How to Add a Place to a Collection in Nifl
Learn how to search for any place by name or address and add it directly to a collection in Nifl. Pulls in real place data automatically. Step-by-step guide.
The Most Precise Way to Save a Place in Nifl
When you know exactly what you're looking for — the name of a restaurant someone recommended, a specific café you read about, a hotel you want to revisit — the best way to save it in Nifl is to search for it directly inside a collection.
This method pulls in real information about the place automatically: its website, address, and other key details, so you don't have to type everything in manually. You find it, confirm it, add your own notes if you want, and it's saved — precise, complete, and exactly where you want it.
When to Use This Method
Searching and adding within a collection works best when:
- You know the specific name of the place you want to save
- A friend recommended somewhere and you want to save it before you forget
- You read about a place in an article or newsletter and want to capture it
- You want the most complete and accurate pin — with real address and website data attached
- You're building out a collection deliberately, adding several places one after another
If you're browsing a map and want to drop pins as you explore, the quick add from the map is faster. But when accuracy matters and you know what you're looking for, search and add is the right method.
Before You Start — You Need a Collection
This method adds a place directly into a collection you've already created. If you don't have a collection yet, you'll need to create one first.
To create a collection:
- Tap Collections in the bottom navigation bar
- Tap the new collection icon in the top right corner
- Give your collection a name — something specific works better than something generic. "Date Night Spots — Manchester" is more useful than "Restaurants"
- Choose a category for the collection
- Save
Once your collection exists, you're ready to start adding places to it.
Step-by-Step: How to Search and Add a Place to a Collection
Step 1 — Open the Collections Tab
Tap Collections in the bottom navigation bar. You'll see all the collections you've created, each showing its name, category, and how many pins it contains.
Step 2 — Open the Right Collection
Tap the collection you want to add your place to. The collection opens showing all the pins already inside it, along with a map view of where they're located.
Think about which collection this place belongs in before you start. A place saved to the wrong collection is harder to find later. If none of your existing collections feel right, go back and create a new one before continuing.
Step 3 — Tap the Plus Icon
Inside the collection, tap the plus icon in the top right corner. A search bar will appear at the top of the screen — this is your place search.
Step 4 — Search for the Place
Type into the search bar. You can search by:
- Place name — e.g. "Bao Soho", "Tate Modern", "The Alchemist"
- Address — e.g. "53 Lexington Street London"
- City or area — e.g. "coffee shops Shoreditch", "parks in Edinburgh"
As you type, Nifl will show you search result suggestions that match what you're looking for. These are pulled from real place data, so the results will include the actual address and details of the places found.
Take a moment to read through the suggestions. For common place names, there may be multiple results — for example, searching "Dishoom" will show all Dishoom locations, so make sure you select the right one.
Step 5 — Select the Correct Result
Tap the suggestion that matches the place you want to save. Nifl will then pull in the information associated with that place — including its website and other important details — automatically. You don't need to copy and paste anything manually.
Double-check that the result is the right location — especially for chains or places with multiple branches in the same city.
Step 6 — Add a Description (Optional but Recommended)
You now have the option to add a personal description or note to the place. This field is just for you — it won't be shown to anyone else unless you choose to make the collection public.
Use it to capture context:
- Why you saved it: "Maya said the pasta is incredible"
- How you found it: "From that Guardian 'best cheap eats London' article"
- What you want to remember: "Good for a long working session — lots of plugs, no time limit"
- What occasion it suits: "Perfect for a low-key birthday dinner"
This context is what separates a list that gathers dust from a collection you actually use. When you come back to this place three months later, your description will remind you exactly why it was worth saving.
Step 7 — Select a Pin Label
Choose a pin label that best describes this place. The pin label is the type or category of the place — it determines the icon shown on the map and helps you filter your places by type.
