Uploading and managing files

You can upload, manage, and delete files from the Files section in your Shopify admin.

In the Files section, you can have the following types of files:

  • images and videos used in your theme, blog posts, and pages
  • images and videos used in your products and collections
  • files and videos that you want to make available for customers to download
  • images and files connected to metafields

You can also upload files when you're editing your theme, when you're creating metafields, or when you're using the rich text editor to edit theme content, a page, a blog post, a product description, or a collection description. The files you upload display on your Files page.

To access the Files page, go to Content > Files.

File requirements

You can upload files to the Files page in your Shopify admin. Files must meet the following requirements:

Image file requirements

Requirements for file size, resolution, aspect ratio, file format, and file naming conventions for images in the Shopify admin.
AttributeRequirement
File sizeMaximum of 20 MB (megabytes)
ResolutionMaximum of 20 MP (megapixels)
Aspect ratioBetween 100:1 and 1:100
File formatsJPEG, PNG, WEBP, HEIC, and GIF
File namesFile names can contain letters, numbers, spaces, and symbols, but must not begin with a period .

Video file requirements

Requirements for file size, file formats, resolution, video length, width and height, frame rate, and file naming conventions for videos in the Shopify admin.
AttributeRequirement
File sizeMaximum of 1 GB (gigabyte)
ResolutionMaximum resolution of UHD
Video lengthMaximum video length of 10 minutes
File formatsMOV, MP4, and WEBM
Minimum width and height100 pixels
Maximum width and height4096 pixels
Maximum frame rate120 frames per second
Minimum video length0.25 seconds
File namesFile names may contain letters, numbers, spaces, and symbols, but must not begin with a period .
Recommendations for aspect ratio, bitrates, frame rates, resolution, supported codecs, and supported color spaces for videos in the Shopify admin.
FeatureRecommendation
Aspect ratioThe aspect ratio should be one of the following:
  • 16:9
  • 9:16
  • 4:3
  • 3:4
  • 1:1
BitratesShopify's video pipeline will process incoming videos and auto select the best quality by analyzing the input media and selecting an appropriate bitrate from the ranges below.
  • HLS
    • SD 480: Range from 900 kbps to 2800 kbps
    • HD 720: Range from 2000 kbps to 6500 kbps
    • HD 1080: Range from 3200 kbps to 10400 kbps
  • MP4
    • SD 480: Range from 0.9 Mbps to 1.5 Mbps
    • HD 720: Range from 1.6 Mbps to 4.5 Mbps
    • HD 1080: Range from 2.5 Mbps to 7.2 Mbps
Frame rate
  • 60 fps
  • 30 fps
  • 25 fps
Resolution
  • 3840x2160 (UHD)
  • 1920x1080 (1080p)
  • 1280x720 (720p)
  • 854x480 (480p)
Vertical orientation for the above resolutions are also recommended, e.g., 720x1280 px
Supported codecs
  • Video: H.264 (AVC)
  • Audio: AAC, MP3, Opus
Supported color spaces
  • Rec.601
  • Rec.709
  • Rec.2020

Generic file requirements

Generic files can be any file other than HTML, and are intended for downloading by the customer.

Requirements for file size, file formats, and file naming conventions for generic files in the Shopify admin.
AttributeRequirement
File sizeMaximum of 20 MB
File formatsAny file type except HTML
File namesFile names can contain letters, numbers, spaces, and symbols, but must not begin with a period .

File format requirements

If you're on a paid plan, then you can upload any file format other than HTML.

If you're on a trial plan, then you can upload only the following file formats:

  • JS
  • CSS
  • GIF
  • JPEG
  • PNG
  • JSON
  • CSV
  • PDF
  • WebP
  • HEIC

You also need to verify your email address before you can upload PDF files.

If you're on a trial plan and you want to upload other file formats, then check and update your plan.

Different parts of your store, such as your theme, pages, and blogs, only support certain file formats. For more information about supported file formats, refer to the following resources:

Upload a file on the Files page

You can upload files to Shopify on the Files page. You can then use the uploaded files across your Shopify admin, including as brand images, product media, and metaobjects.

