Always Up-to-Date Guide to Ecommerce Image Requirements

Getting your products listed to the “Big Three” of ecommerce marketplaces—Amazon, Walmart Marketplace and eBay—can be trickier than you’d think. Even the largest of merchants still struggle with listing errors today, as a result of varying listing requirements and marketplace policies.

To make your life a little bit easier, we’ve compiled a complete list of image size requirements by channel. Bookmark, print or download this page for easy reference whenever you need to upload new products online.

Related: Always Up-to-Date Guide to Ecommerce Titles, Descriptions & More

Ecommerce Image Requirements by Channel

• Amazon
• Walmart Marketplace
• eBay

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Amazon

Still the largest of all marketplaces with over 49% share of the U.S. ecommerce market, Amazon is the New York City of online real estate. It draws millions of new sellers each year and is a hyper competitive space to play in. To sell or rank among the top one percent, you must abide by a strict code of conduct and know the anatomy of an Amazon listing inside out.

On Amazon, it's especially important to leverage images to amplify your branding. The longevity of your business depends on it (let's not forget that over-reliance on Amazon is a risky thing, as we saw when the COVID-19 pandemic nearly rendered a third of Amazon sellers extinct). Apart from the guidelines below, you’ll want to leverage tools like Enhanced Brand Content (EBC) and other brand control techniques to help your customers remember you apart from Amazon.  

Amazon Product Image (Technical) Requirements

• Minimum image size: 500px on the longest side
• Recommended size: 2000 x 2000
• Note that image should be at least 1000px in either width or height so that customers can zoom into pictures
• Maximum file size: 10mb per image
• Acceptable formats: JPEG (.JPEG/.JPG), TIFF (.tif/.tiff), PNG (.png) or GIF(.gif)
• CMYK or SRGB color mode
• File name must have a product identifier (Amazon ASIN, EAN, UPC, or 13-digit ISBN) followed by period and file extension (example: B000123456.jpg)
• File name cannot include any additional characters, dashes or spaces

Main Image Guidelines

• Pure white background (RGB 255,255,255)
• Must be a professional photo or cover art; drawings and illustrations are not accepted
• Professionally lit and focused, or scanned with smooth edges and realistic colors
• Only the products and accessories that are shipped with the product can be shown
• Video/DVD, music, and book images should be used as front cover art and fill 100% of image area; cellophane, promotional stickers, and jewel cases are not allowed
• (For all other categories) The full product must be within the frame of the image and occupy at least 85% of the image area
• Cannot include additional graphics, texts, logos or inset images
• No part of the product for sale can be cropped
• Offensive and pornographic materials are prohibited
• For clothing, models can only be standing and you cannot show visible mannequins; special requirements apply for intimate clothing and swimwear

Alternate Image Guidelines

• Images must relate to the product on sale
• Must be professionally lit, focused and show realistic colors
• You may use other objects or products to demonstrate the use or scale of the product
• Product and props must fill at least 85% of the image
• Close-up or cropped images are allowed
• Backgrounds and environments are allowed
• Demonstrative texts and graphics are allowed
• Same exclusions as Main Image Guidelines

Swatch Image Guidelines

• Do not need to have white backgrounds
• Recommended size: 30px maximum length (on the longest side) and 72px-per-inch resolution
• Recommended format: JPEG (.jpg)
• Name images using the following convention: Product SKU + View Indicator (.swatch) + File Extension (example: \15774.swatch.jpg\)
• Must still be professionally shot and focused
• Product must fill at least 85% of the image area
• Cannot be cropped, close up or distorted

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Walmart Marketplace

Walmart Marketplace is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with. In the first quarter of 2020, Walmart's ecommerce sales jumped 74%, and for the first time ever, Walmart was said to surpass eBay as the second largest retailer in the U.S.

While still a maturing platform with known limitations, the marketplace represents new online territory with big potential (and the channel with the biggest advantages in going head to head against Amazon).

If you’re looking to test out the platform, get your images up to snuff. Remember that Walmart is first and foremost known as a big-box retailer, so you'll want to present yourself like any other product on Walmart's shelves: authentic, reliable and reputed.