Nifl has over 40 pin labels across six categories:
Food & Drink — Coffee & Café, Burger, Bakery, Noodles & Ramen, Dessert & Sweet, Restaurant, Bar, Cocktail, Wine Bar
Shopping — Thrift Store, Superstore, Bookstore, Flower Shop, Local Stall
Culture — Gallery, Theatre, Landmark, Museum
Social & Nightlife — Club, Live Music
Activities & Outdoors — Hike, Waterfall, Park, Water Activities, Camping, Climbing, Lake, Viewpoint, Biking Trail, Hotel, Spa & Wellness, Gym
Travel — Parking, Train Station, Bus Stop, Airport, Ferry Terminal
Pick the label that feels most accurate. A coffee shop should be Coffee & Café rather than just Restaurant — the specificity is what makes your map useful when you're browsing it later.
Step 8 — Save the Place
Tap save. The place is now added to the collection you opened in Step 2. You'll see it appear in the collection list, and if you switch to the map view of that collection, it will appear as a pin at its real location.
How the Automatically Pulled Information Helps You
One of the most useful parts of this method is that Nifl pulls in real data about the place when you select it from search results. This means:
Website — the place's website is attached to the pin automatically. When you're ready to actually visit — to check the menu, make a reservation, or confirm opening hours — it's one tap away directly from the pin detail view. You never need to search for it again.
Address and location — the pin is placed at the correct real-world coordinates, not just a rough area. This means when you view your collection on the map, every pin is precisely located.
This automation is what makes the search method more complete than quick add — you end up with a richer, more useful pin that has real context attached to it.
Building Out a Full Collection
Once you know how to add individual places, building out an entire collection is just a matter of repeating the process. Some people build collections gradually over time — adding one place whenever they discover something new. Others sit down and deliberately build a full collection at once, searching for everything they know they want to include.
Both approaches work. A few things that help:
Name your collections specifically. "Laptop-Friendly Cafés — Birmingham" is more useful than "Cafés". When you're looking for somewhere to work and you're in Birmingham, a specific collection gives you exactly what you need without having to scroll through unrelated places.
Use the category filter. When browsing your collections, you can filter by category — Food & Drink, Activities & Outdoors, Travel, and so on. This is why choosing the right collection category when you create it matters — it determines which filter it appears under.
Mix private and public. Collections can be kept private or made public. A collection of personal spots — your go-to lunch places near work, places you've been meaning to try for years — might be private. A curated collection you're proud of — "Best Ramen in London" — might be worth making public so others can save it too.
What Happens After You Save a Place
Every place you save through this method ends up as a pin inside your collection. From there:
- View it on the map — open the collection and switch to map view to see all your pins laid out geographically. Useful for planning a route or seeing what's near each other.
- Schedule a visit — go to the Calendar tab and assign a date and time to any pin. You can sync it to your Apple Calendar so it sits with the rest of your plans.
- Proximity notifications — when you're near a saved place, Nifl will send you a calm notification reminding you it's there. 48-hour cooldown between reminders — never spammy.
- Edit any time — tap the pin to open its full detail view and update anything you want: description, pin label, name, collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if the place I'm looking for doesn't appear in search results? Try searching by address instead of name, or by the area (e.g. "Thai restaurant Brixton"). If it still doesn't appear, you can use the quick add from map method to drop a pin at the approximate location manually.
Can I add the same place to more than one collection? Each pin lives in one collection. If you want the same place to appear in two different collections — for example, a restaurant that works both as a date spot and a birthday venue — you can save it twice into each collection separately.
Can I move a pin to a different collection after saving? Yes — open the pin's detail view and you can reassign it to a different collection.
Do I need a description to save a place? No, the description is optional. But adding even a short note significantly increases the chance you'll actually act on the intention later. A place with no context can start to feel like clutter — a place with a note feels like a plan.
Can I edit the automatically pulled website or address? You can view and access the pulled information from the pin detail view. If something is incorrect, you can update the pin's details manually.
How many pins can I add to a collection? There's no limit on the number of pins per collection.
Other Ways to Save Places in Nifl
Adding a place through search is one of three methods available in Nifl:
- Quick add from the map — press and hold anywhere on the map to drop a pin instantly. Best for browsing and speed.
- Save from TikTok or Instagram — share a video directly to Nifl and it extracts the place automatically. Best for saving discoveries from social media.
Download Nifl on the App Store and start building collections that actually turn into plans.