When you upload photos to your Vivastreet ad, they go through a moderation process before they're fully visible. There are three possible states your photos can be in — here's what each one means and what to do.
In regards to photos the formats we accept are JPG, BMP and PNG. The maximum size of a photo is 10mb.
State 1 — Blurred: your photo is pending moderation
What you see: Your photo appears on your ad but is blurred.
What it means: Your photo has been uploaded successfully and your ad is live, but the image is still going through our moderation review. This is normal — all photos are blurred by default until moderation is complete.
Our moderation process uses a combination of automated technology and a human review team. Most photos are reviewed and either approved or actioned quickly, but timing can vary.
What to do: Nothing — just wait. If your photo meets our content guidelines, it will be unblurred once moderation is complete.
Tip: Avoid uploading or editing photos late in the evening. Photos uploaded closer to peak hours may take longer to clear moderation, which means they could remain blurred during your most active browsing time.
State 2 — Photo not approved: your photo was refused by moderation
What you see: Your photo does not appear on your published ad. You will also receive an email notification letting you know a photo has been refused.
What it means: Our moderation team reviewed the photo and it did not meet our content guidelines. The most common reasons are:
Content issues:
The photo contains nudity or sexual content that goes beyond what our guidelines permit — see what gets blurred or refused
The image suggests or depicts illegal activity, violence, or prohibited content
Ownership and identity issues:
The photo appears to have been taken from another website, social media account, or another advertiser — we do not allow stolen or copied images
The photo includes another identifiable person (e.g. a client, partner, or bystander) who is not the subject of the ad
The photo does not appear to show the person or service being advertised
Technical or content mismatch:
The photo contains a phone number, website URL, or contact details that do not match the rest of your ad
The image quality is too poor to clearly represent the service — for example, extremely blurry, heavily distorted, or carelessly edited
The photo includes content unrelated to the advertised service (e.g. pets, branded alcohol, weapons)
Not sure what a good photo looks like? See accepted pictures with examples →
A refused photo does not automatically affect your ad — your ad remains live, just without that specific image.
State 3 — Resubmission required: upload a new photo
What you see: Your ad is live but missing a photo, or you've been notified that a photo was refused.
What it means: You need to upload a replacement photo that meets our content guidelines.
How to resubmit:
Log in to your Vivastreet account
Go to My Ads and open the relevant ad
Remove the refused photo if it's still showing
Upload a new photo that follows our guidelines
Save your ad — the new photo will immediately enter the moderation queue
Important: Every time you edit or update your photos, your ad re-enters the moderation process. This means photos will be blurred again temporarily while the new images are reviewed. Plan updates in advance if timing matters to you.
Before resubmitting, check:
Your photo follows the content guidelines for your category
Need inspiration? Browse accepted photo examples
The photo is of you and only you (unless you're advertising a duo or agency service) — ownership rules
There are no contact details, URLs, or watermarks in the image
The photo is clear, well-lit, and accurately represents your service
If you disagree with a moderation decision
If you believe a photo was refused incorrectly, you can appeal. Contact our Customer Service team with your account email address, the ad in question, and a brief explanation of why you think the decision was wrong.
We'll review your case within 72 hours, with a final decision within 4 weeks.