• Tips & Tricks
• Apr 07, 2022

Photo Editing Requirements For Top Ecommerce Marketplaces (Updated 2022)

The success of any e-commerce store today is largely determined by its ability to effectively convey information visually. If you sell products online, you might already be familiar with some photo editing requirements for marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart and Alibaba, etc. They have specific rules concerning image background, resolution, size, and format that you need to follow.

Online shopping has become more photo-centric with each passing day, and adding high-quality product photos that fit into these marketplace standards will help you lure your potential buyers to hit the “Buy” button. Every online marketplace has its own set of guidelines that retailers must adhere to when uploading images. Here, we’ll discuss how to add product photos on different e-commerce platforms to convert your visitors into customers.

Product Photo Requirements of Top 10 Marketplaces

A major drawback of online shopping is that customers are unable to see, feel, or test the products they are purchasing. That’s why retailers have to win clients’ trust and make them confident to buy products on their website or app. Writing illustrative descriptions defining complete details of the product and uploading non-pixelated background-free images can make an online store successful. 

1. Amazon

Amazon is the leading ecommerce store not only in the USA but worldwide as well. Its net sales in the U.S. alone were estimated to be 112.477B USD in 2020. In the third quarter of 2021, the net sales were 15% higher than in the third quarter of 2020. Statistics suggest that by the end of 2022, Amazon will surpass 557B USD in global sales. These stats suggest the supremacy of Amazon over all other marketplaces, which makes it important to follow its image editing guidelines while uploading product photos.

Main Image Requirements

1. The image must be uploaded with a pure white background.
2. Drawing and illustrations are not acceptable; photos should be original and genuine.
3. Avoid adding filters to enhance colors, and the product photos must be professionally lit and focused.
4. Cases, stickers, and cellophane cannot be captured with product images; however, DVDs, books, and music can be displayed as a front cover.
5. Fashion shoots should be done with one model only, and makeup/art should be avoided. Moreover, mannequins can’t be used in place of original models.
6. The main product should cover at least 85 percent of the image frame, and no part of the product should be cropped from the photo.
7. Sensitive content is prohibited from posting. Follow Amazon’s special guidelines for intimate clothing and swimwear.

Technical Requirements:

File Size:   10MB

File Type:   JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF

Image Size:   1000 x 1000 Pixels

Background Color:   White

2. eBay

eBay is the second largest online store, with millions of visitors each year in the United States. Stats suggested that while Amazon is the first leading eCommerce store, eBay holds second place by getting 689 million visits in the USA as of April 2021. eBay is the hub of many brands and has partnered with many companies during the past few years. Because its audience has grown, it is vital to present your product authentically and credibly on this platform.

Main Image Requirement

1. Pure white or light gray background with light shadow should be used for all images. 
2. Soft, diffused lighting without flash must be used while capturing the product images.
3. The image must only show the product in either a straight or slightly angled front view. 
4. Multiple items can be displayed for bundles, but 80 to 90 % of the image area should be filled with the main product.
5. To show more details of the product, it should be a close-up.
6. Product images are allowed with boxes only to show them in an acceptable manner.
7. Placeholder images, watermarks, logos, copyright marks, and any extraneous text or graphic must not be used.

Technical Requirements:

File Size:   7MB/12MB (from the web)

File Type:   JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, BMP

Image Size:   1600 x 800 Pixels

Background Color:   Clear/White

3. Etsy

Etsy is a US-based eCommerce market primarily focused on handmade and craft/vintage supplies. It includes categories like bags, apparel, jewelry, art, and toys. Most of the items are vintage and have a high market value.

Amazon, Walmart, Etsy, and Target have more rigid guidelines for editing marketplace images than any online store. The width of the photos uploaded on the website is kept longer to maintain the standard aspect ratio of Etsy. They use the photos to make thumbnails, due to which people can see the entire product photos even in the search results.

