What are ChatGPT Shopping's product image requirements?
3 min read
OpenAI publishes no minimum size, aspect ratio or background rule for ChatGPT Shopping images. Its product feed specification asks for one main image per variant, given as a direct link to a JPEG or PNG that anyone can open, plus optional extra views. Shopify stores reach ChatGPT through Shopify Catalog, which needs at least one product image for a product to be included. The safe size is the one Google Merchant Center recommends, 1500 x 1500 pixels or larger, because the same images usually supply Google AI Mode too.
What does OpenAI's product feed ask for in images?
| Feed field | Required | What OpenAI's specification says |
|---|---|---|
image_url | Yes | "Main product image, showing this variant. Use a direct image URL, such as a JPEG or PNG." |
additional_image_urls | No | "Additional views of this item" |
The specification adds that "Product and image URLs must be publicly accessible," so images behind a sign-in or a blocked CDN won't load for ChatGPT. Extra views are optional, but OpenAI's developer documentation says rich media, reviews and performance signals "improve ranking, relevance, and user trust" in ChatGPT. Shopify's agentic admin scores the same thing for Shopify stores: its Image coverage signal counts product images, and Shopify says more images help AI channels show your product in different contexts.
Shopify and Etsy stores need no feed, because OpenAI lists their catalogs as already integrated. Other stores apply for feed access on the same page, and OpenAI says a feed is optional when ChatGPT already crawls your site. For stores that ChatGPT only crawls, OpenAI documents no image rules.
What size should product images for ChatGPT Shopping be?
Size them for the strictest platform that uses the same files, since OpenAI names no size. Google Merchant Center, which supplies Google AI Mode Shopping, requires at least 500 x 500 pixels for every product from January 31, 2027 and recommends 1500 x 1500 or larger. An image of 1500 x 1500 pixels or more meets both.
Give each variant its own main image. ChatGPT's feed asks for the image "showing this variant," and Google asks for a different image for each variant, with no promotional text, watermarks or borders. One photo reused across every color breaks both rules.
Can ChatGPT Shopping product images be AI-generated?
Yes. OpenAI's product feed specification sets no rule about how an image was made; the main image has to show the variant it is listed under. If the same image also goes to Google Merchant Center, Google requires AI-generated images to carry metadata that says so, such as the IPTC DigitalSourceType value TrainedAlgorithmicMedia. The answer on Google Shopping and AI images explains that rule. Add the tag before upload if your image tool doesn't write it, then check the final hosted file, because exporting and compressing can strip it.
How to make a main image for every variant
Nightjar makes product images from photos of the real product, in the web app or inside Shopify admin. Save each colorway as its own Product from a phone photo, then choose Product only, a white Color setting and a soft Shadow. Make the image at 2K, where a square image is 2,048 x 2,048 pixels, and set the format to JPEG or PNG. A Photoshoot fills the extra slots with four matching views of one scene for two Credits.
Nightjar is built to keep your product true to the original: it automatically looks at every generated image and retries the ones that misrepresent the product, at no cost to you. New accounts start with 6 free Credits and no card, and free images carry no watermark. The guide to getting products on ChatGPT and Google AI Mode Shopping covers the rest of the setup.
Consistent and on brand AI photoshoots, optimized for conversion.
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