Glovo Restaurant Photos: Technical Requirements & Complete Guide 2026

The first decision a hungry customer makes when opening Glovo takes less than three seconds. They don't read descriptions. They don't compare prices. They look at the photos. If your dish doesn't have an image, or has a blurry, dark or unappetising photo, the customer moves on to the next restaurant without a second thought. This is the reality of delivery purchasing behaviour, and it's why optimising your menu photos on Glovo is the highest-return marketing action you can take as a restaurant.

The platform's own data is clear: products with images receive three times more orders than the same dishes without a photo. Restaurants that optimise all their images following Glovo's specifications correctly see an average 30% increase in conversion compared to before.

This complete guide explains everything you need to know about Glovo restaurant photos: official technical requirements, the step-by-step upload process, composition principles that work, the ten most common errors causing rejection or low conversion, how to get the most out of mobile photography, and why artificial intelligence has democratised access to professional-quality images for restaurants of any size and budget.

Why photos are the number one factor in your Glovo performance

The human brain processes an image in approximately 13 milliseconds, while reading a text description takes several seconds. In the fast-decision context of a food delivery app, that asymmetry changes everything.

When a customer sees your restaurant on Glovo, the photo is the first thing their brain evaluates at an unconscious level. They're processing visual signals that translate instantly into perceptions: this food looks fresh or stale, this dish looks generous or sparse, this restaurant looks well-run or careless.

Image quality also acts as a proxy for overall business quality. A restaurant with blurry or poorly lit photos unconsciously signals poor attention to detail, even if the cooking is excellent. Conversely, a restaurant with clean, well-framed, correctly lit images conveys professionalism before the customer has read a single word.

The quantifiable sales impact

• Products with image vs without: items with photos receive between 2.5 and 3.5 times more orders than the same items without an image.
• Cover photo impact: an optimised cover photo can increase profile visits by 40-60% compared to a generic or mediocre image.
• Full menu visual consistency: restaurants with photos for all dishes report a higher average order value, as customers discover and order dishes they would have overlooked without a visual reference.
• Internal search effect: Glovo uses each dish's conversion history to determine its position in internal searches. A dish with high conversion — driven by a good photo — gains organic visibility within the platform over time.

Glovo's official technical requirements for menu photos

Image specifications

• File format: JPG (JPEG). This is the accepted format for dish photos.
• Minimum dimensions: 500 × 500 pixels. Images below this resolution may be automatically rejected or appear pixelated on modern devices.
• Recommended dimensions: 1,200 × 1,200 pixels. This resolution ensures sharpness on high-density screens — Retina, AMOLED — now found on the vast majority of smartphones.
• Aspect ratio: 1:1 (square). Glovo displays all dish photos in square format. If you upload a rectangular image, the platform will automatically crop it, potentially cutting off parts of the dish.
• Maximum file size: 1 MB. Ideally keep the file below 800 KB to maintain control over final compression quality.
• Colour space: sRGB. Images in Adobe RGB or Display P3 may show incorrect or over-saturated colours in the app.

Content and composition requirements

• The product should occupy between 60% and 70% of the frame. Not so small the dish gets lost, not so large the edges are cropped.
• Front or slightly overhead view. Glovo recommends showing the dish from the front or at a 45-degree angle.
• Clean, uniform or simple-texture background. White, light grey, or natural textures like wood or slate are preferred.
• The product must accurately represent what is actually served.
• No watermarks, logos or overlaid text.
• No collages or multiple products in a single image (except specified combo menus).

Visual quality requirements

• Correct exposure: neither underexposed (dark) nor overexposed (blown out).
• Sharp focus: the main dish must be in focus. Gentle background bokeh is acceptable.
• No extreme filters that significantly distort food colours.

Step-by-step process for uploading photos to Glovo

Accessing the management panel

1. Log into the Glovo partner panel at partners.glovoapp.com with your restaurant credentials.
2. Navigate to the "Menu" section from the left sidebar.
3. Select the category where you want to add or update an image.
4. Click on the specific product whose photo you want to add or change.

Uploading the image

1. In the product form, locate the "Image" or "Product photo" field.
2. Click "Upload image" or the camera icon.
3. Select the JPG file from your device — verify it meets all requirements first.
4. Use the integrated cropper if the platform offers it, to centre the dish correctly.
5. Confirm and save. The image enters a moderation queue before going live.

