How to crop photos for eBay listings: size, shape and photo rules

What eBay asks for, in one table

• Minimum size

  eBay's figure

  500 px on the longest side, for every photo

• Recommended size

  eBay's figure

  About 1600 x 1600 px

• Shape

  eBay's figure

  1:1 or 16:9 look best in listings and search

• Photos per listing

  eBay's figure

  At least 1, up to 24

• File size

  eBay's figure

  Up to 12 MB per photo

• File types

  eBay's figure

  JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, WebP, HEIC or AVIF

• Not allowed

  eBay's figure

  Added borders, text, artwork, marketing, watermarks of any type

• Storage

  eBay's figure

  eBay keeps your photos for 90 days

Many guides still say 12 photos per listing, or that watermarks are allowed. eBay's own pages now say up to 24 photos, and they ban watermarks of any type, including ones that only show who owns the photo.

Square or 16:9: which shape to crop to

eBay says both shapes look best, but square is the safer default. eBay's own search sizes are square: the main photo shows at 96 px as standard, and at up to 400 x 400 with Gallery Plus. A square photo fills those frames without bars. Use 16:9 only when the item itself is wide, such as a rug, a keyboard or a car. Keep one shape for all photos in a listing, so the gallery does not jump between sizes.

How much each crop removes

A phone photo is usually 4:3, for example 4032 x 3024. A square crop keeps 3024 x 3024, so you lose a strip on each side, 25% of the width in total. A 16:9 crop keeps the full width but only 75% of the height. Either way, frame the photo with a little space around the item so the crop does not cut into it.

How to crop a photo for eBay, step by step

1. 01Start from the original file from your camera or phone, not a screenshot or a copy that was already shrunk.
2. 02Crop to a square. Keep the whole item in the frame, face-on, and let it fill most of it. See how to crop a photo to a square.
3. 03Scale the square to about 1600 x 1600 px. If the original is smaller, keep it at its own size, as long as the longest side is 500 px or more.
4. 04Export as a JPEG. A 1600 px JPEG lands far below the 12 MB limit.
5. 05Check that you added nothing to the picture: no frame, badge, logo, caption or watermark.
6. 06Upload, and put the best photo first. It becomes the main photo next to your title in search.

Crop to fill, do not add white bars

Placing a wide photo on a white square adds bars at the top and bottom. eBay bans added borders, and bars can read as one. Crop to fill the frame instead. If you want a white background, eBay's background tool replaces the real background with solid white, which is not a border. SizeSpec's eBay preset crops to fill for the same reason.

What the main photo must show

• The whole item, face-on. This is the photo buyers see in search results.
• For a single item, no other colours or variations in the main photo.
• For a bundle, every item that is included.
• For used items, your own photo of the actual item. eBay does not allow stock or catalog photos for used, damaged or defective items.

Filling the rest of the 24 slots

1. 01Several angles: front, back, sides, top and bottom.
2. 02Close-ups of labels, brand marks, serial numbers or materials.
3. 03Every flaw, scratch or mark, clearly. eBay says this sets expectations and prevents returns.
4. 04A size reference, such as a coin or a ruler next to the item.
5. 05The original box or accessories, if they are part of the sale.

eBay's built-in editor and background tool

After upload, the Edit photo screen lets you crop, rotate, change the background and adjust brightness and contrast. The background tool on the web replaces the background with solid white. In the app you can also pick AI-made backgrounds. Crop in your own editor first if you can: you see exact pixel sizes there, and you can keep the original to crop again later.

Why eBay photos look blurry, and the fix

• The photo is too small. eBay notes that small photos get blurry when enlarged. Upload around 1600 px.
• It was saved as JPEG many times. Edit from the original and export once. See does cropping reduce image quality.
• It was cropped hard after upscaling. Cropping a small area and blowing it up cannot add detail. Shoot closer instead.
• The camera moved. eBay suggests a tripod, or the camera on a flat surface with the shutter timer.

Crop a whole batch at once

SizeSpec has an eBay preset: 1600 x 1600 pixels, cropped to fill, saved as JPEGs in your browser and downloaded in one ZIP. Nothing is added to the picture, so the borders rule is safe. Figures and sources are in the eBay picture requirements guide, and the method for any tool is in how to crop multiple photos at once.