Steps:

Desktop
  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Content > Files.

  2. Click Upload files.

  3. Select up to 20 files to upload, and then click Open.

iPhone
  1. From the Shopify app, tap the button, and then tap Settings.
  2. In the Store settings section, tap Files.
  3. Click Upload files.
  4. Select up to 20 files to upload, and then click Open.
Android
  1. From the Shopify app, tap the button, and then tap Settings.
  2. In the Store settings section, tap Files.
  3. Click Upload files.
  4. Select up to 20 files to upload, and then click Open.

Search and filter the file list

You can filter the file list or search for a file from the Files page or in the File picker.

You can filter your files in the following ways:

  • Search file attributes, including file names and types, using the search bar
  • Filter by size using the File size drop-down menu
  • Filter by type using the File type drop-down menu
  • Filter by file reference using the Used in drop-down menu

Steps:

Desktop
  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Content > Files.

  2. Select Search and filter by clicking the magnifying glass and trigram icon.

  3. Do any combination of the following:

  • In the search bar, enter all or part of a file name, or enter the file extension that you're looking for (for example, .jpg or .pdf).
  • Use the File size drop-down menu to set either the minimum size of file that you want to view, the maximum size of file that you want to view, or both.
  • Use the File type drop-down menu to select the type of file you're looking for.
  • Use the Used in drop-down menu to select the location the file is referenced in.
iPhone
  1. From the Shopify app, tap the button, and then tap Settings.
  2. In the Store settings section, tap Files.
  3. Select Search and filter by clicking the magnifying glass and trigram icon.
  4. Do any combination of the following:
  • In the search bar, enter all or part of a file name, or enter the file extension that you're looking for (for example, .jpg or .pdf).
  • Use the File size drop-down menu to set either the minimum size of file that you want to view, the maximum size of file that you want to view, or both.
  • Use the File type drop-down menu to select the type of file you're looking for.
  • Use the Used in drop-down menu to select the location the file is referenced in.
Android
  1. From the Shopify app, tap the button, and then tap Settings.
  2. In the Store settings section, tap Files.
  3. Select Search and filter by clicking the magnifying glass and trigram icon.
  4. Do any combination of the following:
  • In the search bar, enter all or part of a file name, or enter the file extension that you're looking for (for example, .jpg or .pdf).
  • Use the File size drop-down menu to set either the minimum size of file that you want to view, the maximum size of file that you want to view, or both.
  • Use the File type drop-down menu to select the type of file you're looking for.
  • Use the Used in drop-down menu to select the location the file is referenced in.

Save filter view

If you need to perform the same searches or filter by the same terms regularly, then you can save the filters as views so that they're more easily accessible. Saved views are added as tabs at the top of the Files page. You can click the tab to filter the files using the saved filter parameters.

Steps:

Desktop
  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Content > Files.

  2. Using the Search and filter option, apply the appropriate filters and search keywords.

  3. Click Save as.

  4. In the Save view as dialog, enter a name for your saved filter view.

  5. Click Save.

iPhone
  1. From the Shopify app, tap the button, and then tap Settings.
  2. In the Store settings section, tap Files.
  3. Using the Search and filter option, apply the appropriate filters and search keywords.
  4. Click Save as.
  5. In the Save view as dialog, enter a name for your saved filter view.
  6. Click Save.
Android
  1. From the Shopify app, tap the button, and then tap Settings.
  2. In the Store settings section, tap Files.
  3. Using the Search and filter option, apply the appropriate filters and search keywords.
  4. Click Save as.
  5. In the Save view as dialog, enter a name for your saved filter view.
  6. Click Save.

Change the sort order of the file list

By default, files are listed from newest to oldest based on the date that they were uploaded.

If you want to change the sort order, then you can sort your files by date added, by size, or alphabetically by file name.

Steps:

Desktop
  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Content > Files.

