4 min article

Adding pictures to your listings

Including several high-quality pictures is one of the best ways to attract buyers to your listings. eBay’s photo uploader makes it easy to add and edit photos of your items.

When you list an item for sale on eBay, you have to include at least one picture. The first picture you add, called the gallery photo, appears next to your item’s title in search results and is the main photo in your listing. You can add up to 24 pictures.

We store copies of your photos on eBay and they’ll stay in your completed listings for up to 90 days. You can re-use them if you relist the item or create a new listing for something similar.

How to add pictures to listings

Use the photo uploader (sometimes also called the eBay picture manager) in our listing forms. 

To upload photos from your computer:

  1. In your listing form, select Add Photos.
  2. Browse to find the photos you want (maximum 7MB each). To select more than one file, hold down the Ctrl key (Windows) or the Command key (Mac). You can rearrange the order once they’re uploaded.
  3. Crop, rotate, and adjust the brightness and contrast of the photo using the icons in the uploader preview, then select Save.

To copy photos from a web address:

  1. In your listing form, select Add Photos.
  2. Select Copy your photos from a web address.
  3. Enter the URL where your photo is located. You can add more than one by selecting + Add another.
  4. When you've added all the URLs you need, select Import to copy them into your listing.

Managing and replacing photos

You can adjust or replace photos by going to Revise your item from either My eBay or Seller Hub.

  • To delete or replace an uploaded photo: Delete the existing photo, and upload a new one if needed
  • To replace a photo copied from a web address: Use a new URL for the replacement photo
  • Change a gallery photo: Find the photo you want to use as the gallery photo, and move it to the top left position. You can change gallery photos for auction listings if there are no bids and more than 12 hours left in the auction

For Good 'Til Cancelled listings, if you’re replacing a photo that doesn’t meet our photo requirements, update your listing with the new URL once you’ve uploaded your photo to the web. Our system won’t be able to find your updated photo if the URL isn’t changed in your listing, and your listing could be canceled. 

Using the background removal feature

When creating or editing your listing in the advanced listing tool or the eBay app you can use the background removal feature to easily touch up your photos. Here's how:

  1. Select a photo to edit it.
  2. Select the Remove background icon.
  3. Crop the photo and select Continue to remove the background.
  4. If needed, use the Brush and Eraser icons to manually paint the background back in or remove it.
  5. Select Save (or Apply  if using iOS) and then Done.

eBay photo tips

Here are some tips to ensure your pictures look their best for buyers:

  • Set your item against a plain white or neutral backdrop, or if you’re shooting a shiny or reflective item like a piece of jewellery, a black background may work better
  • Use a tripod to keep the camera steady for clear, sharp photos. If you don’t have a tripod, place the camera on a flat surface and use the shutter timer to eliminate excess motion
  • Avoid using a flash, which can cause shadows, reflections, hot spots and greyness
  • Photos need to be at least 500 pixels on the longest side but we recommend you aim for 800-1600 pixels on the longest side. Our photo uploader can take images up to 7MB in size
  • Capture images of the top, bottom and sides of your item with detailed close-ups. Also, include photos that clearly show any flaws, scratches or other imperfections
  • Don’t overlay text such as “Free postage” or seller logos. That kind of information should go in the title, subtitle, or item description
  • You can’t use a catalog or stock photo if you’re listing an item as used

Tip
In some categories, image quality isn’t as critical to a sale as others. Items in Vehicle Parts & Accessories; Cars, Bikes, Boats; Books; and Tickets may be exempt from some of the photo requirements.

Problems when adding photos

If you’re having trouble adding photos, make sure you’re using one of the accepted file formats (JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, WEBP, HEIC, or AVIF). Also check each file size is no larger than 7MB each. If you’re copying from a web address, the photo can be 12MB.

Other tips:

  • Use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari
  • Clear your browser’s cache (refer to the browser’s help section if you don’t know how)
  • If you’re using pop-up blocking software on your browser, the photo uploader might not appear. Try temporarily disabling pop-up blockers (refer to the browser’s help for instructions)
  • Make sure your image hasn’t expired or been archived. eBay stores pictures for 90 days

Gallery Plus

With Gallery Plus, you listing's main image will show in search results with a larger picture. 

Gallery plus offers:

  • A larger picture, up to 400 x 400 pixels, when you hover over the item in search results. Otherwise, your picture is shown at the standard size of 96 pixels
  • A magnifying glass and Enlarge link
  • Access to all of your pictures in search results, if you have multiple pictures

When you list an item for sale on eBay, you have to include at least one picture.

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