Key takeaways
- Pure white background (RGB 255,255,255) is now enforced algorithmically.
- Product must fill 85% of the frame — no badges, no text, no props.
- Minimum 1,600px on the longest side for zoom; 2,000px is the safe floor.
- Suppressed listings vanish from search, not just the buy box.
Amazon's main image policy has not changed dramatically in 2026 — the enforcement has. What used to be a slow, manual catalogue review is now an automated check that runs at the point of upload and again periodically. We see brand-new ASINs suppressed within hours of going live for breaches the seller did not realise mattered.
The non-negotiables
- Pure white background — RGB 255,255,255. Even an off-white #FAFAFA fails.
- Product fills 85% of the frame on its longest dimension.
- No text, no graphics, no inset badges, no "NEW" or "VEGAN" overlays.
- No accessories or props that are not part of what you ship.
- Real photograph — illustrations and 3D renders are restricted in many categories.
- Minimum 1,000px on the longest side; 1,600px+ enables zoom; 2,000px is our standard.
What "suppressed" actually means
A suppressed listing is not just demoted — it is removed from search results entirely. The product page is still reachable by direct URL, the buy box is still active, but organic discovery falls to zero. Most sellers only notice when daily revenue collapses two or three days later.
Quick self-audit
Open your main image at full size. If you can see any pixel that is not pure white outside the product silhouette, or if the product takes up less than 85% of the frame, you are at risk.
Category-specific exceptions worth knowing
Apparel allows a model. Grocery allows packaged-goods photography with the front-of-pack design intact. Beauty allows two-product hero shots when sold as a set. Outside of those, the white-background, single-product rule is universal across the UK marketplace.
