this new key and highway gets a bit uncluttered.(voted)
2008-10-19	highway=stile		barrier=stile	Their "concept" better fits in this new key and highway gets a bit uncluttered.(voted)
2008-10-19	highway=cattle_grid		barrier=cattle_grid	Their "concept" better fits in this new key and highway gets a bit uncluttered.(voted)
2008-10-19	highway=toll_booth		barrier=toll_booth	Their "concept" better fits in this new key and highway gets a bit uncluttered.(voted)
2008-06-12	highway=incline highway=incline_steep		incline=*
2007	highway=minor		highway=* (whatever fits: tertiary, unclassified, service, ...)	?
2008-03-19	highway=unsurfaced		highway=* and surface=unpaved or highway=track	any highway classification can be unsurfaced.
2008-06-12	highway=viaduct		bridge=*
2008-01-10	historic=icon		?	no description, usage completely unknown
2008-01-20	historic=museum amenity=museum		tourism=museum	better fits into toplevel tags
2007-07-16	landuse=wood		landuse=forest or natural=wood	Depending on whether the woodland/forest is managed or primaeval.
2008-05-30	man_made=power_fossil		power=generator and power_source=*
2008-05-30	man_made=power_hydro		power=generator and power_source=hydro
2008-05-30	man_made=power_nuclear		power=generator and power_source=nuclear
2008-05-30	man_made=power_wind		power=generator and power_source=wind
2008-11-18	natural=marsh		natural=wetland wetland=marsh
2007-07-16	railway=preserved_rail		railway=preserved	the "_rail" suffix is redundant
2008-06-12	railway=viaduct		bridge=*
2008-05-30	route=ncn		Cycle_routes
2008-03-19	waterway=mooring		mooring=yes	More flexibility; allows us to keep original value of waterway=.
2008-03-19	waterway=waste_disposal		amenity=waste_disposal	Something this general should be in amenity.
2008-03-21	waterway=water_point		amenity=drinking_water	Access to drinking water is not limited to waterways.
2009-08	highway=byway		highway=path or highway=track etc plus designation=byway_open_to_all_traffic or designation=restricted_byway	More accurate tagging for Public rights of way in England and Wales.
2010-09	power_source=		generator:source=*	Reorganised tagging for power generator related things (see Proposed features/generator rationalisation).
2010-09	power_rating=		generator:output=*	Reorganised tagging for power generator related things (see Proposed features/generator rationalisation).
2011-10-27	building=entrance		entrance=*	Cleaning the semantics of the "building" tag; entrance=* approved (see Proposed_features/entrance).