---
title: Better image handling on merge imports
date: 2026-04-08
description: Improved image deduplication on MERGE imports to better detect already-attached images across more scenarios.
tags: ["Products","Imports"]
categories: ["Changelog"]
url: https://www.getaltera.com/changelog/2026-04-08-smarter-image-handling-on-merge-imports/
---


We've improved how MERGE imports handle product images to better detect duplicates across more scenarios.

---

### Improvements

- **Image deduplication** - MERGE imports now check incoming image filenames against a product's existing media before uploading, catching more cases where the same image was already attached.
- **Filename normalization** - Image matching now accounts for Shopify's upload transformations (UUID suffixes, special character replacements) so external URLs correctly match their Shopify CDN counterparts.

> If you notice any unexpected behavior with product images after this change, such as images being skipped that shouldn't be, try using the REPLACE image command instead of MERGE to force a full image refresh.