Google Shopping’s AI Photo Rule You Can’t Check by Looking

The photo can look identical while an important label is missing. Google Shopping requires AI-generated images to carry source-type metadata inside the file. A visual check cannot tell you whether your export kept it. Compare the original and final files before resizing an entire catalog.

Sources checked September 26, 2026. This is a file-checking workflow based on official documentation, not a Merchant Center approval test.

The label lives inside the file

Before resizing an AI-generated product image, keep its original export. Use it as the reference when you check the final file you will submit.

Google’s Merchant Center guidance for AI-generated content requires AI-generated images to carry IPTC DigitalSourceType metadata identifying their origin. It names TrainedAlgorithmicMedia and instructs sellers to preserve embedded source-type tags, including those that identify composite or algorithmic content. Preserve the classification that accurately describes the asset.

Actual Google Merchant Center help excerpt naming DigitalSourceType and TrainedAlgorithmicMedia for AI-generated images.
Actual excerpt from Google Merchant Center guidance, captured September 26, 2026. These are the field and source-type names to look for when checking the original and exported files. This capture is not a metadata test or feed approval. View full-size screenshot.

Check one export before processing the whole catalog

  1. Save the original export. Keep the file produced by the image tool, along with the project and any source photographs. Use a separate copy for resizing.
  2. Record the original’s information. Note dimensions, format, file size, and its IPTC/XMP digital source type. A normal file-properties window may not show every field.
  3. Export a single trial image. Use the same settings you intend to apply to the full batch. Avoid overwriting your original.
  4. Read the exported file’s metadata. Compare the value with the original, rather than checking only the export dialog’s settings.
  5. Inspect the picture separately. Check product edges, labels, colors, and any generated details against the real product. Metadata cannot make an inaccurate photo accurate.

What to ask your editor or image provider

Use the specific field name, IPTC DigitalSourceType, when checking documentation or asking for help. “Keep EXIF” and “preserve all metadata” are not descriptions you should treat as interchangeable without checking the output. Ask whether the final exported file retains the original source type and how to inspect it.

Here is an original support note you can adapt: “I need to preserve the AI provenance in this image for a Google Shopping feed. Where can I see its IPTC DigitalSourceType, and which export settings retain that value after resizing?” Compare the two actual files with a metadata viewer that exposes the field. A missing value is a reason to investigate, not to invent a replacement.

Present, missing or changed: what your result means

ResultNext step
Source type appears in both filesCheck that the values match the asset’s actual origin, then continue the normal feed and visual checks.
Present in the original, absent after exportReturn to the editor’s metadata-preservation settings or choose a workflow that retains the field. Repeat the comparison.
Absent in bothCheck the generating tool’s documentation and original export. Do not assume that a file with no readable field is ready for the feed.

Passing this check does not guarantee Merchant Center acceptance. The image URL, product representation, and other applicable requirements still matter. When diagnosing a rejection, record the actual issue shown in Merchant Center instead of changing unrelated settings.

Keep provenance and presentation checks together

Shopify’s media-generation documentation describes an invisible metadata watermark on AI-generated content. Do not assume that every editor exposes that information in the same way, or that every watermark is interchangeable with the IPTC field Google names.

Keep a small export log: original filename, final filename, export settings, digital source type before and after, and the date checked. Repeat this check after changing tools or export presets. One verified sample can catch a workflow problem before you process a whole catalog.

If Shopify rejects the file because it is too large, also see our guide to megabytes versus megapixels. Dimensions, stored size, provenance, and product accuracy are separate checks.

Prepared with AI assistance using the official sources linked above. Signal & Steps is independent of Google and Shopify. No affiliate links or paid recommendations are included.

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