You choose the file name format and the folder name format on the preview page, and the list updates with the final names before you export. A good default for product work is SKU_position for names and SKU or Product title for folders.
Which file name formats are available for product files?
| Format | Example result | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| OriginalName | black-tee-front.jpg | The file name Shopify holds, without the cache suffix. Videos and 3D models use their upload name. |
| SKU_position | TSHIRT-BLK-M_1.jpg | SKU of the variant, then the image position. |
| SKU | TSHIRT-BLK-M.jpg | Duplicates get a number: TSHIRT-BLK-M_1.jpg. |
| Barcode_position | 7891234567890_1.jpg | Barcode of the variant, then the position. |
| Barcode | 7891234567890.jpg | Duplicates get a number. |
| VariantID_position | 44012345678901_1.jpg | Numeric variant ID, then the position. |
| ProductTitle_position | Linen-Shirt_1.jpg | Product title, then the position. |
| ProductTitle_SKU_position | Linen-Shirt_TSHIRT-BLK-M_1.jpg | Product title, SKU and position. |
| ProductHandle_position | linen-shirt_1.jpg | Product handle, then the position. |
| OriginalName-SKU_position | black-tee-front-TSHIRT-BLK-M_1.jpg | Original name, SKU and position. |
If a product or variant has no value for the chosen format (for example no SKU), the file keeps its original name.
How are names cleaned up?
Characters that are unsafe in file names, such as ? [ ] / \ = < > : ; , ' " & $ # * | ~ ! { }, are removed. Spaces and repeated hyphens become a single hyphen, and leading or trailing dots, hyphens and underscores are trimmed. That is why a product titled Linen Shirt becomes Linen-Shirt.
Which SKU does an image get?
An image takes the SKU, barcode or variant ID of the variant it is assigned to in Shopify. An image that is not assigned to a variant uses the product’s first variant.
How is the position counted?
From 1, in Shopify’s media order, counting only the files that are part of the export. A YouTube video or a type you left out takes no number.
What happens when two files get the same name?
The app numbers the second one, for example name.jpg and name__(2).jpg, so nothing is overwritten. The preview shows a banner when names were changed this way.
One Shopify file can be attached to several products, for example after duplicating a product. In that case the file is exported once per product folder. In a single shared folder it is exported once.
Which folder layouts are available for product files?
| Folder name format | Result |
|---|---|
| No sub folders | Every file in one folder. |
| Product title | One folder per product, named by its title. |
| Product ID | One folder per product, named by its numeric ID. |
| Product handle | One folder per product, named by its handle. |
| SKU | One folder per SKU: each image goes into the folder of the variant it is assigned to. |
If the field a folder is named by is empty, for example a product without a SKU, the folder is named by the product ID. Folder names are cleaned up like file names.
What changes for Content > Files?
Content files are not attached to a product, so there is no SKU or product folder. File names can be the original name or the alt text (files without alt text keep the original name). Folders can be No sub folders, File type (images, videos, 3D models, files) or Upload month (YYYY-MM). See exporting Content > Files.
Which format should I use?
| You want to | Use |
|---|---|
| Match files to a warehouse or ERP list | SKU_position, folder No sub folders or SKU |
| Prepare files for barcode-based tools | Barcode_position |
| Browse images by product on a drive | ProductTitle_position, folder Product title |
| Keep names URL-friendly | ProductHandle_position |
| Upload files back into Shopify later | SKU_position, then match with Smart Bulk Image Upload by SKU |