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What Are the Google Merchant Center Image Requirements?

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omersekinci

Google Merchant Center

What Are the Google Merchant Center Image Requirements?

Google Merchant Center moves to a 500 x 500 pixel image minimum in 2027. Here are the current limits, the new rule, what's banned and how to prepare.

Prepared by the Oxford Impulse team with AI assistance
Published
6 min read

You open Google Merchant Center and see a warning you haven’t met before: “Image too small for upcoming enforcement”[3]. Your products may still be live. But something is clearly coming, and you’d like to know what before it arrives. Here are the Google Merchant Center image requirements, including the new 500 x 500 pixel rule.

The short answer

Every product needs an image_link[1], and from 31 January 2027 both image_link and additional_image_link must be at least 500 x 500 pixels across all categories and marketing methods[3]. Until then the minimums are 250 x 250 pixels for apparel and 100 x 100 for everything else[4]. Google recommends 1500 x 1500 pixels or larger[1].

The Google Merchant Center image size requirement, old and new

Two rules sit side by side right now, so it helps to separate them.

  • Current minimums: 250 x 250 pixels for apparel, 100 x 100 pixels for other products[4].
  • New minimum: 500 x 500 pixels for image_link and additional_image_link, enforced from 31 January 2027[3].
  • Recommended size: 1500 x 1500 pixels or above[1].

This is Google’s official guidance. Don’t plan around when the new warnings first appear in your account. Plan around the enforcement date.

The practical point: if your catalogue has images at 300 x 300 or 400 x 400, they meet today’s minimums but fall short of the 2027 rule. Fixing them now means you only do the work once.

What “Image too small for upcoming enforcement” means

This warning flags products whose images are under 500 x 500 pixels, ahead of enforcement on 31 January 2027[3]. Google has also said it is optimising some small images itself[3], but you shouldn’t rely on that. You can’t control what it does or doesn’t improve.

The “Image too small” issue is different. That one means the image is under the current minimum, and the product is affected now. Google’s help page covers the fix[4].

How to check which products are affected

  1. Open Google Merchant Center and find the list of product issues.
  2. Look for the “Image too small for upcoming enforcement” warning[3].
  3. Open the issue to see the list of affected products.
  4. Export or note the product IDs, then find the source image for each in your store.

Diagnose the cause before you fix it. The image in your feed may be a resized copy, while a larger original sits in your media library. Open the image_link URL in a browser, check the dimensions, then compare them with the original upload.

Image formats, file size and URL rules

For image_link, these are the basics from Google’s specification[1]:

  • The image_link attribute is required for every product.
  • The URL can be up to 2,000 characters.
  • Your robots.txt must allow both Googlebot and Googlebot-image to crawl it.
  • No image over 64 megapixels or 16MB.

Accepted formats are JPEG, WebP, PNG, non-animated GIF, BMP and TIFF[1][6]. Animated GIFs are out.

Watch out

A blocked image folder can cause image problems that have nothing to do with the photo itself. If your robots.txt disallows your uploads directory for all crawlers, Google can’t fetch the file, and it won’t matter how good the picture is[1]. Check the robots.txt file at the root of your domain and look for Disallow lines that cover your image paths.

If products are being disapproved over images or anything else, this guide to fixing products not showing in Google Shopping walks through the wider checks: https://oxfordimpulse.com/fix-products-not-showing-google-shopping/

What images are not allowed

Google’s guidelines are strict about what can appear on the main image[1][6]. These are not allowed:

  • Promotional elements or overlays, such as “Sale” badges or free delivery banners
  • Stock photo watermarks
  • Copyright symbols
  • Graphic stamps
  • Borders
  • Placeholders or generic images
  • Text such as “Coming soon” or “No image available”

One way this happens is when banner-style creative made for ads or the website ends up in the feed. A clean product photo with nothing added on top avoids these issues. Keep the promotional versions for your site and other marketing.

If your store has a “no image yet” placeholder, make sure it never reaches the feed. A product with no real photo shouldn’t be submitted until it has one.

Automatic image improvements

Merchant Center has an option that tries to remove text, watermarks, overlays or logos from your images. You’ll find it under Products, then Automations. It’s off by default[5].

Treat it as a backup rather than the main fix. It may help with a handful of stragglers, but the results may vary from product to product. Fix the source files for anything important.

Additional images: how many and why

The additional_image_link attribute lets you send up to 10 extra images per product. It’s optional but recommended[2][6]. Use it for different angles, close-ups of materials, size or scale shots and the product in use.

One catch. The 500 x 500 minimum applies to additional images too[3]. An additional image below the minimum isn’t disapproved, but it won’t be shown[2]. So a low-resolution extra doesn’t break the listing. It just does nothing.

You don’t need 10 for every product. Start with a few good ones on your best sellers, then work down the catalogue.

A pre-submission checklist for Merchant Center images

Run the checklist on your top sellers first, then check the product issues again after your feed next updates.

If you’d rather hand the audit over or want help with feed setup beyond images, Oxford Impulse can help: https://oxfordimpulse.com/google-merchant-center/

FAQs

What is the minimum image size for Google Merchant Center?

Right now it’s 250 x 250 pixels for apparel and 100 x 100 pixels for other products[4]. From 31 January 2027 the minimum becomes 500 x 500 pixels for all categories[3].

What size should product images be for Google Shopping?

Google recommends 1500 x 1500 pixels or above[1]. That gives you room above the 500 x 500 minimum. Keep files within 16MB and 64 megapixels[1].

What does “Image too small for upcoming enforcement” mean?

It’s a warning that an image is below 500 x 500 pixels, the minimum enforced from 31 January 2027[3]. Until then, the current minimums of 250 x 250 pixels for apparel and 100 x 100 for other products apply[4]. Replace the image before the enforcement date.

What image formats does Google Merchant Center accept?

JPEG, WebP, PNG, non-animated GIF, BMP and TIFF are accepted[1][6]. Animated GIFs aren’t.

What is the maximum file size for a product image?

No image can be over 16MB or 64 megapixels[1]. If a file is larger, compress or resize it before uploading, keeping it at 500 x 500 pixels or more[3].

Can you add a watermark or overlay to product images?

No. Promotional elements, overlays, stock photo watermarks, copyright symbols and graphic stamps are all not allowed[1][6]. Keep branded creative for other channels.

How many additional images can you add per product?

You can add up to 10 using additional_image_link[6]. It’s optional but recommended[2]. Choose images that show real differences, such as angle, detail or use.

Do additional images need to be 500 x 500 pixels too?

Yes, from 31 January 2027 the new minimum covers additional_image_link as well as image_link[3]. At present an undersized additional image isn’t disapproved, but it won’t be shown[2].

Why might an image_link not work in Merchant Center?

Check for a URL over 2,000 characters, a robots.txt that blocks Googlebot or Googlebot-image, an unsupported format or a file over 16MB or 64 megapixels[1][6]. Opening the URL in a private browser window is a quick way to confirm the image loads.

Should you turn on automatic image improvements?

It’s off by default, and the choice is yours[5]. It tries to remove text, watermarks, overlays or logos from your images[5]. Fixing the original files keeps the result in your hands.

Sources

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Prepared by

Oxford Impulse

Google Partner

How we make our guides: the Oxford Impulse team prepares them from official documentation with the help of AI. Ömer S. Ekinci reviews guides after they are published. A guide marked "Reviewed" has been read and checked by Ömer S. Ekinci against its sources.

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What Are the Google Merchant Center Image Requirements?

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