  2. Click to sort, then select an option from the list.

iPhone
  1. From the Shopify app, tap the button, and then tap Settings.
  2. In the Store settings section, tap Files.
  3. Click to sort, then select an option from the list.
Android
  1. From the Shopify app, tap the button, and then tap Settings.
  2. In the Store settings section, tap Files.
  3. Click to sort, then select an option from the list.

Make a file available for download

If you want to make a file available for visitors to download, then you can upload it using the Files page, then add a link to it in a page's content or in your online store navigation. You can copy a link to the file to your clipboard by clicking the Link button beside the file.

Original media downloads

Shopify's Imagery service manages your images and videos to ensure the best possible format is displayed at the appropriate place in your online store.

You can download the original, unoptimized file to your device using the download button in the Preview and edit window.

Steps:

Desktop
  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Content > Files.

  2. Click the desired file, or use the filters to sort or locate a specific media file.

  3. Click the download button. The original format saves to your device.

iPhone
  1. From the Shopify app, tap the button, and then tap Settings.
  2. In the Store settings section, tap Files.
  3. Click the desired file, or use the filters to sort or locate a specific media file.
  4. Click the download button. The original format saves to your device.
Android
  1. From the Shopify app, tap the button, and then tap Settings.
  2. In the Store settings section, tap Files.
  3. Click the desired file, or use the filters to sort or locate a specific media file.
  4. Click the download button. The original format saves to your device.

Editing files

You can preview and edit files by clicking the file's thumbnail from the Files page. Edits that you make on the Files page apply to all places the file is used in your store.

Review the following table to learn more about how to edit your files:

List of actions that you can take for editing files in your Shopify admin.
ActionDescription
Rename a fileUpdate the name of your file by changing the URL Handle of your file. When you change your file's URL, the previous URL for that file no longer works.
Replace a fileReplace an existing file with a new file, and keep the same file name and URL handle. You can replace a file only with the same file format, such as replace a JPG file with another JPG file.
Add alt textAdd a brief description of the image or video for people with visual impairment or low-bandwidth connections.
Add a focal point to an imageSelect the most important part of the image to help themes crop the image more intelligently.
Update a video cover imageUpdate the video cover image that acts as a preview image for your video.

You can also edit media files using the media editor and media generation powered by Shopify Magic.

To make other types of edits, download the file, make the edits in an editing software of your choice, and then upload it again to the Files page.

Delete a file

You can delete one or more files from the Files page. Learn more about bulk actions.

Steps:

Desktop
  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Content > Files.

  2. Select the checkbox beside the file that you want to delete. You can select multiple files.

  3. Click Delete, and then click Delete again to confirm.

iPhone
  1. From the Shopify app, tap the button, and then tap Settings.
  2. In the Store settings section, tap Files.
  3. Select the checkbox beside the file that you want to delete. You can select multiple files.
  4. Click Delete, and then click Delete again to confirm.
Android
  1. From the Shopify app, tap the button, and then tap Settings.
  2. In the Store settings section, tap Files.
  3. Select the checkbox beside the file that you want to delete. You can select multiple files.
  4. Click Delete, and then click Delete again to confirm.

Replace files

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Content > Files.
  2. Click the Replace icon next to the file name.
  3. Select the file that you want to upload.

Edit files without overwriting the existing file

In the file editor, it's possible to make destructive edits to an image, such as changing the background of an image. To make changes without overwriting an existing file, save the changes as new.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Content > Files.

  2. Select a media file to open the file editor.

  3. Make file edits.

  4. From the Save dropdown menu, select Save as new.

Saving as new saves the new file to your store's file system while preserving the original image in its original state.

File storage limits by plan

Storage limits for each type of Shopify subscription plan for the files that you have in your Shopify admin.
PlanLimit per store
Enterprise10 TB (terabyte)
Plus300 GB (gigabyte)
Advanced300 GB (gigabyte)
Shopify300 GB (gigabyte)
Basic100 GB (gigabyte)
Starter100 GB (gigabyte)
Retail100 GB (gigabyte)
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