Feed error
Item disapprovedPromotional overlay on image
The "Promotional overlay on image" issue means the main image carries added text, badges, logos or watermarks, so the item is disapproved. On Shopify it usually means sale badges or brand marks were baked into the image file itself, or supplier photos arrived with watermarks or promotional text already applied.
How this appears in your account
The exact wording the channel shows, so you can match what you are looking at.
- Promotional overlay on image [image_link]
- Promotional overlay on image
What it affects
- Attributes
- image_link sale_price
- Scope
- A subset of items
Why it happens on Shopify
Sale badges were edited into the image file
A "Sale" or "-30%" sticker added in an image editor becomes part of the file. Badges that a Shopify theme or app draws over the image on the storefront are not the problem, because they are not in the file the feed submits.
Supplier photos carry watermarks or logos
Stock photo watermarks, copyright marks and supplier or brand logos stamped onto the image all count as overlays, even when the photograph underneath is fine.
The main image is a marketing graphic
Some stores lead with a banner-style image showing the price, free shipping, a call to action or feature callouts. That works on a product page but breaks image policy as the main feed image.
The first image in Shopify is not a clean product shot
Feeds usually take the featured image, which is simply the first image on the product. If that slot holds an infographic or size chart, it becomes the main image in the feed.
How to fix it
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Identify where the overlay lives
Open the submitted image URL directly. If the badge is visible in the raw file it has to be replaced; if it only appears on the storefront, the file is clean and the flagged image is a different one.
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Upload a clean version of each image
Use the original photograph without text, badges, watermarks or added logos. Ask suppliers for unwatermarked files rather than cropping marks out, which tends to damage the image.
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Choose a clean image for the main slot
If the product has a clean shot further down its image list, reorder it to first in Shopify or map image_link to that image. Infographics and size charts can still go in as additional images.
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Move promotions into feed attributes
Express discounts through sale_price and promotions rather than in artwork. They can then be changed without editing images and appear in the format the channel expects.
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Consider automatic image improvements as a stopgap
Merchant Center can try to remove overlays automatically and reapprove the product. It is off by default, replaces the original image when it succeeds, and leaves heavy text or dense watermarks unfixed, so it does not replace clean source images.
How feedlab handles this
feedlab lets image_link be set with a conditional rule, so products whose featured image is a known graphic can submit a different image from the product instead. The rule preview shows which image each product resolves to against your real catalogue before the feed is published.
Frequently asked questions
My theme shows a sale badge on product images. Is that the problem?
Not usually. Badges a Shopify theme or app draws on the storefront are separate from the image file, so the feed submits the clean image. The issue arises when the badge is part of the file itself.
Can Google remove the overlay for me?
Merchant Center has an automatic image improvements setting that tries to strip overlays and reapprove the item. It is off by default and cannot fix every image, particularly heavy text or dense watermarks, so clean originals remain the reliable fix.
Can I use infographics or size charts at all?
Not as the main image. The main image must show the product clearly without added text or graphics. Supporting images can be submitted separately as additional images.
Related errors
- 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.
- Generic image The "Generic image" issue means the main image is a placeholder, logo or graphic that does not show the actual product, so the item is disapproved. On Shopify it usually comes from products created without photos, where a theme, app or import filled the gap with a "no image available" graphic or the store logo.
- Image too small The "Image too small" issue means the file at image_link is below the channel's minimum pixel dimensions, so the item is disapproved. On Shopify the original upload is rarely the problem: the feed usually points at a resized CDN copy or a small legacy, supplier or swatch image.
- Invalid value: sale price The "Invalid value [sale_price]" issue means the sale price cannot be used: it is not lower than price, lacks a valid currency, or its effective date range is malformed. On Shopify it usually comes from a compare-at price that is equal to or below the selling price, mapped straight into the feed.
Primary sources
Channel specifications change. These are the official documents this page is based on.