Zoom on product photos: let shoppers look closer
Shoppers want to see texture and detail. Let the main product photo zoom or open larger, on desktop and on touch screens.
1 min read
Area
CRO & UX
Severity
Medium
Fix effort
Small
Stores failing
12%
Of 84 stores we scanned where this check applies, 12% fail it and 88% pass. See all benchmarks.
Shoppers cannot inspect a product in person, so zoom is their magnifying glass. The main product photo should open larger or zoom when tapped or hovered. This check looks for that behaviour.
Why it matters
Detail drives trust: stitching, finish, labels, ingredients. A photo that cannot be enlarged hides it. Zoom also makes the gallery images matter more.
What the audit looks at
The audit looks for zoom or lightbox behaviour on the main product image of the product page.
What usually causes it
- A theme with zoom switched off
- Images too small to zoom meaningfully
- A gallery app that blocks the native zoom
- Pinch zoom disabled by the viewport settings
How to fix it
Let shoppers zoom the main product photo. The effort is small, usually a setting or a paste and under 30 minutes.
- Shoppers cannot judge material or detail from a small image. Allow tap-to-zoom or open the image larger.
- Upload images large enough to stay sharp when zoomed.
On Shopify
- Online Store > Themes > Customize, open the product page, select the media or product information section and look for a zoom option.
On WooCommerce
- WooCommerce includes a product gallery zoom: check that it has not been disabled by the theme (add_theme_support wc-product-gallery-zoom) and that images are large enough to zoom.
How to check it yourself
- Click or tap the main image and see what happens.
- Try pinching on a phone.
- Check that the enlarged image is sharp.
Frequently asked questions
What resolution do I need?
Upload images at least 2000 pixels on the long side so the zoomed view is crisp.
Does zoom slow the page?
Not if the large image loads on demand.
Related checks
Check your own store
See whether your store passes this check
Paste your store URL. The audit loads your pages in a real browser and shows the result for this check with the evidence behind it.