Troubleshooting 'Invalid Image Name' Errors in Google for WooCommerce

One of the most common and frustrating issues users face with the Google for WooCommerce plugin is the dreaded “invalid image name” error. This error halts product synchronization with Google Merchant Center, preventing your products from appearing in listings and ads.

This guide will explain why these errors occur and provide actionable steps to resolve them, based on community-reported solutions.

Understanding the “Invalid Image Name” Error

You might see an error message that looks like this in your Google Merchant Center or plugin sync status:

• [imageLink] Product image “your-image-name.png” is not a valid name.
• [additionalImageLinks[0]] Product image “another-image.jpg” is not a valid name.

It’s important to note that this error is not generated by the WooCommerce plugin itself. The “Google for WooCommerce” plugin prepares and sends your product data, but it is Google Merchant Center that validates this data against its own strict policies. The error message is Google’s way of rejecting an image because its filename does not meet their requirements.

Why Does Google Reject Certain Image Names?

Even if an image is in a perfectly acceptable format like PNG or JPEG, Google Merchant Center can still flag its name as invalid. Common reasons for rejection include:

• Length: Extremely long filenames can be problematic.
• Special Characters: Characters like em-dashes (–), underscores (_), or other non-alphanumeric characters can sometimes cause issues, though hyphens are generally acceptable.
• Non-ASCII Characters: Filenames using characters from non-Latin alphabets (e.g., Cyrillic, Arabic) may be rejected.
• Restricted Words: Google’s algorithms may flag names that contain certain keywords.
• File Format Misidentification: In some cases, a file with a .webp extension might be the root cause, as support for this format can be inconsistent (though Thread 10 indicates it is not supported, while Thread 1 suggests AVIF, a similar format, might be).

Google’s official guidelines state that image names should be simple and descriptive. You can review their full image requirements on the Google Merchant Center Help page.

How to Fix “Invalid Image Name” Errors

Follow these troubleshooting steps to resolve the sync issues.

Step 1: Rename Your Problematic Images

This is the most common and effective solution. For any image flagged with an invalid name error:

1. Choose a Simple Name: Rename the image file to something short, descriptive, and using only alphanumeric characters and hyphens. For example, change damen-leinenhose-damenhose-leinen-culotte-festlich-elegant-figurschmeichelnde-frauenhose.jpg to something like linen-culotte-trousers.jpg.
2. Re-upload in WooCommerce: Delete the old image from your WordPress media library and from the product gallery. Upload the newly named image and re-assign it to the product.
3. Re-sync with Google: Manually trigger a product resync from the Google for WooCommerce settings.

Step 2: Verify the Image Format

While PNG and JPEG are universally accepted, support for newer formats like WEBP can be unreliable. As seen in Thread 10, Google Merchant Center may not accept .webp images. If you are using .webp or .avif formats and encountering errors, convert your images to a standard JPEG or PNG format and try syncing again.

Step 3: Check Image Accessibility

Google must be able to access and crawl your images. Ensure that:

• The image URL is publicly accessible. Try pasting the direct image link into a new incognito browser window to confirm it loads.
• There are no security plugins or server configurations blocking Google’s crawlers from accessing your site’s images.

Step 4: Disconnect and Reconnect Your Account

As suggested in Thread 4, a simple account refresh can sometimes resolve underlying sync glitches.

1. Navigate to Marketing > Google Listings & Ads in your WordPress admin.
2. Go to the Settings or Connection tab.
3. Disconnect your Google account and then go through the setup process to reconnect it.

Step 5: Review System Status and Logs

If the issue persists, further investigation is needed. As mentioned in Thread 9, you can provide more context for troubleshooting by:

1. Finding System Status: In your WordPress admin, go to WooCommerce > Status. Click Get system report and then Copy for support.
2. Finding Logs: Go to WooCommerce > Status > Logs. Look for log files that start with google-listings-and-ads in the dropdown menu, view them, and note any relevant errors.

Conclusion

The “invalid image name” error is a policy enforcement from Google Merchant Center, not a direct bug in the “Google for WooCommerce” plugin. The most reliable fix is to adhere to Google’s guidelines by using simple, descriptive filenames for your product images and sticking to well-established formats like JPEG and PNG. By methodically applying the steps above, you can clear these errors and get your products syncing successfully.