Help customers and search engines understand your images while checking that they load quickly and correctly.
This guide applies to image work in Go, Plus and Pro. Delivery and display depend on the active theme, image component and image service. Automatic image optimization does not replace suitable originals, descriptive text or checking the actual page.
Choose a suitable original
Use a clear image at a size appropriate to its display area. Avoid an unnecessarily large file when the subject does not need that resolution. JPEG often suits photographs, PNG may be needed for transparency and GIF for existing animations. Check which formats the particular upload field accepts; supported formats can differ between image fields.
Write meaningful image text
Use a descriptive file name and provide a relevant image description or alternative text where the field is available. Describe the subject and what matters for choosing the product, such as its colour or detail. Avoid keyword lists. Decorative and product images serve different purposes; alternative text should help someone who cannot see the image.
Understand automatic image delivery
The shop’s image solution can deliver adapted sizes and formats, such as WebP or AVIF. This does not mean that every uploaded image is always converted to one format or that all themes use identical optimization. Assess the image actually loaded on the page rather than only the original file extension.
The image component can also choose different sizes for different screens and defer images further down the page. Do not add a separate script that optimizes the same images without checking theme compatibility. Overlapping solutions can worsen display and loading.
Check the result and troubleshoot
Open an actual product or content page on mobile and desktop. Check sharpness, cropping and that every image loads.
Check that visitors can access the product and image, and that the correct image is attached. Adding keywords does not make a broken or private image searchable.
If a change is missing, check the shop, language and saved product, then reload the page and inspect the image URL if the problem remains.
Measure a representative page to assess loading and layout shifts. A different image format does not guarantee a particular Core Web Vitals score or Google ranking.
Quick start
Choose a clear, appropriately sized original.
Provide a relevant image description.
Check actual display and loading.
Measure the page before attributing a result to optimization.
Image work is available in Go, Plus and Pro. The actual theme and image field determine which optimizations and text fields are available.
