Blur faces and personal details before posting on Facebook Marketplace
Marketplace photos are usually taken in your home and shown to thousands of strangers nearby. The couch is what you’re selling. The family photos on the wall, the mail on the counter and your reflection in the TV are not.
Updated
Why Marketplace is different
On Instagram you choose your audience. On Marketplace your audience is anyone within driving distance. Your listing is tied to your Facebook profile, and the buyer knows roughly where you live. Some of them will come to your door. That makes small details in the background matter more than on any other platform.
What to look for in listing photos
Reflections
Mirrors, turned-off TVs, glass doors, ovens, stainless steel fridges and glossy furniture all reflect whoever is holding the phone. Zoom in on every shiny surface. If you can see yourself, blur it or reshoot from an angle.
People in frames and on fridges
Family photos on the wall, school pictures on the fridge, kids’ drawings with names written on them. When you sell furniture, these are almost always in the shot.
Anything with your name or address
Mail, parcels with shipping labels, magazines with subscription labels, prescription bottles, diplomas and calendars. These are easy to miss and easy to read when a buyer zooms in.
The outside of your house
Selling a grill, a car or a shed? Exterior photos can show the house number, the street sign and your neighbors’ houses. Shoot tight, or blur the number.
Security details
Alarm keypads, camera positions, the model of your door lock, a spare key on a hook. These photos tell a stranger what’s inside and how it’s protected.
What not to blur
Damage, stains, wear and missing parts belong in the photos. Buyers expect them to, and a listing that hides them leads to arguments at pickup. Blur the person in the mirror, not the scratch on the dresser.
Selling a car
- Blur the license plate front and back, including dealer frames that show a town.
- Share the VIN instead. That’s what a buyer needs for a history report.
- Check the interior shots for garage door openers, toll tags, parking permits and papers in the door pockets.
More on this in our license plate guide.
Safer pickup habits
- Set the listing location to your general area, not a pin on your street.
- For small items, meet in a public place. Many US police departments offer marked “safe exchange” spots in their parking lots.
- For large items that must be picked up, keep the item near the door or in the garage, and have someone with you.
A fast workflow
- Shoot the item from all sides in good light, with an uncluttered background if you can.
- Run the whole set through BlurTap: faces, text, addresses and plates get blurred and location is removed in one batch.
- Check each photo once more at full zoom, then upload to Marketplace.
Also selling on eBay? See what eBay allows in photos.
Frequently asked questions
Does Facebook Marketplace show my exact address?
No. Listings show an approximate location based on the location you set. But your photos can reveal much more: the outside of your house, your street, or mail with your address on it.
Should I blur the license plate when selling a car on Marketplace?
Most sellers do, and buyers don’t need it. What serious buyers want is the VIN, which they use to run a vehicle history report. Share the VIN in the listing or on request, and blur the plate in the photos.
Is it OK to blur parts of the item I’m selling?
Only personal details, never the condition of the item. Hiding a scratch or stain misleads buyers and leads to disputes and bad ratings. If something personal sits on the item, such as a name engraved on a bike or a sticker on a laptop, mention that you blurred it.