When running an EC site on Shopify, handling files such as images, videos, and PDFs correctly is very important. Files come into play in many scenarios, from making your product pages more appealing to distributing instruction manuals.
However, if you don't properly understand the supported file formats and requirements, it can lead to unexpected errors or broken layouts.
This article clearly explains, with images, the file formats and requirements Shopify supports, storage size limits, how to upload and download files, and how to edit image files. If you want to start making use of files on Shopify, please use this as a reference.
Files Shopify Supports
First, let's explain the file formats Shopify supports, their requirements, and the storage size limits.
File Formats and Requirements Shopify Supports
Shopify lets you upload various types of files — images, videos, documents, and more. Uploaded files can be inserted into pages, product descriptions, blog posts, and more, or made available for customers to download.
The files and requirements Shopify supports are as follows.
Image File Requirements
| Item | Limit and specifications |
|---|---|
| Image size | Max 20MB |
| Resolution | Max 20MP (up to 25MP for product images) |
| Aspect ratio | 100:1 to 1:100 |
| File format | JPEG、PNG、WEBP、HEIC、GIF |
| File name | Letters, numbers, spaces, and symbols can be used *File names can't start with a period *File names can't end with pico, icon, thumb, testing, small, compact, medium, large, or grande |
Video File Requirements
| Item | Limit and specifications |
|---|---|
| File size | Max 1GB |
| Resolution | Up to UHD |
| Video length | Max 10 minutes |
| File format | MOV、MP4、WEBM |
| Minimum width and height | 100 pixels |
| Maximum width and height | 4096 pixels |
| Maximum frame rate | 120 frames/second |
| Minimum video length | 0.25 seconds |
| File name | Letters, numbers, spaces, and symbols can be used *File names can't start with a period |
*The above limits don't apply to "Vimeo" and "YouTube" embed links.
General File Requirements
| Item | Limit and specifications |
|---|---|
| File size | Max 20 MB |
| File format | Any file format other than HTML (PDF, DOC, CSV, PPTX, etc.) |
| File name | Letters, numbers, spaces, and symbols can be used *File names can't start with a period |
As long as a file meets the formats and requirements listed in the 3 tables above, you can upload it to Shopify.
Shopify File Storage Limits by Plan
There's a limit on the total size of files you can upload to Shopify, and it varies by plan. Even the cheapest Starter plan gives you 100GB, which is more than enough for most stores.
That said, if you handle a large number of product images or videos, you may reach the limit. In that case, either delete unneeded files or consider upgrading to a higher plan.
| Plan name | File storage limit | Video and 3D model quantity limit | Video storage limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 100GB | 250 | 50GB |
| Retail | 100GB | 250 | 50GB |
| Basic | 100GB | 250 | 50GB |
| Grow | 300GB | 1,000 | 500GB |
| Advanced | 500GB | 5,000 | 500GB |
| Plus | 1TB | 50,000 | 1TB |
| Enterprise | 10TB | 50,000 | 2TB |
*This information is based on data as of August 2025.
How to Upload Files to Shopify
Here, we'll explain how to upload files to your Shopify store.
From the menu in the Shopify admin, select "Content." From the submenu, select "Files," then click "Upload files" in the top right.
Image source: Shopify
Next, select the file you want to upload.
As shown in the image below, the file has now been uploaded.
You can also upload a file by dragging and dropping it onto this "Files" screen. You can also upload multiple files at once.
An uploaded file can then be selected from the file picker in a section or block on the theme editor screen.
Note that if you upload a file using "Add file" from the file picker, it's also added to "Files" under the "Content" menu.
That covers how to upload files.
How to Edit an Image File Uploaded to Shopify
You can easily edit an image file you've uploaded to Shopify right from the admin. Here, we'll explain how.
From the Shopify admin, select "Content" then "Files," in that order, and select the file you want to edit. A screen like the one below will be displayed — make your edits in the area outlined in red.
The items you can edit are as follows.
- Information
- Name: change the file name
- Alt text: displays text if the image can't load
- Crop and transform
- Orientation: crop the image to a set ratio or freeform
- Flip: flip the image
- Rotate: rotate the image
- Resize: change the image's size in pixels
- Draw: draw on the image
You can also click the image to set a "focal point."
A focal point is a feature that lets you specify the part of the image you especially want to show. Once set, that point will always remain visible even when the theme automatically crops the image. This is useful when you want product photos or banners to look great even at different screen sizes or aspect ratios, since the important part stays visible. You can set one focal point per image, and you can change or remove it later.
How to Get the URL of a File That Can't Be Specified in Theme Editing
Normally, a file you've uploaded to Shopify can be selected from the file picker. However, there are cases where there's no file picker and you can't specify it in the theme editor. For example, in cases like the following.
- When you want to write code in a custom section and output an image file on the screen
- When you want to add a link on an on-screen button that opens a PDF file
In cases like these, you can work around it by getting the file's URL.
From the Shopify admin, select "Content" then "Files," in that order. Hover over the file you want to specify, and a "Copy link" button will appear on the right — click it.
You've now obtained the file's link (URL).
Placing the copied link in the appropriate spot will display the image. The image below shows a case where code is written in a custom section to output an image — the image's link is pasted as the value of the src attribute.
Here's one more example. You upload a PDF file, then place the PDF file's link in the "Link" field of a menu or button. This lets you display the PDF file when the menu or button is clicked.
If there's no file picker and you can't specify the file, use the method above to get and display its link.
How to Download a Content File on Shopify
Even after you've deleted the original data, you can still download a file you uploaded to Shopify.
From the Shopify admin, select "Content" then "Files," in that order. Select the file you want to download, and click "Download" in the top right of the screen.
This downloads the file to your device.
Understand the Files Shopify Supports and Manage Them Appropriately
This article explained the file formats and requirements Shopify supports, storage size limits, how to upload and download files, and how to edit image files.
When running an EC site on Shopify, you'll handle a large number of files — product images, videos, description materials, and more. Understanding the supported file formats and storage limits, and following the correct steps to upload, edit, and download files, improves both the quality of your site's display and your operational efficiency. It's also important to regularly clean up files you no longer need and make good use of your storage.
Use this article as a reference to review how your own store manages its files.
