Image & Media Management: S3 Storage with CDN Delivery

This article explains how we store, organize, and deliver product images efficiently.

The Problem: Managing Thousands of Images

We have:

  • Many product SKUs(5k+) with multiple images each

  • Component images(10k+) (chassis, boards, accessories)

  • Product videos for key products

  • Multiple formats (WebP for web, PNG for datasheets)

Storing images on the web server causes:

  • Disk space issues: Hundreds of GB of images

  • Slow delivery: Server bandwidth limits

  • No global CDN: Slow for international users

  • Backup complexity: Large file backups

The Solution: S3 + CloudFront

We use AWS S3 for storage and CloudFront for delivery:

  • S3: Scalable object storage with versioning

  • CloudFront: Global CDN for fast delivery

  • Image manifest: Central registry of image locations

  • WebP format: Significantly smaller(30-50%) than PNG/JPEG

Image Storage

Product images are stored in S3:

  • S3 bucket: Object storage for product media

  • Format: WebP for optimized images

  • Video: MP4 for product videos

  • Manifest: Central registry of image locations

Image Sourcing

Images are sourced from S3 using the image manifest:

  1. Image manifest: Central registry of image locations
  2. S3 bucket: Product images stored in object storage
  3. WebP format: Optimized images for fast loading
  4. Fallback: Placeholder images when real images unavailable

Image Caching

We cache images in memory:

  • Global cache: In-memory cache for image lookups

  • Keyed by part/SKU: Quick lookups by identifier

  • Cache invalidation: When stock is updated via hooks

Image Directory Structure

Images are organized by part identifiers:

  • Part images: Organized by part ID

  • SKU images: Chassis, Board, WiFi combinations

  • Video files: Stored alongside images

Image Processing

We process images for different use cases:

  • Full images: Product pages

  • Trimmed images: Datasheets (first image only)

  • Placeholder: Fallback when no images available

CloudFront Delivery

Images are delivered through CDN:

  • Edge caching: Edge locations worldwide

  • Reduced latency: Users get content from nearest edge

  • DDoS protection: Built-in protection

Summary

Image and media management provides:

  • S3 storage: Product images, datasheets, customer logos

  • WebP format: Optimized images for fast loading

  • Image manifest: Central registry of image locations

  • Caching: In-memory cache for performance

  • CloudFront delivery: Fast global delivery