Fix GMC Issues

How to Fix Image Quality Disapprovals in Google Merchant Center

Products disapproved for image issues? Learn Google's exact image requirements and how to fix common image quality problems in your Shopping feed.

Updated 3 min readBoostora Team

Why images matter in Google Shopping

Product images are the first thing shoppers see in Shopping results. They directly impact click-through rate and conversion. But beyond performance, images must meet Google’s strict technical requirements — otherwise your products get disapproved.

Google’s image requirements

Size requirements

  • Minimum: 100 × 100 pixels (non-apparel), 250 × 250 pixels (apparel)

  • Recommended: 800 × 800 pixels or larger for high-quality display

  • Maximum: 64 megapixels, 16 MB file size

Format requirements

  • Accepted formats: JPEG, PNG, GIF (non-animated), BMP, TIFF, WebP

  • URL requirements: Must start with http:// or https://, must be a crawlable URL (not behind login/paywall)

Content requirements

  • No watermarks — No brand watermarks, photographer watermarks, or stock photo watermarks

  • No promotional text — No “SALE”, “Free Shipping”, “50% OFF”, or any text overlay

  • No placeholder images — No generic “image coming soon” or category-level stock photos

  • For apparel: Product must fill at least 75% of the image frame (Google’s apparel-specific rule). For other categories, excessive white space is not a disapproval trigger but is recommended for better Shopping placement.

  • White or neutral background preferred — Not required but strongly recommended for primary image

  • No composite images for primary image — Collages, before/after, or multi-angle views belong in additional_image_link

Common image disapproval reasons

“Image too small”

Fix: Replace with higher-resolution images. If originals aren’t available, check if your CMS stores larger versions. Never upscale small images — the quality will be poor even if the pixel count passes.

“Promotional text on image”

Fix: Remove all text overlays from product images. Promo information should go in your ad copy and feed attributes (sale_price, promotion), not on the image itself.

“Generic / placeholder image”

Fix: Replace with actual product photos. Every product needs its own unique image. Category-level or brand-level images don’t count.

“Image not crawlable”

Fix: Ensure the image URL is accessible to Googlebot. Check that: robots.txt isn’t blocking the image directory, the image URL returns a 200 status code, there’s no authentication required.

Image optimization best practices

  • Use white or light neutral background for primary images

  • Show the product from the front, filling most of the frame

  • Use lifestyle/contextual images as additional_image_link (up to 10 extra images)

  • Compress images for fast loading without losing quality (use WebP format where supported)

  • Use consistent image dimensions across your catalog for a professional appearance in Shopping results

  • For apparel: shoot on a model or flat lay — don’t use just a color swatch

Checking your images at scale

For large catalogs, manual image checking isn’t practical. Automate it:

  • Check all image URLs return 200 status codes

  • Verify minimum resolution requirements per category

  • Detect duplicate/placeholder images across products

  • Flag images with text overlays (OCR-based detection)

Related guides