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Slow Shopify stores lose customers. Research consistently shows that a one-second delay in page load time can reduce conversions by up to 7%. For most Shopify merchants, oversized product images are the single biggest culprit — and the easiest fix.
This guide shows you exactly how to optimize images for Shopify before you upload them, using free browser-based tools. No apps, no monthly fees, no server uploads.
Why image optimization matters for Shopify
Shopify is a well-built platform, but it cannot fix problems you create at the source. When you upload a 4MB product photo, Shopify stores that file and generates smaller versions from it. All those generated sizes are derived from your bloated original.
Problems:
- Slower FCP — Core Web Vitals affect your search ranking
- Higher bounce rates on mobile — pages taking 3+ seconds get abandoned
- Wasted storage — unoptimized images compound across hundreds of SKUs
Shopify image size requirements
| Image Type | Dimensions | Target Size |
|---|---|---|
| Product images | 2048 x 2048 px | Under 200KB |
| Collection images | 1024 x 1024 px | Under 150KB |
| Slideshow / Banner | 1920 x 1080 px | Under 300KB |
| Logo | 250 x 250 px max | — |
| Favicon | 32 x 32 px | — |
| Blog post images | 1200 x 628 px | Under 200KB |
The 3-step workflow (before upload)
Takes under 2 minutes per batch. Everything runs in your browser.
Step 1: Resize — Use SammaPix ResizePack to resize to exact dimensions. Product images 2048x2048, banners 1920x1080.
Step 2: Compress — Use SammaPix Compress at 80% quality. The sweet spot: human eye cannot detect quality loss, but file sizes drop dramatically. Batch up to 20 images.
Step 3: Convert to WebP — Use SammaPix WebP. Shopify Online Store 2.0 supports WebP natively. WebP is 25-35% smaller than JPEG at the same quality.
Real benchmark data
| Image | Before | After | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product photo (white bg) | 4.2 MB | 180 KB | 96% |
| Lifestyle shot (model) | 3.8 MB | 210 KB | 94% |
| Model on white bg | 2.1 MB | 95 KB | 95% |
| Collection banner | 2.6 MB | 165 KB | 94% |
| Blog hero | 1.9 MB | 140 KB | 93% |
A typical Shopify product page with 4-6 images goes from 12-18MB to under 1MB.
Shopify-specific tips
Shopify generates multiple sizes from your original. All variants derive from the uploaded file. Optimize before upload = every generated size is proportionally smaller.
Filename matters. IMG_3847.jpg gives Google nothing. mens-leather-wallet-brown-bifold.jpg is SEO gold.
Use square product images. 2048x2048 (1:1) renders consistently across all themes. Non-square often gets cropped unpredictably.
SammaPix vs. Shopify optimization apps
Paid apps (TinyIMG, Crush.pics): $4-40/month. Compress AFTER upload via Shopify API. Variants may already exist in CDN cache unoptimized. $240/year indefinitely.
SammaPix (free): Optimize locally before upload. Free forever. Works for any platform. Shopify generates all variants from already-optimized source.
For ongoing uploads, manual pre-upload is faster and cheaper. For large legacy catalogs, run a plugin once, then switch to pre-upload going forward.
Check your current speed
- Run PageSpeed Insights on your homepage + a product page
- Look for "Serve images in next-gen formats" and "Properly size images"
- Note the savings in KB next to each image
- Prioritize biggest savings first
Most unoptimized Shopify stores score 40-65 on mobile. After the workflow, scores reach 75-90.
Checklist
- Resize to correct dimensions (product: 2048x2048, banner: 1920x1080)
- Compress to 80% quality, under 200KB for product images
- Convert to WebP if your theme supports Online Store 2.0
- Use descriptive filenames
- Write descriptive alt text after uploading
All three steps are free at SammaPix — browser-based, batch up to 20 images.
Originally published on sammapix.com/blog
