ToolboxE-commerce product image sizes: a practical checklist
What size each marketplace actually wants, how much compression is safe, and how to batch-process a whole product folder in the browser.
Most "image size" guides give you one number and stop. What actually matters is how far you can compress before it looks bad, how square and tall formats coexist, and how to process hundreds of SKUs without doing it by hand.
1. Three different images
- Main image β the thumbnail in search results. Usually square, white or light background. Decides click-through.
- Detail images β tall, on the product page, telling the story.
- Lifestyle images β homepage and ads, more flexible ratios.
They need different compression. The main image gets viewed enlarged, so keep it sharp; detail images can be pushed harder.
2. Common requirements
| Marketplace | Main image | Size limit |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | Longest edge β₯ 1000 px (1600 px for zoom) | β€ 10 MB |
| eBay | β₯ 500 px, 1600 px recommended | β€ 12 MB |
| Shopify | 2048 Γ 2048 | β€ 20 MB |
| Taobao / Tmall | 800 Γ 800 min, 1200 Γ 1200 recommended | β€ 3 MB |
| Pinduoduo | 750 Γ 750 min | β€ 1 MB |
| Etsy | β₯ 2000 px longest edge | β€ 1 MB recommended |
Marketplaces change their rules. These were the published requirements when this was written β check the seller console before uploading.
3. How far you can compress
The right question is not file size but "can I see blocky artifacts at 100%?". Rules of thumb:
- Product on white β quality 80 is safe; text and edges hold up.
- Textured goods (fabric, wood, leather) β 85 or higher, or the texture gets smeared.
- Anything with text β 90+, or keep it as PNG.
- Flat background with a silhouette β 75 is plenty; these compress extremely well.
A practical test: compress the same image at 75, 85 and 92, put them side by side at 100% zoom, and pick the lowest setting where you cannot see the difference.
4. Processing a whole SKU folder
The real job is rarely one image. It is eight images per product and fifty products per upload. Doing that by hand is not realistic.
The batch compressor here is built for that: drop a folder in, apply one quality and one resize, get a single ZIP back. Everything runs in the browser, so unreleased product photos never touch a server.
5. Three traps
- Upscaling does not add detail. Stretching a 600 px file to 1600 px just makes a blurry big file.
- Transparency needs PNG. Save a cut-out as JPG and the background turns white or black.
- Do not let the platform shrink it for you. Pre-compress to the required size to keep your quality.
Try it without uploading
All tools run in your browser. Files never leave your device.