If you’ve uploaded product images to Google Merchant Center and noticed that they appear with a black background instead of a transparent one, you’re not alone. This issue can be frustrating, but it has a straightforward explanation and several solutions.
Why Do Images Suddenly Have a Black Background?
When you save an image as a PNG file with a transparent background, it should display correctly. However, if you compress the image using lossy compression, specific data—including transparency—may be stripped out. When uploaded to Google Merchant Center, this can cause the background to turn black.
How Compression Affects Transparency
Many image compression tools offer both lossy and lossless compression options:
- Lossy compression reduces file size significantly by removing metadata and other elements, which can affect transparency.
- Lossless compression retains more of the original image data, resulting in a larger file size.
For example, an image compressed using a lossy method might shrink from 85 KB to 30 KB, but at the cost of losing essential transparency data. When this happens, Google Merchant Center may struggle to read the image correctly, causing the background to appear black.
How to Fix the Black Background Issue
There are multiple ways to resolve this problem, depending on your preferred image-handling method.
1. Use a Different Image Format
Consider saving your images in WebP format instead of PNG. WebP is a Google-developed format that maintains transparency and compresses efficiently. Uploading images in WebP format can help Google Merchant Center display them correctly without losing transparency.
2. Upload a PNG with a Solid White Background
If you prefer to stick with PNG, saving the image with a white background rather than transparent is the safest approach. Google Merchant Center typically prefers images with a solid white background, aligning with their image guidelines for Shopping ads.
3. Upload an Uncompressed PNG
If your website or system compresses images before uploading them to Google Merchant Center, try:
- Uploading the original, uncompressed PNG file.
- Preventing excessive compression on your server or feed source.
4. Rename the File Before Uploading
If you replace an image with a corrected version but keep the same filename, Google might take 6 weeks to recognize the change. Instead, rename the file before re-uploading it to force Google Merchant Center to fetch the new version immediately.
5. Manually Upload the Image in Google Merchant Center
If you don’t want to modify your website’s image handling system, you can manually upload the corrected image to Google Merchant Center:
- Navigate to the product listing.
- Edit the product details.
- Upload the new image directly.
6. Use a Supplemental Feed for Image URLs
For merchants dealing with many images, manually uploading images may not be feasible. Instead, use a supplemental feed to update image URLs:
- Host the corrected images on a reliable server.
- Create a supplemental feed with the new image URLs.
- Upload the supplemental feed to Google Merchant Center.
This method ensures a quicker update without changing your main product feed.
Batch Processing for Large Image Sets
Manually fixing images one by one is impractical if you manage a large inventory. Instead, use batch-processing tools like Affinity Photo 2 to automate tasks such as:
- Converting images to WebP.
- Adding a solid white background.
- Renaming and saving images in bulk.
Since different businesses use various image editing software, specific batch-processing steps will vary based on your setup.