Image Wrong Format
Your product image URL points to a file in an unsupported format. Google accepts: JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg), PNG (.png), GIF (.gif, non-animated), BMP (.bmp), TIFF (.tif, .tiff), and WebP (.webp). Unsupported formats include: SVG, HEIC/HEIF (iPhone default), AVIF (recent support), PDF, animated GIF, and RAW formats. Even correctly-formatted files with wrong extensions cause issues.
Invalid value [image_link] — unsupported formatImpact: Wrong image format causes immediate disapproval. Google accepts only specific image formats (JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, WebP) and fails products with other formats (PDF, SVG, HEIC, AVIF for older feeds). Products without a valid image format are pulled from Shopping until the images are converted.
Root Causes
- 1Images uploaded from iPhones are stored as HEIC by default — Google doesn't support HEIC.
- 2SVG images used for logos or illustrations — Shopping requires raster formats for product images.
- 3Your CDN auto-converts images to AVIF which older feed processors may not yet support.
- 4File extension mismatch: file named .jpg but is actually a PNG or other format — or vice versa.
- 5Animated GIFs used as product images — Google accepts static GIFs only.
Fix by Platform
- 1Shopify accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP. HEIC uploads are auto-converted but sometimes fail — re-upload problematic images as JPG.
- 2For HEIC images: convert to JPG before upload. On Mac: open in Preview → File → Export → choose JPEG. On iPhone: Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible (this makes future captures JPG).
- 3For SVG product images: convert to PNG or JPG at high resolution (2000×2000px). SVGs aren't accepted by Shopping even though Shopify allows their upload.
- 4Shopify's auto-WebP conversion is Google-compatible. But verify the underlying source is a valid raster image — you can't serve WebP from an SVG source.
- 5Bulk reformat: export product images via Shopify's admin, convert in batch via ImageMagick or an online converter, re-upload.
When This Doesn't Apply
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Frequently Asked Questions
What image formats does Google Shopping accept?+
Six formats: JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg) — best for photos, PNG (.png) — best for graphics with transparency, GIF (.gif) — non-animated only, BMP (.bmp) — less efficient but accepted, TIFF (.tif, .tiff) — typically for print sources, WebP (.webp) — modern efficient format. JPG and PNG are most common and best-supported.
Why doesn't Google accept HEIC/HEIF images?+
HEIC is Apple's proprietary format with limited cross-browser support. Chrome, Firefox, and older browsers can't natively display HEIC. Google requires formats that work universally across devices and browsers. Convert HEIC to JPG before upload — most image editors can do this, and iPhones can be set to capture in JPG directly (Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible).
Can I use WebP for product images?+
Yes, WebP is supported by Google Shopping. WebP provides better compression than JPG (often 25–35% smaller files at the same quality), faster page loads, and is supported by all modern browsers. Many platforms auto-convert JPG/PNG uploads to WebP for faster display — this is fine for Shopping. Make sure your WebP files are actually valid (some conversion tools produce broken WebP).
My image looks fine but Google says the format is wrong. What's happening?+
Two common causes: (1) file extension doesn't match actual format — the file is named 'image.jpg' but the actual content is PNG or HEIC. Fix: re-export as the correct format and re-upload. (2) Server returns wrong Content-Type header — your server says the image is 'application/octet-stream' instead of 'image/jpeg'. Fix: check your server's MIME type configuration for image extensions.