Key takeaways
- Go to Products > select a product > scroll to the Images section to add or replace images.
- Shopify supports WebP, JPEG, PNG, and GIF formats.
- Compress images to under 500KB before uploading for best performance.
- Drag images in the media section to reorder them after uploading.
Product images are one of the biggest drivers of conversion on any Shopify store. Blurry, inconsistent, or slow-loading images lose sales. Here’s how to keep your product gallery updated and performing well.
Why you can trust us
We’ve built and customised hundreds of Shopify storefronts. We also built Fudge - an AI storefront editor with a 5.0 rating on the Shopify App Store.
How to add or replace a product image in Shopify
Step 1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products.
Step 2. Click the product you want to update.
Step 3. Scroll down to the Media section. You’ll see all existing images here.
Step 4. To add a new image, click the + button or drag and drop files directly into the media area. Shopify accepts WebP, JPEG, PNG, and GIF files.
Step 5. To replace an existing image, hover over it and click the … menu > Edit. You can swap it for a new file or update the alt text.
Step 6. Click Save at the top right.
File formats Shopify accepts
Shopify supports four image formats for product media:
- WebP - best for quality-to-file-size ratio, ideal for most product shots
- JPEG - widely compatible, good for photos
- PNG - supports transparency, good for logos or images with flat backgrounds
- GIF - animated images (though MP4 video is better for animated product demos)
Shopify’s maximum file size is 20MB per image, but you should stay well under that for performance.
Why image compression matters
Page speed directly affects conversion rates. Large images slow down your product pages, and slow pages lose customers.
Before uploading, compress your images to under 500KB for most product shots. For hero-style images where quality is critical, aim for under 1MB.
Good free tools for compression:
- Squoosh (squoosh.app) - convert to WebP and set quality level manually
- TinyPNG - quick drag-and-drop compression for PNG and JPEG
- ezgif.com - for GIF optimization
Shopify does apply some automatic image optimization when serving images via its CDN, but it’s not a substitute for uploading well-compressed source files.
How many product images should you have?
There’s no fixed rule, but the most effective product pages typically include:
- 1-2 clean product-only shots on a white or neutral background
- 1-2 lifestyle shots showing the product in context
- A close-up showing texture or detail if relevant
- A size or scale reference image for physical products
More images are better than fewer, up to the point where they become repetitive. Most high-converting Shopify stores use 4-8 images per product.
Consistent image sizing
Inconsistent image dimensions cause your product grid to look messy. Set a standard aspect ratio before uploading - square (1:1) and portrait (4:5) are the most common in Shopify themes.
If your images are different sizes, use a tool like Canva or Adobe Express to pad them to a consistent canvas before uploading.
How to delete a product image in Shopify
Hover over the image in the media section and click the … menu, then select Delete. Shopify will ask you to confirm before removing it permanently.
Note: deleting an image from a product does not delete it from your Shopify Files section. If you uploaded it to Files separately, you’d need to remove it there too.
When the Theme Editor is involved
The images section in the Products admin covers your product media gallery. But some images - like those used in featured product sections or promotional banners on product pages - are set inside the Theme Editor.
If you can’t find where to change an image and it’s not in the product admin, go to Online Store > Themes > Customize and look for it there.
