WhatsApp Catalogue Image Size and Product Photo Rules

Use square product photos of at least 1024 × 1024 pixels, saved as JPEG and under 8 MB. Meta’s hard rules for catalogue images are JPEG or PNG, at least 500 × 500 pixels and no more than 8 MB. For shops on Facebook and Instagram it shows product images square (1:1) and recommends 1024 × 1024, and it’s the only size Meta recommends for catalogue images outside ads, so it’s the safe target for a WhatsApp catalogue too.

This guide covers the size and format rules, which ratio to use, what Meta says makes a good product photo, why images look blurry or don’t show, and how to change an image without it getting stuck. It applies to catalogues built in Meta Commerce Manager for the WhatsApp Business API, and also notes what’s different on the free WhatsApp Business app.

WhatsApp catalogue image size at a glance

A WhatsApp Business API catalogue is a Meta catalogue: you upload products through Commerce Manager or Meta’s Commerce API and connect the catalogue to your WhatsApp account. So the image rules are Meta’s catalogue rules. Here they are in one place:

The right-hand column is our advice, not Meta’s rules. On file size, Meta warns that an image which takes too long to download from your website can time out, and suggests a faster server or a smaller file, so there’s no benefit in uploading a huge file.

Which ratio to use: square, 4:5 or something else

People often search for the “WhatsApp catalogue image ratio” because a photo looks cut off. Meta says product images in shops on Facebook and Instagram are displayed square, so a wide or tall photo may not show the way you shot it. It also says that if your catalogue mixes ratios, images may be adjusted automatically in carousel ads to keep the cards consistent, and that giving every image the same ratio, 1:1 or 4:5, prevents that.

For a WhatsApp catalogue, square is the simplest choice: it’s the shape Meta uses in shops and one of the two it suggests for carousels, and one shape for every product keeps your catalogue tidy wherever it’s shown.

Cropping settings in Commerce Manager

Commerce Manager has image cropping settings under Settings › Catalog, with three options: fill the frame (the default, which zooms in), show the entire image (which may add white space), or crop and resize to fit the whole product (best with white or transparent backgrounds). Meta says these settings apply to carousel, collection and single-image ads and to Instagram product pages. Meta doesn’t list WhatsApp among the places they apply, so get the shape right in the photo itself.

What makes a good WhatsApp catalogue photo

Meta’s requirements are short: every product needs at least one image, the image must accurately show the specific product for sale, and it must not contain offensive content. Its recommendations for the best quality go further:

• A clear main image that shows the entire product.
• A mix of angles, with close-ups of texture or details, and lifestyle shots such as someone wearing or using the product.
• The same images as your website, so the product looks the same everywhere.
• A white backdrop.
• JPEG rather than PNG where possible.
• No text over the product, and no calls to action, promo codes, watermarks or time-sensitive details such as a temporary price drop.

The last point matters for WhatsApp sellers, who often stamp “20% OFF” or a phone number on a photo. Put the offer in the price, sale price or description, or in the message you send, and keep the picture clean.

How to prepare a product photo, step by step

This works with a phone camera and any basic photo editor:

1. Shoot against a plain white background in daylight or even light, with the whole product in view and some space around it.
2. Take the main shot straight on, then a few detail and angle shots, and one in use if it helps.
3. Crop to a square, keeping the product centred and filling most of the frame.
4. Resize to 1024 × 1024 pixels (or larger if your camera gives you more; never enlarge a small photo).
5. Export as JPEG at good quality and check the file is below 8 MB.
6. Name the file clearly with a version, such as cotton-kurta-blue-v1.jpg, so a later change gets a new name and a new URL.
7. Upload it: add it to the item in Commerce Manager, put its public link in your data feed’s image_link column, or add it in the WhatsApp Business app.

If you use a data feed, extra photos go in additional_image_link, separated by commas, with the whole list in double quotes. Meta allows up to 50 extra images per item, following the same specs as the main one.

Why your catalogue images look blurry

Meta doesn’t publish a WhatsApp-specific reason for blur, but the usual causes are on the photo’s side, and each has a simple fix:

If a photo is sharp on your computer but old or wrong in the catalogue, the problem is usually the image link, not the photo. The next two sections cover that.

Images missing or not updating in Commerce Manager

When you upload products by data feed, Meta downloads each image from its link. Meta’s troubleshooting guide lists what stops that download:

• Your server is down or slow. A slow image can time out. Make the download faster or the file smaller.
• A firewall blocks Meta. If you use a protection service, add the Meta-ExternalAds user agent to your allow list.
• The image is password protected. Meta doesn’t support that, so remove the protection.
• The link is broken or contains spaces. Test it in a browser, and replace spaces with %20.
• The file is over 8 MB, or isn’t a JPEG or PNG, or the link opens a page rather than the image itself.
• It’s a preview link from an online drive. Use the raw link to the image file.
• The link redirects by location. Meta downloads from servers around the world, so make sure every redirect still reaches the right image.

Changing an image the right way

Meta says your catalogue only recognises that a product image has changed when its link changes. If you upload a new photo under the same URL, the old one stays. Save the new photo at a different link and update the product. There may be a delay before Meta fetches it.

For the same reason, Meta advises against placeholders such as “image coming soon”. Wait until the real photo is ready before adding the product.

Two more things to know before you edit. Meta says editing most product data, including titles, descriptions and images, sends the product through review again, while price, availability and quantity can be changed without a new review. And on WhatsApp, Meta says screens showing a product update once the customer’s app learns about a change to its image, price, title or description.

Photos on the free WhatsApp Business app

If you build your catalogue in the WhatsApp Business app rather than Commerce Manager, the steps are: Tools › Catalog › Add new item › Add photos and videos, then choose from your library or take a photo with the camera. WhatsApp’s Help Center says:

• You can upload up to 10 images or videos per item.
• Videos can be up to 50 MB. WhatsApp doesn’t list a size limit for images.
• Every image and video is reviewed, and items appear only after approval. A rejected item shows a red exclamation mark next to its image.
• You can ask for another review: tap the item, Request another review, give your reason and continue.

Because WhatsApp gives no image rules for the app, preparing photos the same way as for Commerce Manager (square, sharp, white background, no text) is a sensible default. For setting up items, prices and carts, see the WhatsApp catalogue guide.

Catalogues, product photos and Automate AI

If your number is connected to Automate AI, your product photos still live in your Meta catalogue: Automate AI doesn’t upload products or images to Meta, and it doesn’t send catalogue or product messages. What it does give owners and managers is the WhatsApp Shop box in Settings › WhatsApp, with switches to Show catalog and Allow cart once a catalogue is connected in Commerce Manager. If the catalogue isn’t showing at all, work through WhatsApp catalogue not showing.

If you’d rather have full product pages with checkout, Automate AI’s Online Store gives you your own store page with categories, products and add-ons, payment by Razorpay or cash on delivery, and a WhatsApp message at each order step. Pictures you add there are saved at a web-friendly size and shown in full on every screen. It’s included in the AI + Automation Plan and Series 4 (see pricing).

Sending a product photo as a normal image message or a template header has different limits from the catalogue. Those are covered in sending images with the WhatsApp API.