Moderation and approval times

• Working days during support hours (9am-6pm): 2 to 6 hours.
• Weekends and public holidays: up to 24-48 hours.
• Special campaigns or bulk menu updates: up to 72 hours during peak demand periods.

Food photography composition for Glovo: core principles

The square frame and how to use it

Place the dish at the centre of the frame, slightly above the mathematical centre. Leave a margin of 15-20% around the dish on each side to prevent edge cropping and create a sense of visual space and cleanliness.

Camera angles by dish type

• Front view (0-30 degrees): ideal for burgers, sandwiches, layered cakes, dessert cups and any dish with notable height.
• 45-degree view: the most versatile. Works well for pasta, meat, rice dishes and composed salads.
• Overhead view (90 degrees): perfect for pizzas, bowls, salads and any dish with an interesting design when seen from above.

The background: the most underrated element

• Natural or aged wood: conveys warmth and high perceived quality.
• Slate or dark stone: adds contrast for light-coloured or very colourful dishes.
• Pure white or cream: the cleanest, most professional-looking background.
• Marble or granite: sophisticated and modern, ideal for premium positioning.

Lighting: the secret that separates a mediocre photo from one that sells

Natural side lighting: your best free ally

Natural light entering through a window and hitting the dish from one side is the ideal illumination for food photography. It creates soft shadows that give volume and texture to food, makes sauces and glazes shine naturally, and brings out fresh colours without distorting them.

• Place the dish within one metre of a medium or large window.
• Avoid direct sunlight — it creates harsh shadows that distort the dish.
• The softest natural light is in early morning and late afternoon.
• Use a white sheet of paper on the opposite side as a reflector to soften shadows.

Artificial lighting: working with what your venue has

• Adjust white balance on your smartphone to "Cloudy" or "Daylight" (5,500K-6,500K) to neutralise the warm yellow tint of restaurant lighting.
• Use a neutral white LED ring light (5,000K-5,500K) at about 50cm from the dish.
• Add fill light by bouncing available light off a white card.

The 10 most common errors causing rejection or low conversion on Glovo

Error #1: Image too small

Always work with images of at least 1,000×1,000px before uploading to the platform.

Error #2: Dish too small in the frame

The dish should occupy 60-70% of the total frame.

Error #3: Cluttered or distracting background

Clear the entire surroundings before shooting. Only the dish and the chosen background.

Error #4: Using the phone's direct front flash

Always disable the flash and use natural or diffused light.

Error #5: Underexposed image (dark photo)

Move the dish near a window or add lighting if the environment is dark.

Error #6: Overexposed image (blown-out photo)

Move the light source further away or reduce exposure in the camera app.

Error #7: Out-of-focus image

Rest your elbow on the table, use the timer to avoid tap vibration, and tap the dish on screen to lock focus.

Error #8: Incorrect aspect ratio

Set your camera to square mode or manually crop to 1:1 before uploading.

Error #9: Using the same photo for different products

Each product needs its own individual, representative photo.

Error #10: Photo that doesn't match the real product

Always use photos of your actual product to avoid negative reviews and cancellations.

Mobile food photography: advanced techniques for Glovo

Optimal smartphone camera settings

• Activate Pro or Manual mode if your phone offers it.
• Keep ISO as low as possible: ISO 50-100 outdoors, ISO 200-400 in well-lit interiors.
• Manual white balance: match it to your light source.
• Maximum resolution: ensure the camera shoots at the highest available resolution.
• HDR off: it can generate visual artefacts in food photography.

The tabletop tripod: the £15 investment that transforms your workflow

A small tabletop tripod eliminates motion blur and lets you experiment with compositions and angles without tiring your arm. The investment — £10-25 — is recouped with the first additional order generated by an improved photo.

Basic post-processing without complex apps

• Exposure: if the photo is slightly dark, increase exposure by 15-20%.
• Contrast: a moderate increase (10-15%) makes colours more vivid.
• Saturation: a slight increase (5-10%) makes food colours more vibrant. Don't overdo it.
• Sharpness: a small increase improves the perception of textures.
• Colour temperature: correct the yellow tint of warm lighting towards neutral tones.

