Frequently asked questions
Doesn't the Geneva Official Gazette (FAO) already offer alerts?
No. The fao.ge.ch website publishes each working day's edition as a PDF and offers a keyword search across published notices, but no email alert, no feed and no subscription. You have to go back and check yourself.
Where can I check this information free of charge?
Everything this site watches is public. With no account and no subscription:
- fao.ge.ch: the day's edition as a PDF, and keyword search across notices from the last two years.
- SITG: the canton's official map, with building permit files, updated daily.
- Check a building permit on ge.ch: the status of a file, by address or plot.
- Your municipality's website: several publish the list of applications and permits in their area.
None of these sources notify you: you have to go back and check. That is the only thing this site adds: an email on the evening of publication, for as many keywords as you like.
Why Geneva only?
Because the operator reads the Geneva Official Gazette. The Vaud Official Gazette and the Valais Official Bulletin already offer their own alerts.
What does an alert contain?
The date of the edition, which of your keywords were found in it, and a link to fao.ge.ch. No excerpt of the notice: the Official Gazette remains the only source, and that is where you read the text.
When does the alert arrive?
On the evening of publication, once the edition has been posted, sometimes the following morning. Legal time limits run from publication in the Official Gazette, not from the email.
Can a keyword miss a notice?
Yes. An address may be written “chemin” or “ch.”, with or without a number; a name may carry a particle or an initial. Prefer the street name without a number, the surname on its own, and target the field you mean (address, applicant, debtor) rather than the whole edition when you can.
Where does the service search?
Across the whole edition, within one section, or in a specific field: the address of a building permit or an application, the applicant, the owner, the agent, the debtor or creditor of a debt enforcement, a bankruptcy.
How much does it cost?
The trial is free for 30 days, up to 5 keywords, no card required. After that, Basic at 5 CHF per month or 49 CHF per year for one person, Business at 19 CHF per month or 190 CHF per year for 5 people, unlimited keywords in both cases. Cancel at any time, taking effect at the end of the paid period. Full details are on the pricing page.
What happens when the trial ends?
Your keywords are kept, but nothing is watched until a subscription is taken out. An email tells you so, with the number of editions scanned during the trial.
What data do you keep?
Your email address, your keywords, your alert history and, if you pay, the identifiers Stripe sends us back. Full details are in the privacy policy.
How do I stop?
From My account: pause alerts, cancel the subscription or delete the account.
A building permit application appears near me, what should I do?
Read the guide: how to consult the file, submit observations within 30 days, and what comes next.
Who is behind this site?
One person, in Geneva. See About and the legal notice.