Amazon main image requirements: the complete checklist
The main image needs a pure white background (RGB 255, 255, 255) and must show the product as 85% of the image.
Source: Amazon Seller Central, Product image guide · checked October 22, 2026
Amazon's main image requirements: the main image must show the real product once, on a pure white background (RGB 255, 255, 255), filling 85% of the image, with nothing cut off and no props or packaging. Images need 500 to 10,000 pixels on the longest side, and 1,000 px or more enables zoom [1].
Your main image is the one Amazon shows in search results and as the first image on your detail page [1]. For a shopper scrolling search results, it's the only image they see before they click, and it has the strictest rules. If no main image meets them, Amazon says it "may temporarily remove the product listing from search until a compliant main image is provided" [1].
This is a checklist of Amazon's main image requirements: every rule on Amazon's current Product image guide (checked October 22, 2026), the technical file specs, what changed, the mistakes that get images rejected, and a five-minute way to check your own.
The main image rules at a glance
| Rule | What Amazon requires |
|---|---|
| Background | Pure white, RGB 255, 255, 255 |
| Fill | The product shown as 85% of the image |
| Whole product | Entirely in frame, nothing cut off |
| One view | The product shown once (for example the front only, not front and back) |
| One unit | One unit, plus only the accessories included with the product |
| Realistic | A realistic, professional-quality image that accurately represents the product's real scale, quantity and color |
| No placeholders | No temporary placeholder images |
| No props | No accessories or props that aren't included and could confuse the customer |
| No packaging | Unless it's an important product feature, such as a carrying case or gift basket |
| No mannequins | No part of a mannequin, of any kind |
| Size for zoom | 1,000 pixels or more on the longest side (minimum 500) |
Every row comes from Amazon's Product image guide [1]. The sections below explain each one and how sellers trip over it.
Pure white background (RGB 255, 255, 255)
Amazon requires "a pure white background (RGB color values: 255, 255, 255)" so that search results and detail pages look consistent [1]. Pure white is a number, not a look. A photo shot on a white sweep often comes out a very light gray that looks white on screen but reads 245 or 250 in an editor. That is not 255.
There is one exception: "Only a limited number of product types are allowed to have a lifestyle image as a main image (with no text or extra logos)," and Amazon points to its product page style guide for which ones [1]. As of October 2026, Amazon's product page style guides page names six product types: beds, bed frames, mattresses, rugs, rug pads and sofas (BED, BED_FRAME, MATTRESS, RUG, RUG_PAD, SOFA), and says it keeps that list under review [6]. If you're not sure your product type is one of them, use white.
The product at 85% of the image
Amazon's wording is "Show the product as 85% of the image" [1]. It doesn't say whether that is area or the longest side. A practical check is the longest side: on a 2,000 × 2,000 px image, the product's longest side should be about 1,700 px. The most common failure is not a background problem at all: it's a product sitting small in the middle of a large white frame because the photo was never cropped tight.
The whole product must be in frame, with nothing cut off at the edges [1]. Tight is good; clipped is not.
One product, shown once, as it ships
Amazon asks for:
- The product only once. Not the front and the back side by side [1].
- One unit, plus the accessories that come with it [1]. Multipacks have their own standard; Amazon links to a multipack imaging page from the guide [1].
- No props or accessories that aren't included and could confuse the customer [1]. A coffee mug next to a coffee grinder suggests the mug is included.
- No packaging, unless it's part of what the customer gets, such as a carrying case or gift basket [1].
Realistic, and accurate to the real product
The main image must "accurately represent the product as a realistic, professional-quality image", including "the real scale, quantity, and color of the product" [1]. Every image on the listing must also "match the product's title" [1].
That matters more now that many sellers edit images with AI tools. Our reading: the same accuracy rule applies to any edit, so an AI-edited image still has to show the product's real scale, quantity and color [1]. If your image includes photorealistic people generated entirely by AI, Amazon asks you to tag the file before uploading by adding the keyword contains-synthetic-performer to the image's XMP dc:subject field with an IPTC-compatible metadata editor, so Amazon can show a disclosure where required [1]. Real people retouched with AI tools don't need the tag [1].
What about text and logos on the main image?
Older versions of Amazon's image requirements, quoted in full by an Amazon forum moderator, said the main image must "not have text, logos, borders, color blocks, watermarks, or other graphics covering the product or in the background" [3]. Amazon's current guide doesn't repeat that line in its main image section. It does require a realistic image of the product alone on white, and for every image it bans review imagery, claims such as "free shipping", seller-specific information, Amazon logos and badges such as "Amazon's Choice" or "Best seller" [1].
Sellers in the forums have shared Selling Partner Support replies that suppressed a listing because "the main image has text, logo, graphic or watermark which is not permitted for this product type" [4]. Our reading: text that is printed on the product itself is part of the product, but added text, badges, borders and callouts belong in the other image slots. Keep them off the main image.
Category rules: clothing, shoes and multipacks
The guide adds model and display rules for some categories [1]:
- Footwear: a single shoe, facing left, at a 45-degree angle.
- Adult clothing: shown on a model who is standing, not sitting, kneeling, leaning or lying down. Amazon encourages showing models with different physical mobilities, including people who use wheelchairs or prosthetics.
- Clothing accessories and multipacks: shown flat, without a model.
- Mannequins: no part of a mannequin, whether clear, solid-color, flesh-toned, a framework or a hanger.
- Children's and baby undergarments, swimwear and similar form-fitting items: photographed lying flat without models (this applies to all images).
Amazon also links to separate image guidelines for clothing and to multipack imaging standards [1]. Check your category's style guide before a reshoot.
