Amazon image policy is documented across a dozen help pages and enforced unevenly by category. Sellers get suppressed for reasons that are not spelled out on the upload form. This guide collects what is actually enforced, category by category, and gives a workflow for meeting it.
Every Amazon listing has a main image and optional secondary images. The main image has strict requirements. Secondary images are relaxed. Most suppression problems come from the main image.
The main image must have a pure white background. Amazon defines this as RGB 255, 255, 255. Off-white, cream, or light grey backgrounds get flagged by the automated check even if they look white on a phone screen.
The product must fill at least 85 percent of the image frame. This is why some sellers get rejected even when the background is correct. If there is a wide margin around the product, the algorithm reads it as failing the frame requirement.
The main image cannot include text, logos, watermarks, props, or additional objects. This includes small items placed next to the product for scale. It includes price tags. It includes background props that would normally be considered stylised photography.
The minimum is 1000 pixels on the longest side. Below that, Amazon does not guarantee zoom functionality, which directly affects conversion.
The recommended target is 2000 pixels on the longest side. This enables the zoom feature which lets buyers see product detail. Amazon reports that listings with zoom capable images convert at a measurably higher rate.
JPEG is the default format. PNG is allowed if the image needs transparency, which is rare on the main image because the background must be white. For most listings, JPEG at quality 90 or higher is the correct choice.
The maximum file size is 10MB. This is rarely an issue for product photos unless you are uploading very high resolution files without compression.
Most categories follow the same rules. Three categories have variations that catch sellers off guard.
Apparel, shoes, and accessories: on-model images are allowed as secondary images, but the main image must show the product on a white background. Some subcategories require a flat-lay or a ghost mannequin shot.
Beauty and personal care: bottles, jars, and tubes must not contain visible product amounts that vary from the listing description. An image showing a half-empty bottle can trigger a mismatch flag.
Grocery and gourmet: nutritional information panels must be visible on at least one secondary image. The main image still needs to be on white.
Amazon has a preview step in the seller central upload flow. Use it. The preview shows you exactly how the thumbnail will render in search results.
Check the background color at the pixel level. Open the image in any editor, pick the eyedropper tool, and sample the corner. If the value is not exactly 255, 255, 255, adjust the background before uploading.
Measure the product coverage. In an image editor, draw a bounding box around the product, then compare its area to the total image area. The ratio should be at least 0.85 on the tighter axis. If it is below, crop closer.
Verify file size and dimensions. Most editors show both. Anything under 1000 pixels on the longest side should be re-exported from a larger source.
Shoot on a neutral surface with even lighting. The background does not matter as long as the product is clearly separated from it.
Process the image with background removal set to White output. This gives you the pure white background Amazon requires.
Resize the result to 2000 pixels on the longest side. Most products look best in a square frame.
Check the background color at the pixel level. If it is off-white, the process is not done.
Upload to Amazon and use the preview to verify the thumbnail renders correctly.
The listing is suppressed from search until the image is fixed. You will get an email and a notification in Seller Central. The fix is usually re-uploading with a corrected background.
Officially no. The policy requires a pure white background with no props or shadows. In practice, a very soft drop shadow is sometimes tolerated, but the safe choice is no shadow.
Yes. Both accept pure white backgrounds. Shopify is more lenient on resolution and format, so an Amazon compliant image will work on Shopify without changes.
A+ content has separate requirements and allows lifestyle photography, stylised scenes, and text overlays. The main listing image is the only one with the strict rules.