Google Shopping Product Image Requirements and Best Practices
The image rules that prevent Merchant Center disapprovals, and the best practices that make products more clickable.
In Google Shopping, the product image is the first thing shoppers see β and one of the most common reasons products get disapproved. Meeting the requirements keeps products live; following best practices makes them stand out.
Minimum requirements
- Size: at least 100 Γ 100 pixels for most products, and at least 250 Γ 250 pixels for apparel. Larger is much better β 800 Γ 800 pixels or more is a sensible target.
- Formats: common formats such as JPEG, PNG, WebP, non-animated GIF, BMP and TIFF are accepted.
- Accurate: the image must show the actual product being sold, including the right colour for variants.
- Reachable: the image URL must work and must not be blocked by robots.txt or require a login.
What gets images disapproved
- Promotional overlays β text such as "Sale", "Free shipping", prices or call-to-action buttons on the image.
- Watermarks and logos covering the product.
- Borders and frames.
- Placeholder or generic images β "image coming soon", a logo instead of the product.
- Multiple products in the main image when you sell one.
- Images too small or blurry.
Best practices for more clicks
- Use a plain white or light background for the main image.
- Make the product fill most of the frame.
- Use good lighting and sharp focus.
- Add extra angles and lifestyle shots with
additional_image_link. - Use the same main image on the product page and in the feed.
Check images before uploading the feed
Broken or unreachable images are an easy error to prevent. Test every image_link in bulk with the image URL checker, then validate the full feed with the Merchant Center feed validator.
For page speed and image search, see how to optimize images for SEO. For the full feed rules, read Merchant Center feed requirements.
A practical photo setup for small shops
You do not need a studio. A large window with soft daylight, a sheet of white board behind the product and a phone camera are enough for clean product photos. Shoot from the same angle for every product, keep the product centred and filling most of the frame, and take extra shots from the side, back and in use. Edit only for brightness and cropping β do not add text or borders to the main image.
Common image errors and fixes
- "Image too small" β upload a larger original; do not upscale a small one.
- "Promotional overlay" β remove text and badges from the main image; keep them for your website banners.
- "Image can't be crawled" β check the URL loads publicly and is not blocked by robots.txt.
- "Generic image" β replace placeholders with a real photo of the product.
After fixing, request a re-review of affected products in Merchant Center diagnostics.
Related guides
More free tools: browse all our free utility tools, no sign-up needed.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best image size for Google Shopping?
At least 800 Γ 800 pixels is a good target; the minimum is 100 Γ 100 (250 Γ 250 for apparel).
Can I add text to product images?
Not to the main image. Promotional text causes disapprovals.
Why does Merchant Center say my image cannot be crawled?
The URL may be broken, blocked by robots.txt, behind a login or on a slow server.
Are lifestyle images allowed?
Yes, as additional images. The main image should clearly show the product.