You're looking at a photo with a label. Here's how to read it.
A VIDP pill tells you exactly what was done to a listing photo. A QR code — usually placed next to the pill — shows you the original, unedited version. You don't need an app. Your phone's camera can do it.
Three steps. Thirty seconds.
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Read the pill.
The pill is a small colored label in the corner of the image, usually the bottom-right. It names the type of edit applied. "Sky Enhanced" means the sky was swapped. "Virtually Staged" means the furniture wasn't actually there. "Element Removed" means something physical that was there has been edited out of the photo.
If there are multiple pills stacked, the most serious edit is on top. Red is the most serious. Blue is the least.
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Scan the QR code.
Next to the pill (or just above it), you'll see a small QR code. Open your phone's camera and point it at the QR. A notification will pop up with a link — tap it. No app required. No account required. No payment required.
The link opens the Verification Gallery for that specific image. You'll see the edited version (the one on the listing) and the base version (the unedited photograph) side-by-side.
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Compare the two.
The edited image is what's on the listing. The base image is what the property actually looks like, with only standard color correction applied. If the base image doesn't match the listing in a way that matters to you, that's important information — and the producer has disclosed it to you up front.
VIDP doesn't tell you whether an edit is acceptable. It tells you what was done, so you can decide whether it matters.
The vocabulary, in plain language.
- Pill
- A small colored label on a listing photo that identifies a specific type of edit. "Sky Enhanced," "Virtually Staged," "Element Removed." Each pill corresponds to exactly one thing that was done to the photo.
- Tier
- The color of the pill. Blue (0) = annotation added, photo is otherwise unaltered. Green (1) = cosmetic or atmospheric changes. Amber (2) = something was added to the scene that wasn't there. Red (3) = something was removed, substituted, or concealed.
- Base image
- The unedited version of the photograph. Not the raw camera file — the fully polished version before any element-level edit was applied. This is what the Verification Gallery shows you.
- Verification Gallery
- A public web page, one per property, where the edited listing photos and their unedited base images are displayed side-by-side. Accessed by scanning the QR code. No login required.
- QR code
- The small square pattern next to the pill. Your phone's camera reads it and opens the Verification Gallery. It's a link, not an app.
- Producing party
- The photographer, editor, or firm that delivered the final images to the agent. They're the one who applied the pills — and they're responsible for the disclosure being accurate.
What VIDP is not
VIDP is not a certification body, an inspection service, or a government regulator. It's a voluntary disclosure standard — a shared vocabulary. The pill tells you what the producer says was done. The QR lets you verify it. If a listing doesn't carry VIDP pills at all, that's not a violation of anything; it just means that listing hasn't adopted the standard yet.
Read the FAQ or the full specification.
If you want to understand more about how VIDP works, what it doesn't cover, or how it relates to laws like AB 723 — those are in the FAQ. The full technical specification is available too.