Amazon's image policy is unusually strict, and enforcement is automated: a non-compliant main image can get a listing suppressed from search without an obvious warning. The rules are worth knowing precisely.

The Main Image Rules

The first image has the tightest requirements:

  • Pure white background (RGB 255, 255, 255). Not off-white, not a gradient, not a white-ish studio sweep.
  • Product must fill about 85% of the frame. Too small looks weak in search results; too large gets rejected.
  • The actual product only. No props, no accessories that aren't included, no packaging (unless the packaging is the product), no models for most categories except apparel.
  • No text, logos, watermarks, badges or borders. This includes "free shipping" banners, size callouts and brand overlays — an extremely common rejection.
  • No borders, frames or inset images.
  • Professional photography — no drawings, renders or illustrations for most categories.

Size and Technical Requirements

  • Minimum 1000 px on the longest side to enable zoom. Zoom measurably improves conversion, so treat 1000 px as an absolute floor.
  • 1600 px or larger recommended for the best zoom experience.
  • Maximum 10,000 px on the longest side.
  • Formats: JPEG (preferred), TIFF, PNG, GIF. JPEG is the practical choice.
  • Color mode: sRGB or CMYK — but use sRGB; CMYK conversions shift colors unpredictably on screen.
  • Square (1:1) is the safe aspect ratio for consistency, though the requirement is about the longest side.

What Belongs in the Other Slots

The main image is constrained; the rest are where you sell:

  • Alternative angles and detail shots.
  • Lifestyle/in-context photography (backgrounds allowed here).
  • Infographics with text callouts, dimensions and comparisons — permitted in secondary images.
  • Size charts and what's-in-the-box layouts.

Use all available slots. Listings with a full set of images consistently outperform sparse ones.

Why Listings Get Suppressed

The frequent causes, in order:

  1. Text or a logo overlay on the main image.
  2. A background that isn't pure white — often a photo shot on white paper that came out light grey. Check the actual pixel values rather than trusting your eye.
  3. Main image below 1000 px.
  4. Props or extra items in the main image.
  5. Watermarks — including your own brand watermark.

The practical workflow: shoot on a white sweep, cut out and fill with pure white if the background isn't exactly 255, crop square with the product at ~85%, export at 1600–2000 px JPEG, and keep a separate clean version with no text for the main slot even when you produce annotated versions for the gallery.