Guide · 7 min read
Amazon Product Image Requirements: A Practical Checklist for Sellers
What Amazon expects from main and secondary product images: size, white background, framing, file format, and the mistakes that most often get listings suppressed.
Why the main image matters more than any other
On Amazon, the main image is the only picture most shoppers see before they decide whether to click. It appears in search results, in sponsored placements, and in comparison widgets, usually at a small size next to competing products. A main image that is too small, poorly cropped, or set on the wrong background can make a good product look worse than it is, and an image that breaks Amazon's style rules can cause the listing to be suppressed from search entirely.
Amazon publishes its image rules in Seller Central under the product image requirements and the style guide for each category. Those documents are the final authority and they do change, so treat this guide as a working checklist and confirm the details for your category and marketplace before a large upload.
Image size and zoom
Amazon enables its hover-to-zoom feature when the longest side of an image is at least 1,000 pixels. Images below that size can still be accepted, but shoppers lose the ability to inspect details, which is one of the main reasons people trust an online listing.
- Aim for at least 1,600 pixels on the longest side; many sellers use 2,000 × 2,000 pixels as a standard.
- A square 1:1 canvas displays most consistently across search results, mobile, and the product detail page.
- Avoid upscaling a small photo to reach the minimum. Enlarging a 600-pixel image to 2,000 pixels adds no real detail and often looks soft when zoomed.
Image Ready's Amazon preset exports a 2,000 × 2,000 pixel square, which comfortably clears the zoom threshold while keeping file sizes reasonable.
Pure white background for the main image
The main image must be on a pure white background, which Amazon defines as RGB 255, 255, 255. An off-white or light gray studio backdrop is one of the most common reasons a main image is flagged. Your camera may record a white sweep as 245 or 250 rather than a true 255, so check the corners of the image in an editor that shows pixel values before you upload.
Secondary images (the additional photos on the detail page) are not held to the white-background rule. This is where lifestyle shots, scale references, close-ups of materials, and infographic-style images belong.
Framing: fill the frame without cropping the product
Amazon asks that the product fill roughly 85 percent of the image frame. In practice that means the product should be the dominant element with a modest, even margin around it. Too much empty space makes the product look tiny in search results; too little margin, or cutting off part of the product, looks careless and can violate the rule that the entire product must be visible.
- Start with a photo that has some breathing room around the product.
- Crop to a square and zoom in until the product's longest edge nearly reaches the frame.
- Center the product visually, not mathematically. Bottles and tall items often look better with slightly more space below than above.
- Check that no part of the product, including caps, straps, or cables, touches or crosses the edge.
What must not appear in the main image
- Text, logos, watermarks, badges, or promotional graphics added on top of the photo.
- Props or accessories that are not included with the product.
- Multiple angles or variations of the product in one image, unless the item is sold as a set.
- Mannequins in most apparel categories; check your category style guide for the specific rule.
- Borders, color blocks, or placeholder images.
File format and color
Amazon accepts JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and non-animated GIF files. JPEG is the most practical choice for photographs because it keeps file sizes small while preserving detail. Save in the sRGB color profile; images saved in a wide-gamut profile such as Adobe RGB can look dull or shifted once they are displayed in a browser.
If you edit images on a phone or with a design tool, also check the file name. Amazon's bulk tools rely on the ASIN or SKU in the file name, so a consistent naming habit saves time later.
Pre-upload checklist
- Longest side is at least 1,000 pixels, ideally 1,600 to 2,000 or more.
- Main image background is pure white (255, 255, 255) all the way to the corners.
- The product fills about 85 percent of the frame and nothing is cut off.
- No added text, logos, watermarks, or items that are not included.
- File is JPEG (or PNG) in sRGB and below the upload size limit.
- Secondary images show scale, details, and use, rather than repeating the main shot.