Short answer
eBay photo requirements, from eBay's picture policy and help pages (checked September 2026): every listing needs at least one photo of 500 pixels or more on the longest side, and eBay recommends about 1,600 by 1,600. Photos may not have added borders, added text or watermarks. You can add up to 24 photos of up to 12 MB each. eBay says a white background is generally best, with a darker one for shiny items.
eBay’s photo requirements are short compared with Amazon’s, and most of them are about honesty rather than looks: your own photo, of the actual item, with nothing added on top. The size rule is modest, 500 pixels, and the background is a recommendation rather than a requirement. What catches sellers out is the ban on added borders, which a careless square crop can break, and the difference between what eBay requires and what makes a listing sell.
Everything here comes from eBay’s own help, checked in September 2026: the picture policy (the rules) and Adding pictures to your listings (the limits and tips). These are the eBay.com pages; other eBay sites have their own versions.
eBay photo requirements: what the picture policy says
The policy is brief. Every listing must include at least one photo that is 500 pixels on its longest side. And these are not allowed:
- photos that do not accurately represent the item,
- placeholder images used to convey a message,
- stock photos for used, damaged or defective items,
- photos with added borders,
- photos with added text, artwork or marketing material,
- watermarks of any type, including ones used to show who owns the photo.
That is the whole policy. Everything else eBay says about photos is advice, on the help page for adding pictures.
eBay photo size, limits and formats
| eBay’s number | Where it comes from | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum size | 500 px on the longest side (policy); 500 x 500 (tips) | Picture policy; Adding pictures |
| Recommended size | About 1,600 x 1,600 px | Adding pictures |
| Maximum file size | 12 MB per photo | Adding pictures |
| Number of photos | At least 1, up to 24 | Adding pictures |
| Formats | JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, WEBP, HEIC, AVIF | Adding pictures |
| Aspect ratio | 1:1 or 16:9 “generally look best” | Adding pictures |
Checked September 2026.
There is a small inconsistency worth knowing about. The policy says 500 pixels on the longest side, while the tips page gives a minimum resolution of 500 by 500. A photo of 1,200 by 400 pixels passes the first and fails the second. Nothing on either page says which one the uploader enforces, so the safe course is to keep both sides above 500. At eBay’s recommended 1,600 by 1,600 the question never comes up.
Size also matters for how the photo is shown. eBay’s help page says search results show the main photo at a standard 96 pixels, and with the Gallery Plus upgrade, up to 400 by 400 when a buyer hovers. The large photo on the listing page is where resolution pays off: a 1,600 pixel photo lets buyers zoom into the detail that decides a second-hand purchase.
Does an eBay photo need a white background?
No. eBay’s tips ask for an uncluttered space and a neutral backdrop, and say that white backgrounds are generally best, with one exception: shiny or reflective items like jewellery may look better on a darker background. A mirror-polished ring on white reflects the white and its outline vanishes; on charcoal, every edge shows.
The same tips say not to add badges, logos, copyright notices or watermarks, because they can affect where the listing appears in search. And they ask that the main photo show the whole item face-on, since it is the one in search results.
So on eBay, a white background is advice with a clear reason, not a rule. It helps most for new and boxed-condition items competing with retailers’ white-background photos in the same search.
Which eBay listings gain most from a white background
Not every listing needs the effort. A rough guide by what you sell:
- New, unopened or like-new items. These compete directly with business sellers whose photos are on white. A clean main photo on white puts yours on equal terms in the grid. Worth doing.
- Collectables, trading cards and small parts. Shape and markings matter, and a busy table distracts from them. White or a plain dark background, depending on how reflective the item is.
- Clothing and shoes. A clean background makes colour and cut easier to judge. Fabric edges cut out well; fluffy knitwear and fur are harder, so check the edge closely.
- Used electronics, tools and furniture. Here the buyer wants to see condition, and a neutral, tidy setting is enough. Cutting out a sofa is rarely worth it; clearing the space around it is.
- Vintage and one-of-a-kind items. A white main photo for clarity, then photos in context. Buyers of vintage often want to see the item as it is.
Whatever the item, the rule that matters most on eBay is accuracy. A perfect white background on a photo that hides a scratch is worse than an ordinary photo that shows it, because a buyer who finds an undisclosed flaw can return the item.
Squaring a photo without breaking the border rule
A photo on white often needs extra space to become square, since eBay says 1:1 looks best. Here the ban on added borders matters.
Padding a white-background photo with more of the same white is not a visible border: the product simply sits in a larger white field. Padding a lifestyle photo with white bars, or drawing a coloured frame or an outline around the product, is an added border. The policy does not define the word further, so avoid anything a buyer would see as a frame.
In practice: cut the product out and put it on white first, then pad with white. The padding disappears into the background and the result is a clean square.
How to make an eBay photo that passes and sells
1. Photograph the actual item
Your own photo, in soft, even light, no flash (eBay’s tips mention flash and overhead lighting as causes of glare). The whole item, face-on, for the main photo. A tripod or a phone resting on something steady, with the timer, keeps it sharp. For a cutout, a background that contrasts with the item gives the cleanest edge.
2. Cut it out and put it on white
Remove the background, check the edges against the original, and choose white. For polished metal or gems, try a dark colour instead and compare. If a thin line of the old background clings to the edge, shrink the outline by a pixel; white halos around a cutout explains why it happens.
