Google profile photos: what to show and how to prepare them

Google profile photos should help with a practical decision: recognising the entrance, understanding a product, judging a piece of work or knowing who a customer will meet. A beautiful but unrelated image offers less than a simple photo answering a real question.

Before taking photos, write down five things a new customer would want to see. You will have a shot list instead of a folder full of variations on one angle.

Meet the basic requirements

Google lists JPG or PNG formats, a file size from 10 KB to 5 MB, a minimum resolution of 250 × 250 pixels and a recommendation of 720 × 720 pixels. Images should be clear, well lit and true to reality, without significant alterations. Source: profile photos and videos.

Check the requirements when uploading, as they can change. Keep an original version of each image so you can make another crop without repeatedly degrading the same file.

Prepare a useful selection

For a shop, start with access and products you actually sell. For a trade business, show the work you carry out and details that explain the finish. For a service business, show the setting or team if that reflects how customers deal with you.

• A view of the entrance or surroundings, if you receive customers.
• A photo explaining your main activity.
• A useful detail of a product or completed project.
• A team photo with the agreement of the people shown.
• An image answering a common question before an appointment.

This is an editorial starting point, not a quota imposed by Google.

Give completed projects context

Fictional example: for a fitted bookcase, a wide view shows how it fits into the room and a second image explains the storage. Ten nearly identical pictures do not necessarily make the project clearer.

Check what the frame reveals: people, documents, number plates, screens or identifying objects. Obtain the necessary agreement before using images taken at a customer's home, and choose another crop when private information is not useful. Never present a generated image as proof of a completed job.

Organise files to save time

Store photos by project or topic, with a date and permission note. An internal name such as 'living-room-bookcase-wide-view' helps the team find the right file. This is a working method, not a promise of ranking improvement.

Set a review date for photos of layouts likely to change. An old shopfront can mislead visitors even if the picture itself is technically good.

Check the result on mobile

After uploading, look at the profile on a phone. Does the crop still make sense? Is the main subject visible in different formats? Does the image really help someone recognise the activity?