eBay Listing Images: The No-Text Rule and Where Infographics Still Work

eBay's picture policy bans added borders, added text, artwork and marketing material on listing photos — not just on the first one. That rules out the entire Amazon-style infographic set from the photo carousel. The place infographics still work on eBay is the item description, which accepts HTML and images, capped at around 700 px wide and served over HTTPS. This page covers the specs, the policy contradiction eBay has not resolved, and when a tool like ours is simply the wrong purchase.

The specifications, and one policy that surprises everyone

Every eBay listing needs at least one photo, and at least one photo must be 500 px on its longest side. eBay's own photo guidance recommends 800–1,600 px on the long side; 1,600 px is where zoom becomes reliable on desktop and in the app. Photos can be up to 7 MB each through eBay's uploader, and eBay accepts JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, WEBP, HEIC and AVIF. Most categories allow up to 24 photos per listing at no extra charge.

Then the part that catches Amazon sellers. eBay's picture policy lists as not allowed: photos that do not accurately represent the item, placeholder images, stock photos for used, damaged or defective items, photos with added borders, photos with added text, artwork or marketing material, and watermarks. The text rule is not limited to the primary image the way Amazon's is. On Amazon you get a clean main image and gallery slots you can fill with callouts, comparison tables and dimension diagrams. On eBay, the carousel is photographs of the item and nothing else.

The watermark contradiction

eBay has two documents that disagree. The picture policy help page states plainly that watermarks of any type are not allowed, including those used for ownership attribution. eBay's Seller Center photo guidance describes tolerances instead: a watermark should cover no more than 5% of the image area, sit at no more than 50% opacity, never obscure the item, and never contain a link.

Both were live as of August 2026. Follow the stricter document, because enforcement runs on the policy page: if you carry a brand watermark habit from another channel, drop it for eBay. Borders have one written exception worth knowing — a "natural" border, meaning a square or rectangular item photographed against a neutral backdrop, is fine. A drawn frame is not.

Where an infographic is still allowed: the description

eBay's item description accepts HTML — headings, tables, inline styles and images. What it does not accept is active content: JavaScript, Flash, plug-ins, iframes and form actions have been stripped from descriptions since eBay's enforcement rounds, and anything relying on them is blocked or removed. Images must be served over HTTPS, and eBay's own formatting guidance advises keeping images and other fixed-size objects to no more than 700 px wide so the description does not break the mobile layout.

That 700 px ceiling is the single most useful number on this page. An Amazon infographic is a 2000 × 2000 px square built to be zoomed. Dropped into an eBay description at 700 px wide, a six-callout layout becomes unreadable. What works is a rebuild: a vertical strip of 700 px-wide panels, one claim per panel, headline type at 40 px or more, and any comparison rendered as an actual HTML table rather than as pixels, so it reflows on a phone.

The other structural difference: eBay's description sits below the item specifics, and many buyers never reach it. On Amazon, gallery images are the first thing a shopper swipes; on eBay the same content is a supporting document. Budget accordingly.

What actually moves the needle on eBay

eBay publishes one number worth quoting: based on a study of 6.8 million listings, its Seller Center reports that listings with better photo quality are around 5% more likely to sell, where "better" means at least 500 px on the longest side, no added text or graphics, and uploaded through eBay's picture service. That is a photography benchmark, not a design benchmark. It rewards a light box, a clean backdrop and enough angles — twelve honest photographs of a used item beat one polished graphic every time.

Item specifics matter more than any of it. eBay's search relies on structured attributes far more heavily than Amazon does on bullets, and an incomplete specifics block hurts more than a plain description. If you are choosing where an hour goes, fill the specifics first.

Who should buy a tool for this, and who should not

1. Selling used or single-item stock? Do not buy an image tool. Buy a light box and shoot more angles; the policy has already decided this for you.
2. Selling new, branded, multi-quantity products across Amazon and eBay? Build the argument once, then output an Amazon gallery set and an eBay description strip from the same research.
3. eBay only? Photography and item specifics first. Description graphics are a later refinement, not a fix.
4. Running eBay's international sites? The layout survives translation; the copy does not. That is where a layered file pays for itself.

The honest summary is that eBay is the marketplace where a listing-image tool contributes least. We would rather say that here than have you find out after a month of credits.

Common questions

Can I add text to eBay listing photos?

No. eBay's picture policy prohibits photos with added text, artwork or marketing material, and unlike Amazon that rule applies to every photo in the listing, not only the first. Text-bearing graphics belong in the item description, which accepts HTML and images.

What size should eBay photos be?

At least one photo must be 500 pixels on its longest side, which is the hard minimum. eBay recommends 800 to 1,600 pixels on the long side, and 1,600 pixels is where zoom works properly on desktop and in the app. Files can be up to 7 MB each through eBay's uploader.

Are watermarks allowed on eBay?

eBay's documents disagree. The picture policy page says watermarks of any type are not allowed, including ownership attributions. Seller Center guidance instead describes limits: no more than 5% of the image area, no more than 50% opacity, never obscuring the item, and no links. Follow the stricter version, because that is the one enforcement is written against.

How do I get an infographic into an eBay listing?

Put it in the item description, not the photo carousel. The description accepts HTML and images served over HTTPS, with active content such as JavaScript and iframes blocked. Keep images to about 700 pixels wide so the description stays readable on mobile, and rebuild dense Amazon layouts as a vertical strip of single-claim panels.

Can I reuse my Amazon image set on eBay?

Only the clean product photographs carry over to the carousel. Anything with a callout, a headline, a comparison table or a border has to move to the description and be rebuilt at 700 pixels wide. The research behind the set transfers fine; the files mostly do not.