Google updated its Merchant Center help page for the low image quality issue. Products with blurry, pixelated or low-resolution images now keep showing in ads and free listings, where before they could be held back until the image improved. Google also recently raised the minimum product image size in Merchant Center to 500 x 500 pixels.
Good news on the surface: a weak photo no longer knocks a product out of Google Shopping. But showing up isn't the same as getting clicked. Google's own help page says high image quality correlates strongly with engagement and clicks.
So the risk has moved. Before, a bad image got you a warning and a missing product. Now the product shows, quietly underperforms, and nobody notices. That's worse, because it costs you money without flagging it.
We treat this as a clean-feed job. Pull the list, fix the worst images in batches, and get ahead of the 500 x 500 minimum. If you edit images with AI and sell into the EU, India or New York, Google also points you to its AI label settings.