Within the very beginning of building your Shopify store, uploading images and files are inevitable. Whether it’s a picture of your product, favicon of your store, or a PDF of product descriptions – everything sums up to be a revenue-growing motive.
In this article, we will list and review several methods on how to upload new images and files to a Shopify store. You’ll also find step-by-step guides, tips & tricks for efficient image optimization, and other additional information. So, read on and answer all your burning questions!
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Try TinyIMG todayHow to upload Shopify images
On Shopify, to upload images, you can use tools like Shopify Files, Theme or Text Editor, and Metafields. However, each method is best for different intentions and carries peculiar limitations.
So, without further ado, let’s find out more about each method to upload Shopify images to your online store and even learn how to proceed with one.
Make sure you get familiar with Shopify image requirements
Use Shopify Files
If you’re looking for a clear-cut way to upload an image to your Shopify media library, using the Shopify Files method is the best way to go. This section can be found even in the Basic plan owner’s Settings.
What you should note before moving further with it is that the maximum file size is 20 MBs with a resolution of 20 megapixels. However, any file type, excluding HTML, can be uploaded if you’re not on trial. As a trial user, you can choose from types like JPG, PNG, JSON, GIF, and other graphical file formats (but not text files).
Is this option for you? Follow the steps below and add images through the Files section:
- Head to your Shopify store admin and locate Settings.
- In the menu on your left, find Files.
- Click the “Upload files” button colored in green.
- Add your preferred images or files.
- To get the link, locate the newly added file or image and click on the Link icon.
Use Shopify Theme Editor
For those who want not only to add images to the Shopify store but also customize the store theme, Shopify Theme Editor can be a great way to go. This is a quick and beginner-friendly option if you need to upload file types like JPG, PNG, GIF, and similar to these. And the image size should be no bigger than 20 MB.
Follow the steps below if adding images via Theme Editor is on your to-do list:
- From Shopify Admin, head to Online Store and then Themes.
- Locate the theme you wish to edit and click Customize.
- Through the dropdown menu, select the template you want to edit.
- In the Theme Editor sidebar, choose the section or block that you want to add the image to.
- Click “Select image” and add one from your device or explore for free images and add your favorite one.
- After you select the image, click Save to finalize the process.
Use Shopify Rich Text Editor
Using this method, you can upload images only. The Rich Text Editor can be found nearly anywhere in the Shopify admin profile; hence it’s a quick and easy way to add your wanted images to the store.
For example, you can find the Rich Text editor in the product description and insert an image there. Here’s how:
- Navigate to the Shopify store admin and locate Products.
- In the Description tab, find the image icon, click on it, and upload your wanted image.
- Add the uploaded image to the product description section, along with selecting the actual size of the image.
- To get the image URL, open it in a new tab and copy the link.
- Close the products editor.
Use Shopify Metafields
Shopify Metafields allows you to add not only images but also files. These custom fields can be found in Shopify admin, and they also include an intuitive UI editor.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that as for the images, Shopify Metafields support PNG, JPEG, and GIF formats only that don’t exceed the 20 MB limit.
To add an image using Shopify Metafields, follow the steps below:
- Head to your Shopify store admin and choose the Settings section.
- Locate the Products section and then choose “Add definition”.
- Add the name and description to your metafield.
- Find the option “Select content type”, choose File, and select whether you want to add images only or any type of file.
- Head back to the main Products page and select a product.
- Scroll down and find the Metafields section, then upload your added file.
Suggested reading
- Learn more about Shopify metafields and how to use them
Shopify image formats you can upload
The selection of image formats that Shopify supports is not limited to only two of the most popular ones – PNG or JPEG. And each format carries its own purpose.
Here, we will review the top 3 image formats that are the most popular among Shopify sellers and users:
- PNG. Portable Network Graphic is one of the most commonly used image formats on Shopify. It’s used for logos, headers, and product images. Yet, keep in mind that PNG is a quite heavy format and can impact the page loading time. On the bright side, it reduces file size without impacting your image quality.
- JPEG (or JPG). Just like PNG, JPEG is also a popular Shopify-supported format suitable for your product images, header image, and logo. The difference between these two formats is that JPEG takes less space. Therefore, this format is better for the page loading speed.
- GIF. These image files, which can be either static or animated, are popular to use in the Shopify store for graphics or logos. They also use lossless compression (doesn’t reduce image quality while reducing the file size). Nevertheless, the list of supported image colors is small compared to JPEG or PNG, so the quality isn’t the best one you can have.
Apart from our listed ones, you can also use HEIC, WebP, and AVIF Shopify image formats. However, no matter what format your uploaded image carries, Shopify automatically detects what formats are supported by your customer’s browser and adapts it accordingly.
More tips for Shopify images
Images are inseparable from a well-performing Shopify store. And as we already figured out how to upload them to your store, it’s also important to keep in mind these additional optimization details:
- Focal point. It can be set in the image so particular parts of the picture wouldn’t get cropped while the image itself is displayed in different pages. Consequently, this practice is very useful for responsive layouts where a different sizing will be used.
- Proper image name. Instead of uploading your image using a default name that ends with .PNG or .JPEG, we recommend using a short description of what’s shown in the image and separating words with hyphens. This way, Google will find the keywords to rank you with easier.
- Accurate alt texts. This is another factor that increases your luck in search engines. For alt texts, use short but precise descriptions that explain what is displayed in the image.
- Lazy-loading. This method will improve your store page’s loading time as the images won’t preload to your customer right until he reaches that specific part of the page. Learn more from our guide to Shopify lazyloading.
- Shopify image optimization apps. When building an online store, there are tons of things to take care of; therefore additional and professional help is crucial. Find the best Shopify app for image optimization and enjoy properly performing images effortlessly!
How to upload other Shopify files
The most straightforward way to upload various Shopify files is through the Shopify Files page or Metafields found in the admin’s Settings section. However, you can select to add up to 20 files simultaneously with a maximum size of 20 MB per attachment.
You can add any type of file there is, except HTML. So, it can be:
- PDF, which is mostly used for document files,
- CSV for table structured text files,
- JSON for sharing data,
- and more (CSS, JS, and others)
What’s also great is that adding video files is possible as well. But keep in mind that supported formats are only MOV or MP4, and the video must be no bigger than 1 GB with a maximum length of 10 minutes.
Unfortunately, trial users can’t upload anything except images, but that’s what reviews like ours are for!
After you've uploaded your files to Shopify, we suggest to:
- Optimize your Shopify images. It'll improve both your store speed and SEO performance
- Check, if all Shopify SEO best practices are implemented
- Get inspired with more tips for starting a successful Shopify store
