How to Clean Up Space in Shopify

Fix the “Adding this file will exceed the file storage limit for your plan” error by safely deleting unused files and freeing up storage.

Heads up: Deleting a file that is still used on a product, page, or theme can break images or downloads. Double‑check usage before deleting.

On this page

• Quick steps
• Detailed instructions with screenshots
• Best practices to stay under the limit
• FAQ

Quick steps

1. Open Settings → Files in Shopify Admin.
2. Click the Search icon to filter and find content faster.
3. In the Used in filter, choose Other to reveal files not attached to products.
4. Sort by size. Review the biggest files and delete items that aren’t used anywhere.
5. Keep at least 1GB free to avoid upload interruptions.

Detailed instructions (with screenshots)

1) Go to Files and open search

In Shopify Admin, open Settings → Files. Click the Search icon to start filtering and locating unnecessary media.

2) Filter by “Used in → Other”

Use the Used in filter and pick Other. This lists files that aren’t attached to products (e.g., old banners, app leftovers, or temporary uploads).

3) Sort by size and delete unused items

Sort by File size, review the largest items first, and delete files you confirm are not referenced by products, pages, blogs, or theme code.

Tip: Aim to keep at least 100MB free so you have headroom for routine uploads.

Best practices to stay under the limit

• Compress images before upload (use a reputable compressor; keep product images under ~500KB where possible).
• Prefer modern formats like WebP for smaller file sizes with good quality.
• Deduplicate product media and remove unused variants or old banners.
• Archive unused themes and remove leftover assets (CSS/JS) if you’re comfortable editing theme code.
• Name consistently (e.g., sku-123-front.webp) so you can find and manage files later.

FAQ

Why am I seeing the storage limit message?

It appears when your store’s file storage is at or near its limit. Freeing space resolves the warning so you can continue uploading media.

Is it safe to delete files?

Yes—if they’re not used. Use the Used in → Other filter and check whether the file appears on any product, page, or theme snippet before deleting.

Can I upload huge images and rely on Shopify to compress them?

It’s better to upload optimized images. Start with the right dimensions and compress before uploading to improve performance and reduce storage use.