AssetLink integration for Shopify

Overview

Cloudinary AssetLink for Shopify is a seamless integration that connects Cloudinary Assets, your Digital Asset Management (DAM) solution offering powerful asset management, optimization, and transformation features, with your Shopify store. AssetLink empowers your team to manage, discover, and deliver images and videos across your Shopify storefronts with speed and precision while retaining native Shopify compatibility.

With AssetLink, Cloudinary becomes your single source of truth for digital assets while ensuring Shopify’s Files system remains the storage layer for storefront compatibility. This hybrid approach enables tight governance and efficient content operations without breaking your Shopify theme or disrupting app behavior.

Why use AssetLink?

• Faster content publishing: Streamline asset discovery, upload, and linking workflows.

• Governance and consistency: Use Cloudinary's structured metadata and versioning to maintain control over visual assets.

• Effortless video integration: Deliver high-performance Cloudinary videos in Shopify without writing code.

• Native Shopify compatibility: All linked assets are stored in Shopify’s file system and enhanced with metafields to maintain full compatibility with Shopify themes and apps.

• Multi-store support: Sync assets across multiple stores using metadata-based rules from within Cloudinary.

How it works

Cloudinary AssetLink enables seamless two-way syncing between Cloudinary and Shopify, helping you manage and deliver assets efficiently across both platforms.

Use AssetLink in Shopify

AssetLink brings the Cloudinary Media Library into the Shopify interface.

• Attach assets directly to Products, Collections, Blog Posts, and Files.
• Assets uploaded through AssetLink are stored in Shopify Files and automatically linked back to their Cloudinary originals via metadata.

To install:

Get the Cloudinary AssetLink for Shopify app from the Shopify App Store.

To configure and use:

Follow the steps in the Video tutorial to get started.

Connect Shopify stores in Cloudinary

Within your Cloudinary account, you can connect one or more Shopify stores and manage assets centrally:

• Push assets from Cloudinary to Shopify using structured metadata like SKUs or custom fields.
• Perform bulk uploads and streamline asset delivery across multiple storefronts.

To enable the AssetLink within your Cloudinary Media Library:

Visit the App Marketplace in your Media Library and follow the in-app setup instructions.

Handle videos

Cloudinary offers a streamlined way to display high-performance videos in your Shopify storefront without impacting your Shopify Files or page load speed.

When you upload a video from Cloudinary to Shopify, AssetLink uploads a placeholder image instead of the video file itself. The actual video is delivered by Cloudinary at runtime, ensuring optimized playback directly within your storefront.

To render the actual video in your Shopify theme:

1. Upload the video via AssetLink (a placeholder will appear).

2. Use the placeholder as you would a standard image in your theme.

3. Enable the “Cloudinary Video Replacer” app embed (included in AssetLink).

4. The embed automatically replaces the image placeholder with a fully functional <video> tag based on your chosen settings.

Video tutorial

What a tutorial that shows how to set up and use the AssetLink Shopify integration:

AssetLink features within Shopify

Within the Shopify interface, the AssetLink integration allows you to link, manage, and deliver Cloudinary assets directly from Shopify, supporting product updates, theme integration, and streamlined file management.

• Link Cloudinary assets to Shopify objects, including:

  • Products: Attach images and videos with optional metafield delivery for theme-based rendering.
  • Collections and blog posts: Link branded visuals or marketing content.
  • Store files: Keep the Shopify Files section clean and in sync with Cloudinary originals.

• Perform bulk product asset updates (up to 20 products at a time):

  • Automatically update a metafield with Cloudinary asset references, enabling delivery from Cloudinary in supported themes.
  • Use a visual gallery to sort, add, and remove both Shopify and Cloudinary images for each product.

• Use two Online Store 2.0 theme integrations:

  • Video Replacer: Store only a poster image of your video in Shopify, and replace it at render time with the full Cloudinary video.
  • Cloudinary Asset theme block: Paste a Cloudinary URL to embed an asset directly in your storefront. No developer required.

• Streamline asset management:

  • Assets linked to products or added to Shopify Files use unique filenames to prevent duplication and maintain a clean library.
  • Re-uploading an asset updates the existing file and refreshes metadata from Cloudinary, such as alt text.

• Configure Cloudinary settings for Shopify integration:

  • Customize the Cloudinary delivery URL structure used for linked assets.
  • Set default Cloudinary folders (such as Product assets and Marketing assets) to streamline asset search and linking within Shopify.

AssetLink features within Cloudinary

Within your Cloudinary Media Library, the AssetLink integration allows you to manage and sync assets across one or more Shopify stores using structured metadata. This is useful for multi-store management, bulk updates, and content workflows driven from Cloudinary.

• Connect and manage multiple Shopify stores:

  • Add and manage connections to one or more Shopify stores directly in Cloudinary.
  • Select which store(s) to apply operations to when working with linked assets.
  • Disconnect stores or switch context as needed.

• Sync assets to Shopify using structured metadata:

  • Product field mapping: Match assets to Shopify products using fields like title, SKU, or custom metadata.
  • Variant support: Link assets to specific product variants.
  • Multi-store sync: Use a single operation to push asset links to multiple stores based on metadata criteria.

• Tag and organize assets in bulk:

  • Apply tags and metadata at scale for consistent categorization.
  • Use metadata-driven workflows to prepare assets for publishing across different stores or regions.