DropmatchGuides /
Name your photos so they find their products by themselves
The quickest way to add new photos is to let their names do the sorting. Name each photo after its product, add a number, and Dropmatch puts it on the right product, in the right order. Renaming a whole set takes a few seconds on Windows or Mac.
The rule: product name, then a number
Name each photo after its product as it appears in Shopify, followed by a number:
linen-dress-1.jpg,linen-dress-2.jpg,linen-dress-3.jpggo to the product Linen dress.Linen Dress 1.JPGorlinen_dress_1.jpgwork just as well: capitals, accents, spaces, hyphens and underscores don’t matter.- The number sets the order of the new photos on the product: 1 before 2, and 2 before 10.
New photos are added after the images the product already has, so the main image customers see first doesn’t change.
On Windows: rename a whole set in seconds
- Open the folder with your photos and sort it the way you want the photos to appear (by name or by date). Windows numbers the files in the order they’re displayed.
- Select all the photos of one product (Ctrl + click, or Shift + click for a range).
- Press F2.
- Type the product name, for example
linen-dress, and press Enter.
Windows renames them linen-dress (1).jpg, linen-dress (2).jpg, linen-dress (3).jpg… Dropmatch recognises this format: no need to change anything else. Repeat for the next product.
On a Mac
- In the Finder, select all the photos of one product.
- Right-click and choose Rename.
- In the first menu, choose Format, then Name and Index.
- In the custom format field, type the product name followed by a hyphen, for example
linen-dress-, and start the numbers at 1. - Click Rename.
The final hyphen matters: it gives linen-dress-1.jpg. Without it, the Mac can stick the number to the name (linen-dress1.jpg), and the product is no longer recognised automatically.
No time to rename? Use one folder per product
Put the photos of each product in a folder named exactly like the product, for example a folder Linen dress containing IMG_4821.jpg, IMG_4822.jpg… The photos are matched by the folder name, without renaming a single file.
In Dropmatch, use the Select a folder button rather than dragging the folder: it’s the only way for the browser to pass on the folder names. It works well with photographers who deliver one folder per product.
When names are close, Dropmatch asks
If two products have very similar titles, such as “Moon Ring” and “Moon Ring Gold”, Dropmatch doesn’t guess: the photo waits under “Needs your decision” until you choose. A photo is never put on a product by chance.
Other names that work
- A SKU at the start of the file name:
AL-RG-014_1.jpggoes to the product whose SKU is AL-RG-014. - A barcode:
3760123450071.jpggoes to the product with that barcode. - Camera names like
IMG_4821.jpgwith nothing else: you assign them in a few clicks, several at a time.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to rename my photos?
No. Photos with camera names like IMG_4821.jpg can still be matched by their folder name, a SKU or a barcode, or assigned in a few clicks. Naming them after the product is simply the fastest way.
Does the name have to match the product title exactly?
The words have to be the same as the product title. Capitals, accents, spaces, hyphens and underscores don’t matter. Extra words such as “front” or “back” can stop the automatic match, so keep just the product name and a number.
Will these names end up on my store?
No. When it sends a photo, Dropmatch gives it a new file name written from what the photo shows, for search engines. Your naming is only used to find the product.
What if two products have almost the same name?
If two titles are very close, such as “Moon Ring” and “Moon Ring Gold”, Dropmatch doesn’t guess. The photo waits for you to confirm the right product.
Do it for all your photos at once.
Dropmatch matches each photo to its product and writes its alt text and SEO file name. You review everything before it's sent.