Inspect the copy you will send
Look for addresses on envelopes, workplace badges, children, notifications and visible documents. Remove unrelated information from a separate copy where that does not undermine your legitimate search. Do not upload another person's private image simply because a search box accepts it.
Read the service's actual promises
- Identify who operates the tool and how to contact them.
- Read retention and sharing terms for uploaded images.
- Check whether an account or public result page is created.
- Find the process for removing an upload or result.
A browser permission prompt about selecting a file is not the same as a service's policy for storing that file. Similarly, deleting a local copy does not remove a copy already sent to a provider.
Keep the upload proportionate
Choose the minimum material needed to answer the question. For a search about reuse of your own portrait, a single clean copy may be enough. If the service's terms are unclear or the file is sensitive, stop and use a different verification route rather than treating convenience as consent.
Continue with tool selection worksheet.