eBay photo requirements
eBay's seller help, as reported, asks for photos at least 500 pixels on the longest side, recommends about 1,600 px, and accepts files up to 12 MB. This preset sets a 1,600 px long edge, which gives buyers zoom detail and keeps uploads quick.
What sells
- Several photos from different angles, including any flaws for second-hand items.
- A plain background; eBay says white generally works best, with darker backgrounds for shiny items.
- Sharp focus and even light; no flash glare.
- Real photos of the actual item for used goods, not stock images.
Getting there from a phone
Phone photos are typically 4,000 px or more and several megabytes. Resizing to 1,600 px cuts them to a few hundred kilobytes with no visible loss on eBay's pages, and uploads much faster on mobile data. HEIC photos from iPhones become JPEGs on the way.
White backgrounds
For a clean, consistent look, the product photo preset removes the background, centres the item on white and exports a square image.
Many listings
Process a whole batch at once and download a ZIP, then upload in the eBay app or listing form.
Uploading to eBay, step by step
- Start a listing in the eBay app or on the website.
- Add photos from the downloaded, compressed files.
- Drag the best photo to the first position; it becomes the gallery image.
- Check the zoom view: 1,600 px gives buyers detail.
Checklist before you upload
- Real photos of the actual item, especially for used goods.
- Any flaws shown clearly.
- Plain background, no clutter.
- At least 500 px on the longest side, ideally around 1,600.
If eBay rejects the file
- Too large: lower the target a little (some systems count 1 KB as 1,000 bytes) and run it again.
- Wrong type: make sure it is a .jpg; some systems refuse WebP or HEIC.
- Too small or blurry: start from the original photo rather than a screenshot or a copy sent through a messaging app, which are already compressed.
- Sideways: the photo relied on an orientation tag; the tool applies orientation, so re-run it from the original if needed.
The limits used by this preset are the commonly quoted ones and are flagged for checking in the sources below; if eBay states a different figure on its upload screen, change the target above the button to match.
Photos for used items
Buyers of second-hand goods rely on photos to judge condition. Show the item from every side, close-ups of labels, model numbers and serials, and any scratches, chips or stains. Honest photos reduce returns and disputes. Photograph against a plain background in daylight, and keep the camera steady; a blurred photo of a flaw looks worse than a sharp one.
Gallery image
The first photo is shown in search results as a small thumbnail. Make it the clearest overall view of the item, filling most of the frame, on a clean background.
Mobile data
Many sellers list from their phones. Uploading a dozen full-size photos over mobile data is slow and uses data; resizing them to 1,600 px first makes the upload several times faster with no loss buyers would notice.
Private by design
The image never leaves your device. It is decoded in your browser, processed in a background worker by open-source codecs compiled to WebAssembly (MozJPEG, libwebp, libavif and OxiPNG, via the jsquash project, plus pica for resizing) and handed back as a download. There is no upload, no account and no server copy to delete. You can confirm it in your browser's developer tools: the Network tab shows the page's own files and the codec files loading, and nothing carrying your image. After the first visit the tools work offline.