Shopify 'The uploaded image exceeds the 20 megapixel limit': how to fix it
UPDATED 3 MIN READBY THE SCENOX COMMERCE TEAM
SHORT ANSWER
Shopify shows 'Validation failed: The uploaded image exceeds the 20 megapixel limit' when an image in your CSV is too large in pixel dimensions. Resize the image so width times height is under the limit, keeping it well below 5000 by 5000 pixels, host the new file and re-import.
ON THIS PAGE
An image-related import error with a number in it is easy to act on: "Validation failed: The uploaded image exceeds the 20 megapixel limit". The photo is simply too big in pixels. See the Shopify CSV import errors guide for the other image messages.
What it means
A megapixel is a million pixels. A 5472 by 3648 photo from a modern camera is just under 20 megapixels, and many studio cameras and phones in high-resolution mode produce more. Shopify rejects any image over its limit during the import.
One caution on facts. Shopify's help page quotes this error with a 20 megapixel limit, yet its documentation elsewhere gives 5000 by 5000 pixels, or 25 megapixels. The two figures disagree. Resize to be under both and the question disappears.
Causes
- Unedited camera originals uploaded straight from a photographer's folder.
- Phone photos in high-resolution mode.
- Supplier images supplied as print-quality files.
- A scan or a stitched panorama with extreme pixel dimensions.
- Large banner images accidentally included in the product image column.
- A file saved with the wrong canvas size by an editing tool, with the subject small inside a huge frame.
Worked example
The row itself looks normal, which is why the error is confusing. The problem is in the file the URL points to.
Broken, where shirt-front.jpg is 6000 by 4000 pixels, 24 megapixels:
Handle,Title,Image Src,Image Position
linen-shirt,Linen Shirt,https://cdn.example.com/linen-shirt/shirt-front.jpg,1
Fixed, after resizing to 2048 by 2048 and re-uploading under a new name:
Handle,Title,Image Src,Image Position
linen-shirt,Linen Shirt,https://cdn.example.com/linen-shirt/shirt-front-2048.jpg,1
Using a new file name matters. Caches can serve the old file if the URL stays the same.
Step-by-step fix
- Note the products or lines named in the error.
- Open each image URL and check its pixel dimensions in your image tool or browser.
- Resize anything over the limit. Target about 2048 pixels on the long edge for most products.
- Export as JPEG or PNG at sensible quality, so the file is also light for page speed.
- Upload the new files and update Image Src with the new URLs.
- Do a batch check. Most image tools, and many command line utilities, can read dimensions for a whole folder.
- Re-import with overwrite ticked.
- Check the product pages after import for cropping and quality.
Prevention
Decide on a standard output size and add resizing as the last step of image preparation, not an afterthought. Keep originals in an archive folder and only host the resized versions. Add a check for dimensions to your pre-import routine, alongside the URL check.
Square images with the subject centred also stop Shopify themes from cropping awkwardly later.
When to do it yourself and when to hand it off
Resizing a dozen photos takes a few minutes in any image editor. Resizing and renaming thousands of supplier images, then matching them to the right SKUs, is slow work that is easy to get wrong. Our bulk product upload service includes image preparation and linking, and our AI product photos service handles imagery that needs more than resizing. A person reviews every output, and you approve before anything goes live. Try the free 10-product sample if your project is a fit.
