Product image requirements: a cheat sheet for Shopify, Google, Amazon, Meta and Flipkart

Each sales channel has its own image rules, and the same photo often fails on one while passing on another. This sheet gives the numbers we can verify from official documentation, flags what you should check yourself, and then covers the habits that make a catalog look consistent: studio sets, white backgrounds, lifestyle shots, file names and alt text.

The cheat sheet

Sources: Shopify's product media page and Google's image attribute page.

On Google, the file extension should match the real format, and the main image should not carry promotional text, prices, logos, barcodes, watermarks or copyright symbols, unless a logo is physically part of the product.

Amazon, Meta and Flipkart

We could not confirm exact pixel and file-size limits for these three from official pages at the time of writing, so we have left the numbers out rather than guess. What is consistent and widely stated:

• Amazon: the main image should be the product alone on a pure white background (RGB 255, 255, 255), with no text, watermarks or props. Pixel minimums and file limits vary by category, so read the style guide for your category in Seller Central before shooting.
• Meta catalog: the base product image should be a clean representation of the product. Keep sale text, coupon codes and watermarks out of the base image and add promotions at the ad level. Square 1:1 images are the safest source because placements crop differently. Confirm current minimum resolution and size in Meta's catalog help pages.
• Flipkart: the primary image should be on a clean background with no watermarks, text, stickers or price tags. Background rules, image counts and resolution differ by category (apparel in particular), so check the category guidelines in Seller Hub.

If your channel list changes often, keep a master set at the highest resolution and export per channel.

Build one consistent studio set

Consistency does more for a catalog than any single great photo. Customers compare products side by side on collection pages, and uneven framing reads as uneven quality.

• Shoot every product at the same distance, angle and crop, with the same lighting direction.
• Use a square canvas, as it is accepted everywhere and avoids awkward cropping.
• Keep the product centred with equal margin, filling most of the frame without touching the edges.
• Use the same shot order for every product: front, back, side, detail, scale, in-use.
• Fix colour accuracy with a grey card or colour target. Returns from "not as pictured" are expensive.

White background mains

A clean white background on the first image is the safe default for feeds and marketplaces. It makes cut-outs consistent, avoids rejections, and lets the product carry the image. Pure white matters: off-white or grey fringing from a poor background removal will fail Amazon's check and looks sloppy elsewhere.

Practical checks before upload:

1. Open the image and sample the background; it should read pure white where the platform requires it.
2. Look at edges at 200 percent zoom for halos or jagged cut-outs.
3. Keep a soft shadow only where the channel allows it.
4. Remove props, accessories and anything not included in the sale.

Lifestyle and detail images

Put lifestyle images after the main image, never in the main slot of a marketplace listing. They answer questions a white background cannot: scale, fit, how it is used, what it looks like on a body or in a room. For fashion and furniture especially, scale and context sell.

Show detail shots of anything a buyer would inspect: stitching, material grain, ports, labels, closures. If a size chart or dimensions matter, add them as a secondary image, never on the main image where overlays are banned.

File names and alt text

Name files before uploading. A readable name helps you manage the catalog and gives search engines context.

Bad:   IMG_4821.JPG, final_FINAL2.png
Good:  navy-linen-shirt-front.jpg
Good:  navy-linen-shirt-cuff-detail.jpg

Use lowercase, hyphens, the product name and the view. No spaces or special characters.

Alt text is a short description of what the image shows, written for someone who cannot see it. Include product, colour or material and view where useful. Do not repeat the product title in every image, stuff keywords, or write "image of". Purely decorative images can have empty alt text. Shopify lets you edit alt text per image in the product media; fill it at upload, not months later.

Using AI-generated imagery responsibly

AI is useful for catalog imagery: clean backgrounds, consistent lighting, scene settings, model shots and bulk resizing. The line is accuracy. The image must show the product the customer will receive: correct colour, shape, proportions, texture, logos and included items.

Practical rules we follow:

• Start from a real photo or accurate product data, never invent the product.
• Check generated output against the physical item for colour, details and text, and reject images with distorted hands, logos or fabric.
• Do not show features, sizes, certifications or accessories that do not exist.
• Keep main images on marketplaces plain and literal, with creative scenes in secondary slots.
• Read each channel's current policy on generated or edited imagery before upload.

A human review pass is what catches the errors, which is why every output we make is reviewed by a person and approved by the client before it goes live.

When to do it yourself and when to hand it off

For a catalog under a hundred products, a lightbox, a phone or camera, a colour card and an editing app are enough. Set one template, shoot everything in one session, and export per channel. The common mistake is changing setup between batches.

Hand it off when you have hundreds of SKUs, supplier photos in mixed styles, or multiple channels with different rules. Our AI product imagery service produces consistent sets from your source photos: the AI engine does the volume, a person reviews every output, and you approve before anything goes live. It starts from ₹2,999 / $129 / £99 / A$199 per 50 products, with a fixed quote after we inspect your files. Turnaround is from 48 hours for eligible projects; turnaround depends on scope, catalog complexity and the quality of the data and access we receive. Request the free 10-product sample if your project is a fit, and see pricing for the rest. If images are being rejected by Google, the Merchant Center disapprovals guide shows how to find and fix them.