— Product video on Shopify · Guide
How to add a video to a Shopify product page
Published 27 October 2026 · Sources read 27 October 2026
Short answer
Open the product in your Shopify admin, go to its Media section and either upload the video file or choose Select existing, then Add from URL, to embed a YouTube or Vimeo video.[1] Uploaded videos can be up to 1 GB and 10 minutes long, in MP4, MOV or WEBM.[2] Your theme must support video for it to show on the page.[1]
Before you start: three things to check
Adding a video takes a couple of minutes, but three things decide whether it actually appears and plays for shoppers. Check them first and you avoid the most common support questions.
- Your theme supports video. Shopify says you need a theme that supports 3D models and videos, and that an older version of a supported theme might need updating before videos show.[1] If you have edited your theme's code heavily, test on a duplicate first.
- You have room on your plan. Each store has a limit on the number of videos and 3D models, which depends on the Shopify plan: 250 on Basic, 1,000 on Grow, 5,000 on Advanced and 50,000 on Plus.[1] Video storage is a separate limit, for example 50 GB on Basic.[1]
- The video is a real MP4, MOV or WEBM file. Shopify warns that a file renamed by hand, such as a .mov renamed to .mp4, does not match its format and can upload as a generic file with no thumbnail that will not play.[1]
How to upload a video to a product (desktop)
- 1
Open the product
From your Shopify admin, go to Products and click the product you want to edit.[1]
- 2
Add the file in the Media section
In the Media section, click Upload new and choose the file, or drag and drop it onto the section. If the video is already in your store's files, click Select existing instead.[1]
- 3
- 4
Set the order
Drag the video to where you want it in the gallery. The first media item is the product's featured media, and it is the one shown on collection pages, the cart, checkout and your home page.[1] Many merchants keep a clear photo first and put the video second, so those pages still show a still image.
- 5
Add a cover image and alt text
From Content > Files you can update a video's cover image, which acts as its preview, and add alt text describing it.[2]
- 6
Save and check the live page
Save the product, then open it on your storefront on a phone and a computer to check the video plays.
On the Shopify mobile app the route is similar: open the product, tap + in the Media section, then pick a file, use the camera, or paste a YouTube or Vimeo URL.[1]
How to add a YouTube or Vimeo video instead
Embedding is useful when a video is longer or larger than Shopify's upload limits, because those limits do not apply to embedded YouTube or Vimeo links.[2] Shopify itself suggests a hosting service for videos over 1 GB or longer than 10 minutes.[2]
- 1
Make the video embeddable
On YouTube, set the video to Public or Unlisted. On Vimeo, make sure the video allows embedding on other sites. Private or restricted videos cannot be added.[1]
- 2
- 3
Add it from the product
In the product's Media section, click Select existing, then Add from URL, and paste the link.[1]
Do not paste a Google Drive or Dropbox sharing link. Shopify notes that those open a preview page rather than the file itself, so the upload fails.[1] Download the file and upload it directly instead.
Shopify's video file requirements
These are the limits Shopify publishes for videos uploaded in the admin:[2]
- File size: up to 1 GB.
- Length: from 0.25 seconds up to 10 minutes.
- Formats: MP4, MOV and WEBM.
- Dimensions: at least 100 pixels and at most 4096 pixels wide and high; maximum resolution UHD.
- Recommended aspect ratios: 16:9, 9:16, 4:3, 3:4 or 1:1.
- Recommended codecs: H.264 video, with AAC, MP3 or Opus audio.
A product can hold up to 250 images, 3D models and videos in total.[1] Stores can also upload at most 1,000 videos in a week, and deleting videos does not lower that weekly count.[1]
One limit catches people out: videos and 3D models cannot be used as variant media.[1] If you want a video for each colour, put them in the product gallery in a sensible order, or make one video per product that shows the options.
What to put in a product page video
A product page video does a different job from an ad. The shopper is already interested, so the video should answer the questions a photo cannot: how big it is, how it moves, what is in the box. A few practical rules follow from Shopify's own guidance and from how galleries work.
- Keep it short and specific. A clip that shows one thing clearly is easier to watch inside a gallery than a long brand film; anything long belongs on YouTube or Vimeo, embedded.[2]
- Match the shape to the gallery. Square (1:1) or portrait (3:4) usually sit best beside product photos; vertical 9:16 suits phones; wide 16:9 suits a full-width section. All five are on Shopify's recommended list.[2]
- Make sure it works without sound, since many people browse muted. If the video has speech that matters, add captions.
- Check the facts on screen. If the video shows a price, a size chart or a claim, it has to match the listing, and it will need re-making when those change.
No footage? Make product videos from the photos you have
Most catalogs have good photos and no video at all. You can turn those photos into short videos instead of filming. Shaewoo, our own Shopify app, does this: it makes a video for each product from that product's photos, title and price, in vertical, square, 4:5, 3:4 and wide shapes in one run, and it can add finished videos to product pages in one click or automatically.[3] There is a free plan with 10 videos a month, with a watermark.[3]
Read more on turning Shopify product photos into video, the Shopify product video generator for whole catalogs, and video ad sizes for Reels, TikTok and Shorts if the same videos will run as ads.
Troubleshooting: when the video will not upload or play
- Processing error. The file reached Shopify but could not be converted, usually because of how it was encoded or exported. Re-export it in a widely used format such as H.264 MP4 and upload again.[1]
- Uploads as a generic file with no thumbnail. The extension does not match the real format. Restore the real extension and upload again.[1]
- Stuck uploading or processing. Check Content > Files and the product's Media section first. Files stuck in processing are removed automatically, which can take up to two hours; then upload again, compressing a large video first.[1]
- "Your plan does not permit more than … videos and 3D models." The store has reached its plan's allowance. Shopify notes the limit is sometimes enforced early, so count your videos and contact Shopify Support before upgrading.[1]
- The video is in the admin but not on the page. Your theme may not support video, or needs updating.[1] Check the product template in the theme editor and preview the latest theme version.
Questions
- How long can a Shopify product video be?
- An uploaded video can be up to 10 minutes long and up to 1 GB. Embedded YouTube and Vimeo videos are not bound by those limits.[2]
- Can I add a YouTube Short to a Shopify product?
- Not with a Shorts link. Shopify does not currently support youtube.com/shorts/ URLs, but you can change the link to the standard youtube.com/watch?v= format with the same video ID.[1]
- Can each variant have its own video?
- No. Shopify says videos and 3D models cannot be used as variant media, so they sit in the product's main gallery.[1]
- Should the video be the first item in the gallery?
- It can be, but the first item is the featured media shown on collection pages, the cart, checkout and the home page.[1] Keeping a photo first and the video second is the safer choice unless your theme handles a video well in those places.
- How many videos can my store have?
- It depends on your plan: 250 videos and 3D models on Basic, 1,000 on Grow, 5,000 on Advanced and 50,000 on Plus, with a separate video storage limit.[1]
Have photos but no videos?
Shaewoo makes a short video for every product from the photos, title and price already on the listing, and can put each one on its product page. The Free plan makes 10 videos a month with a watermark.
Disclosure: Shaewoo is our own app, made by Misimi Corp, which publishes this site.
Sources
Every fact in this guide links to one of these, read on 27 October 2026. Shaewoo is named only where it is relevant; nothing here is a review, a rating or a promise about results.