ChatGPT (OpenAI) error: invalid_image or invalid_image_format

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Updated at August 20th, 2025

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Symptoms Causes How to fix it

Symptoms

When using the ChatGPT (OpenAI) Conversation action, you see the error message, "invalid_image" or "[invalid_image_format] You uploaded an unsupported image". You will see this error in the Zap editor when you test your ChatGPT step or in Zap history after your Zap runs.

Causes

This can happen when:

You selected an incompatible model.
Your file type is not supported.
Your file size is too big.
Your file URL is not publicly accessible or downloadable.
You set the Max Token field too low to complete the request.

How to fix it

To fix the issue, follow these steps:

Go to your affected ChatGPT (OpenAI) step.
Click the Model field to expand the dropdown menu, then ensure you’ve selected either a vision or GPT-4o model.
Check that your file:
1. Is a supported file type:
  - PNG
  - JPEG
  - WEBP
  - Non-animated GIF
2. Is 20 MB or smaller.
(Optional) If the Image field is a mapped field, you can add a filter to ensure the file meets these requirements each time the Zap runs.
Test that the file's URL is accessible or downloadable.
1. Open an incognito browser and copy and paste the URL into the address bar.
2. Press Enter on your keyboard.
3. One of the following will happen:
  - The file will display in the browser window if it’s a viewable format.
  - The browser will download the file to your computer.
  - If the file cannot be accessed, you may see an error message. This means Zapier cannot access the file. Learn more about sending files in Zaps.
Adjust the Max Token field. Depending on the current setup:
1. Adjust it to a larger number.
  - This number must be within the limitation of your selected model.
  - Learn more about what tokens are and how to count them.
2. Clear the Max Token field.
  - If you leave this field blank:
    - Zapier will attempt to automatically calculate this field based on your selected model.
    - This will help you avoid going over your model’s output token limit.

Note

You cannot generate images using the Conversation action. Instead use the Generate An Image with DALL-E action.

ChatGPT (OpenAI) error: invalid_image or invalid_image_format

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Symptoms

Causes

How to fix it

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