Listing Photos for eBay, Etsy, Poshmark and Mercari: Limits and Tips
How many photos eBay, Etsy, Poshmark, Mercari and Facebook Marketplace allow, the sizes they recommend, and the shots that answer buyer questions.
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Photos are where a buyer decides whether to read the rest of your listing. They are also where most of the information in a listing comes from: the brand on the label, the model number on the back, the scuff on the corner. Good photos make the whole listing easier to write and easier to trust.
This guide covers what each marketplace allows, then the set of shots that works almost everywhere.
Photo limits at a glance
| Marketplace | Photos per listing | Size guidance |
|---|---|---|
| eBay | Up to 24 | At least 500 px on the longest side; 1600 px or more recommended |
| Etsy | Up to 20, plus up to 2 videos of 5 to 15 seconds | At least 2000 px wide and tall recommended; first photo at least 635 px |
| Poshmark | Up to 16 | About 1000 × 1000 px, square |
| Mercari | Up to 12 | No size published; shoot clear and well lit |
| Facebook Marketplace | No limit published | Multiple original photos, per Meta's tips |
Sources: eBay's photo tips, Etsy's Help Center, Poshmark's how to list, Mercari's creating a listing and Meta's Marketplace help. Limits change, so check the form when you list.
The first photo matters most
On every one of these marketplaces, the first photo is the one in search results and feeds. Make it:
- The whole item, filling most of the frame.
- On a plain, uncluttered background. eBay suggests white or neutral.
- In good, even light. Daylight from a window beats a ceiling light.
- Free of text, logos and collages. eBay does not allow added text, borders or watermarks at all, and Etsy advises against text overlays and collages on the first photo.
For Etsy, leave some space around the item: thumbnails are cropped, and a tightly framed photo loses its edges.
The shots that answer buyer questions
After the first photo, think about what a buyer would ask if they were holding the item:
- Every side: front, back, top, bottom.
- Labels: brand, size, model number, care label. Close enough to read.
- Scale: the item worn, held, or next to something familiar, or a tape measure across it.
- What is included: box, cables, accessories, all in one shot.
- Flaws: every scratch, stain or chip, close up. Mercari asks sellers to photograph and call out flaws, and eBay and Etsy both expect the photos to show the item's real condition.
- Working: for electronics, the item switched on.
Rules worth knowing
- Use your own photos of the actual item. eBay does not allow stock photos for used, damaged or defective items, and Meta recommends original photos over pictures from a company website.
- No watermarks or borders on eBay.
- Don't edit away flaws. Straightening, cropping and correcting brightness is fine. Changing what the item looks like is not.
Where Holgo fits
Holgo reads your photos together rather than one at a time, so a label on the back can inform the title on the front and close ups of flaws end up in the condition notes. In the same place you can remove backgrounds, straighten, crop and adjust brightness. The item itself is never repainted.
Let Holgo write the first draft
Upload photos of an item and Holgo writes the title, description and the details each marketplace asks for. Free credits to start, no store connection and no card.