Main Image Requirement

1. The aspect ratio should be 4:3 for all product images.
2. Images should be uploaded in .jpg, .gif, and .png format. Etsy does not support other formats.
3. The background should be transparent, and the product should be placed in the center of the frame.
4. Small-sized but non-pixelated images are preferred, and a maximum of 20 MB images can be uploaded.
5. Animated .gif files and transparent files are not allowed; they will appear black on the webpage.

Technical Requirements:

File Size:   20MB

File Type:   JPEG, PNG, GIF

Image Size:   Width: 1500 Pixels (3000 x 2250 Pixels recommended)

Background Color:   Clear

4. Walmart

Statista showed that in 2022, Walmart U.S. sales increased 11 percent and reached 47.8 billion USD compared to 2021. By the end of January 2022, they will have generated worldwide revenue of 573 billion USD. The platform is one of the biggest online marketplaces, and you are expected to represent yourself like any other product on its website: reputable, original, and trustworthy.

Main Image requirements

1. Silo images (with a white background) are preferable for most product categories. 
2. Photos should be perfectly lighted, focused, and clear; the product must be kept in the center of the frame, and the front view should be captured clearly.
3. The filename pattern should be “company-image-frame.”
4. Only include accessories that will be shipped with the product.
5. Watermarks, overlays, additional graphics, and extra filters should be avoided.
6. Fashion category images should be captured with only one model who has to remain as simple as possible while avoiding makeup and nail/hair art. Avoid showing products in packages except for undergarments or socks/gloves.
7. Placeholders like “Image Coming Soon” OR “No Image Available” are not acceptable.
8. Every image should be according to Walmart’s Trust and Safety standards.

Technical Requirements:

File Size:   5MB

File Type:   JPEG (.JPEG/.JPG), PNG (.png) or BMP

Image Size:   2000 x 2000 Pixels

Background Color:   White

5. Flipkart

Flipkart is India’s leading eCommerce platform. It covers 65% of the market share in categories like household, kids, baby, sports, and electronics. In 2020, the company’s value was 24.9B USD, which has now increased to 37.6B USD. Competing with other sellers requires strong descriptions and unique product photos edited as per Flipkart’s specifications. It is not very difficult to follow Flipkart’s image editing guidelines.

Main Image requirements

1. The product should cover at least 85 percent of the entire image frame.
2. The background should be white and clutter-free.
3. Add those accessories in the photos, which will be delivered with the product.
4. The width and height of images should be at least 1000 pixels.
5. Supported file formats are .tiff, .png, .jpeg, and .gif.
6. The product can be represented from different angles in 7-9 pictures; however, the first photo should present the front view of the product.
7. Avoid adding filters and unnecessary editing.

Technical Requirements:

Image Frame:   85%

File Type:   JPEG, GIF, PNG, TIFF

Image Size:   1000 Pixels

Background Color:   White

6. Alibaba

Alibaba Group is a Chinese marketplace and a tech-enabled platform that connects multiple business players in a network. It is famous for its B2B sales services. As this marketplace primarily deals with businesses, the product editing guidelines are also different from other marketplaces.

Main Image requirements

1. The product photo size should be less than 3MB.
2. Product photo files can be uploaded on the website in .jpg and .png format only.
3. The file’s name should be saved in English or Numeric form.
4. You can add product photos taken from different angles; however, only six photos are allowed for each product. If anyone wants to add more images for description purposes, they can use the Detailed Description section to upload more images. 
5. The background should be transparent and monochrome. 
6. Watermarks can be added to the photos for copyright purposes.
7. Recommended resolution for product photos 1000×1000 pixels.

Technical Requirements:

File Size:   3MB

File Type:   .jpg and .png

Image Size:   1000×1000 pixels

Background Color:   Monochrome

7. Google Shopping

It is effortless to list your products on Google Shopping if your image size requirements are met. Photos not meeting the conditions will be rejected by the Merchant Center.