Walmart Product Image (Technical) Requirements

• Minimum image size for zoom capability: 1000 x 1000 for most images, 1500 x 2000 for fashion category, 100 x 100 for swatch images
• Recommended size: 2000 x 2000 or higher
• Aspect ratio: (1:1) square in most categories, (3:4) portrait in fashion category
• PPI: 300ppi for most images, 72ppi for swatch images
• Note that image should be at least 1000px in either width or height so that customers can zoom into pictures
• Maximum file size: 5MB
• Acceptable formats: JPEG (.JPEG/.JPG), PNG (.png) or BMP
• RGB color mode
• Image file name must end in an image file type
• Most Amazon image URLs will be accepted if they meet guidelines and are publicly accessible
• All listing must have at least two images (recommended four images)

Main Image Guidelines

• Silo image (product shot on white background) recommended for most categories (RGB 255,255,255)
• Must be professionally lit, focused and photographed
• Show frontal view of item
• Products should be centered in the frame
• Use descriptive names for your image filename like "brand-picture-frame"
• Images should be cropped with a 5% buffer from end of the product image to the nearest vertical or horizontal border, depending on whether your image is tall vs. wide
• No more than 50% white space around product
• For fashion category, only one model per image is allowed
• For fashion category, models should be in simple poses (little to no movement) with face and body facing the camera; no makeup, nail polish, etc.
• For fashion category, images cannot show products in any packages, with the exception of hosiery/socks, underwear and undershirts
• Do not include additional graphics, logos, illustrations, text, watermarks or overlays
• Do not use placeholder images, like "image coming soon" or "no image available"
• Do not include accessories that are not shipped with the item
• Must not violate Walmart's Trust and Safety standards, especially in regards to offensive or obscene content
• See additional fashion category guidelines and examples here

Alternate Image (aka AV Images) Guidelines

• Backgrounds, models and props are allowed if they’re relevant to the product’s end use
• Informational graphics, like a product image with dimensions applied, are allowed
• Should show product at additional angles, crops (zoomed in) or in use
• For fashion category, mannequins should not be visible except for scale shots on jewelry, watches and some accessories
• Same exclusions as in Hero Image Guidelines

Variant (aka Swatch) Image Guidelines

• Should show different colorways, patterns, fabrics or versions of the hero image product
• Must have 100 x 100 swatch images for every variant group with different colors
• Must be uploaded as color tiles, not product images

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eBay

A longtime incumbent in the industry, eBay is one of those channels that’s hard to ignore. In recent years, it has also made moves to shed old assumptions about its platform and partner up with more brands.  

With experience and brands (including Dyson) already on its side, it’ll be interesting to see how eBay continues to be a revenue driver for today’s merchants.

When you’re teeing up your products for eBay, remember to maintain a professional look-and-feel with every listing to set yourself apart from the casual at-home seller.

eBay Product Image (Technical) Guidelines

• Minimum image size: 500 x 500
• Recommended size: 1,600 x 800
• Note that image should be between 800-1600px on the longest side for best zoom-in quality
• Maximum file size: 12MB
• Acceptable formats: TIFF, PNG, JPEG, GIF or BMP
• JPEG photos should attain a minimum of 90 on the JPEG quality scale
• Thumbnails should not be scaled up as the image will appear distorted or pixelated
• All listing must have at least one image (maximum 12 images)

eBay Primary Image Guidelines

• Pure white or light gray background
• Light shadow is acceptable, but mirror reflections are not allowed
• Use soft, diffused lighting and avoid using flash
• Show front view of product, either straight on or at slight angle (never show side or back views)
• Image must only show product and nothing else
• For bundles or multipacks, you can show multiple items, but the main products should be clearly displayed
• Products must fill 80-90% of the image area
• Should be as close-up as possible to show as many details of the product as possible
• Product images with boxes are not allowed, except when necessary to display an item in an acceptable manner
• Do not use placeholder images
• Do not include watermarks, copyright marks, logos, extraneous text or graphics

eBay Secondary Image Guidelines

• Pure white or light gray background
• Neutral backdrops recommended to keep products in focus
• Light shadow is acceptable, but mirror reflections are not allowed
• Can show product at different angles and can include box if appropriate
• Can contain multiple images of the same product in one picture, but it must be abundantly clear that the objects are the same product, just captured at different angles
• Can show a person or body part, but only to display wearable products
• Cropped images are allowed only if the important parts of the product are still visible
• Can use straight cut or an effect (like a blur) for crops
• Do not scale up image sizes or add thumbnails because this can negatively impact clarity
• Images of bundles and multipacks must show all the products included within the pack
• Do not add borders, frames or other distracting embellishments
• Same exclusions as Primary Image Guidelines