Business Profile API returns photos and videos attached to reviews

What this means for you

Customers can add photos and videos when they write a Google review of your business. Until now, apps that collect your reviews only got the words and the stars. Now they can also get the pictures and videos, so you can see the whole review in one place before you reply.

The details

• New data: a reviewMediaItems[] array of ReviewMediaItem on the Review resource of the v4.9 API, with "thumbnail image and video urls".
• Fields (API reference): thumbnailUrl (the photo, or the video thumbnail when videoUrl is present), thumbnailLabel (author-provided label) and videoUrl (playable video URL). All are output only.
• Methods: accounts.locations.reviews.get, accounts.locations.reviews.list and accounts.locations.batchGetReviews.
• The update does not say how long the media URLs stay valid, so fetch or refresh them when you display a review rather than storing them for good.
• Related review fields added in 2026: ReviewReplyState (April 1), PolicyViolation (July 1) and reviewReplyUrl (July 24).

What to do next

• Business owners: Nothing. Your review tool may start showing customer photos and videos.
• Marketers and agencies: Check whether your review tool shows review media, since photos often explain a complaint.
• Developers: Parse ReviewMediaItem from review responses and render thumbnails, with video links where present.