The free way
A white background before the photo goes anywhere
Drop the photo, check the edge in the compare view, pick White (or a dark colour for shiny items) and download a JPG. The cutout stays at the full resolution of the original, so you can pad and resize to 1,600 pixels without enlarging anything.
3. Square it and set the size
getPNG does not crop, pad or resize. Free tools that do:
- Photopea (photopea.com), a browser editor that states on its learn pages that it does not upload files. Image > Canvas Size to make the canvas square (fill any checkerboard with a white layer underneath), Image > Image Size to set 1,600 pixels, then File > Export As > JPG.
- Squoosh (squoosh.app), which says on its project page that it does not send images to a server. Good for resizing and compressing; it does not pad to square.
- eBay’s own editor, which can crop and rotate after upload.
4. Add the other photos
Up to 24 in total. eBay’s tips suggest several angles, close-ups of any flaws or scratches (which helps prevent returns), a photo with a coin or ruler for scale, and, for a bundle, a main photo showing everything included. These can be ordinary photos; only the main one benefits much from the white background.
Check the main photo before listing
- Check the file’s pixel size in its properties.
- Look at it at full size and at thumbnail size, side by side with a similar listing in eBay search.
You should see: both sides at 500 pixels or more (ideally about 1,600), no frame or text on the image, and the whole item recognisable at thumbnail size.
If you do not: if the item is hard to make out at thumbnail size, crop in closer, keeping the whole item. If the outline blurs into the background, as with shiny or pale items, try a darker background colour.
eBay’s built-in background tool
eBay has its own background tool, and for many listings it is enough. On the website, select a photo in the listing form and choose the Background icon to replace the background with solid white. In the eBay app, the Background icon offers White, or AI-generated backgrounds called Studio, Surface and Outside, with options to edit the scene and generate more versions.
Two things to weigh:
- It works after upload. eBay stores copies of your photos (its help page says for up to 90 days in completed listings), so the photo is on eBay’s systems before the tool touches it. For an item you are listing anyway, that is expected. For a prototype or someone else’s photo, it may not be.
- Control over the edge. The listing editor is small, and there is no side-by-side comparison or edge adjustment in the steps eBay describes. A dedicated cutout lets you check handles, straps and holes at full size before anything is listed.
Be careful with the AI scenes. eBay’s policy forbids photos that do not accurately represent the item, and a generated tabletop that implies accessories or a setting you are not selling can mislead a buyer. The plain white option carries no such risk.
When this does not work
- Items where condition is the point. A used camera or a vintage bag sells on its scuffs and wear. Cut out carefully and check that marks near the edge have not been trimmed off; a cutout that hides wear risks the accuracy rule and returns.
- Clear glass and plastic. The old background shows through the item. Photograph these on the background you want.
- Very small items. A ring photographed from far away and cut out may be well under 1,600 pixels once cropped. Shoot closer rather than enlarging afterwards.
- iPhone HEIC photos. eBay accepts HEIC, and so does getPNG. The first HEIC fetches a separate decoder (about 2 MB, once), so that one needs a connection.
For how eBay compares with the other marketplaces, product photos on a white background puts all four side by side. If you also sell on Amazon, its main image requirements are much stricter: pure white is required there, not just recommended.
The steps, in short
- Photograph the actual item. Your own photo, whole item face-on for the main photo, in even light without flash. Stock photos are not allowed for used or damaged items.
- Cut it out and put it on white. Remove the background and choose white, at full resolution. For polished jewellery or chrome, a dark colour can show the edges better.
- Square it without adding a border. If you pad the photo to square, pad with the same colour as the background, so nothing reads as an added frame.
- Export at about 1,600 pixels. JPG or PNG, 1,600 by 1,600 or similar, well under the 12 MB limit.
- Add close-ups and a scale photo. Use the other photos for angles, flaws and a coin or ruler for size. The main photo shows the whole item.
Questions
What is the minimum photo size on eBay?
eBay's picture policy requires at least one photo that is 500 pixels on the longest side. Its photo tips page words it as a minimum resolution of 500 by 500 pixels, which is stricter for a long thin photo. To satisfy both readings, make sure the shorter side is also 500 pixels or more; eBay recommends about 1,600 by 1,600 anyway.
Are borders allowed on eBay photos?
No. The picture policy lists photos with added borders among the prohibited kinds, together with added text, artwork, marketing material and watermarks of any type. White space around a product on a white background is not a visible border, but a coloured frame or a drawn outline is.
Does eBay require a white background?
No, but eBay's photo tips say white backgrounds are generally best, with a neutral, uncluttered backdrop. For shiny or reflective items such as jewellery they suggest a darker background may work better.
How many photos can I add to an eBay listing?
Up to 24 photos, each up to 12 MB, according to eBay's Adding pictures to your listings page checked in September 2026. At least one photo is required.
Can I use eBay's background removal tool instead?
Yes. On the website, the Background icon in the photo editor replaces the background with solid white; the eBay app also offers AI-generated scenes. It works on a photo you have already uploaded to eBay, and it gives you less control over the edge than a dedicated cutout with a compare view. For a quick listing it is fine.
What photo formats does eBay accept?
JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, WEBP, HEIC and AVIF, per eBay's help page on adding pictures. JPG is the safe choice for photos.
Can I use a stock photo on eBay?
Not for used, damaged or defective items: the picture policy prohibits it, and the photo tips repeat that catalogue or stock photos cannot be used for items listed as used. Photograph the actual item, including any flaws.