Quick Start Product Images Guide
2020 | Version 1.1
Last updated February 2020
The way you present your products influences a customer’s decision to buy your product. To attract customers to your products, always provide clear and concise product information in a consistent format. Use this document when making a new catalogue submission, to check that your images meet the minimum requirements before submitting.
This guide is geared to the most frequently asked questions and errors we see in catalogue submission. For extensive rules and requirements please refer to the Product Information Requirements Guide.
Table of Contents
Avoid these common errors
Common errors with image files and links
Common errors with primary images
Common errors with secondary images
Step-by-step assistance
How to submit your image links
Error 1: the link is not accessible
Error 2: the link is not direct
Common questions
If you use an API, how does the system read your pictures?
My images are not online - what platform can you recommend?
If I host images on my own website, can I use those direct links?
Can we give Google Photos or Google Drive links?
Do I need different images for variants?
Common errors with image files and links
Technical Checklist
Use the checklist below to ensure you avoid the most common quality and system review rejections. The following must be true:
- you have pasted an image link on each unique product/variant
- you have tested image links by opening them in an incognito/private browser window:
- you can see the image (there are no error messages)
- there are no buttons, menus or text around the image i.e. it is the image, not the image page
- if you download the image and right-click to check the properties
- you see the pixel dimensions are at least 600 px and no more than 2048 px
- you see the DPI is at least 72
- you see the file format/extension is .jpg or .jpeg or .png (no transaparent backgrounds)
Common errors with primary images
Primary Image Checklist
Use the checklist below to ensure you avoid the most common quality review rejections.The following must be true:
- it is a high-quality photo (not a drawing) of the product
- the entire product can be seen
- the product is shown against a white background and there are no rough editing edges
- the product is outside of its packaging
- the product is new and does not look used
- only the product for sale is shown e.g. if you are selling a teddy, do not include another toy in the primary image
- all product attachments that are in the primary image are listed in the What’s In The Box field
- where a bundle is being sold e.g. a phone and tablet - both of these are shown in the primary image
- no mannequins or human-use (lifestyle/model images) are included for the primary image
Common errors with secondary images
Secondary Image Checklist
Use the checklist below to ensure you avoid the most common quality review rejections.The following must be true:
- you have checked whether your category requires more than 1 image (e.g. fashion)
- you have ensured the product is showcased in each additional image
- it is not a collage
How to submit your image links
All image links must be publicly accessible and the direct URL/link of the image as it is found on the internet (links must start with http:// or https://). Examples of sites that should not be used to host images Google Drive, Facebook and Dropbox (please do not attempt to submit these links).
How to get your image link(s)
Step 1: go to the webpage where the image can be found
Step 2: right-click on the image and select “copy image” address
Step 3: check that it is the correct link by pasting the copied link the URL bar of a private/incognito window
See the visual example below. See you if you can get to this link: https://shopfront.takealot.com/static/media/optimise-your-growth-f0bbb70bbda9bb55ef5cb41078e8580e.jpg
Step 1: go to https://www.takealot.com/sell:
Step 2: right-click on the image and select “copy image” address
Step 3: open an incognito/private browser window and paste the link into the URL bar
Check your answer:
Do you see the image as per our example?
How to check your image links
Step 1: test all image links in a private browser window. This allows you to view the image as our system will see it.
- for Google Chrome users, open the Menu in the Browser and select “New incognito window”. The window will turn dark grey and display “You’ve gone incognito”
- for Safari users, click on File in the Safari menu and select “New Private Window”. The window will turn dark grey and display “Private Browsing Mode”.
Step 2: paste the link in the URL bar at the top
Error 1: the link is not accessible
If you receive an error message or request to login, your image is not accessible.
See the example below of an image that is not accessible.
Error 2: the link is not direct
This may be more difficult to spot, depending on the hosting site used, because no error page will display. Your link is “not direct” if you have provided the URL/link of the webpage and not the image address. You can only tell that is a web page if you see menu buttons, functions, arrows etc. on the screen.
Avoid this by always selecting “copy image address”.
Frequently asked questions
Once Takealot has accepted the submission, does the link still need to work?
Once your catalogue has been successfully created, the image link is no longer required. This is different to simply submitting the catalogue via the Seller Portal.
How do you resize images?
There are many free platforms available. Simply search for “image resizing platform” to find the platform that works for you.
If you use an API, how does the system read your pictures?
We do not currently have a Catalogue API available to sellers - we do have an Offers and Sales API available.
My images are not online - what platform can you recommend?
Takealot cannot endorse the use of any website or platform outright. This is due to the fact that these platforms are not owned or operated by takealot.com and may opt to alter images on upload e.g. resizing images, expiring links etc.
We will provide the top 5 platforms used successfully by Sellers in the past. We do not accept responsibility for the use of these platforms and our Support Team will not be able to
troubleshoot issues relating to these platforms. We encourage you to explore and learn about the
capabilities of these platforms independently. Here are the top successful platforms used by sellers (in no specific order):
- image links from your own/manufacturer website
- image links from Shopify
- https://cloudinary.com/
- https://imgur.com/
- https://media.adeo.com/wcm.jspz
If I host images on my own website, can I use those direct links?
Absolutely! Please ensure that your images meet our requirements before submitting. We also encourage you to test the links in a private browser window to confirm that the link is direct and accessible.
Can we give Google Photos or Google Drive links?
Google Photos has presented 2 challenges which has caused us to discourage the use of the platform:
- Mixed results with regard to accessibility: Google Photos tends to expire their links without warning. This has resulted in mixed outcomes when our system attempts to create your catalogue.
- Confusion with regard to getting the direct link: the preview of images looks similar to that of a direct link causing sellers to provide the incorrect link (links of web pages). Our system requires the direct link to create the catalogue.
Do I need different images for variants?
This depends on whether or not your variants look different to each other:
- I am selling a shoe in different sizes - the shoe looks the same for each size, provide 1 image on the first variant line
- I am selling a shoe in different colours - each colour is different, provide a picture of the colour variant on each variant line
Have you watched our videos?
- Loadsheet Basics: 3 steps to creating new products (3:06)
- Loadsheet Basics: How loadsheets work (3:59)
- Loadsheet Basics: How To fill in a loadsheet (9:25)
- Loadsheet Basics: How to create products with variants (9:17)
- Loadsheet Tools & Tips: How to submit image links (4:43)
- Loadsheet Webinar [Recording] : Help with image links (29:21)
- Loadsheet Webinar [Recording] : How to create variants using the loadsheet (35:30)
Did we miss anything?
If you have any suggestions on how we can provide you with better learning material, please let us know with the form here.