A complete guide to Shopify media generation in 2025

If you run an e-commerce store, you know the drill. Getting a steady stream of amazing, professional-looking product photos is a constant battle. It’s either incredibly expensive, painfully slow, or a massive headache that eats up all your time. You find yourself stuck between shelling out a fortune for photographers and studio time or spending hours hunched over editing apps, just trying to make your products look as good online as they do in person.

It’s a huge bottleneck for so many businesses. But thankfully, Shopify has decided to step in and level the playing field. They’ve been rolling out a pretty powerful set of AI tools built right into the platform, designed to let anyone create beautiful visuals without needing a design degree or a bottomless budget.

So, let's walk through everything you need to know about Shopify media generation. We’ll get into what it can actually do, weigh the good against the not-so-good, and show you how it fits into a bigger picture, an AI strategy that doesn't just make your store look good, but actually helps you sell more stuff.

What is Shopify media generation?

At its heart, Shopify media generation is a collection of AI-powered tools that live directly inside your Shopify dashboard. The whole point is to help you create and edit professional-quality product images without ever having to leave the platform. No more exporting photos, messing with complicated software, or hiring a designer for every little tweak.

This is all part of a bigger push from Shopify they call Shopify Magic, which is all about sprinkling AI into different parts of the platform to make your life easier. For the visual side of things, these tools are conveniently placed right where you need them most: in the Media Editor when you're uploading product shots, in the File Picker as you build out your site, and you can even ask Sidekick, Shopify’s AI assistant, to help you out.

To put it simply, these tools let you do a few key things:

• Instantly remove or swap out the background of any product photo.

• Create entirely new, surprisingly realistic scenes for your products just by typing a short description.

• Generally make your whole visual content process a lot faster and cheaper.

What can you do with Shopify media generation?

Creating eye-catching visuals is a lot more accessible now. Shopify has woven its AI tools right into your daily workflow, so you can make edits on the fly. Here’s a breakdown of what you can get done.

An AI background editor

The "Color background" feature is your new best friend for creating a clean, professional catalog. It uses AI to automatically figure out what the main subject of your photo is (your product) and lets you instantly replace the background with a solid color or make it totally transparent.

This is perfect for getting that uniform, cohesive look across all your product listings. You know, the kind that makes a store feel trustworthy and well-put-together. It’s also incredibly handy for prepping images for your marketing campaigns or creating transparent PNGs that you can easily drop into social media graphics or email newsletters without any awkward white boxes.

An AI scene generator for lifestyle images

Okay, this is where things get really interesting. The "Generate" feature lets you take a basic product photo, say, your new ceramic mug on a plain white background, and drop it into a completely new, AI-generated scene using nothing but a text prompt. You can dream up just about any setting, describe it, and the AI will build it around your product.

Shopify suggests getting pretty descriptive to get the best results. A little detail goes a long way. For example, instead of just "in a kitchen," you could try:

• "Product sitting on a marble countertop in a modern kitchen with warm, morning lighting."

• "On a rustic wooden bench in a sunny park, surrounded by autumn leaves, professional ad photography."

You can pick from a few preset styles to get you started or write your own prompts from scratch to get exactly the vibe you're going for. It's a powerful way to create those compelling lifestyle shots that help customers actually picture your products in their own homes and lives, which is a huge step toward making a sale.

A smooth workflow for seamless editing

Maybe the best part about all of this is that the tools aren’t hidden away in some confusing menu. They pop up right where you're already working. You'll see the AI editing options when you're uploading images in the Media Editor, looking through your files, or asking Sidekick for a hand. This easy access means you can touch up your visuals as you go without constantly switching apps and breaking your focus.

Should you use Shopify media generation? The good and the bad

While Shopify’s AI tools are definitely impressive, they aren't the perfect solution for every single situation. It’s important to get a clear picture of their strengths and their weaknesses to decide if they’re the right choice for your brand.

The benefits: Speed, cost, and a polished look

First, let's talk about the good stuff, because there's a lot of it.

• It saves you a ton of money: This is the big one. These AI features are currently included with all Shopify plans at no extra cost. When you compare that to the hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars you could easily spend on a single professional photoshoot, the savings are massive.

• You get your time back: Instead of waiting days or weeks for a photographer to send back edited shots, you can generate a dozen different creative options in just a few minutes. This speeds everything up, whether you're launching a new product line, prepping for a holiday sale, or just need fresh content for social media.

