Embedding Animated GIFs using Shopify's email app doesn't work

Shopify Apps

Topic summary

A user encountered an issue where animated GIFs uploaded directly through Shopify’s Email app appeared static in test emails, despite pre-built templates containing working animated GIFs.

Root Cause:
The Email app was automatically converting uploaded GIFs to HEIC format, which doesn’t support animation.

Solution Found:

  • Navigate to Content → Files in Shopify admin
  • Manually upload the animated GIF there first
  • Return to the Email app and insert the previously uploaded GIF
  • The animation now displays correctly in emails

This workaround bypasses the app’s file conversion process and preserves the GIF format.

Summarized with AI on October 31. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hi,

I have created an animated GIF, which I have tested to see if it works.

I am using Shopify’s Email app to create my email message and within the message, I upload the animated GIF as an image. When I send a test email to my gmail account, the image is static and does not animate. Kind of strange, given that some of the pre-built templates in Shopify Email have animated GIFs that work.

Any ideas or has anyone else faced this issue and resolved it?

2

I worked out a solution. If you use the email app to upload the file, it changes the format to HEIC. Not sure why, maybe it’s a bug.

But if you exit out of the app and then go to Content → Files and manually upload the animated GIF there, you can then go back to the email app, find the uploaded GIF and add it to your email. The animation now works.