Amazon main image requirements (and the photos that come after it)

You upload your photos, publish the listing and check it an hour later. The main image is missing, or someone else's image is showing, or the listing has dropped out of search entirely. Nothing in Seller Central tells you clearly why.

Most of the time, the main image broke one of Amazon's rules. The rules are strict because the main image is the one shown in search results next to your competitors. This guide goes through Amazon's product image guide rule by rule, then covers what to put in the photos that come after it.

Why the main image matters so much

The main image (variant code MAIN) is the first image on your product page and the one shown in search results. Amazon's guide says every product needs at least one compliant main image. If there's no compliant main image, Amazon may temporarily remove the listing from search until you provide one.

Two other points from the guide surprise sellers:

• Uploading an image doesn't guarantee it will be shown. Amazon selects and arranges images from all the sellers on a product page, and may modify images to meet its requirements. Following the rules gives yours the best chance of being shown.
• If your image is selected, it can take up to 24 hours to appear.

Technical requirements for every image

Amazon also says not to enlarge small images artificially. If your photo is too small, retake it rather than stretching it.

Main image rules

The product

• Accurate. A realistic, professional-quality image that shows the real scale, quantity and colour.
• Fills 85% of the image.
• Fully in frame. No part of the product cut off.
• Shown once. Front only, not front and back in the same image.
• One unit, plus any accessories that come with it.
• No placeholders, not even temporary ones. The first image uploaded defines the product, and a placeholder can block your real image later.

The background

• Pure white, RGB 255, 255, 255.
• No packaging unless it's an important feature, like a carrying case or gift basket.
• Lifestyle main images are allowed only for a limited number of product types, and with no text or extra logos.

Props, models and mannequins

• No props or accessories that aren't included and could confuse a buyer.
• No mannequins of any kind, whether clear, solid-colour, flesh-toned or a framework, and that includes clothes shown on a hanger.
• Shoes: a single shoe, facing left, at a 45-degree angle.
• Adult clothing: shown on a standing model. Clothing accessories and multipacks are shown flat, without a model.

Rules for all your images

These apply to the main image and every image after it:

• Accurately show the product you're selling, and match the title.
• No customer reviews, five-star imagery, claims like "free shipping" or seller-specific information.
• No text or pricing details on swatch images.
• No Amazon logos or trademarks, and nothing like them ("Amazon", "Prime", "Alexa").
• No Amazon badges, or anything like them, such as "Amazon's Choice" or "Best seller".
• No nudity or sexually suggestive images.

If your images include photorealistic people created entirely by AI, Amazon now asks you to tag the file before uploading. Our guide to AI product photography explains how.

A quick main image check

This is a made-up example. "Corvid Audio" isn't a real brand.

Corvid Audio's first main image for its over-ear headphones was a phone photo on a grey desk, with the box and a cable in shot. Against the rules:

If you need help getting a white background without a studio, see our guide to white background product photos at home.

The photos that come after the main image

Amazon recommends uploading at least six images in addition to the main one, plus a video. Additional images use variant codes PT01 to PT99, and there are codes for specific types like angle shots (FRNT, BACK, SIDE and others), safety information (PS01 to PS06) and swatches (SWCH).

The order is up to you. Here's a plan that answers buyers' questions one by one:

1. 1Main image: the product alone, on white.
2. 2Key features: a simple infographic showing the two or three things that matter most. See our Amazon infographics guide.
3. 3Size and scale: the product next to something familiar, or with measurements.
4. 4In use: a lifestyle photo of the product being used by the kind of person who buys it.
5. 5Detail close-up: materials, texture, buttons or stitching.
6. 6What's in the box: everything included, laid out.
7. 7Other angles or variations: back, side or other colours.

Then add a short video if you have one. Your images should back up what your bullet points promise.

Where YelloShelf fits

Everything above can be done with a phone and free tools. If you'd rather not, YelloShelf makes AI listing images from your own product photos: a white-background main image aimed at Amazon's rules, plus lifestyle scenes, infographics and close-ups, sized for each marketplace. Each image is checked against your photos for shape, colour, logo and details, but you should still compare it with the rules above and the item in your hand before you upload it. It also drafts your title, bullet points and description. It doesn't have a free plan or trial. You buy a credit pack, starting at $10, and your first purchase comes with a money-back guarantee. We're helping you remove the manual, tedious, time-consuming work. You still read it, edit it and paste it in yourself.

Quick checklist

• Pure white background, RGB 255, 255, 255.
• Product fills 85% of the image and isn't cut off.
• One unit, shown once, with only what's included.
• No packaging, props, mannequins, text or badges.
• At least 1,000 pixels on the longest side, so zoom works.
• JPEG, RGB, at least 72 dpi.
• Six or more additional images, plus a video if you have one.