Amazon’s image requirements aren’t complicated. They are, however, enforced more strictly than most sellers realise. Getting any of them wrong is the fastest way to suppress a listing or watch its click-through rate drop without obvious cause.
This is the complete 2026 spec, exactly as it applies to standard product listings on Amazon UK and Amazon US. We’ll cover the main image, the secondary image slots, file formats, dimensions, what’s banned, and what to do about A+ Content and video.
The main image: the rules that get listings suppressed
The main (also called “hero” or “MAIN”) image is the one Amazon uses across search results, the buy box, recommendation rails and almost every other surface. It’s the single most important image in a listing, and the rules around it are the strictest.
Main image hard rules
- Pure white background: RGB 255, 255, 255. Off-white, light grey or any tinted background can be flagged.
- Product fill: the product must take up at least 85% of the image area.
- No text, logos or watermarks on the main image itself. Brand logos that appear on the actual packaging are fine.
- No additional props or models on the main image unless they are part of the product as sold.
- Single product: one product per main image. Multipacks should show the multipack as a single unit.
- Realistic representation: the product must be shown as it actually is, in the colour and configuration it ships in.
- Minimum 1600px on the longest side (so zoom works). 2000px+ recommended.
Apparel, books and a few other categories have small variations (apparel allows on-model main images, for example), but for standard product categories the rules above apply universally. For the broader strategic picture on what makes a hero image actually convert, our companion piece on why compliance is only the starting point covers what to do once the technical rules are met.
Image dimensions and file size
Amazon’s zoom feature requires the image to be at least 1600 pixels on the longest side. Below that, zoom is disabled, and shoppers who can’t zoom convert at meaningfully lower rates. Above 2500 pixels there’s no measurable benefit, but file size starts to bloat. The sweet spot is 2000 to 2500 pixels on the longest side, saved as a JPEG at quality 90.
Minimum
1600 px
On longest side. Required for zoom.
Recommended
2000-2500 px
Best balance of quality vs file size.
Maximum file size
10 MB
Per image. Most well-saved JPEGs come in well under 1 MB.
File formats
- JPEG (.jpg or .jpeg): the default for product photography. Use this for almost everything.
- PNG (.png): useful when you need transparency, for example for variant swatch thumbnails. Files are larger so don’t use it as a general-purpose format.
- TIFF (.tif, .tiff): accepted but rarely needed. File sizes are huge and there’s no quality benefit on Amazon’s rendering pipeline.
- GIF (.gif): accepted but only sensible for static images; animated GIFs are not supported on listings.
Colour profile should be sRGB. CMYK images will display with shifted colours and may be rejected by some upload paths.
Secondary image slots (2 to 9)
The secondary slots are where most of the strategic work happens. They allow lifestyle context, infographics, scale references, packaging shots, and detail close-ups. These are where you actually answer buyer questions. For the full breakdown of what each slot should be doing, read main image vs lifestyle vs infographic.
The same dimension and file size rules apply to secondary images. The main differences are that you’re allowed text overlays, props, lifestyle environments, and infographic-style callouts on these slots. The 85% product-fill rule does not apply to secondary slots either, which is what makes lifestyle scenes practical.
Product video
Brand-registered sellers can upload product video to listings. Specs:
- Format: MP4 or MOV (MP4 strongly preferred).
- Resolution: 1280×720 minimum, 1920×1080 recommended. 4K is supported but rarely necessary.
- Duration: Amazon recommends under 60 seconds for product videos. 30 to 45 seconds is typical for listing video.
- File size: up to 5 GB but 100 to 300 MB is the practical sweet spot.
- Audio: include a voice-over or background music; Amazon will play silently in autoplay positions but most shoppers unmute.
A+ Content image specs
Amazon A+ Content modules each have their own dimension requirements. The most common ones to know:
- Standard hero / banner: 970×600 pixels.
- Module image: 600×450 pixels.
- Comparison module thumbnails: 150×300 pixels.
- Brand story modules: 463×625 pixels typical.
All A+ images must be saved as JPEG or PNG at 5 MB or less. Text overlays are permitted in A+ modules. That’s the whole point of the format. For more on what your A+ brief should include, see our guide to the A+ Content photography brief.
What gets you suppressed
Amazon’s automated image moderation catches more than most sellers realise. The most common reasons for an image being flagged or a listing suppressed:
- Off-white or coloured background on the main image. Most often the result of a poorly retouched image.
- Text or logo overlays on the main image, including watermarks from the photographer or stock library.
- Misleading product representation, for example showing accessories or contents that aren’t actually included.
- Product takes up less than 85% of the frame, leaving large white margins that make the product look smaller in search results.
- Multipack confusion: showing several units of the product when only one is sold (or vice versa).
- Inappropriate or offensive content. Automated detection picks this up at upload time.
What changed in 2026
The headline change in 2026 is enforcement, not new rules. Amazon has rolled out tighter automated checks on:
- Synthetic / AI-generated main images. Listings where the main image is identifiably AI-generated can be suppressed in some categories. The technology is also improving fast. Invisible watermarks like Google’s SynthID are detectable by software even when not visible to the eye.
- The 85% product-fill rule. Previously inconsistently enforced; now caught reliably at upload.
- Product representation accuracy. Amazon’s image moderation now flags listings where the visual doesn’t match the title or category. Useful protection against bait listings, but it can catch legitimate sellers who have lifestyle images on a main slot.
The full Amazon image cluster
For the strategic and creative side of Amazon imagery, see our other guides in this cluster:
- Amazon images in 2026: compliance is only the starting point. Why hitting the rules isn’t the same as winning the click.
- Main image vs lifestyle vs infographic. What each image slot should actually do.
- A+ Content photography brief. What your brief needs to include for A+ to land first time.
