High-quality visuals are your most effective tool for standing out on Google. Your images are often the first point of connection with potential customers across AI Experiences, Shopping ads, Free Listings, and Search.
Building a rich visual portfolio goes beyond uploading one main image to showcase your product. By uploading a diverse range of high-quality images for every item, including different angles, lifestyle settings, and detail shots, you give shoppers what they need to make confident purchase decisions.
On this page
- Best Practices for a high-quality image portfolio
- Feed attributes
- Troubleshooting and common disapprovals
- Best practices checklist
Best Practices for a high-quality image portfolio
Follow these guidelines to make your products more appealing to shoppers and ensure they can show in more places across Google search and Shopping results.
Defining a high-quality image
Your main product image (image_link) is the default image shoppers see. To ensure it looks professional and clear, follow these guidelines:
- Background style: Solid background recommended.
- Focus on a crisp "hero shot" of the entire product on a clean, solid white or light neutral background.
- Staged or lifestyle images that clearly show the product are also acceptable.
- Recommended size: Aim for 1500 x 1500 pixels or larger to ensure your product looks great across all formats, including on high-resolution devices and TVs.
- Recognizable angle: Choose a primary angle (such as a front or 3-quarters view) that clearly showcases the main features of the product.
- Sharp and clear focus: The image must be in-focus, well-lit, and not blurry or pixelated.
- Clear product focus: The product should fill 75% to 90% of the frame, showing the complete silhouette without cutting off edges or details.
Building a complete image portfolio
Rather than relying on a single picture, successful merchants build a complete visual story for every product. To showcase different aspects of your product and appeal to different shopper preferences, we recommend adding at least 5+ additional images [additional_image_link]:
- Alternate main "hero" images: Clear images of the product from different primary angles (such as side or back views) on clean backgrounds. Ensure these are also high-resolution and meet the same quality standards as your main image.
- At least one solid background image per product: Ensure your portfolio contains at least one image with a solid white or light neutral background. This can be your main image, or an additional one.
- At least one lifestyle shot: Show the product in use in an authentic, real-world context, such as apparel worn by a model, furniture staged in a room, or outdoor gear in use. This can also be submitted using
lifestyle_image_link, but isn't required. - Detail and supplemental shots: Close-ups of texture, fabric, or stitching, as well as packaging or included accessories.
Feed attributes
When submitting your image assets through your product feed, assign them to the correct attributes below.
Primary image (image_link)
The image_link attribute defines your product’s main image across Google. It's the primary visual shown before a customer clicks your listing.
Additional images (additional_image_link)
Use additional_image_link to provide up to 10 supplementary images showcasing details, scale, and alternate angles.
- Usage: Add up to 10 URLs to give shoppers a complete view of the product.
- Technical Rules: Must meet the exact same file size, resolution, and URL requirements as your primary image.
Lifestyle photography (lifestyle_image_link)
Use lifestyle_image_link to showcase your product in an authentic, real-world environment or staged setting.
- Usage: Feature full-set arrangements, vibrant background colors, or contextual environments to boost shopper engagement during discovery searches.
- Technical Rules: Must follow the same technical URL, format, and resolution guidelines as primary images.
Troubleshooting and common disapprovals
| Issue | What happened | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Promotional overlays | Image contains text, watermarks, promotional claims, or logos. | Remove all text and graphics from the image asset and re-upload. |
| Image too small | Resolution is below minimum pixel requirements. | Upload a high-resolution version (at least 500 x 500 pixels, aim for 1500 x 1500 pixels or larger). |
| Crawl error / broken URL | Googlebot can’t reach the image link. | Verify the URL starts with http/https and isn't restricted by your robots.txt file. |
Best practices checklist
Use this quick checklist for your images:
- Core image is 1500 x 1500 pixels (recommended) or larger on a clean neutral background.
- Asset is completely free of text overlays, watermarks, borders, and brand logos.
- At least 3 additional angles and lifestyle images are included.
- Image URLs are publicly accessible, stable, and crawlable.
- Proper IPTC metadata is attached if images are synthetic or AI-assisted.