Visual encoding is the process of converting information into a mental representation based on appearance. The stimulus is stored in terms of how it looks.

When a person remembers the layout of a page, the shape of a face, or the color of an object, visual encoding has occurred. In dual-coding approaches, visual images can be stored alongside verbal labels, providing two routes for later retrieval. Mental imagery techniques deliberately exploit visual encoding to improve memory for verbal material. The vividness and distinctiveness of the visual representation influence how well it is retained.

Visual encoding is especially effective for concrete, imageable material and less so for abstract concepts unless they are deliberately linked to images. It operates automatically for much of everyday experience and can be enhanced by attention and by the formation of interactive mental pictures. Neuroimaging shows activation of visual cortical areas during both the encoding and the retrieval of visual memories.

When information is retained in the form of a mental picture, the encoding has been visual.