SafeGraph bake-off: legacy POI migration guide

Vendor comparison: A buyer guide for teams still comparing legacy SafeGraph-style POI exports to current polygon-primary catalogs.

TL;DR

  • Choose GSDSI when you need ongoing POI refresh, brand hierarchy, and mobility joins with current compliance representations.
  • Choose a SafeGraph successor platform when your motion is standardized on that vendor’s packaged Places product and tooling.
  • In a pilot, validate open/close freshness, polygon edits, and how visitation is attributed, not just row counts.

Why buyers still run this comparison

Many 2022–2024 RFPs referenced SafeGraph Places schemas. Procurement teams now need a like-for-like diligence memo against whichever vendor currently fulfills that scope, with explicit migration notes for legacy pipelines.

Decision frame

Choose GSDSI when

  • You need polygon footprints, NAICS, and brand rollups refreshed on a defined SLA.
  • You will blend POI with mobility or CTV outcomes in your own warehouse.
  • You require post-FTC location governance artifacts in the contract packet.

POI geofencing product · GSDSI vs Foursquare

Choose a SafeGraph-style platform when

  • Your use case is satisfied by the vendor’s standard Places schema and hosted tooling.
  • You are not building custom attribution or measurement joins in-house.

Migration checklist

  • Map legacy column names to the new dictionary pack before production cutover.
  • Re-test geofences built on old centroids; polygon shifts change visit counts.
  • Confirm retention, deletion, and downstream sharing terms match your prior license.

Data dictionaries · Pilot process

FAQ

Why do RFPs still mention SafeGraph?
Many 2022–2024 evaluations referenced SafeGraph Places schemas. Buyers need a migration memo that maps legacy columns to the current vendor’s dictionary pack and polygon rules.
What breaks during migration?
Centroid-based geofences, brand rollups, and visit denominators often shift when polygons change. Re-test competitive sets before renewing annual licenses.
What proof should we request?
Open/close freshness, polygon edit logs, and retention or deletion SLAs. Pair technical tests with the evaluation checklists on /resources/evaluation-checklists.