Guide
Etsy product photo requirements
Etsy is looser than Amazon or Walmart — no white-background rule — but it has size, file-type and thumbnail rules that decide how your first photo looks in search.
Checked against Etsy’s own help pages on 9 October 2026. Etsy can change its rules — the official page always wins.
The rules at a glance
| Rule | What Etsy says | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Etsy recommends a width and height of at least 2000 px. The first listing photo should be at least 635 px wide and tall to avoid showing up lower in searches. (source A) | Shoot or export at 2000 px or more on the short side. |
| File type | .jpg, .gif, .png, .svg or .heic only. Animated GIFs and transparent PNGs are not supported — transparent areas appear black. (source A) | Flatten transparent cut-outs onto a background before uploading. |
| File size | Images larger than 1 MB may not finish uploading, especially on a slower connection. (source A) | Compress large files; 2000 px JPEGs can usually stay near 1 MB. |
| Colour | Etsy converts images to sRGB; convert before uploading if colours look wrong. (source A) | Export in sRGB, not CMYK. |
| First photo | The first photo should be horizontal (landscape) or square, and it sets the shape of the photos that follow. (source A) | Use the same shape for every photo in the listing. |
| Thumbnails | Leave enough border that the thumbnail can be cropped to square, portrait and landscape without losing the product; keep the important part centred. (source A) | Shoot wider than you think; leave negative space around the item. |
Sources, read 9 October 2026:
Not covered: A background-colour rule and a maximum number of photos per listing — the Etsy help article we read does not state either.
Make the images, or compare platforms
Product listing image generator
Generate a white-background hero plus the rest of the listing set from one product photo.
GUIDEAmazon main image requirements
White background, 1000 px and 85% fill — with the Amazon checker.
COMPAREAll marketplaces side by side
Background, size, file type and image count for six platforms.
Other guides: Walmart · Shopify · TikTok Shop · eBay
Frequently asked questions
What size should Etsy listing photos be?
Etsy recommends at least 2000 px in width and height. The first photo should be at least 635 px wide and tall so it is not shown lower in searches.
Does Etsy require a white background?
Etsy’s image requirements article does not set a background colour. It focuses on size, file type and how the first photo crops into thumbnails.
Why does my transparent PNG look black on Etsy?
Etsy does not support transparent PNGs; transparent parts of the image appear black. Place the product on a solid background first.
Should my first Etsy photo be square?
Etsy says the first photo should be landscape or square, and leave enough border to crop into square, portrait and landscape thumbnails.
Generate Etsy-ready product images
Start from one product photo and get a clean hero plus lifestyle and detail shots. Check the result against the rules above before you upload.
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