Guide
How to use PixGap
A step-by-step guide to the current alpha workflow, including where setup, manual review, or limited availability still applies.
Create your account
Sign up with your email address or use Google sign-in if you prefer. PixGap is onboarding accounts manually during alpha, so this step creates your account but does not start a self-serve billing plan or automated trial.
If you manage business listings on Google, using Google sign-in can make later GBP connection simpler. Email/password accounts can still use the core dashboard and upload workflow.
Email & password — create a standard account for PixGap. Email verification is not currently enforced as a required launch step.
Google sign-in — available for faster sign-in and recommended if you expect to connect Google services later.
Create account
Define your area
Define your area & see the gap
Draw a boundary on the map to cover your entire area, or search for specific places by name or address. PixGap pulls the current Google Places photos for every location and calculates a Visual Gap Score (VGS) from 0 to 100.
Colour-coded pins make it instant — red means poor, amber means needs work, green means healthy. The priority feed surfaces your lowest-scoring places first so you know exactly where to focus.
What the score measures
Resolution (30%) — Are the top photos above 720px?
Recency (25%) — Were the top 5 photos taken in the last 6 months?
Category diversity (25%) — Exterior, interior, and human-signal shots — or just one type?
Owner ratio (20%) — Is the primary photo from the business or a random user?
Upload & tag your photos
Drag and drop your photos — batch upload is supported. PixGap performs client and server checks before a file becomes publishable, but Google can still make its own acceptance and ranking decisions later.
Validation rules
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, and HEIC uploads are supported
Up to 10 files per batch, maximum 20 MB each
The server rejects unsupported formats and very small images
Blur detection and review checks help flag weak uploads before publishing
Tagging & categorisation
Tag each photo to a place using the map picker or search. Then assign a category so Google knows what the photo represents:
Composition tip
Helpful, context-rich photos usually outperform generic empty shots. PixGap can guide the workflow, but Google still controls what gets surfaced publicly.
Upload photos
Drag & drop or browse
Channel A — GBP API Push
Channel B — Citizen Photographer Kit
Publish to Google
PixGap offers two publishing channels depending on your situation. Availability depends on your account setup and the environment PixGap is running in.
Channel A: GBP API push
For businesses with a verified Google Business Profile in an environment where real GBP credentials and secrets have been configured. Connect your profile, choose locations, and publish from the authenticated app.
Status tracking aims to show each photo as queued → uploaded → live or rejected, but Google remains the final decision-maker.
Channel B: Citizen Photographer Kit
For public places (parks, landmarks, streets) and businesses without profile access. PixGap can generate guided upload tasks for supported workflows without requiring a separate app.
Distribute links to your staff, trusted local photographers, or council workers. The contributor opens the link on their phone, saves the photo to their gallery, taps through to Google Maps for that exact place, posts the photo, and taps “Done!”. The workflow is real, but verification still depends on Google surfacing the photo and PixGap matching it correctly.
Verification status
PixGap attempts to verify published photos against Google after upload. When a match is found, status can update to confirmed live or unverified when confirmation is still missing after repeated checks.
Monitor & defend
Getting your photos live is only half the battle. PixGap already exposes dashboard activity, upload states, and some alert flows, but continuous displacement defense is still being expanded and should not be treated as universally automated today.
Your dashboard
Map-first overview
Colour-coded score views help you spot weak places first when the area data path has been loaded.
Activity feed
Alert and verification events can appear in the dashboard, but coverage still depends on the configured workflow behind each place.
Follow-up actions
Republish and contributor-task actions exist in parts of the app, but not every alert path is yet a one-click closed loop.
How UGC Shield works
PixGap can poll supported places and surface alerts when a verification or displacement workflow detects an issue. Coverage is improving, but the service is not yet a fully universal, always-on defense layer:
AlertYour High Street cover photo was replaced by a blurry photo of a bin. Click here to re-publish your Seasonal Winter photo.
Google's ranking algorithm still controls the final outcome. PixGap can help you respond faster, but it does not guarantee primary photo placement.
UGC Shield — activity preview
New user photo (Quality: 22/100) took the primary slot for The Blue Bell Cafe
New user photo (Quality: 18/100) took the primary slot for Central Park Gate
Your photo is confirmed live for Town Hall
Ready to get started?
Request alpha access, load a real area, and start with the workflows that are already active in the current build.
Request access →