Image URL not crawlable / 404

Microsoft cannot fetch the image URL - returns 404, requires authentication, or is blocked by robots.txt.

Microsoft Merchant Center requires product images that are publicly reachable, sized within the platform's bounds, in supported formats (JPEG/PNG typically), and free of overlays, watermarks, retailer logos, or text callouts. This issue trips when one of those constraints is broken.

1. Open the image URL in a private/incognito browser — confirm it loads without authentication or bot challenges.
2. Check minimum dimensions (most channels: 500x500 or 800x800), file size limits, and supported formats. Re-export as JPEG quality 85–95 if compressed below threshold.
3. Strip promotional overlays, watermarks, store logos, and call-out badges — the main image must show only the product.
4. Re-host on a stable CDN if your origin host is rate-limiting or blocking the platform's crawler.
5. Re-submit the feed; image changes typically propagate within 4–24 hours.

• CDN auto-serves WebP — the channel may need an explicit .jpg variant
• Watermarks added by photographers — must be removed even if rights are licensed