Google Shopping images: the 500 x 500 pixel minimum arrives on 31 January, and here’s what to check now

Nico Bértolo · 2026-11-02

In short

  • From 31 January 2027, Google Merchant Center requires at least 500 x 500 pixels for image_link and additional_image_link, across every product category and listing format.
  • Warnings have been showing in Merchant Center since 14 April 2026. Google will improve some small images itself without saying which, and recommends 1,500 x 1,500 pixels or more.
  • This week: pull the list of flagged products, fix your best sellers first and keep Black Friday text off your feed images.

Google Shopping images will need to be at least 500 x 500 pixels from 31 January 2027. Google set this out in its 2026 Merchant Center product data specification update, and it applies to every product category and every format: Shopping ads and free listings. If your Shopify store is connected to Google, most of your photos probably clear the bar easily. The trouble is the ones that don’t, which tend to be variants, bundles and products you uploaded in a hurry.

  • 31 Jan: The date Google starts enforcing the 500 x 500 pixel minimum.
  • 14 Apr: Since then Merchant Center has flagged images that fall short.
  • 1,500 px: The size per side Google recommends to perform well in every format.

What is changing for Google Merchant Center images?

The general minimum used to be lower. With the update published on 14 April 2026, Google raises it: the main image (image_link) and additional images (additional_image_link) must be at least 500 x 500 pixels “across all product categories and marketing methods”. Warnings started on 14 April and enforcement begins on 31 January 2027.

Google also says it will start optimising some images under 500 x 500 so they meet the requirement and the product isn’t disapproved. It doesn’t say which ones or how it decides. Those optimised images are still flagged, and the fix Google gives is the same: submit a larger image. Don’t rely on it for your best sellers.

In August Google emailed advertisers, and in late September it marked the notice as important in its help centre, according to Search Engine Roundtable. The same notice recommends images of 1,500 x 1,500 pixels or more.

Which Shopify stores are actually affected?

Hardly any on the main photo, and plenty in the corners of the catalogue. Small photos tend to hide in the same places:

  • Colour variants with their own photo, shot on a phone or cropped from another image.
  • Photos sent by the supplier or manufacturer, made for a print catalogue rather than the web.
  • Bundles, gift boxes and sets mocked up in Canva at a small size.
  • Old products migrated as they were from a previous platform.

If you sell clothing, watch the variants. If Google shows the variant image and that’s the small one, that’s the product that stops showing.

How do I find the images that don’t comply?

The quickest route is Merchant Center. Google lists it under “Needs attention”, in the warning history, as “Image too small for upcoming enforcement”. From there you can view and download the affected products.

  1. Pull the list: In Merchant Center, filter by the small image warning and download the affected products. If nothing shows, check additional images too.
  2. Sort it by sales: Match the list against the last 90 days of Shopify sales. Fix what sells, and what you’ll push over Christmas, first.
  3. Upload new photos, don’t upscale: A 400 px photo stretched to 1,500 still looks bad. If you don’t have the original, ask for it or reshoot. For white-background product shots, a good phone and window light are enough.
  4. Check it reaches the feed: According to PPC Land, an image with a new URL is recrawled much sooner than one that keeps the same URL: 24 to 72 hours versus weeks. Uploading a new photo in Shopify creates a new file, so that usually does it.

Can I put my Black Friday discount on the photo?

Not on the one you send to Google. Merchant Center image rules don’t allow promotional elements: calls to action, prices, words like “sale”, watermarks or borders. A “-30%” sticker can get the product disapproved in the very week it should sell most. The discount belongs in the feed’s sale price (sale_price) and, if you use them, Merchant Center promotions.

On your own store you can flag the offer however you like, but a badge on the product card beats text baked into the photo: it changes in a minute and doesn’t break the feed. More in how to prepare your Shopify store for Black Friday.

Our view at 224: the photos Google rejects for being small also sell less on your product page. Fixing them for Merchant Center is fixing your [product page](/blog/por-que-tu-ficha-de-producto-no-vende). Upload large images, but compress them: Shopify serves optimised versions, yet a catalogue of 8 MB files still weighs. More in [how to speed up your Shopify store](/blog/como-acelerar-tu-tienda-shopify).

What would I do this week?

Pull the list today and fix the 20 best-selling products before 15 November, when it’s wise to stop changing the store. The rest can wait for early December or January, with room to spare before the 31st. What I wouldn’t do is leave it for the last week of January: that’s sales season, and any disapproval hurts more.

Does your catalogue have more weak photos than you think? We review your store and feed and tell you what to fix first. Book a call

Sources

  1. Merchant Center product data specification update 2026 · Google Merchant Center (ayuda oficial)
  2. Google Merchant Center Product Images Minimum Size Will Be 500x500 Pixels · Search Engine Roundtable
  3. Google blocks product images under 500 x 500 pixels from 31 January 2027 · PPC Land

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum image size for Google Shopping in 2027?

From 31 January 2027, at least 500 x 500 pixels for both the main and additional images, in every category. Google recommends 1,500 x 1,500 pixels or more.

What happens if an image is smaller than 500 x 500 pixels?

From 31 January the product can be disapproved and stop showing in ads and free listings. Google will optimise some small images itself but doesn’t say which.

Where can I see which products have small images in Merchant Center?

Under “Needs attention”, with the warning that the image is too small for upcoming enforcement. Google has shown it since 14 April 2026.

Can I add discount text to Google Shopping images?

No. Merchant Center doesn’t allow promotional elements in images, such as prices, calls to action or watermarks. Show the discount through the feed’s sale price.

Does upscaling a small photo to 500 x 500 work?

It may pass the check, but the photo will look worse on Google and on your store. Upload the original or reshoot the product instead.