diff --git a/src/routes/admin/approval/[id].tsx b/src/routes/admin/approval/[id].tsx
index d72fc03..e55f5b5 100644
--- a/src/routes/admin/approval/[id].tsx
+++ b/src/routes/admin/approval/[id].tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,24 @@ import { createMemo, createResource, createSignal, For, Show, createEffect } fro
 
 const API = '';
 
+// Documents submitted for verification are stored as permanent Backblaze URLs.
+// Never render one of those directly (img src / a href) — always exchange it for
+// a short-lived signed URL through this endpoint first, on demand.
+async function presignDocUrl(url: string): Promise<string> {
+  try {
+    const res = await fetch(`${API}/api/admin/verifications/presign`, {
+      method: 'POST',
+      headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+      body: JSON.stringify({ url }),
+    });
+    if (!res.ok) return url;
+    const data = await res.json();
+    return data?.url ?? url;
+  } catch {
+    return url;
+  }
+}
+
 // ── Types ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 type RoleType =
@@ -475,23 +493,11 @@ function SubmissionViewer(props: { rows: Array<{ key: string; value: string }> }
                     <Show when={kind === 'image'}>
                       <div
                         style="background:#f1f5f9;cursor:pointer;position:relative;height:140px;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden"
-                        onClick={() => setLightbox({ src: field.value, label })}
+                        onClick={async () => setLightbox({ src: await presignDocUrl(field.value), label })}
                       >
-                        <img
-                          src={field.value}
-                          alt={label}
-                          style="max-width:100%;max-height:140px;object-fit:contain"
-                          onError={(e) => {
-                            (e.target as HTMLImageElement).style.display = 'none';
-                            ((e.target as HTMLImageElement).nextElementSibling as HTMLElement)!.style.display = 'flex';
-                          }}
-                        />
-                        <div style="display:none;width:100%;height:100%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;flex-direction:column;gap:4px;color:#94a3b8">
+                        <div style="display:flex;width:100%;height:100%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;flex-direction:column;gap:4px;color:#94a3b8">
                           <span style="font-size:32px">🖼</span>
-                          <span style="font-size:11px">Preview unavailable</span>
-                        </div>
-                        <div style="position:absolute;top:6px;right:6px;background:rgba(0,0,0,.5);color:#fff;border-radius:4px;font-size:10px;padding:2px 6px">
-                          🔍 Click to enlarge
+                          <span style="font-size:11px">Click to view</span>
                         </div>
                       </div>
                     </Show>
@@ -499,7 +505,7 @@ function SubmissionViewer(props: { rows: Array<{ key: string; value: string }> }
                     <Show when={kind === 'pdf'}>
                       <div
                         style="background:#fef2f2;cursor:pointer;height:140px;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;flex-direction:column;gap:6px"
-                        onClick={() => setPdfViewer({ src: field.value, label })}
+                        onClick={async () => setPdfViewer({ src: await presignDocUrl(field.value), label })}
                       >
                         <span style="font-size:40px">📄</span>
                         <span style="font-size:12px;color:#b91c1c;font-weight:600">PDF Document</span>
@@ -511,11 +517,17 @@ function SubmissionViewer(props: { rows: Array<{ key: string; value: string }> }
                       <div style="background:#eff6ff;height:140px;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;flex-direction:column;gap:6px">
                         <span style="font-size:40px">📎</span>
                         <span style="font-size:12px;color:#1d4ed8;font-weight:600">Document</span>
-                        <a href={field.value} target="_blank" rel="noreferrer"
-                           style="font-size:11px;color:#2563eb;text-decoration:underline"
-                           onClick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}>
+                        <button
+                          type="button"
+                          onClick={async (e) => {
+                            e.stopPropagation();
+                            const signed = await presignDocUrl(field.value);
+                            window.open(signed, '_blank', 'noopener,noreferrer');
+                          }}
+                          style="font-size:11px;color:#2563eb;background:none;border:none;padding:0;cursor:pointer;text-decoration:underline"
+                        >
                           Download
-                        </a>
+                        </button>
                       </div>
                     </Show>
 
@@ -529,7 +541,7 @@ function SubmissionViewer(props: { rows: Array<{ key: string; value: string }> }
                           <button
                             type="button"
                             style="font-size:11px;color:#2563eb;background:none;border:none;padding:0;cursor:pointer;text-decoration:underline"
-                            onClick={() => setLightbox({ src: field.value, label })}
+                            onClick={async () => setLightbox({ src: await presignDocUrl(field.value), label })}
                           >
                             🔍 View Full
                           </button>
@@ -538,15 +550,21 @@ function SubmissionViewer(props: { rows: Array<{ key: string; value: string }> }
                           <button
                             type="button"
                             style="font-size:11px;color:#b91c1c;background:none;border:none;padding:0;cursor:pointer;text-decoration:underline"
-                            onClick={() => setPdfViewer({ src: field.value, label })}
+                            onClick={async () => setPdfViewer({ src: await presignDocUrl(field.value), label })}
                           >
                             📄 Open PDF
                           </button>
                         </Show>
-                        <a href={field.value} target="_blank" rel="noreferrer"
-                           style="font-size:11px;color:#64748b;text-decoration:underline">
+                        <button
+                          type="button"
+                          onClick={async () => {
+                            const signed = await presignDocUrl(field.value);
+                            window.open(signed, '_blank', 'noopener,noreferrer');
+                          }}
+                          style="font-size:11px;color:#64748b;background:none;border:none;padding:0;cursor:pointer;text-decoration:underline"
+                        >
                           ↗ Download
-                        </a>
+                        </button>
                       </div>
                     </div>
                   </div>