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April 2023
Changes are coming for storing photos of products

Changes are coming for storing photos of products

07 April 2023SEO Responsive design Store Templates Configuration Graphic

In April, we will start to gradually implement a new way of storing photos for products in IdoSell panels, and starting from May 1, 2023, we will change the way of accounting for used storage space. From this post, you will learn about the details of the changes related to photos for products and their storage, which we will start gradually implementing from April 2023.

What's going to change in the way we store photos of products?

We will add an option to automatically generate a copy of the photo in WebP format.
We will phase out image profiles in favor of global image sizes, with the ability to set different sizes in each store in the panel.
We will always keep the original photos.
Settlement of surcharges for used storage space will be generated only once a month. This change will cover all merchants starting 01.04.2023.

Some of these changes are already available at selected merchants we are piloting with and in some new panels.

Automatic generation of images in WebP format - optimizing store page loading and improving Google Page Speed score

It will be possible to ensure the optimal format of the image, which affects, among other things, the page speed score measured by Google.

We will provide self-management of the setting to generate two photo formats. For each uploaded photo format, it will be possible to generate additionally size photos in WebP format. For photos added in WebP format, a copy in JPEG format will be generated in addition.

Older versions of browsers that do not support the WebP format will still be served the photo in JPEG. Support for this option is already available in the latest revisions of STANDARD templates and components available in Composer. For individual templates created on the basis of older revisions, the relevant changes will have to be made to the template.
The option will be available at no extra charge.

Replace photo profiles with a single photo size configuration

This change will allow you to adjust the size of the images to fit the store template and its specific places, including the product card or the list of goods.

Adding a photo to a product will automatically generate the size of this photo, according to the configuration in the "Products and photos configuration" module.
Resizing photos will generate photos in new sizes for all products in the store. Until the new size photos are fully processed, the store will serve photos with the old sizes.
It will be possible to set one set of sizes for all stores in the panel or for individual stores.

We will store the photos in different sizes in a cloud independent of the store's server

Photos in different sizes will no longer be stored on the store's server, but in a separate cloud.
They will not count towards the "Limit of space available in the panel", which means the maximum limit of disk capacity on the store's server.
For the sizes of "Products and photos configuration", the sizes that were set in the default profile for images will be applied.
We will eliminate duplicate images. This change will have a positive impact on the occupied disk space and possible surcharges for exceeding the space limit available under the subscription for the IdoSell service.

Example:

The same ABC photo appears in products X, Y and Z. ABC photo has a size of 1 MB. The ABC photo file will be counted only 1 time. The occupancy of the photo will be 1 MB, not 3 MB.

We will keep the original photos always

The original photo is the base for us to generate photo sizes or apply or remove the watermark.

It will no longer be possible to enable/disable the setting "Keep a copy of the photo added to the product without changing the size (such photo will be sent to external services)". This setting will be withdrawn.
Original photos will still be subject to the limit of the maximum possible disk space for data, since original photos are stored on the store's server.
When the new way of storing photos is enabled, either the original photo (if any) or a large photo will be used as the original photo, according to the size set in the "Products and photos configuration" module.

Simplified watermark application

Overlaying and removing the watermark on photos will be done globally and will be applied automatically for all photo sizes.

From 01.04.2023, we will change the way we charge surcharges for used storage space

The settlement will be generated once a month, rather than daily as before.
At the end of each month, we will check the highest value of the place taken in that month.
As before, exceeding the space available under the subscription will result in a surcharge for each additional 1 GB started (charged according to IdoSell's price list).

Example:

The subscription includes 10 GB of storage space at no extra charge.

On the following days, the following disk space usage was recorded:

01.05: 9 GB
14.05: 11 GB
30.05: 6 GB

Accordingly, the disk space used was 11 GB of the 10 GB available under the subscription. For the example given, the surcharge will be counted at the end of the month for an additional 1 GB.

When will the changes be available in my panel?

From 01.05.2023 for all IdoSell merchants, we will change the way of billing surcharges for extra space used.
We will successively implement the remaining changes in the IdoSell panels, after 10.04.2023.

Update 19.04.2023

For technical reasons, we cannot introduce the generation of a surcharge billing only once a month for extra storage space used. The billing will continue to be generated daily when the limit is exceeded or when the limit is increased on a given day.