How to Change the Blog Thumbnail Image Size on BigCommerce

September 14, 2024

Struggling with the tiny blog images on your BigCommerce store? You’re not alone. Many store owners find that the default image sizes on BigCommerce blog pages are too small, making their content look unprofessional. While the platform may not have the flexibility of WordPress, there’s an easy fix you can apply to improve your blog’s visuals.

In this video, I walk you through the simple steps to change your blog thumbnail image sizes on BigCommerce, specifically focusing on the Cornerstone theme. With just a few tweaks, you can make your blog images stand out, creating a more engaging and user-friendly experience for your readers.

Why Watch This Video?

If you’ve been frustrated by the limited customization options on BigCommerce, this video will save you time and effort. You’ll learn how to adjust the blog image sizes, making your content look polished and professional without diving into complex coding.

Key Takeaways from the Video

Here’s a quick summary of the steps covered in the video:

The Common Problem with Blog Images
The default BigCommerce blog images are too small, which makes the blog feature feel limiting. I address this common frustration.
(00:00)
Navigating to the Theme Customizer
I guide you on how to access the backend of your store, navigate to the Storefront section, and customize your active theme.
(00:27)
Locating the Image Size Setting
Inside the Theme Styles tab, you’ll find where to change the blog image sizes from the default 190×250 pixels.
(01:33)
Adjusting the Image Size
I recommend updating the size to 1200×628 pixels, a widely-used image dimension that works well for most blogs.
(02:07)
Saving and Previewing the Changes
Once you’ve adjusted the dimensions, I show how to save your changes and preview them on your live site.
(03:46)

By the end of the video, you’ll have larger, better-looking blog images that enhance your site’s appearance—making a noticeable difference with just a simple setting adjustment.

Ready to give your BigCommerce blog the visual upgrade it deserves? Watch the full video above to follow along step by step. Whether you’re using the Cornerstone theme or another, the tips I share can be applied to make your blog more user-friendly.

Full Transcript

(00:00)
Hey there! In this video, I’m going to show you how to resize or change the size of your BigCommerce blog images. This is something that I see people get super frustrated with, and they often conclude that the blog feature on BigCommerce is terrible.
It is a little limited compared to WordPress, but it’s not terrible, and I’ll show you how to fix this one thing. It’ll make your blogs infinitely more usable.
(00:27)
Alright, I’m going to share my screen. Right out of the gate, you can see this is Cornerstone. It looks pretty bad with these tiny images—like postage stamps! Let me show you how to change that.
First, head to the back end of your store. Click on Storefront, and then go to the Themes tab. When you get there, click Customize to edit your active theme.
(01:06)
If you’re using a theme other than Cornerstone, this setting might be in a different place or not present at all. But for Cornerstone (and also for Roots), it’s available.
When you’re in the Page Builder area by default, there’s a Layers tab, and then there’s this Theme Styles tab that a lot of people miss. Now, let me click into preview and head to the Articles section so you can see how bad it looks.
(01:33)
Going back to Design Mode, make sure you’re clicked into the right section. Choose the Global selection, and scroll down until you see the blog image size settings.
BigCommerce has a setting labeled “Bloggity blog blog blog—size of images optimized for theme.” I’m pretty sure that 190 pixels by whatever isn’t optimized for anything!
(02:07)
So, let’s fix that. From the dropdown, choose Specify Dimensions, and you can see the default is 190 by 250 pixels—way too small! I generally go with the optimal Facebook image size, which is 1200 by 628 pixels, a roughly 2:1 ratio.
It looks like Facebook might be changing their ratio to 630 pixels, but for now, just choose 1200 by 628. The important thing is that it’s larger than the default.
Click Publish after entering the new dimensions.
(02:44)
Now, when you refresh the front end of your site, the changes should apply. Did I forget to save? Let me double-check. Refreshing again… Okay, looks like there was a slight error, but that’s alright. Sometimes you have to do it twice!
(03:46)
Alright, we’re back. Let’s go to the Articles section in the previewer, and there you go—much bigger images!
It looks much more like a blog now. There’s still more you could do to make it nicer, but just one setting change can make a huge difference.
(04:14)
That’s how you adjust the blog image sizes from the default. Thank you so much for watching! Leave me a comment below and let me know what you’re stuck on—that might be what my next video is about.
We’re here to help. Reach out to us at Epic Design Labs if you need assistance, and don’t forget to join our community at ecommercegrowth.com. Thanks again!

About The Author

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Kal Wiggins is the CEO of Epic Design Labs, specializing in ecommerce design and development. As an ecommerce store owner and seasoned developer, Kal shares practical tips and strategies to help fellow store owners grow their businesses.

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