Shopify has no native way to show different product images per language. Here are three methods and which one actually works.
TLDR: Ready to show each language their own images? Install Product Image Translate Easy and deliver the visual experience every market deserves.
You need your German customers to see German product images. Your French customers should see French visuals. Spanish shoppers deserve Spanish graphics.
The logic is obvious. The implementation in Shopify? Not so obvious.
If you’ve searched for a native Shopify setting to swap product images based on language, you haven’t found one because it doesn’t exist. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. This guide walks through exactly how to show different product images for different languages in your Shopify store.
Shopify’s architecture treats product images as static media assets. When you upload an image to a product, that image displays to every customer who views the product. Language selection, market settings, customer location – none of these affect which image appears.
This design makes sense for simple product photography. A photo of a blue sweater looks the same regardless of the viewer’s language. No translation needed.
The problem emerges when product images contain text. Size charts, feature infographics, ingredient labels, specification sheets, care instructions – these image types contain information that absolutely needs translation. But Shopify’s image system doesn’t differentiate.
Translation apps like Translate & Adapt handle text content throughout your store. They’re excellent at what they do. But they work with text strings, not image files. They can’t see inside your JPEGs to translate embedded text, and they can’t swap one image for another based on customer context.
Three approaches can technically achieve language-specific images in Shopify. Two are problematic. One actually works.
Method 1: Duplicate products
Create separate product listings for each language – “Blue Sweater EN,” “Blue Sweater DE,” “Blue Sweater FR.” Each listing has its own images. Use market settings or collections to show appropriate products to appropriate customers.
This technically works but creates operational chaos. Your single product becomes multiple SKUs. Inventory doesn’t sync – a sale of the German version doesn’t reduce English stock. Analytics fragment across duplicates. Running a promotion means updating multiple products. Your catalog size multiplies.
For stores with a handful of products, this might be manageable. For anything substantial, it’s unsustainable.
Method 2: Theme code modifications
A developer can write Liquid code that checks the customer’s current language and conditionally displays different image URLs. The logic reads: if language equals DE, show german-image.jpg; if language equals FR, show french-image.jpg; else show default-image.jpg.
This approach keeps your catalog clean but introduces code dependency. Every image change requires developer involvement. Theme updates may break custom code. Non-technical team members can’t make routine updates. Maintenance becomes ongoing overhead.
For technically sophisticated teams comfortable with code management, this can work. For most merchants, it creates more problems than it solves.
Method 3: Dedicated image localization app
Product Image Translate Easy is built specifically for this use case. The app monitors customer language selection and dynamically displays appropriate image variants – without duplicate products or theme code.
You upload your localized images to the app, map them to language codes, and publish. The app handles detection and delivery. When a customer browses in German, they see German images. French customers see French images. Your product catalog stays unified.
This is the approach we recommend because it’s maintainable, scalable, and doesn’t require technical expertise for routine updates.
Here’s the practical workflow for showing different images to different language customers.
Step 1: Audit your product images
Not every image needs localization. Walk through your catalog and identify images containing text that matters: size charts, infographics, labels, spec sheets, instruction graphics. Simple product photography without text overlays can stay as-is.
Step 2: Create localized image versions
For each image needing translation, create versions for your target languages. If you have layered source files (Photoshop, Figma, Canva), swap the text and export. If images are flattened, you may need to recreate them.
Tips for creating localized images:
Step 3: Install and configure Product Image Translate Easy
Add the app from the Shopify App Store. The initial setup connects to your store and existing translation configuration.
Step 4: Upload and map images
Within the app, select a product, upload your localized image variants, and map each to its language code. English images to EN, German to DE, French to FR, and so on.
Step 5: Test the customer experience
Switch your store to each target language and verify images display correctly. Walk through product pages, collection pages, anywhere images appear. Confirm the experience is seamless.
Step 6: Roll out systematically
Start with high-priority products – top sellers, highest international traffic. Verify everything works, then expand to additional products. You don’t need to localize everything immediately; incremental rollout is fine.
When a customer browses in a language you haven’t created specific images for, they see your default images – typically your original English versions.
This is appropriate behavior. You can’t localize every language immediately. Customers in lower-priority markets see English images (which many can read) while your primary international markets get fully localized experiences.
As you expand, you add more language versions. The app handles the logic; you just provide the images.
If you have hundreds of products and sell to dozens of countries, you need to prioritize. Localizing everything for everyone isn’t practical as a starting point.
Prioritize by market size. Which international markets generate the most revenue or traffic? Localize for these first. If Germany represents 40% of international sales, German images should be your first priority.
Prioritize by product. Which products have the highest international traffic? Which have the most text-heavy images? Start with products where localization has the biggest impact.
Prioritize by image type. Size charts affect purchase decisions directly. Localize these before decorative infographics.
When text and images both speak your customer’s language, your store feels native to each market. German customers get a German experience. French customers get a French experience. The friction of translated text plus English images disappears.
This isn’t just about polish. It’s about conversion. Customers who fully understand what they’re buying convert at higher rates. They return products less often. They trust your brand more.
Ready to show each language their own images? Install Product Image Translate Easy and deliver the visual experience every market deserves.