The guide
What changes on January 31, 2027
Google has raised the minimum size of product images in Merchant Center to 500 × 500 pixels for every product category. Until now the floor was 100 × 100 (250 × 250 for clothing).
- Main image (Google's
image_link, your first product image in Shopify): under 500 px on either side and the product is disapproved, so it stops showing in Shopping ads and free listings. - Additional images (
additional_image_link): the same minimum applies; Google skips the ones that are too small. - Google recommends 1500 × 1500. Merchant Center has shown warnings for small images since 2026.
Shopify sends your images to Google exactly as you uploaded them. Older products, supplier photos and images cropped in the admin are the usual culprits.
How to fix a small image
- Upload a larger original (1500 × 1500 or more) in the product's Media section, and drag it to the first position if it's the main image.
- Don't just upscale. Google advises against enlarging small images; blurry, stretched photos can still be flagged for low quality.
- No larger original? Re-shoot, ask your supplier, or use Google's free Product Studio from the Google & YouTube channel to generate a new image.
- Check Merchant Center → Products → Needs attention a few days after the change, once Google has recrawled your feed.
Frequently asked questions
Does this affect my store if I don't advertise on Google?
Yes, if you use the Google & YouTube channel: free listings in Google Shopping use the same Merchant Center rules. If nothing of yours goes to Merchant Center, the rule doesn't touch you, though larger images still look better on your own store.
Which products does the checker see?
The ones in your store's public product list: active products published to your Online Store, up to 1,000. Drafts and products hidden from the Online Store aren't listed.
How does it know the size?
Shopify stores each image's original width and height and publishes them with your product list. The checker compares those numbers with Google's 500 × 500 minimum; it doesn't download the images.
Why does it say "can't check" for my store?
A password page hides your products until you launch, and some stores' firewalls block automated visits. Try your mystore.myshopify.com address, or check again after launch.
What do you store?
Only a 6-hour cache of each result, so repeat checks are fast. No sign-up, no email, no list of stores. We count checks and totals in aggregate.
One more 2027 deadline
Shopify stops running app script tags on March 1, 2027. Check which apps on your store still load that way.
