Uploading the file to shopify successfully but not returning the image url in response

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

A developer is experiencing an issue with Shopify’s fileCreate GraphQL API mutation. While files upload successfully to Shopify, the API response does not include the image URL as expected.

Current Problem:

  • The fileCreate mutation completes without errors
  • Image URL is missing from the response despite requesting it in the query
  • The query includes fields for MediaImage including URL, dimensions, and metadata

Workaround Solution:
Another user reports the same issue and shares a multi-step workaround:

  1. Obtain the resource URL from stagedUploadsCreate
  2. Upload the file
  3. Wait a few seconds
  4. Search for the uploaded file
  5. Update the database with the Shopify resource URL

This suggests the image URL may not be immediately available after upload and requires a delayed follow-up request to retrieve it. The issue appears to be a timing/synchronization problem with Shopify’s file processing system.

Summarized with AI on November 20. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1 
Hello 
I am facing an issue in returning  in file Graph QL API

I need file image url in resposne.
Here is my query that I am using it is uploading the file to shopify successfully but not returning the image url in response. Anyone can you please reply 

Query
========

mutation fileCreate($files: [FileCreateInput!]!) {
  fileCreate(files: $files) {
    files {
     alt
     createdAt
     fileStatus
     ... on MediaImage {
            id
            image {
            id
            url
            altText
            height
            width
          }
                          }
     }
    userErrors {
      field
      message
    }
  }
}

Variables
==========
{
  "files": {
    "alt": "sama",
    "contentType": "FILE",
    "originalSource": "https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0468/4100/4189/files/WhatsApp_Image_2021-02-05_at_12.46.49_PM_320x.jpg?v=1614291695"
  }
}
1 Like
2

same issue, I had to put a timer to request the file again, right now the solution is this.

  1. get resource url

  2. upload to file

  3. save the resource url from stageFileCreate

  4. wait few seconds

  5. search for the file you uploaded

  6. update the db with the shopify resource url