A seller can upload up to 11 full-size images with Google Shopping. While the minimum dimensions are smaller, they recommend the images be at least 800 px square for the best results. Google may crop your images automatically to determine the best display for your product. Other significant requirements by Google Shopping are as follows:

Main Image requirements

1. The product should cover at least 75%-90% of the entire image frame.
2. Borders, watermarks, and any kind of text are strictly prohibited from being used while editing photos.
3. The background of the photos should be white; a light gray background is also acceptable.
4. Product staging is not allowed for the primary photos; however, it can be used for all other images.
5. Only hardware, computer software, and vehicle parts can be displayed using graphics and illustrations. 

Technical Requirements:

File Size:   16MB

File Type:   GIF (non-animated), TIFF, BMP, PNG

Image Size:   250 x 250 Pixels (apparel) / 100 x 100 Pixels (non-apparel)

Background Color:   Solid white, gray, or light-colored background

8. Rakuten Store

Rakuten is headquartered in Japan and is one of the biggest online stores worldwide. In comparison to other platforms, Rakuten provides more control and personalization. Customers can take advantage of loyalty-based membership programs that include benefits like Rakuten Super Points and cash-back offers. Rakuten has defined its guidelines for adding product photos, which are as follows:

Main Image requirements

1. Acceptable image formats are JPEG and GIF.
2. Product photo dimensions should be 500 px by 500 px. 
3. The background of the photo should be white and clear.
4. Images should be taken in the proper light, and editing should be done to make edges sharp.
5. Image enhancing services can be used but avoid too much editing.

Technical Requirements:

File Type:   JPEG and GIF

Image Size:   500 px by 500 px

Background Color:   White

9. Shopify

Shopify is a subscription-based platform that enables anyone to open an online store and sell their products or services worldwide. You can easily and painlessly create your online store in just a matter of minutes. They also have guidelines to add product photos which retailers must follow. 

Main Image requirements

1. The width to height ratio for all images should be the same. 
2. First images will be featured, and they’ll appear on the store’s homepage, cart, and checkout page, so they should be clear and original.
3. Retailers can add 250 photos for each product in different formats. Shopify will automatically resize the images for mobile screen view; however, sometimes, photos need to be edited manually for a better mobile screen view.
4. Images should be 800 px square. 
5. The maximum file size should be 20MB, and the recommended size is 2048 x 2048 pixels for each product photo. 
6. The resolution should be 4472 x 4472 pixels.

Technical Requirements:

File Size:   20 MB

File Type:   JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, BMP

Image Size:   800 x 800 px (min)

Resolution:   4472 x 4472 px

10. Aliexpress

Aliexpress is the retail branch of Alibaba based in China that sells directly to consumers B2C. It offers a wide range of items from simple household accessories to complex high-machinery electronics. Aliexpress gained popularity sooner than expected thanks to its reasonable rates and easy delivery options and is now one of the biggest online marketplaces. Being a retailer, you must follow the guidelines suggested by their website to attract more customers and enhance the visibility of your products. 

Main Image requirements

1. The maximum number of photos allowed per product is 5. 
2. The brand logo can be added in the top left corner of the photo.
3. The photo’s borders should be 220 x 80 px with 20 px.
4. Photos taken from different angles can enhance the product visualization; however, images from the side or back of the product should be avoided to add as primary photos.
5. The width and height of the photos should be equal, i.e., 800 x 800 px OR 1000 x 1000 px.

Technical Requirements:

File Size:   5 MB

Photo Format:   JPEG or PNG

Image size:   600 × 800px or more

Final Thoughts

If you’re a seller or a vendor in globally recognized marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Alibaba, Etsy, Flipkart, Rakuten, or Walmart, you have to compete with an array of strategies to surpass your competitors. To do so, nothing can be better than premium, high-quality product photos. However, the marketplaces mentioned above each have their own set of guidelines for editing product photos, and if you’re targeting more than one market, it can be difficult to remember all the specific rules. This guide will provide all the information you need in one place.

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