Why file naming matters
When you export product images, each file needs a name. The naming template you choose determines how files are named inside your ZIP. Picking the right template makes it easier to identify images later, especially when working with large exports.
Available templates
The app offers six file naming templates. Here is what each one produces for the first image of a product called "Blue T-Shirt" from the vendor Nike, whose first variant is "Large" with the SKU "SKU123" (the same examples the dashboard shows):
| Template | Example output | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Product Title + Position | Blue_T-Shirt_1.jpg |
General use, easy to read |
| Product Handle + Position | blue-t-shirt_1.jpg |
Web friendly file names |
| SKU + Position | SKU123_1.jpg |
Inventory and catalog systems |
| Product + Variant + Position | Blue_T-Shirt_Large_1.jpg |
Stores with many variants |
| Vendor + Product + Position | Nike_Blue_T-Shirt_1.jpg |
Multi-brand stores |
| Product ID + Image ID | 123456_789.jpg |
Database or system integration |
Notice that the space in "Blue T-Shirt" becomes an underscore, while the hyphen that was already in the title is kept. The handle is Shopify's own URL friendly version of the title, so it is already lowercase with hyphens.
How to choose a template
Open the File Naming dropdown on the dashboard and select the template you want. The template applies to all images in that export. An "Example:" line under the dropdown updates as you switch templates, so you can see the shape of the file names before you start.
How position numbers work
The position number (like _1, _2, _3) corresponds to the order of the image on the product in Shopify. The first image is position 1, the second is position 2, and so on.
File extensions
Each file keeps its original extension. A JPG stays .jpg, a PNG stays .png, and the same goes for GIF, WebP, and the other formats Shopify accepts. The examples above use .jpg because that is the most common case, but a product whose images are PNGs will produce Blue_T-Shirt_1.png. Nothing is converted. See What Gets Exported for more on formats and resolution.
Special characters
The app automatically cleans up product titles, handles, SKUs, and other values so that file names are valid on every operating system:
- Spaces become underscores, and runs of several spaces or underscores collapse into one.
- Characters that are not allowed in file names (such as
/ \ : * ? " < > |) are replaced with underscores. - Very long names are trimmed to 200 characters.
Duplicate names
If two images would end up with the same name in the same folder (for example two products both called "Blue T-Shirt" with the Product Title + Position template), the later ones get _1, _2, and so on added before the extension so nothing is overwritten:
Blue_T-Shirt_1.jpg
Blue_T-Shirt_1_1.jpg
Blue_T-Shirt_1_2.jpg
Choosing a more specific template, such as Product Handle + Position or Product ID + Image ID, avoids most duplicates.
The SKU and variant templates
SKU + Position and Product + Variant + Position always use the product's first variant. They do not match each image to the variant it is assigned to in Shopify, so every image of a product shares the same SKU or variant title in its name, and only the position number changes.
- If the first variant has no SKU, the file is named with
no-sku, for exampleno-sku_1.jpg. - If the first variant has no title,
defaultis used in its place. Products with no variant options have a single variant that Shopify itself names "Default Title", so their files come out asBlue_T-Shirt_Default_Title_1.jpg.
Make sure your products have SKUs set up in Shopify if you plan to use the SKU template.
File naming works the same way whether you are exporting all products or specific products. You can combine it with any folder structure option.