Protecting product imagery from being downloaded or copied on a Shopify store, especially for travel/vintage poster art. The platform rep suggests using “right‑click protection” apps from the Shopify App Store and notes watermarking offers the strongest deterrence, though no method is 100% secure.
Coding approaches were shared to disable right‑click/context menus (JavaScript using document.addEventListener(‘contextmenu’, …)) and block certain keys (e.g., F12 via keyCode 123), but limitations were reported, including not working on iPhones and being bypassable by determined users.
Concerns were raised that watermarked images or promotional overlays can trigger Google product disapprovals for ads/feeds. An attachment (screenshot) was included to illustrate this issue, prompting requests for alternatives that protect images without violating Google policies.
Other participants asked for a reliable, free right‑click disable solution, and one user requested guidance on enabling image downloads in a new theme (the opposite need).
No definitive solution or consensus emerged. Current takeaway: combine deterrents (apps + watermarking where appropriate), recognize technical limits, and address Google compliance if using overlays. The discussion remains open with unanswered requests for a free, dependable tool and a Google‑friendly protection strategy.
Hi there,
I’m hoping someone can assist. Is there a way (other than adding a watermark to each image) to prevent people from being able to download and save our images and then end up using it as their own?
Ie is there a setting where I can specify that all images on our site should not be downloadable?
Thanks,
Imke
Hi there @ImkeSNB !
Don here from Shopify.
I know that there are a number of apps in our app store that protect your images from being downloaded in various ways.
You can check them out here and if you have any questions about their use you can reach out to the app developers using the contact details listed on each app store page.
Does your business involve the sale of images, or are you just looking to protect your work?
Do you know what you need to work on next in terms of your business?
Regards,
Don
We sell travel & vintage / retro posters. So it’s crucial to protect the artwork.
Therefore, the idea is to prevent people from downloading and ‘taking’ our work.
Thanks for the suggested apps. I will have a look.
Is there any other way to prevent images from being downloaded by editing the code in any way?
Hi again!
Don from Shopify once more.
I checked in with our themes specialists internally to see if there was a coding solution they could point to.
Their advice was that the absolute best protection you can afford your images would be to watermark them, as even the apps linked above cannot provide 100% protection against dedicated attacks.
You might like to use an app such as one of those linked above in addition to watermarking your images, but it sounds like the latter is the stronger security step to take.
Have you thought about how you will be marketing your store yet?
Would you have already been selling your work elsewhere and are looking into new opportunities?
Regards,
Don
I found a code that goes right before the tag
It doesnt work for iPhones though
Hi, don!
I need the opossite. I add a new theme i want people to be able t dowload images from mi site. can you help me?
Hello Don.
We have same situation, we do not want our imagery being easily copied from our site. I have tried several solutions from the app store. No one seem working. I can right click the image in the cart and catalog. Could you point on to surely working, reliable and free solution/app for right click disable?
Hey Don,
If the images are watermarked or logos added to the image would lead to product disapprovals in Google. Is there a way around to protect the images being downloaded from the Shopify site?
Best,
Arun
this works for disabling right click i know its a little old but this should work
