Overview
We recommend keeping copies of all of your product images in your POS. It can streamline product management and add a safety net in case you accidentally delete a product listing from Shopify.
Best practices
Uploading giant images from your camera or your supplier isn't the best practice for your POS or Shopify. Consider using several smaller detail images over one massive image. Resizing your images can improve performance and your customer experience. Shopify has some good guidelines for images: Shopify Product Media Types - Images
Your Shopify template or theme determines how and where images are presented. Once images are uploaded to your online product, you are free to arrange them as you see fit.
Expectations
Single and matrix/grid product images
When Mortar initially adds a product to Shopify, it will include all images assigned to a Matrix/Grid Product and one image from each associated variant in your POS.
Variant images
One image from each variant in your POS will be uploaded to Shopify. If the same image is used for multiple variants in your POS, multiple copies of that image will appear on your Shopify product. Example: Shoes and apparel where the size is the only thing that changes.
If you commonly set up your products with the same images, a member of our support team can turn off variant image creation.
Image sort order
When Mortar initially uploads product images to Shopify, the first image on the matrix/grid will be assigned as the first image. All remaining images are uploaded in the order they are received via API from your POS. You may need to review the product on Shopify to review the order of images.
Image Alt text
What is image Alt text? If an image cannot load for any reason, then alt text is shown instead. It is also used by assistive technology to describe an image to a visually impaired customer. Including alt text can also boost your website's SEO.
Mortar syncs the POS web short description, if supported by your POS, as image alt text on Shopify.
Image Updates
Adding new images
Because image data is very large compared to the other data for your products, it can slow down sync times. Mortar advanced settings for updating images are turned OFF by default to keep sync speeds as fast as possible.
With update images ON, new images added to a POS product are added to the respective Shopify product. Remember to save the POS product after adding images.
Troubleshooting
Duplicate images
Shopify creates a unique ID for each image assigned to a product. Shopify deletes the original image and assigns a new ID when an update or revision is applied. When Shopify deletes an image ID, there isn't a way to know why. Mortar, attempting to keep product details in sync, no longer sees the original image ID and adds the image back to the Shopify product. If you use an image optimization app from the Shopify marketplace to resize images, keep your Mortar advanced settings for updating images turned OFF to prevent duplicate images.
Deleting images
Mortar does NOT have the ability to delete images from Shopify. To remove images from Shopify, the images must be deleted manually from the Shopify product. If you delete images often, keep your Mortar advanced settings for updating images turned OFF to prevent images from being readded.
Replacing images
Step-by-step
To replace images on a product after it has been added to Shopify:
In the Mortar Advanced settings, turn Update Images ON.
Delete the images from POS that you no longer want on Shopify.
Save the product in your POS.
Delete the images from Shopify that you no longer want on Shopify.
Add any new images you'd like to the product in your POS.
Save the product in your POS.
Remember to turn Update Images OFF after updating your product.
Alternatively, if all product data exists in your POS, you can simply delete the product from Shopify and resave it in your POS. This will re-add the product and its new images to Shopify.
If you're having difficulty removing old images, please contact Mortar support.
Additional links