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Proposing new species and breeds

Listings use controlled pick-lists for category, species, and breed so buyers can filter consistently across the marketplace. If you do not see the option you need, you can propose a new species or breed from the listing flow. This flow exists to keep the taxonomy useful for search and filtering without blocking legitimate animals that are missing from the current list.

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When to propose a new species

Use Propose a new species when the selected category is correct, but the animal’s species is not listed under that category. Examples:

• “Alpaca” under a livestock category that does not list it yet
• “Donkey” under an equine-style category if it is missing

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When to propose a new breed

Use Propose a new breed when you have already selected the correct species and the breed you need is missing from that species list. Examples:

• “Thoroughbred” under Horse
• “Angus” under Cattle
• “Goldendoodle” under Dog when that cross is not already listed

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What happens after you submit

Both proposal types use the same backend workflow.

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1. Basic validation and access checks

• You must be signed in.
• The name is required and must be 100 characters or less.
• A category must be selected.
• If you are proposing a breed, a species must already be selected.
• Requests are rate-limited per user.

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2. The system loads the current official options

The backend checks the existing database records in the relevant scope:

• Species proposals are checked against the species table for the selected category.
• Breed proposals are checked against the breeds table for the selected species.

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3. Exact duplicates are caught first

Before AI review runs, the system normalizes the name and checks for an exact match that already exists. If the option is already in the database, the existing species or breed is selected for you instead of creating a duplicate.

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4. AI validation checks whether it is legitimate

If the name is not an exact duplicate, the backend uses AI to evaluate whether the proposal is a real, recognized species or breed for the selected category or species. The validator is designed to:

• Confirm the animal belongs in the selected category
• Confirm a breed actually belongs to the selected species
• Normalize the name to a cleaner official label when appropriate
• Detect existing matches, synonyms, and common misspellings
• Suggest near matches when your input looks close to an existing option

It is intentionally conservative and prefers rejection when the name is unclear.

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5. Similar existing options may be suggested

If your proposal is rejected but appears close to an existing entry, the UI can show similar matches and let you select one of them immediately. This helps when the issue is a misspelling, abbreviation, or partial name instead of a truly missing taxonomy entry.

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6. Approved and unique entries are inserted immediately

If the proposal is approved and does not already exist, the backend inserts it directly into the main taxonomy table:

• New species are inserted into species
• New breeds are inserted into breeds

The newly added record is then returned to the listing flow and auto-selected for you.

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What usually gets rejected

Proposals are likely to be rejected when they are:

• Not a real or recognized species or breed
• In the wrong category or under the wrong species
• A joke, spam, profanity, or nonsense
• A color, pattern, or vague descriptor rather than a breed
• Too ambiguous to trust as a marketplace taxonomy option

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A note about hybrids and cross names

The validator is built to accept legitimate hybrid and cross-breed names when they are commonly used and appropriate for the selected species. Examples can include names such as:

• “Belgian Draft Mule”
• “Quarter Horse Mule”
• “Goldendoodle”

Approval still depends on whether the name is recognized and correctly scoped.

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Tips for a better result

• Pick the correct category before proposing a species.
• Pick the correct species before proposing a breed.
• Use the most widely recognized name you know.
• Avoid adding color, sales language, or extra descriptors unless they are part of the actual breed name.

If you are trying to prove lineage or registration rather than add a missing taxonomy option, use the existing species and breed selections and upload supporting paperwork in Listing Documents.