BrandStills amazon image requirements
What are the image requirements for Amazon listings?
Amazon main images must show the actual product on a pure white background, filling most of the frame, with no text, logos, props or watermarks. Images should be at least 1000 pixels on the longest side, and 1600 pixels or more to enable zoom; the remaining slots are far freer and can show lifestyle scenes, scale and details.
Amazon splits its image rules into two very different sets: strict rules for the main image, loose ones for everything else. The main image must show the real product, and only the product, on a pure white background (RGB 255,255,255), filling most of the frame (Amazon’s guideline is roughly 85 percent). No text, no logos other than what is printed on the product, no props, no watermarks, no illustrations or mockups. Size-wise, aim for at least 1000 pixels on the longest side; 1600 pixels or more unlocks the zoom feature, which shoppers use constantly. Square works everywhere. JPEG is the safe format.
These are the well-established rules, but Amazon does revise details by category, so check the image guidelines in Seller Central before a big upload rather than trusting a blog post, including this one.
What trips sellers up
- Off-white backgrounds. Cream, pale grey or a faint gradient reads as white to your eye and as non-compliant to Amazon’s checks.
- Too much air. A small product floating in a big white field fails the fill guideline and looks worse in search results anyway.
- Props in the main image. The stand, the box, the decorative sprig: if it is not being sold, it should not be in slot one.
- Tiny files. An image under 1000 pixels can be accepted yet never zoom, and blurry zoom is a quiet conversion killer.
The other slots matter more than people think
Slots two onward are where the selling happens: the product in use, in a room, next to a hand for scale, close on the texture, the label readable. Listings that fill these slots with varied, honest images consistently outperform a lone white cutout.
Getting compliant images without a studio
You do not need a lightbox or an agency for any of this. Photograph your product in daylight with a phone, then use BrandStills to place it on a seamless pure white background with a soft contact shadow for the main slot, and in kitchen, desk or outdoor scenes for the rest. Your label, colours and proportions stay locked to the photos you took, which matters on a platform that requires images to show the actual product. There is a longer walkthrough for Amazon sellers if you want the full listing recipe.
Frequently asked questions
Does the white background have to be pure white?
Yes, for the main image it should be pure white (RGB 255,255,255), not cream or light grey. Off-white backgrounds are one of the most common reasons a main image gets flagged.
Can Amazon secondary images have text on them?
Generally yes. Secondary images commonly carry short feature callouts, dimensions and comparison graphics. The strict no-text rule applies to the main image; check Seller Central for the current wording in your category.
What happens if my images break the rules?
Amazon can suppress the listing or hide the image until it is fixed, which usually means lost sales rather than a penalty. Replacing the image with a compliant one restores the listing.
Related guides
Yes, with a clear line: images that show your real, photographed product in a generated setting are broadly acceptable, while fully synthetic images of a product that was never photographed risk removal on both platforms, because Amazon and Etsy both require images to truthfully show the actual item. Policies keep evolving, so check each platform's current help pages before relying on any specific rule.
How do I get a pure white background for product photos without a studio?To get a pure white background without a studio, curve a sheet of white paper or card from the wall down under the product to make a seamless sweep, light it evenly with window light plus a white bounce card, expose brightly, then finish the background to pure white in a free editor. Alternatively, photograph the product clearly and have a tool re-render it on clean white.
How many photos should an Etsy listing have, and what should they show?Etsy lets you upload up to ten photos per listing, and you should use all ten: a clear hero shot first, then scale, detail, lifestyle, variations, packaging and the back or label. Listings with most slots filled give buyers fewer reasons to hesitate than listings with two or three photos.
Last updated August 29, 2026.
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