eBay picture policy explained: image size, borders, text, watermarks and stock photos

What does the eBay picture policy require?

The eBay picture policy sets the rules every listing photo must meet. On eBay UK, the picture policy says you must include at least one photo that is at least 500 pixels on its longest side, and that photos must accurately represent the item. It then lists what is not allowed.

eBay also expects your activity to respect the rights of third parties, which matters when photos come from someone else. If a listing breaks the policy, eBay may remove the listing or other content, issue a warning, restrict activity or suspend the account.

This article quotes the UK policy. If you sell on eBay.com, read eBay's US picture policy as well and follow its current wording.

How big must eBay photos be?

At least 500 pixels on the longest side. A photo of 500 by 375 pixels meets the minimum; one of 450 by 450 does not. eBay recommends including more than one photo, and in practice larger photos help buyers zoom in to see detail, texture and condition.

The size rule catches sellers out in a way they do not expect. A small image copied from a website, or a thumbnail saved by mistake, can be well under 500 pixels. When you revise a listing later, even to change only the price or the quantity, eBay can check the whole listing against its current rules. A listing carrying an undersized photo may then have the change refused until the photo is replaced.

How to check a photo's size

• On Windows, right-click the file, choose Properties, then Details, and read the width and height.
• On a Mac, open the file in Preview and choose Tools, then Show Inspector.
• For photos already on eBay, open the listing in a browser, open the image on its own and check its dimensions.

If a photo is too small, take or source a larger one. Stretching a small image to 500 pixels makes it blurry, and a blurry photo works against you even when it passes the size check.

Why are borders, text and watermarks not allowed?

eBay wants photos that show the item, not adverts. Text and badges compete with the product, look different from listing to listing, and can make claims a buyer cannot check from the photo. Watermarks obscure the item, even when they are small and in a corner.

Common photos that break the rule without the seller meaning to:

• Manufacturer images with 'NEW', 'BEST SELLER' or a feature list printed on them.
• Collage images with arrows, captions or icons describing the features.
• Photos with your shop name or logo in a corner.
• Images with a coloured frame added by an editing app.
• Comparison charts or size guides saved as images and used as the main photo.

A size chart or feature list is useful to buyers, so put it in the description as text instead of in the photos. Text in the description can be read by buyers and found in search; text inside an image cannot.

When can you use stock photos on eBay?

The policy bans stock photos for used, damaged or defective items. A buyer of a used item needs to see the exact item they will receive, including its wear and any marks.

For new items, a clean product photo from the manufacturer can show the item accurately. Two cautions apply:

• Rights. Photos taken by someone else are usually protected by copyright. Use photos you have taken, photos your supplier has permitted you to use, or photos supplied for resale by the brand. If a rights owner reports your listing for using their images, eBay can remove it. Our guide to eBay intellectual property takedowns covers what happens next.
• Accuracy. A manufacturer image may show accessories, colours or a pack size that your item does not include. If the photo and the item differ, a buyer may open a 'not as described' return.

What makes a photo 'accurately represent' the item?

Accuracy is the rule underneath all the others. The photo must show the item the buyer will receive: the same model, colour, size, pack quantity and condition. That rule protects you as much as the buyer, because a mismatch between photo and item is one of the simplest ways to end up with an item not as described claim. Our guide to eBay item not as described claims shows how sellers prevent them.

For variation listings, give each variation its own photo where the options look different. A buyer who picks the blue version should see blue.

Which photos help buyers most within the rules?

Meeting the policy is the minimum. The photos that answer buyers' questions are the ones that reduce messages and returns. A practical set for most items:

• A clear main photo of the whole item on a plain background, filling most of the frame.
• Each side or angle a buyer would turn the item to see in a shop.
• Close-ups of labels, model numbers, ports, fabric or finish.
• What is in the box, laid out together, so the buyer knows exactly what they get.
• A sense of scale, such as the item next to an everyday object or in a hand. A prop is fine as long as it is clear it is not included.
• Any flaw, photographed close and well lit, for used or opened items.

None of these needs added text. If a detail needs explaining, explain it in the description and refer to the photo, for example 'photo 4 shows the small scratch on the base'.

How do you bring existing listings into line?

If you have many listings, check them in order of risk rather than all at once.

1. Best sellers first. A policy problem on a listing that sells every day is the one that costs you most if eBay removes it.
2. Listings with copied or supplier images. These are the most likely to carry text, logos or watermarks.
3. Used and refurbished listings. Make sure each shows the actual item, not a catalogue image.
4. Listings whose revisions fail. If eBay refuses price or stock updates on a listing, check its photos for size.
5. Everything else, in batches, starting with the oldest listings.

For each photo, ask four questions: is it at least 500 pixels on the longest side, is it free of borders, text and watermarks, does it show the exact item, and do you have the right to use it?

How do listing tools handle photos?

Tools that copy products into eBay drafts often bring the source images with them. Those images can be thumbnails under 500 pixels, can carry marketing text, or can belong to someone who has not given permission. Check what a tool imports before you publish, and look at the first few drafts by hand. Our guide to Amazon to eBay listing tools lists what to check on every draft, including the photos.

If you list products that you source from Amazon or another retailer, know the sourcing rule too: eBay's drop shipping policy allows dropshipping from a wholesale supplier, but listing an item and then buying it from another retailer or marketplace that ships directly to your buyer is not allowed, and you stay responsible for delivery and the buyer's satisfaction.

A quick checklist

• At least one photo of 500 pixels or more on the longest side, and preferably several.
• No added borders, text, artwork, badges or marketing material.
• No watermarks of any kind, including your own shop name.
• Real photos of the actual item for used, damaged or defective items.
• Every photo shows the same model, colour, size and pack quantity as the item sold.
• Only photos you took or have permission to use.
• Size charts and feature lists as text in the description, not in the images.