I sell on five platforms. Each one has different image size requirements. Each one has different aspect ratios. Each one has different rules about what can and can't be in the image.
For the first year, I kept getting it wrong. Upload to Amazon at 1000×1000 — rejected, minimum is 1600px for zoom. Upload to Etsy at 2500×2500 — looks weird because Etsy prefers 5:4. Upload to TikTok Shop with an infographic overlay — rejected, no text on main image.
I finally made a cheat sheet. It lives on a sticky note on my monitor. Here it is, expanded.
Amazon
Main image:
- Minimum: 1600×1600 (for zoom functionality — non-negotiable)
- Recommended: 2500×2500
- Aspect ratio: 1:1 (square)
- Background: Pure white (RGB 255,255,255)
- Rules: Product only. No text, logos, watermarks, borders, or props. Product must fill 85%+ of the frame.
Secondary images (2-8):
- Same size requirements
- Background: Any (white recommended but not required)
- Text/infographics: Allowed
- Lifestyle shots: Allowed
The gotcha: Amazon's "pure white" check is automated and strict. If your background is RGB 250,250,250 (which looks white to human eyes), it may get flagged. Use AI background removal to guarantee 255,255,255, or manually check in Photoshop with the eyedropper tool.
Shopify
Product images:
- Maximum: 4472×4472 pixels
- Recommended: 2048×2048
- Aspect ratio: Flexible (your theme determines display ratio)
- File size: Maximum 20MB
- Formats: JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP
The gotcha: Shopify doesn't enforce a specific aspect ratio, but your theme does. If your theme displays product images as squares and you upload a 4:3 image, it'll get cropped. Check your theme's image ratio and match it. Most themes default to 1:1. For detailed dimension requirements, see the Shopify image size guide.
Performance tip: Shopify automatically generates multiple sizes for responsive display, but only if your source image is large enough. Upload at 2048×2048 minimum to ensure sharp images on all devices. Learn more about optimizing Shopify photos for better performance.
Etsy
Listing images:
- Minimum: 2000×2000 (Etsy's stated minimum)
- Recommended: 3000×2400 (for the 5:4 ratio Etsy prefers)
- Aspect ratio: 5:4 (landscape) recommended, but square works
- Up to 10 images per listing
- Video: 1 per listing, 5-15 seconds
The gotcha: Etsy crops images differently in different contexts (search results, category pages, shop page, mobile). Your product needs to look good in the center 60% of the image because the edges may get cropped. Test by viewing your listing in Etsy search on mobile.
Style note: Etsy rewards lifestyle/styled images over clinical white backgrounds. Your first image should have personality — it's what stops the scroll in search results. Consider using an AI scene generator to create lifestyle shots if you don't have a studio setup.
eBay
Product images:
- Minimum: 500×500 (but this is too low — use 1600+ for zoom)
- Recommended: 1600×1600
- Aspect ratio: 1:1 (square)
- Background: White or light solid color for main image
- Up to 24 images per listing
The gotcha: eBay allows up to 24 images, which is more than any other platform. Use them. Listings with 8+ images sell significantly better than those with 3-4. The extra slots are great for condition details (especially for used items), packaging, and multiple angles.
TikTok Shop
Product images:
- Minimum: 600×600 (but use 1200+ for quality)
- Recommended: 1200×1200
- Aspect ratio: 1:1 (square) for main image
- Background: White or light for main image
- Up to 9 images per listing
- No watermarks or promotional text on main image
The gotcha: TikTok Shop images appear in a fast-scrolling feed. Your main image needs to be high-contrast and immediately recognizable at thumbnail size. Fill the frame — 90%+ product coverage works best.
Google Shopping / Merchant Center
Product images:
- Minimum: 100×100 (non-apparel), 250×250 (apparel)
- Recommended: 1500×1500 or higher
- Aspect ratio: 1:1 preferred
- Background: White or transparent
- No text, watermarks, or promotional overlays
- No placeholder images
The gotcha: Google's image requirements are the most strictly enforced. Your product feed will get disapproved for: images with promotional text, images that don't match the product, images with watermarks, and images that are too small. Google also checks that the image URL is stable — if your CDN changes URLs, your feed breaks.
Instagram Shopping
Product images:
- Minimum: 1080×1080
- Recommended: 1080×1080 (square) or 1080×1350 (4:5 portrait)
- Aspect ratio: 1:1 or 4:5
- No specific background requirements
The gotcha: Instagram is the one platform where lifestyle images consistently outperform white-background shots. Your product tags link to your shop, so the image should be scroll-stopping first and informative second.
Facebook Marketplace
Product images:
- Minimum: 500×500
- Recommended: 1200×1200
- Aspect ratio: 1:1 (square)
- Up to 10 images per listing
The gotcha: Facebook Marketplace is casual. Overly polished studio shots can actually hurt because they look like ads rather than personal listings. A mix of clean product shots and "real" photos (product on a table, in your hand) performs best.
My Workflow for Multi-Platform
Instead of creating separate images for each platform, I shoot at the highest common denominator and resize:
- Shoot at maximum resolution (my phone does 48MP)
- Process through pic1.ai — I select each platform's preset and it outputs the right size, ratio, and background
- Review each platform's version
- Upload
The platform presets handle the sizing automatically, which saves me from maintaining a spreadsheet of dimensions. But I keep the cheat sheet on my monitor anyway — old habits. If you're looking for a faster way to handle resizing across platforms, try the Shopify image resizer which works for multiple marketplaces.
For platform-specific deep dives, check out the Amazon image requirements guide, Etsy image tips, or TikTok Shop image strategy.