• It keeps your brand looking sharp: Want all your product photos to have a clean, minimalist feel with perfect studio lighting? Or maybe a more rustic, outdoor vibe? With these tools, you can easily apply a consistent look across your entire catalog, which helps give your store that polished, professional feel that builds trust with shoppers from the moment they land on your site.

Limitations to keep in mind

Of course, there are a few things you need to be aware of before you dive in.

• Image resolution isn't print-ready: The AI-generated images top out at a resolution of 1 megapixel. Now, that's totally fine for your website, social media posts, and email marketing. But if you're planning on running print ads or creating large banners, it's probably not going to be high enough quality.

• There's an invisible watermark: Shopify adds an invisible watermark to every image the AI generates. This doesn't stop you from using them however you want for your business, but it's something to know.

• It doesn't do video (yet): This is a pretty significant limitation. Shopify's tool is all about static images. If you want to turn those beautiful new product shots into engaging videos for TikTok, Instagram Reels, or your product pages, you're going to have to look elsewhere.

• It takes some trial and error: The AI generates one scene at a time, and it might not nail your vision on the first go. You'll likely need to play around with a few different prompts and tweak your descriptions to get the exact result you're picturing in your head.

Shopify media generation: Native tools vs. third-party apps

So, when should you stick with Shopify's built-in tools versus exploring the App Store? Shopify's native media generation is fantastic for quick, easy, and free image editing and creation. If you need clean backgrounds or want to experiment with some simple lifestyle shots without spending a dime, it's a no-brainer.

However, you'll want to check out third-party apps like Shott or OmniGen when your needs get more advanced. The biggest reason is video creation; Shopify's tools simply don't offer it. Many of these external apps specialize in turning your product images into short, shareable videos. They also often provide options for higher-resolution image downloads, which is essential for print or high-quality digital ads. The tradeoff is that they come with their own pricing, usually a subscription or a one-time fee, and require an app install, making them slightly less integrated than the native tools.

After Shopify media generation: Finishing your AI strategy

Getting a potential customer to stop scrolling because of a stunning product photo is a huge win, but it's really only half the job. Once you’ve caught their eye, how do you turn that initial interest into a sale? They're bound to have questions. "Does this jacket run true to size?" "What's your return policy?" "When will the blue one be back in stock?"

If they have to click around and hunt for those answers, there's a good chance they'll just give up and leave. This is where a complete AI strategy makes all the difference. While Shopify media generation gets your visuals looking perfect, an AI sales assistant handles the next critical step: the conversation.

An AI chatbot, like the one from eesel AI, acts like a sales expert for your store who's available 24/7. It connects directly with your Shopify store and can:

• Act as a personal shopper: It instantly learns your entire product catalog, allowing it to give smart, personalized recommendations to shoppers, complete with image carousels right in the chat.

• Answer questions on the spot: It can handle all those common questions about product specs, shipping details, return policies, and order status without making your customers wait for an email response.

• Help close the sale: It can guide shoppers through their buying journey, answer last-minute questions, and even add items to their cart for them directly from the chat window.

By pairing powerful visuals with an intelligent chatbot, you create a smooth shopping experience that doesn't just look amazing but also actively helps turn curious visitors into happy customers.

Pricing for Shopify media generation and alternatives

One of the biggest selling points for Shopify's native tools is the price tag. Right now, Shopify media generation is available on all Shopify plans for free.

If you need more power, especially when it comes to video, you'll need to head over to the Shopify App Store. Apps like VideoMagic and Shott often have free plans to let you try them out, with paid tiers that are usually based on how many videos you need to make per month. These can range from one-off charges to monthly subscriptions that typically start around $15.

What's the verdict on Shopify media generation?

Shopify's native media generation tools are a fantastic addition for merchants. They make it incredibly simple and affordable to create high-quality product photos, which used to be a major hurdle for anyone trying to build a beautiful online store.

But remember, a successful e-commerce business doesn't stop at pretty pictures. The real goal is to turn all that visual appeal into revenue. By pairing Shopify's slick image tools with a smart, conversational AI sales assistant, you can guide customers from the moment they first see your product all the way to checkout. That's how you build a brand that's not just nice to look at, but also genuinely helpful and much more profitable.

This video provides a helpful review of Shopify's Magic Image Editor and whether it's the right choice for your product photo needs.

Ready to turn your beautifully-showcased products into sales?

Your new AI-generated images will bring more shoppers to your store. Make sure you’re ready to convert them.

Explore eesel AI's Sales Chatbot for Shopify and see how you can provide instant answers, recommend products, and increase your conversion rate, 24/7.