Mercayo takes your pictures exactly as you upload them: it never shrinks or recompresses your original, and shoppers get copies sized for their screen. Because the original is kept, Mercayo checks each file carefully first, from its bytes and not from its name. When an upload is refused, the message says which rule the file broke. This page lists every rule and message, for product photos, your logo and icon, and the pictures on collections, categories, blog posts and your store's sharing image.
Symptoms
Product photos, in red under the Photos card:
- "“IMG_2041.HEIC” is not a JPEG, PNG, WebP or AVIF picture."
- "“shoot-01.jpg” is 24.6 MB. Photos can be at most 20 MB."
- "“banner.png” is empty."
- "“case-12.jpg”: a product can have at most 250 photos."
- "Only JPEG, PNG, WebP and AVIF pictures can be used."
- "Pictures can be at most 50 megapixels (and 16,384 pixels on a side)"
- "Your sign-in has ended. Sign in again, then add the photo."
- "Photos cannot be added just now. Please try again in a moment."
Logos, icons and other pictures:
- "Use a JPEG, PNG, WebP or AVIF picture."
- "This picture is too large. Pictures here can be at most 5 MB."
- "The picture is too small. It needs at least 180 px on its shorter side."
- "The icon must be square: as wide as it is tall."
- "The picture could not be uploaded. Please try again."
The Rules at a Glance
| Picture | Types | Largest File | Smallest Shorter Side | Other Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product photos | JPEG, PNG, WebP, AVIF | 20 MB | none | Up to 250 per product |
| Logo and dark logo | JPEG, PNG, WebP, AVIF | 5 MB | 32 px | |
| Browser tab icon | JPEG, PNG, WebP, AVIF | 2 MB | 180 px | Square |
| Sharing picture, collection and category pictures, blog covers, sign-up popup and reel covers | JPEG, PNG, WebP, AVIF | 20 MB | 200 px |
Every picture: at most 50 megapixels and 16,384 pixels on its longer side.
Causes and Fixes
The File Is HEIC, GIF, SVG or Another Type
Only JPEG, PNG, WebP and AVIF pictures are taken. Photos straight from an iPhone are usually HEIC; screenshots from some apps are other types.
How to fix:
- On an iPhone, change the camera to Most Compatible (Settings › Camera › Formats) for new photos, or share the photo as JPEG.
- On a computer, open the picture and export or save it as JPEG or PNG.
The File Is Too Large
Product photos and most pictures can be at most 20 MB, a logo 5 MB and an icon 2 MB. A camera's full-size original is sometimes larger.
How to fix: export the photo again at a high JPEG quality (it stays sharp well under 20 MB), or save a PNG as JPEG. Keep the long side at 2,048 pixels or more so zoom stays crisp.
The Picture Has Too Many Pixels
"Pictures can be at most 50 megapixels (and 16,384 pixels on a side)". Some phone panoramas and scanned posters are bigger. Resize the picture to a smaller size (for example 6,000 × 6,000 pixels is 36 megapixels) and upload again.
The Picture Is Too Small
Logos need at least 32 pixels, icons 180 pixels, and banners and list pictures 200 pixels on their shorter side. "The picture is too small. It needs at least … px on its shorter side." Use the original file rather than a thumbnail or a picture saved from WhatsApp, which makes pictures smaller.
The Icon Is Not Square
The browser tab icon must be as wide as it is tall: "The icon must be square: as wide as it is tall." Crop it to a square (for example 512 × 512 pixels) and upload again.
The File Is Empty or Did Not Finish Copying
"The file is empty." The file has no picture in it, often a file still syncing from a cloud drive or a download that did not finish. Open it on your computer first to check it shows, then upload again.
The Product Is Not Saved Yet
Photos belong to a saved product. On a new product, the Photos card appears after the first SAVE. Save the product (as a Draft if you are not ready), then add photos.
Your Sign-In Ended
"Your sign-in has ended. Sign in again, then add the photo." The admin signed you out while the page was open. Sign in again and repeat the upload; photos that had uploaded before are kept.
Your Role Cannot Change It
Adding product photos needs the right to edit products (the owner, admins and Catalog Editor). Logos and other store pictures need their own rights. Without the right, the upload is refused with "Your role does not allow this; ask the store owner". Ask the owner or an admin, or for a role that includes it in Staff and Roles.
The Connection Dropped or Mercayo Could Not Store It
"Photos cannot be added just now. Please try again in a moment." or "The picture could not be stored just now. Please try again in a moment." The file was fine but did not reach Mercayo's storage, often on a slow or changing mobile connection. Try again on a steadier connection; large files upload more reliably over Wi-Fi.
The Photos Were Changed in Another Window
"The photos were changed in another window, so their order, descriptions and links were not saved. Reload the page to see the latest photos." Uploads and deletes happen at once, but the order, alt text and links to choices are saved with SAVE. If a colleague (or you, in another tab) changed the photos meanwhile, reload, then arrange them again. The rest of the product is still saved.
The Photo Looks Blurry on the Store
Mercayo never makes a photo smaller in quality, and it never enlarges one either. A photo looks soft when zoomed if the original is small. Upload a larger original, ideally 2,048 pixels wide or more, and use the camera's original rather than a picture forwarded on WhatsApp or taken from a website. See Product Photos.
Shoppers' Photos (Personalisation)
When a product asks shoppers for a photo (see Personalisation), shoppers may see:
| Message | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Photos can be at most 10 MB. | Over Largest Photo (default 10 MB, at most 20) in Settings › Product Page |
| Only JPEG, PNG, WebP and AVIF photos can be used. | The same types as yours |
| Photos can be at most 50 megapixels. | The same pixel limit |
| … the photo must be at least … pixels on its shorter side. | Below the field's own minimum |
| This store is not taking photos right now. | Photo Uploads is off in Settings › Product Page |
| A bag takes at most 30 photos. | The bag's limit |
Pictures Copied in an Import
Pictures named by links in an import file follow the same types and size limits; links that do not lead to such a picture are reported as "Pictures not copied". See Import Problems.
Still Stuck?
Open Help from your account menu and write to Mercayo's team. Include your store's handle, the product or screen, the exact message, and the file's type, size and pixel size (on a computer: the file's properties or info). Attaching the file itself helps us test it. See Contact Mercayo Support.
Questions
Does Mercayo compress my photos?
No. Your original is stored exactly as uploaded. Shoppers receive copies sized for their screen, which keeps pages fast without touching your original.
What size should product photos be?
At least 2,048 pixels on the long side and under 20 MB. A square or the same shape for every product keeps lists tidy.
Can I upload many photos at once?
Yes. Choose or drop as many as you like; they upload one after another, up to 250 on one product. Files that cannot be used are listed with their reason; the others still upload.
Why was my PNG logo refused when the file looks fine?
Check its size (at most 5 MB) and that its shorter side is at least 32 pixels. A logo exported at a huge size can pass 5 MB; export it smaller.
Can I upload GIFs or videos as photos?
No. Photos must be JPEG, PNG, WebP or AVIF. To show a video on a product page, make a reel in Online Store › Reels and tag the product; see Reels.