Setting Up File Renaming

Descriptive, keyword-rich image filenames are a small but worthwhile SEO win. If your images have generic names like IMG_4921.jpg or shopify_1.png, the file renaming automation can fix that automatically.

How File Renaming Works

When the renaming automation is enabled, Crush.pics renames your image files based on a template you define. The template uses dynamic variables — like product title, handle, or variant title — which are replaced with real values when each image is processed.

For example, a template like:

{{product_title}}-{{variant_title}}

Might produce a filename like:

linen-shirt-blue-536372920039373635.jpg

What are the numbers at the end of the filename?

The numbers that appear at the end of a renamed image are necessary for two reasons;

Shopify’s CDN image server requires each image to have a unique name and this ensure the name’s uniqueness
Sites like Google like seeing information in file names but if they become too repetitive then they will flag them as spam. The numbers act to prove that the images are indeed unique and help with SEO ranking.

These numbers are necessary and cannot be removed.

Enabling File Renaming

Go to Automations > File Rename in Crush.pics.
Toggle the automation on.
Build your filename template using the available variables (see below).
Click Save Template.

Available Variables

Variable	Output Example
`{{product_title}}`	`linen-shirt`
`{{variant_title}}`	`blue`
`{{product_type}}`	`tops`
`{{product_vendor}}`	`acme-co`
`{{product_barcode}}`	`004632556309`
`{{product_page_title}}`	This is the SEO Page Title, editable at the bottom of your product screen
`{{sku}}`	`BLS-001`

Variables are automatically formatted to be URL-safe (lowercase, spaces replaced with hyphens).

Recommended Template

A good all-round starting template for most stores:

{{product_title}}-{{product_variant}}

If you want to include your brand or product type for additional SEO context:

{{product_vendor}}-{{product_title}}-{{product_variant}}

Important Considerations & Warnings

Filenames change in Shopify. Renaming an image updates its filename in your Shopify store. If you’ve hardcoded image URLs anywhere (e.g. in custom HTML sections or third-party tools), those links will break. In most cases this isn’t an issue since Shopify references images by ID, not filename — but it’s worth being aware of.

Alt text is separate. File renaming changes the filename, not the alt text. To update alt text, see Setting Up Alt Text.

Filenames cannot be reverted/restored. Once they are renamed - this cannot be undone.

Disabling File Renaming

Toggle the automation off under Automations > File Rename. Images already renamed will keep their current filenames — disabling the automation doesn’t revert anything.