How to Fix: Photos Rejected or Removed #
Upload succeeds but photos never appear, or previously published photos are removed.
Step-by-Step Solution #
Step 1: Understand Photo Guidelines #
Google rejects photos that:
- Are overly promotional (heavy text, logos, watermarks)
- Are stock photos or clipart
- Contain personal information (phone numbers, URLs, QR codes)
- Are low quality (blurry, dark, heavily filtered)
- Show prohibited content
- Are not relevant to the business
Step 2: Review Your Photos #
Check for common violations:
- ❌ Photos with large text overlays or calls-to-action
- ❌ Screenshots or digitally created images
- ❌ Photos showing only products (for service businesses)
- ❌ Photos taken from the internet
- ❌ Images with heavy borders, frames, or collages
- ✅ Real, high-quality photos of your actual business
Step 3: Prepare Compliant Photos #
Best practices:
- Use real photos you took yourself
- Show your actual location, interior, exterior
- Show your team at work
- Minimum 720px wide
- JPG or PNG format
- No excessive editing or filters
- Minimal or no text
Step 4: Re-Upload Photos #
- Sign in to Google Business Profile
- Click Photos
- Upload compliant photos
- Wait 24-48 hours for review
Step 5: Appeal Photo Removals #
If legitimate photos are removed:
- Click Support in dashboard
- Select Photos
- Explain which photos were removed
- Explain why they comply with guidelines
- Re-upload with note about appeal
Step 6: Categorize Photos Correctly #
Upload to proper categories:
- Logo: Square format, your actual logo
- Cover: Landscape, representative of business
- Interior: Inside your location
- Exterior: Outside view
- Team: Your employees
- At work: Showing services being performed
- Products: Only if product-based business
Common Rejection Reasons #
Text-heavy images:
- Before/after with large labels - rejected
- Promotional graphics with pricing - rejected
- Photos with contact info - rejected
Stock photos:
- Generic industry images - rejected
- Downloaded graphics - rejected
- Clip art or illustrations - rejected
Quality issues:
- Blurry or pixelated - rejected
- Too dark - rejected
- Heavily filtered (Instagram-style) - rejected
Official Resources #
Need Professional Help? #
- Contact me directly → - I can audit and optimize your photos
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