Google’s Merchant Center has updated its approach to image quality requirements for product listings. Previously, low image quality could prevent products from displaying in ads and free listings. Now, products with poor quality images will continue to show.
The new definition of poor quality includes blurriness, pixelation, or low resolution. Starting January 31, 2027, all product images must meet a 500 x 500 pixels minimum, with warnings issued as of July 2026 for images that fall below this threshold.
Promotional overlays remain a strict disapproval factor. Items such as calls to action, prices, shipping details, and promotional adjectives should be avoided in product images. Meanwhile, Google’s automatic image improvements may not resolve complex issues such as heavy text or dense watermarks.
Read the official help page here: How to fix: Low image quality.
This update was spotted by Hana Kobzová.