Fix the links the checker lists. Open a few other image links in a private browser window. If one does not load there, Shopify cannot load it either. Re-import with the overwrite option once the links work.

Shopify import error: "Validation failed: An error occurred while trying to download the image"

What it means: Shopify could not fetch an image link. The checker catches links that are not full public https:// links. It cannot see links that look right but fail when Shopify fetches them: images behind a login, deleted images, hosts that block downloads, or very large images.

Find the rows in your file

Shopify product import

Choose file

The product CSV you are about to import into Shopify, or the one Shopify just rejected.

Your file stays on this device

It is read and converted by this page, inside your browser. Nothing from the file is uploaded, and the tool keeps working offline once the page has loaded.

No file handy? or download the sample to look at it first.

The products in the sample are invented. It is checked on this device, the same way your own file would be.

Loading the converter...

How to fix it

Fix the links the checker lists.
Open a few other image links in a private browser window. If one does not load there, Shopify cannot load it either.
Re-import with the overwrite option once the links work.

Example

A file with this problem

Title,URL handle,Status,Option1 name,Option1 value,Price,Inventory tracker,Inventory quantity,Continue selling when out of stock,Fulfillm...
Cotton Tee,cotton-tee,active,Size,S,20.00,shopify,5,deny,manual,http://example.com/tee.jpg
Mug,mug,active,Title,Default Title,12.00,shopify,5,deny,manual,C:\photos\mug.jpg

What the checker says about it

Line 2: image link uses http:// rather than https://. Use https:// if the host supports it.
Line 3: image "C:\photos\mug.jpg" is not a full public link (it must start with https:// and contain no spaces). Shopify reports "Validation failed: getaddrinfo..." for links like this.

Once the listed rows are fixed, check the file again; the checker also looks for every other problem Shopify documents, so you do not trade one error for the next.

Questions

What does "Validation failed: An error occurred while trying to download the image" mean in Shopify?: Shopify could not fetch an image link. The checker catches links that are not full public https:// links. It cannot see links that look right but fail when Shopify fetches them: images behind a login, deleted images, hosts that block downloads, or very large images.
How do I fix it?: Fix the links the checker lists. Open a few other image links in a private browser window. If one does not load there, Shopify cannot load it either. Re-import with the overwrite option once the links work.

Other Shopify import errors

Sources

Shopify Help Center: Solutions to common product CSV import problems: https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/import-export/common-import-issues

Based on Shopify's help pages for product CSV import. Not tested on a live store.