What styles work best by dish type

Fast and casual food (burgers, sandwiches, kebabs, wraps)

Slightly elevated front angle, 15-30 degrees, to show the layers and generosity of the ingredients.

Mediterranean cuisine (paellas, tapas, fish, rice dishes)

Overhead view for paellas and rice dishes. 45-degree view for tapas and voluminous dishes.

Asian cuisine (sushi, ramen, noodles, wok)

Overhead view for sushi. 45-degree view for ramens and broths. Dark backgrounds make sushi colours stand out.

Desserts and pastry (cakes, ice cream, pastries, doughnuts)

Front view for layered cakes. Light, warm backgrounds like white marble work very well for sweets.

Drinks (cocktails, craft beers, juices, specialty coffees)

Always frontally to show height, condensation, bubbles and layered colours.

Artificial intelligence for Glovo photography: how it changes the rules

Tools like FoodyFocus let you take a photo with your smartphone in whatever conditions you have and receive, within seconds, an optimised version that automatically meets all of Glovo's technical requirements and visually competes with any restaurant on the platform.

What AI specifically does for your Glovo photos

• Automatic exposure correction: brightens underexposed areas, reduces blown highlights, balances shadows.
• Automatic white balance: detects and neutralises artificial lighting tints.
• Texture enhancement: emphasises crispiness, creaminess and glazes — the textures that trigger appetite most effectively.
• 1:1 reframing: automatically proposes the optimal square crop.
• Style selection: applies a colour palette and lighting treatment consistent with your cuisine type.
• Correct format export: JPG, sRGB, correct resolution, within Glovo's 1MB limit.

The real workflow with AI

1. Photograph the dish with your phone. Imperfect lighting is fine.
2. Upload the image to FoodyFocus.
3. In under 30 seconds, receive the delivery-optimised version ready to upload to Glovo.
4. Get versions for Instagram, the printed menu and Google Maps in the same process.

Complete checklist: before uploading any photo to Glovo

• ☐ The image is a JPG file
• ☐ Dimensions are at least 500×500px (recommended 1,200×1,200px)
• ☐ File size does not exceed 1MB (ideally under 800KB)
• ☐ Aspect ratio is 1:1 (square)
• ☐ The dish occupies 60-70% of the frame
• ☐ Background is clean, uniform or simple texture
• ☐ Lighting is correct: neither dark nor blown out
• ☐ The dish is in sharp focus
• ☐ No text, logos or watermarks overlaid
• ☐ The image accurately represents the real product served
• ☐ Not the same image already used for another product
• ☐ Colour profile is sRGB

Frequently asked questions about Glovo photos

Does Glovo accept PNG format or only JPG?

The official recommended format is JPG. Convert PNG files to JPG before uploading to avoid any risk of rejection.

Can I use stock photos for my products on Glovo?

Glovo requires images to accurately represent the product the customer will receive. Using generic stock photos exposes you to negative reviews and potential platform penalties. Always use photos of your actual product.

How long does Glovo take to approve a new photo?

Working days: 2-6 hours. Weekends: up to 24-48 hours. Special campaigns: up to 72 hours. Plan updates in advance if they coincide with important trading dates.

Can I use the same photo for different variants of the same dish?

If variants are genuinely similar (same dish in two sizes), it may be acceptable. But if ingredients or presentation differ, individual photos significantly improve conversion and reduce customer confusion.

Do I need to remove the background from my photos for Glovo?

No. A good contextual background — wood, slate, marble, white — adds perceived quality. Just avoid cluttered or visually distracting backgrounds.

Do photos affect ranking in Glovo's internal search results?

Yes, indirectly but meaningfully. A dish with a good photo generates more orders, and more orders means better organic positioning within the platform over time.

How often should I update my menu photos on Glovo?

Permanent dishes don't need frequent updates once well photographed. Every new product must have a photo from day one. A product without a photo is an invisible product on Glovo.

What should I do if Glovo rejects my photo without a clear reason?

Check the technical checklist first: JPG, minimum 500×500px, maximum 1MB, 1:1 ratio, no overlaid text. If all technical requirements are met and it's still rejected, the issue is usually content: the dish isn't clearly visible, the background is too dark, lighting is insufficient, or the image doesn't appear to represent a real product. Reshoot applying the composition and lighting recommendations in this guide.