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How to fix: Invalid image encoding [image_link] or [additional_image_link]

Verify that the image format is valid and that server settings are correct

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Your product images aren't encoded in a way that Google recognizes. This prevents us from displaying your image in Shopping ads and free listings, so your products have been disapproved until the images are updated to meet our encoding standards.

Users rely on product images to make decisions when shopping online. Since images are so important, we only approve items when they provide an image in the right format. By using proper encoding on your images, you can make sure your product is ready to appear to users on Shopping ads.

Instructions

Step 1: See the affected products
  1. Sign in to your Merchant Center account.
  2. Select Products on the navigation menu, then click Diagnostics.
  3. Click the Item issues tab to view current issues affecting your products.

To download a list (.csv) of all affected products for all issues:

  • Click the download button Download next to the filter button Download, beneath the graph and above the list of issues.

To download a list (.csv) of all affected products for a particular issue:

  • Find the issue under the “Issue” column, then click the download button Download at the end of the row.

To view a list of up to 50 products with this particular issue:

  • Find the issue under the “Issue” column, then click View examples in the “Affected items” column.
Step 2: Use invalid images
  1. Filter the downloaded report so that you only see products with:
    "Issue title" = Invalid image encoding [image_link] and [additional_image_link]

  2. Search your product data for those products (using the ID), and make sure each product is using a valid image format:
    • GIF (.gif)
    • JPEG (.jpg/.jpeg)
    • PNG (.png)
    • BMP (.bmp)
    • TIFF (.tif/.tiff)
    • WebP (.webp)
Step 3: Resubmit your product data
  1. After you’ve updated your product data, resubmit it using one of these methods:
  2. Next, check that you’ve fixed the issue by making sure it’s no longer listed on the Diagnostics page.

    Keep in mind: It may take some time for your change to be reflected on the Diagnostics page.

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