Welcome to a website where images are used to make information easier to understand, not simply to make a page look busy. When visitors open an app or APK page, a clear screenshot, feature image, or other useful visual can sometimes explain something faster than a long paragraph. Our Image & Media Policy explains how we choose, use, describe, update, and review images and other visual materials across the website.
Why Images Matter
A useful image should support the information on the page. Screenshots, app visuals, interface examples, feature images, and other relevant media can help visitors understand what an application looks like, where a feature appears, or what part of the topic is being discussed.
We try to avoid adding images only to fill empty space. When a visual does not help the reader understand the subject, it may not be necessary to include it.
Choosing Relevant Images
The image should have a clear connection to the page it appears on. For an app-related article, this may include a relevant application interface, feature screenshot, installation screen, supported device view, or another visual connected to the topic.
A generic image that has little connection with the actual subject can create confusion. We therefore aim to choose visuals that make sense in the context of the surrounding content.
Screenshots and App Visuals
Screenshots can provide useful visual context when they accurately represent the subject being discussed. They may help visitors understand an app interface, feature, settings screen, installation process, or other visible part of the user experience.
Because applications can change, screenshots may also become outdated. When a major interface change becomes known, relevant images may be reviewed or replaced so that the visual information remains reasonably useful.
For our broader approach to genuine app analysis and user experience, see our Reviews & First-Hand Content Policy.
Image Quality and Readability
A useful image should be clear enough for the visitor to understand what they are seeing. Blurry, heavily compressed, misleading, or unnecessarily small images can make a page harder to use, especially on mobile devices.
At the same time, large image files can slow down a webpage. We therefore aim for a practical balance between visual quality and reasonable loading performance.
Image Formats and Performance
Image quality is important, but page speed matters too. We may use suitable formats and responsive image techniques where appropriate so that visitors can receive an image that works well on different screen sizes and devices.
Google’s official image guidance explains that image quality, file size, responsive techniques, supported formats, and page performance can all affect how images work for users and Search. You can read the full Google Image SEO Best Practices guidance for more technical information.
Descriptive Alt Text
Alt text should describe an image when the description helps users understand its purpose. A useful alternative description can provide context for visitors who cannot view the image and can also help explain what a meaningful visual contains.
We avoid filling alt text with repeated keywords or unrelated phrases. The description should reflect the image and its role on the page rather than being written only for search engines.
Image File Names
Clear image names can help keep media organized and easier to understand. When practical, descriptive file names may be used instead of meaningless strings of numbers or unrelated labels.
A descriptive filename should still remain natural. There is no need to turn an image filename into a long list of keywords.
Images and Search Discovery
Images can also help visitors discover information through visual Search experiences. Google explains that images need to be discoverable and indexable, and that the content of the page where an image appears can influence how the image may appear in Search.
For this reason, we aim to keep important images connected to relevant page content instead of uploading unrelated visuals that do not support the subject.
Preferred and Representative Images
The main image should represent the page as clearly as possible. When a page has a primary visual, it should have a meaningful connection with the article or information being presented rather than being a generic logo or unrelated decorative image.
Google’s current image documentation also explains that publishers can provide preferred image information through supported metadata, including structured data and og:image, where appropriate.
Third-Party Images and Ownership
Not every image found online belongs to the website that displays it. Screenshots, logos, promotional images, artwork, photographs, and other media may belong to developers, publishers, companies, creators, or other copyright holders.
We aim to respect ownership and avoid presenting third-party material as our own original creation. Where a source or ownership detail is relevant, it should be handled with appropriate context.
User Experience Comes First
Images should make a page easier to understand, not interrupt the visitor’s experience. We avoid using excessive visual elements that push important information too far down the page or make the content difficult to read on a phone.
The main purpose of the page should remain clear, with images supporting the information instead of competing with it.
Keeping Media Updated
Visual information can become outdated just like written information. An app may change its interface, redesign a menu, introduce new features, or remove an old screen. When a meaningful change becomes known, the related media may be reviewed and updated.
This helps keep screenshots and other visual content more consistent with the information being explained on the page.
What We Avoid
We avoid media that is misleading, unrelated, unnecessarily repetitive, or added only to increase page length. We also avoid stuffing image filenames, captions, or alt text with keywords that do not naturally describe the visual.
A smaller number of relevant images can provide a better experience than a page filled with visuals that do not add useful information.
A Clear Visual Standard
Our aim is simple: every useful image should have a reason to be on the page. Whether it explains an app interface, supports a feature description, helps a visitor understand an installation step, or adds meaningful context, the visual should contribute to the overall usefulness of the content.
As image Search, mobile browsing, and web technology continue to evolve, we may review this policy so that our visual content remains useful, clear, accessible, and appropriately presented.