Etsy listing photo size, thumbnail crop and video specs

Etsy listing photo size and dimensions

Etsy's help center recommends that listing photos have a width and height of at least 2000 pixels. That is the best size for Etsy listing photos, because Etsy crops the first image into several thumbnail shapes and a larger original leaves room for those crops.

The first photo has a separate floor. Etsy says it should have a width and height of at least 635 pixels to avoid showing up lower in searches. Below the recommended size, the listing editor shows the warning "Listings look best with photos at least 2000 pixels wide". That warning is only a suggestion and you should be able to continue publishing, but a photo under the floor for the first slot can cost search placement.

Etsy does not set one aspect ratio for every photo. When you add a photo, you can adjust the image thumbnail, crop the photo to the aspect ratio of your choosing, or delete the photo. Etsy also converts every image to the sRGB colour profile, so convert files from other profiles, such as CMYK, before you upload.

If an upload stalls, export a smaller JPEG that still keeps the recommended pixel size. Etsy says files larger than 1MB may not finish uploading on a slower connection.

Etsy thumbnail size and how the crop works

Etsy has no separate thumbnail upload. The first photo will be the thumbnail for your listing, and Etsy shows cropped versions of it in search, on your shop page and in other places. Etsy's guidance is that the first photo should have enough border that it can be cropped to square, portrait, and landscape thumbnails without cutting off part of the product.

In practice that means three things. Shoot the first photo horizontal (landscape) or square, keep the product in the centre, and leave empty space on every side. Etsy's own advice is to capture images of your item further back than you think you’ll need, then crop in.

After you upload, use the thumbnail adjustment tool in the listing editor to check how the image looks in each crop. Etsy suggests you try cropping before adjusting your thumbnail, because cropping can change how the thumbnail looks. Be careful with crops: You won’t be able to undo the crop after you save it, so keep the original file in case you want to start again.

• Centre the product in the frame, with the most important part in the middle.
• Leave margin above, below and on both sides so a square crop does not clip it.
• Etsy says a main image that is too dark, blurry, or are part of a photo-collage may make the listing appear lower in search.
• Keep the background plain in the first photo so the product reads at thumbnail size.

Etsy video size and listing video requirements

Etsy allows up to 2 videos per listing. The listing video help page says a video may be 3-15 seconds long, while the create-a-listing page says 5-15 seconds. Aim for the range both pages accept.

Listing videos play without sound: a video will not contain any audio once uploaded. Show the product moving, turning or in use rather than talking to the camera.

Etsy says that whatever device you record on, it’ll most likely already be in a format that is accepted by the video tool. Record a little longer than you need, trim the clip on the phone, and check the file size before you upload.

How to take good pictures for Etsy: one plan for every photo slot

Etsy's Seller Handbook describes seven photo types: studio, lifestyle, scale, detail, group, packaging and process. You do not need all of them on every listing. Use this order as a starting plan and fill the slots that matter for your product.

1. First slot: the studio shot

   The product alone on a plain background with soft, even light. Shoot it horizontal (landscape) or square with space around it, since this photo becomes the thumbnail. For personalized items, Etsy requires that this image show a finished, customized item similar to what buyers will receive.

2. Second slot: the lifestyle shot

   The product in use: a mug on a desk, earrings on a person, a print on a wall. This helps a shopper picture it in their own home or wardrobe.

3. Third slot: the scale shot

   Show how big the item is next to something familiar, such as a hand, a coin or a piece of furniture. A photo makes the size clear in a way a list of measurements may not.

4. Fourth slot: detail shots

   Close-ups of texture, stitching, clasps, glaze or any flaw in a vintage piece. Use one detail per photo so each one is clear on a phone screen.

5. Fifth slot: colours and options

   A group shot of every colour, size or finish you offer, so shoppers can compare them in one frame. Label options in the listing, not on the photo.

6. Sixth slot: packaging

   How the order arrives. It shows what the buyer gets in the box, which is useful for items bought as gifts.

7. Seventh slot: process

   Your hands making the item, or the item part-way through. It shows the work behind a handmade product.

8. Remaining slots and the video

   Use the rest of the up to 20 photos and 2 videos for extra angles, the back or underside, and close-ups. Add a short video that turns the product or shows it in use. Computer-generated mockups may be used in additional listing images for personalized items, but never in the first slot.

How to take Etsy photos on a phone

A recent phone camera is enough for Etsy listing photos. The light, the background and how close you stand matter more than the camera.

1. Use window light

   Set up next to a large window on an overcast day or out of direct sun. Turn off room lights so you do not mix warm and cool light. A sheet of white card on the side away from the window fills in shadows.

2. Build a plain background

   A sheet of white or light-grey paper curved from the wall down to the table gives a seamless backdrop. Keep it clean and free of creases.

3. Move closer instead of zooming

   Etsy's handbook advises that you get physically close to your subject rather than zooming in, because digital zoom on a phone camera reduces image quality. Use the main lens and walk in.

4. Hold the phone steady and level

   Rest the phone on a stack of books or a small tripod. Tap the product on screen to set focus and lower the exposure slightly if white areas look blown out.

5. Shoot landscape for the first photo

   Turn the phone sideways for the thumbnail photo and leave margin around the product. Take a few frames from slightly different distances so you can choose the one that crops best.

6. Edit lightly and export

   Straighten, crop and correct brightness on the phone. Do not change the product's colour. Export as a JPEG in sRGB that keeps a width and height of at least 2000 pixels.

Etsy photo requirements: what the image policy allows

Etsy's listing image policy says sellers must use original photos of the actual product buyers will receive, not renderings or stock photos. The policy allows either photos you took yourself or had someone take for you, as long as they show the real item.

There are limited exceptions. For personalized or customized items, the first image must show a finished, customized item similar to what buyers will receive, and Etsy prohibits a photo of the blank product or a mockup with placeholder text as the main image. Computer-generated mockups may be used in additional listing images to show the customization options. If a production partner prints your design onto a base item, you may use a stock photo mockup to illustrate the end product. If a partner manufactures an item to your design, use a real photo of the physical end product.

Collages need care in the first slot. Etsy's photo help says a main image that is too dark, blurry, or are part of a photo-collage may make the listing appear lower in search, so keep the first slot to a single, clear photo of the finished product.

Where Nation fits

Questions about Etsy listing photos