How the AI sorts photos and picks the hero image

What you’ll see: You want to know why your photos are ordered the way they are, and what the “hero” is.

Resolution:

• Automatic analysis — every photo is sent to Folio’s AI sorting service, which identifies what each image shows (exteriors, living spaces, bedrooms, bathrooms, views, amenities) and evaluates quality signals like brightness and composition.
• Smart ordering — the service returns a suggested order: strongest exterior or living shot first, then rooms in a natural walkthrough flow.
• Hero image — the first photo in the sorted order becomes the hero: the large photo at the top of the booking-site listing, used in search results and link previews. You don’t have to pick anything.
• You have the final word — hover a photo and click Set photo N as hero to override, and reorder by dragging thumbnails. Changes save immediately and update the Live Preview.