Check the activity log first
The best place to start is the export detail page. Click View Details on the failed export in your Export History. The activity log shows exactly what happened during the export, including any error messages. The reason for the failure is also shown as a short "Error: …" line on the export's card, and in a red banner at the top of the detail page.
If you have the exact wording of a message, Error Messages Explained lists every message the app can show and what to do about it. The sections below cover the most common situations.
Common causes and solutions
No images found
If the log says "No images found matching filters," it means the combination of filters you selected did not match any products with images. The export finishes with 0 images, nothing is counted toward your usage, and no email is sent. Try broadening your filters or double checking that the products you expect to be included actually have images uploaded in Shopify. See What Gets Exported for which images are included.
An export is already running
Only one export can run per store at a time. While one is running, the Export Images button reads Export in progress… and cannot be clicked, and if you start another from a second tab or device you will see "An export is already running for this store. Please wait for it to finish before starting another one." Wait for the running export (the one with the Processing badge at the top of your history) to finish, then try again.
If the running export looks stuck, you do not need to do anything. An export that stops making progress is marked Failed automatically after about ten minutes, and you can start a new one as soon as that happens.
This export was interrupted by a server restart
Our server restarted while your export was running, usually because an update was being rolled out. The export was stopped, and nothing was counted toward your usage. Set the export up again on the dashboard and start it; there is nothing to clean up.
Shopify is rate-limiting your store right now
Shopify limits how quickly images can be fetched from its servers. The app already slows down and retries on its own when this happens, and only gives up when too many downloads are still being throttled. Wait a few minutes and start the export again. If it keeps happening on a very large catalog, export one collection or vendor at a time.
ZIP service is temporarily unavailable, or Export timed out
Both of these mean a step on our side did not finish in time: either the service that packages your images into a ZIP did not respond, or a step took too long. This is normally a temporary slowdown. Wait a few minutes and start the export again. If a very large export times out more than once, split it up with filters. If it happens repeatedly, contact support with the export number.
Temporary network issues
Occasionally, a brief connectivity issue between the app and Shopify can cause an export to fail. This is usually temporary. Wait a minute or two and try starting the export again.
Very large exports
Exports with thousands of images take longer to process. If you have a very large catalog, the export may take several minutes. The app processes images in batches and retries failed downloads automatically, so most large exports complete successfully even if a few images take extra time. Very large exports are delivered as several numbered ZIP files; see Large Exports and Multi Part ZIP Files.
If a large export does fail, try splitting it into smaller exports using filters (for example, export one collection at a time).
Some images failed to download
The activity log may show that a small number of images failed while the rest succeeded. This usually happens when specific image files on Shopify's servers are temporarily unavailable. The export still completes with all the images that were downloaded successfully:
- The log lists the file names of the missing images (up to 50 of them, with a count of any more) so you can see which products are affected.
- The last line of the log reads, for example, "1,180 images exported, 20 could not be included".
- The completion email carries the same notice with the number of missing images.
If you need those specific images, try running the export again. The issue is almost always temporary.
Missing permissions
If you see a Missing Permissions warning banner at the top of the dashboard, the app no longer has permission to read your products, so filters, counts, and exports will not work until it is restored. This can happen if the app's permissions were changed. To fix it:
- In your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Apps and sales channels and remove the app.
- Install it again from the Shopify App Store and approve the permissions when Shopify asks. This re-grants the product permission.
- Open the app. If the banner is still there after reinstalling, contact support.
Reinstalling counts as an uninstall first. Read What Happens When You Uninstall the App before you do it, especially if you are on the Unlimited plan, as you will need to subscribe again afterwards.
Still having trouble?
If your export keeps failing and none of the above applies, contact our support team. Include the export number from your Export History and the exact error message so we can look into it.