ReferenceGoogle Ads disapproval
Distorted images
Google disapproves an image asset when the image is skewed or warped so the subject is hard to understand. One cause is stretching a photo into a frame of a different shape. Upload an undistorted photograph cropped to a square at 1x1, which is required, and to a landscape at 1.91x1, which is recommended, then edit and save the asset.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The Status column on the Assets page, as Disapproved under this policy.
- What stops
- The image does not serve while it stands.
- How serious
- Low on its own. Repeated violations of any policy can lead to a suspension.
What it means
A distorted image is one that Google's page describes as skewed or warped. The test is whether a viewer can still tell what the subject is. The fix is to start from an undistorted original rather than correcting a stretched file by hand, because a file that is already stretched cannot be restored from its own pixels.
The same image specifications apply: PNG or JPG, at least 300 by 300 pixels when square, and no larger than 5120 KB.
What actually triggers it
A photo stretched into a frame of a different shape
Forcing a photo into a square or landscape frame by stretching it, instead of cropping, is the cause the page describes. Crop to change the shape instead.
A file resized with the proportions unlocked
Not on Google's help page
Resizing a photo in an editor with proportions unlocked produces the same stretch. Google's page does not name the editor step, but the result is the stretched image the rule describes.
Fix it in this order
- Open Campaigns, then Assets, and find the image asset with the status Disapproved.
- Open the original photograph rather than the file already placed in the asset.
- Crop the original to a square at 1x1, which is required. For a landscape version, crop to 1.91x1, which is recommended.
- Hover over the asset, select Edit, make the change and select Save. Google reviews the edit again.
If an undistorted version of the photo is not available, remove the asset.
When to appeal
Appeal only when the image is undistorted and the asset is still disapproved. An appeal does not change the file, so replace it first.
Often confused with
A crop removes part of the picture, so the subject can be cut off. Distortion changes the proportions of the whole picture. A new crop fixes the first, but a stretched image needs an undistorted original.
A distorted business logo is listed under its own Obscure message on the logo page, not under this one. Check the logo rule when the image is the business logo.