Export and Re-upload Shopify Product Images by SKU
Export Shopify product images named by SKU, edit or rename them offline, then upload them back to the right products and variants with Smart Bulk Image Upload.
By Craftshift Team · · 4 min read
To edit Shopify product images in bulk, export them as a ZIP with the SKU_position file name format, edit the files on your computer, put them in one Google Drive or Dropbox folder and upload them back with Smart Bulk Image Upload, which matches each file to its variant by SKU. Export Product Images gets the files out, Smart Bulk Image Upload puts them back, and the file names are the link between the two.
Why would you export and re-upload images?
Shopify has no bulk editor for the pixels in your photos. If you want to run a batch edit (resize, add a watermark, remove backgrounds, convert formats, fix a colour cast) you need the files on your computer first, and you need a way to get them back onto the right products afterwards.
Three common cases:
- A photo refresh. The originals are fine, but you want consistent crops or a new background across 2,000 products.
- A format or size clean-up. Images are too large or in a format your team does not want.
- A move between stores. Export from one store, upload into another where the SKUs match.
How do I export the images so they can go back in?
Open Export product files in Export Product Images, filter the products you want to change, and press Preview files. On the preview page choose:
| Setting | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| File name format | SKU_position | Every file carries the SKU of its variant and the image order, for example TSHIRT-BLK-M_1.jpg. |
| Folder name format | No sub folders | The upload app reads one folder, so keep all files together. |
Press Export files, wait for the email and download the ZIP. The file names and folders guide lists every format.
Will the image order survive the round trip?
Yes, and this is the detail people ask about first. The export numbers images from 1 (SKU_1.jpg is the first image). Smart Bulk Image Upload treats a missing number or _0 as the first image and _1 as the second, but only the relative order matters: _1, _2, _3 gives the same gallery order as _0, _1, _2. The lowest number becomes the variant image, so your main photo stays the main photo.
There is one more thing to know. Positions count across the whole product, so a variant whose images are the product’s first and third will have _1 and _3. The gap is harmless because only the order is used.
What do I do between export and upload?
- Unzip the download.
- Edit the files. Keep the file names exactly as they are. Do not change the SKU part or the number.
- Keep a supported format. Smart Bulk Image Upload takes
.jpg,.jpeg,.png,.webpand.gif. If Shopify holds an image in another format, such as AVIF, convert it when you edit. - Move the files into one Google Drive or Dropbox folder. Dropbox lists every file in a folder, so leave out stray documents.
How do I upload the edited images back?
In Smart Bulk Image Upload, connect the folder, choose Match by SKU and press Start matching. You get a full preview of every match before anything is written to your store. Then choose how to treat the old images:
- Replace existing images swaps a product’s gallery for the new set. Turn on the setting that keeps replaced files in Content > Files the first time, so nothing is lost.
- Don’t replace existing images adds the new images after the old ones.
Test with one product before you run the whole batch. The upload app’s guide on replace vs add explains both options.
Does this work for variant images?
Yes. An exported image takes the SKU of the variant it is assigned to, and an image without a variant takes the first variant’s SKU. On the way back in, the lowest-numbered image of each variant becomes that variant’s image.
What does it cost?
Export Product Images is free for 100 files per month. Smart Bulk Image Upload has a free plan for 25 images. A big batch will probably need a paid plan on at least one side, so check our pricing and the upload app’s pricing page first. Previews and matching are free on both sides, so you can rehearse the whole loop before you pay.
What else should I know before a big batch?
Take a full export first as your backup, even if you plan to replace everything. It costs one run, and you will be glad it exists the day a batch edit goes wrong. And if you only need the files and not the loop, the getting started guide takes about five minutes.
Both apps are by Craftshift and each lists the other under Works with on the Shopify App Store. Install Export Product Images to start with the export.