Feed attribute

image_link

Main product image URL

The image_link attribute is the URL of the single main image a channel shows for an item. On Shopify the correct source is the variant's own image where one is assigned, falling back to the product's featured image, because a feed that shows the wrong colour is worse than one that shows a generic shot.

Specification

Attribute: image_link
Data type: URL
Format: A fully qualified URL to a directly accessible image file, served without login, and stable enough to be re-crawled. Channels require a minimum resolution and reject placeholder or watermarked images, promotional overlays, and images that are mostly text or borders.
Examples: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0001/products/merino-navy.jpg

Support by channel

How each channel treats image_link.

Channel	Requirement	Field name	Notes
Google Shopping	Required	image_link	Promotional overlays and watermarks cause disapproval.
Meta	Required	image_link	Shops surfaces enforce stricter resolution than catalogue ads.
Microsoft Advertising	Required	image_link
Pinterest	Required	image_link	The image is the listing. Vertical crops perform materially better.
OpenAI	Required	image_url	Called image_url, and must be a direct JPEG or PNG that is publicly reachable, HTTPS preferred. Further views go in additional_image_urls.

Frequently asked questions

Should image_link use the variant image or the product image?

The variant image where one is assigned, falling back to the product's featured image. If every colour of a jumper shows the navy photograph, shoppers click through expecting navy and bounce, which hurts both conversion and the listing's quality signals.

Why was my image rejected even though the URL works?

Channels reject images that carry promotional overlays, watermarks, borders or text, fall below a minimum resolution, or are obvious placeholders. The URL resolving is necessary but not sufficient; the image content itself has to meet the policy.

Can I add more than one image?

Yes, through additional_image_link, which most channels support alongside the single main image_link. The main image is the one shown in the listing, and the additional images appear on the product detail surface.

Errors involving this attribute

Image link cannot be crawled An image crawl failure means the channel could not retrieve the file at image_link, or retrieved it and judged it unusable. On Shopify the URL itself is rarely wrong, so the cause is usually a rate limit hit during a first full crawl, a temporary CDN response, or an image whose content breaks policy rather than one that is genuinely missing.

Related attributes

link The link attribute is the URL a shopper is sent to after clicking a listing, and the page the channel crawls to verify that the feed is telling the truth about price and availability. On a multi-market Shopify store it must point at the market-specific storefront URL, not the primary domain.

Primary sources

Channel specifications change. These are the official documents this page is based on.

Last reviewed 16 September 2026 View as markdown