Google Merchant Center: are your images 500 × 500?
From January 31, 2027, Google Merchant Center requires product images of at least 500 × 500 pixels. Choose photos, or paste the image links from your product feed, to see which are too small. Nothing is uploaded: this runs in your browser.
Check images
Result
Each image is checked against Google’s 500 × 500 minimum, today’s minimum, and the 64 megapixel and 16 MB maximums. Up to 500 at a time; problems are listed first.
Google’s new 500 × 500 minimum
Google Merchant Center’s help page announces the change (Google Merchant Center Help: Image too small):
“We recently announced new image size requirements of at least 500 x 500 pixels for all product images. Enforcement of the new requirements will begin January 31, 2027.”
Until then, the old minimums still apply:
“Until January 31, 2027, you can use an image that's at least 100 x 100 pixels for non-clothing and 250 x 250 pixels for clothing products.”
One place already needs 500 × 500: “For YouTube Shopping ads, images must be at least 500 x 500 pixels to serve on TV.” If you run YouTube Shopping ads, treat any image this tool marks “Too small from Jan 31, 2027” as too small for TV today.
Both sides count: an image 1,200 × 400 is under the minimum because it is only 400 pixels tall. On what happens to a product whose image is too small, the page says “we disapprove products when they don't provide an image with the right dimensions.” The rule covers “all product images”, in free listings and Shopping ads alike.
Every size limit for Merchant Center images
| Rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| Minimum from January 31, 2027 | 500 × 500 px, all products |
| Minimum until then | 100 × 100 px (250 × 250 for clothing) |
| Recommended | about 1,500 × 1,500 px or larger |
| Maximum pixels | 64 megapixels |
| Maximum file size | 16 MB |
| Formats | JPEG (.jpg/.jpeg), WebP (.webp), PNG (.png), GIF (.gif), BMP (.bmp), and TIFF (.tif/.tiff) |
The maximums and the recommendation are from the image link specification (Google Merchant Center Help: Image link [image_link]): “No image larger than 64 megapixels”, “No image file larger than 16MB”, and “When possible, we recommend that you provide images around 1500x1500 pixels or above to ensure best performance in all listing formats.”
How to find the affected products in Merchant Center
Merchant Center already flags them, so a check there is free. Google’s instructions:
“From the Needs attention tab, select “View history” and review the orange warnings on the right hand side of the page to find ”Image too small for upcoming enforcement” and “Image resolution optimizations applied”. To download a list of impacted products, click the “View fix” and then “Download impacted products" on the page that loads.”
This tool is for the step before or after that: checking photos before you upload them, or checking the image links in a feed file or spreadsheet without signing in. Check the exact link your feed sends: a store can serve the same photo at several sizes from different links.
Will Google fix small images for you?
Sometimes. The help page says: “In some cases, we may serve an optimized version of images below 500 x 500 when possible.” Merchant Center labels those products “Image resolution optimizations applied”. Google does not promise it for every image, so relying on it is a risk.
How to fix an image that is too small
The best fix is a larger original: the photo as it came from the camera or the supplier, before it was shrunk. Enlarging a small image makes it pass the size check but not look sharper, and Google advises against it: “Avoid submitting thumbnails or scaling images. We recommend that the product take no less than 75% but not more than 90% of the full image.”
When no larger original exists, the checker can make a new image from the one you have. With Shopify chosen, it cuts out the product, places it on a white square 2,048 × 2,048 px with the product filling 90% of the frame, and says when the product had to be enlarged. The first check and fix are free with no account. Shopify’s own image rules are in the Shopify product image requirements guide, and photos too large for Shopify can be checked with the Shopify megapixel checker.
What this tool does not check
It reads each image’s pixel size, and the file size of photos you choose (not of links). It does not check the background, watermarks, borders or whether the image shows the product, which Google also reviews. Images are read by your browser; a link that refuses to load in a browser is listed as “Could not read”.