Google updated its product data specification in 2026: a new 500×500 px minimum for every product category, replacing the old separate apparel/non-apparel thresholds. Warnings have been visible in Merchant Center since April 14, 2026, under "Needs attention," ahead of full enforcement on January 31, 2027. Google's recommendation: aim for 1500×1500 px or above for best performance across all ad formats, with a white or neutral background recommended for the main image.
This change hits catalogs with old photos or third-party-sourced images particularly hard (low-resolution smartphone shots, already-compressed exports): below the threshold, the risk isn't just a cosmetic warning, it's outright product disapproval in the Shopping feed.
To check your catalog: in Merchant Center, the Diagnostics tab directly flags affected products under "Image too small for upcoming enforcement." You can also check your source files' resolution directly in your media library before exporting your product feed, rather than waiting for Google to flag it.
ImagePipe's role deliberately stops short of this: the engine optimizes weight and format for web display, but never touches the original file and never artificially upscales it to compensate for insufficient resolution. The Google Shopping feed generally uses the original media library file's URL, not a variant generated by ImagePipe (built for web rendering, not product export), so make sure your source files already meet the 1500×1500 px minimum before upload; this requirement is settled upstream, not on the image engine's side.