Technical image requirements
These apply to every image, including the main one [1][2].
| Spec | Requirement |
|---|---|
| File format | JPEG, TIFF, PNG or non-animated GIF; JPEG recommended |
| Size | 500 to 10,000 pixels on the longest side |
| Zoom | 1,000 px or more on the longest side enables zoom |
| Resolution | At least 72 dpi |
| Quality | Clear, not pixelated, no jagged edges |
| Color mode | RGB preferred; convert CMYK; grayscale only for gray or silver metal products |
| File name (bulk upload) | Product identifier + variant code + extension, such as B000123456.MAIN.jpg |
| Not accepted | EPS, BMP, PDF and program files such as PSD or AI |
Images under 500 pixels on the longest side can't be uploaded, and Amazon says not to artificially enlarge small images [1]. It also advises saving JPEGs at the highest quality, avoiding repeated JPEG saves, removing layers, and not relying on ICC color profiles for accurate color [2].
Rules for all your images, not just the main one
Your other images can show the product in use, details and text, but they still have to [1]:
- accurately represent the product you're selling and match the title;
- avoid nudity or sexually suggestive images;
- leave out images of customer reviews, five-star graphics, claims such as "free shipping" and seller-specific information;
- avoid Amazon logos and trademarks ("Amazon", "Prime", "Alexa", the smile design) and badges like "Amazon's Choice", "Best seller" or "Top seller".
Amazon recommends at least six additional images and one video on top of the main image [1].
How Amazon chooses and changes images
Three things in the guide surprise sellers [1]:
- Uploading doesn't guarantee display. Amazon selects and arranges images from multiple selling partners for the same product.
- Amazon may modify images you submit to meet the requirements or improve the customer experience.
- It can take up to 24 hours for a selected image to appear on the detail page.
Images that fail the technical specs can't be uploaded at all. Images that fail the content requirements may be removed [1].
Common mistakes that get main images rejected
Each of these breaks a rule in Amazon's Product image guide [1]:
- Off-white backgrounds that look white but read below 255.
- Too much empty space around a product that should fill 85% of the frame.
- Small or upscaled files under 1,000 px, so zoom is off, or enlarged from a small original.
- Front and back in one image, or two units side by side.
- Props that aren't included.
- Packaging shown when it isn't part of the product.
- Added text, badges or graphics on the main image.
- An image that doesn't match the title, for example a different color or pack count.
How to check your main image in five minutes
- Download the full-size image from your detail page's image viewer.
- Check the background pixels. Open it in any editor with an eyedropper or color picker and click the four corners and several points along each edge. Every reading should be 255, 255, 255 [1].
- Check the fill. Draw a box tight around the product; its longest side should be about 85% of the image's [1].
- Check the size. The longest side should be 1,000 px or more for zoom [1].
- Look for extras: a second view, a prop, the box, added text or a badge. Move them to the other image slots.
- Compare with the title. Same color, same size, same pack count [1].
If your listing is suppressed for its main image
Amazon's search help sends you to Fix Your Products to see whether an ASIN is search suppressed, with the reason and the steps to fix it [5]. If the cause is the main image, upload a compliant image as the MAIN variant. In bulk uploads that means naming the file with your identifier and .MAIN [1]. Allow up to 24 hours for a new image to show [1].
Our free listing score checks how much of your main image's edge is pure 255 white, how much of the frame the product fills and whether the image is large enough for zoom, along with your other images, title, bullets and keywords. How we score shows each check. Listing Mammoth also makes Amazon listing images from your product photo, as part of a full listing refresh: an enhanced main image on pure white, checked against your photo, five explainer images, and new copy.
Frequently asked questions
What size should an Amazon main image be?
Between 500 and 10,000 pixels on the longest side. Amazon recommends 1,000 pixels or more, which enables zoom [1].
Does the Amazon main image background have to be pure white?
Yes. Amazon requires RGB 255, 255, 255. Only six product types may use a lifestyle main image (beds, bed frames, mattresses, rugs, rug pads and sofas), with no text or extra logos [1][6].
How much of the main image should the product fill?
Amazon asks you to show the product as 85% of the image, with the whole product in frame and nothing cut off [1].
Can I put text or a logo on my Amazon main image?
Keep added text, logos and badges off the main image. Older Amazon requirements banned them outright, and sellers report suppressions for text on the main image [3][4]. Text printed on the product itself is part of the product.
Can I use an AI-edited main image on Amazon?
Amazon's guide asks that every main image accurately represent the real product, including its scale, quantity and color, however it was made. Images with photorealistic AI-generated people must be tagged with contains-synthetic-performer metadata [1].
Why isn't my new main image showing?
Amazon says a selected image can take up to 24 hours to appear, and uploading doesn't guarantee display, because Amazon selects images from multiple selling partners [1].
Sources
- Amazon Seller Central help, “Product image guide”. sellercentral.amazon.com · checked 2026-10-22 · public page, loads in a browser
- Amazon Seller Central help, “Technical image file requirements”. sellercentral.amazon.com · checked 2026-10-22
- Seller Forums, reply by Amazon moderator Glenn_Amazon, “2 ASINs in "Search Suppressed" state”, about 2023. sellercentral.amazon.com · checked 2026-10-22 · quotes the earlier main image requirements
- Seller Forums thread, “Help! Overseas Seller Support is SLEEPING!”, about 2023. sellercentral.amazon.com · checked 2026-10-22 · a seller posts Selling Partner Support's suppression reply
- Amazon Seller Central help, “Search optimization”. sellercentral.amazon.com · checked 2026-10-22
- Amazon Seller Central help, “Product page style guides”. sellercentral.amazon.com · checked 2026-10-22