Shopify product images blurry, uneven or not showing: how to fix them

Shopify product images look blurry

Shopify can only display as much detail as you uploaded. Work through these in order:

1. Check the original file. Aim for around 2048 pixels on the long side.
2. Open the image on its own at full size. If it is blurry there, the source photo is the problem.
3. Avoid re-uploading images that were already compressed or downloaded from another website.
4. Check your theme’s product media settings, since some layouts enlarge images.
5. Test on a phone as well as a desktop, because high-density screens show softness first.

Product images showing at different sizes

This is usually a ratio problem, not a pixel problem. Shopify says that to make main images display at the same size, you should use the same aspect ratio for all of them.

1. Choose one ratio, such as 1:1, for all main product images.
2. Re-export the images that do not match, adding background space rather than stretching them.
3. Look in your theme’s settings for an image ratio option on product cards. Many themes can crop or fit images to one shape.
4. Keep the product at a similar size within the frame, so products look consistent side by side.

Product images are too big

“Too big” can mean two different things:

• Too large on the page: this is a theme layout matter. Look at your theme’s media size or width settings for product pages.
• Too heavy to load: the file is larger than it needs to be. Resize to about 2048 pixels, then compress before uploading.
• Rejected on upload: Shopify’s limits are 5000 × 5000 pixels, 25 megapixels and under 20 MB.

Product images not showing or loading

• Confirm the file format is one Shopify accepts, and try re-exporting it as a JPEG or PNG.
• Open the product in the admin to check that the upload finished and the image is attached.
• If only one option shows the wrong image, check which image is assigned to each variant.
• Clear your browser cache or test in a private window, in case you are seeing an old version.
• Test with your default theme. If images appear there, the issue lies in your current theme or an app.

If images fail across your whole store at once, check Shopify’s status page before changing anything.