What Photos Should You Put on Your Google Business Profile?

By Bill Stilwell · Last reviewed October 16, 2026

The short answer

Use real, recent photos of your own business, team, and work. Only post photos you took, paid someone to take for you under a written agreement, or have written permission to use. Google says Business Profile photos should be sharp, well lit, and free of major edits or heavy filters, because “the image should represent reality.”

What this means

“Current” means the photo still looks like your business today. Your old storefront, an old logo, or a truck you sold two years ago no longer counts.

“Authentic” means it’s really you. Your crew, your shop, your finished jobs.

“Permitted” means you have the right to use it. The U.S. Copyright Office says “copyright protection exists from the moment you take a picture.” The person who took the photo usually owns it. If you didn’t take it, you need permission. If a customer’s home or face is in it, ask them too (see 11.1.12 Photo Permission).

Say a cleaning company posts photos of spotless kitchens. If those kitchens came from a stock photo site or another company’s website, they aren’t authentic, and they may not be permitted. If the photos are from their own jobs and the homeowners said yes, they’re fine.

Which photos to add depends on your business. A storefront needs the outside, so people recognize the building, and the inside. A service business needs the team, the vehicles, and work in progress and finished. A shop that sells goods needs the products. Most businesses need a logo and a cover photo.

Why it matters

Trust. People can tell stock photos from real work. Real photos of your team and jobs build trust before the first call.
Copyright trouble. Using someone else’s photo without permission can lead to takedown demands or legal claims.
Privacy. Posting a customer’s house number, face, or kids without permission can cost you the customer and cause bigger problems.
Google’s rules. Google’s Maps content policy bans false or misleading descriptions of goods or services and personal information posted without consent. Photos on your profile have to follow it.
Your cover photo can be replaced. Google says a low-quality cover photo, or one other sources suggest doesn’t represent the business, may be swapped for a photo someone else uploaded.

Who this applies to

Every business with an online presence.

Pay extra attention if:

You work in people’s homes or on their property
You use before and after photos (see 11.3.1 Truthful Advertising Claims)
A web designer or agency picked your photos for you
You changed your logo, vehicles, or location

How to do it

Make a short shot list. For most local businesses: your sign or storefront, the inside if customers visit, your vehicles, your team, work in progress, and finished jobs. Add products if you sell them.
Take the photos yourself with a phone, or hire a photographer. If you hire one, get a written agreement that says the business can use the photos (see 27.3.2 Copyright).
Ask customers before you photograph their property for marketing. Get the yes in writing. A text or a short form works.
Leave out house numbers, license plates, and faces unless you have permission.
Check the file. Google says photos should be JPG or PNG, between 10 kilobytes (KB) and 5 megabytes (MB), at least 250 by 250 pixels, with 720 by 720 pixels recommended.
Skip heavy filters and edits. Light cropping and brightness fixes are fine.
Upload to your Google Business Profile (GBP). Set a logo and a cover photo that clearly show your business.
Add new photos as you finish real jobs. Short videos are covered in 14.9.7 Videos on Your Profile.
Use the same real photos on your website and other listings so your brand looks the same everywhere (see 8.4.7 Brand Consistency).
Once a year, remove photos that no longer match your business.

What proof to keep

The original photo files with their dates
Written permission from customers who appear in photos or whose property is shown
Your agreement with any photographer you hired
Receipts or licenses for any images you bought

Store these in a marketing folder with clear file names. If someone ever questions a photo, you can show where it came from.

Common mistakes

Pulling images from a search engine. Finding a photo online doesn’t mean you can use it.
Using stock photos as if they were your work. It misleads customers about what you actually do.
Posting customer homes without asking. Some customers don’t want their house online.
Heavy filters. If your work looks better online than in person, customers notice.
Never updating. Photos from 10 years ago tell people you might not be active.
Letting an agency keep the rights. Make sure the business keeps the rights to photos it paid for.
A blurry cover photo. Google may replace it with someone else’s photo.

When to get help from a pro

Attorney: if you want to use photos you didn’t take, if someone sends you a copyright claim, or if you’re writing a photo release form for customers. Questions to ask:

What should my customer photo release cover, and for how long?
Does my photographer agreement give the business the rights it needs?

Photographer: if you want a professional set of team and storefront photos. Ask who will own the rights before the shoot.

Bill’s note

[Bill: add a short story or lesson here. For example, a client who got a copyright demand for a photo their old web designer used, or the types of real photos you see customers respond to on profiles.]

If you’d rather have this done for you, SiteSmarty handles Google Business Profile setup.

How I did this for SiteSmarty

[Date I did this:]
[What I actually did, step by step: the shot list I used for SiteSmarty and who took the photos]
[What it cost and how long it took:]
[What surprised me or what I’d do differently:]
[Screenshot or photo to add, with private info blurred: the GBP photos section with logo, cover photo, and real photos]
[Result so far:]

Questions people ask

Can I use stock photos on my Google Business Profile? It’s better not to. Google wants photos that represent reality, and stock photos don’t show your actual business.

What size should my Google photos be? Google says JPG or PNG, between 10 KB and 5 MB. The recommended size is 720 by 720 pixels, and the minimum is 250 by 250 pixels.

Do I need permission to post a photo of a customer’s house? Ask every time and keep the yes in writing. Rules vary, so talk to an attorney if you plan to use customer photos often.

Why did Google change my cover photo? Google says a low-quality cover photo, or one that doesn’t seem to represent your business, may be replaced by a photo someone else uploaded. A clear, current cover photo lowers the chance.

How often should I add photos? Add them as you finish real jobs, so your profile keeps showing current work.

Audit check

Question: Are the photos on the Google Business Profile real, current images of this business that the business has the right to use?
Pass looks like: A clear logo and cover photo. Recent photos of the actual team, vehicles, location, and work. Files on record with permission for any customer property shown. No stock photos posing as real work.
Fail looks like: Stock or borrowed photos. An old logo or storefront. Customer homes posted without permission. Heavy filters. A blurry cover photo.
Evidence to collect: Screenshot of the GBP photos section, original files with dates, customer permissions, and any photographer agreements or image licenses.

Where this fits

Do this first: 8.5.6 Visual Identity, 11.1.12 Photo Permission, 14.1.8 Categories

Do this next: 14.1.10 Credentials

Sources

Google Business Profile Help, "Manage your Business Profile photos and videos" (checked October 16, 2026)
Google Business Profile Help, "Business Profile photos, videos and posts content policy" (checked October 16, 2026)
Maps User Generated Content Policy Help, "Prohibited and restricted content" (checked October 16, 2026)
U.S. Copyright Office, "What Photographers Should Know about Copyright" (checked October 16, 2026)

This page explains general rules and Bill's own experience. It is not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Talk to a qualified professional about your situation.