If you sell products online, you have probably encountered the white background requirement. Almost every major marketplace demands or strongly recommends that your main product image has a pure white background. But the exact specifications vary between platforms, and getting them wrong can result in listing suppression or lost sales.

This guide covers the exact image requirements for Amazon, eBay, Shopify, and Etsy — and shows you how to meet them all automatically using AI.

Amazon Product Image Requirements

Amazon has the strictest image guidelines of any major marketplace. For your main product image (the first image buyers see), Amazon requires:

• Pure white background — RGB values of exactly 255, 255, 255. Not off-white, not light gray — pure white.
• Product fills 85% of the frame — The product should occupy at least 85% of the image area.
• Minimum 1000 pixels on the longest side (1600px+ recommended for zoom functionality).
• No text, logos, watermarks, or borders on the main image.
• No props or accessories that are not included in the purchase.
• Formats: JPEG (.jpg), PNG (.png), TIFF (.tif), or GIF (.gif) — JPEG is recommended.
• Color mode: sRGB or CMYK.

Amazon actively scans uploaded images and will suppress listings that do not meet these requirements. Products with compliant images see up to 2x more clicks in search results.

eBay Photo Requirements

eBay is more lenient than Amazon but still strongly recommends white or light-colored backgrounds:

• White or light neutral background recommended for the main photo.
• Minimum 500 pixels on the longest side (1600px recommended for zoom).
• Up to 24 images per listing (12 standard, 24 with promoted listings).
• No added text, artwork, or borders on images.
• No stock photos — eBay wants actual photos of the item.
• Max file size: 12MB per image.

eBay listings with high-quality photos on clean backgrounds receive up to 5% more views according to eBay’s seller guidelines.

Shopify Product Image Best Practices

Shopify does not enforce specific background requirements, but following these best practices is essential for a professional-looking store:

• Square images (1:1 aspect ratio) are recommended for consistent grid layouts.
• 2048 x 2048 pixels is the recommended resolution.
• Consistent style across all product images — same background, lighting, and angle.
• Max file size: 20MB per image, but optimize for fast loading (under 500KB recommended).
• Formats: JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, GIF.

While Shopify allows any background, stores with consistent white backgrounds look more professional and are easier to maintain, especially when your catalog grows. If your images are low resolution, consider AI upscaling to reach the recommended size.

Etsy Product Photo Guidelines

Etsy caters to handmade and vintage items, so its guidelines are the most flexible:

• First image is critical — it appears in search results and determines click-through rate.
• Minimum 2000 pixels on the shortest side for zoom functionality.
• 5:4 aspect ratio recommended.
• Up to 10 images per listing.
• Lifestyle and styled photos perform well, but a clean white background option should be included for clarity.

Many successful Etsy sellers use a mix: white background for the main image and lifestyle shots for secondary images. This gives buyers both a clear view of the product and context for how it looks in use.

How to Create Perfect White Backgrounds

Traditional Photography Setup

The classic approach involves a lightbox or sweep — a curved white surface with even lighting from multiple angles. This works well but requires equipment ($50–$500), setup time, and consistent lighting conditions. Even with a perfect setup, you will often need post-processing to get a truly pure white (RGB 255, 255, 255) background.

Post-Processing in Photoshop

After photographing on a lightbox, many sellers still need to remove the background in Photoshop to achieve a perfectly clean result. This adds 5–15 minutes per image and requires editing skills.

AI-Powered Background Replacement

The fastest method: upload your product photo (taken against any background) and let AI remove the background and replace it with pure white — all in about 10 seconds. AutoPhotos uses state-of-the-art segmentation models to produce clean, professional results without any manual editing.

Using AI to Meet Marketplace Requirements Automatically

With AutoPhotos, meeting all marketplace requirements becomes effortless:

1. Upload your product photos — Taken on any background, even a kitchen table.
2. Select "White" background mode — The AI removes the original background and replaces it with pure white (RGB 255, 255, 255).
3. Enable upscaling if needed — Automatically meet minimum resolution requirements.
4. Download and upload to your marketplace — The output is a ready-to-use product image.

Need to process your entire catalog at once? Use batch processing to handle up to 20 images simultaneously.