Amazon secondary images: what to put in each of your 9 photo slots

Amazon gives every listing up to 9 images: 1 main image plus 8 secondary images, and figuring out what to put in each Amazon secondary image slot is where a lot of sellers get stuck after nailing the white-background main shot. This guide walks through what Amazon's own documentation actually requires versus what's seller convention, what sellers commonly put in each secondary slot, and an honest look at which of those ShopShot can help with and which it can't.

Amazon rule vs. seller convention: know the difference

Amazon's own seller documentation is specific about exactly one image: the main image must show only the product on a pure white background (RGB 255,255,255), with the product filling 85% or more of the frame, and no added text, logos, borders, or watermarks. That's a platform rule, and Amazon's systems can flag or suppress a listing whose main image doesn't meet it. Amazon's guidance on secondary images is much looser: it says additional images should show the product in use or in an environment, from different angles, and highlighting different features, and recommends six images and one video overall. Beyond that general steer, what actually goes in each of the 8 secondary slots is seller convention, not an Amazon rule. There's no Amazon requirement to include an infographic, a size chart, or a packaging shot — those are common seller practices, built up over years of listings, not platform mandates.

Amazon secondary images: what sellers commonly put in each slot

There's no single required order, but a typical, well-built set of 8 secondary images draws from this list:

• Different angles: front, back, and side views so a shopper can see the whole product, not just the main-image angle.
• Close-up detail or texture shots: zoomed-in images of material, stitching, hardware, or a feature that matters to the buying decision.
• Scale or size reference: the product next to a common object, or a labeled dimension, so shoppers can judge actual size.
• In-use or lifestyle demonstration: the product being used or worn the way a customer actually would.
• Packaging or what's-included: a shot of the box, included accessories, or everything that ships together.
• Infographic or callout-style images: a photo with added text or icons calling out features or benefits.
• Size chart (apparel): a chart image mapping sizes to measurements, common on clothing listings.

None of these is mandatory, and not every product needs all seven. A simple, single-use product might only need three or four of these; apparel and anything with a sizing decision usually benefits from a size chart specifically.

Where ShopShot can help, and where it plainly can't

Being direct about this split matters more than padding out the list: ShopShot generates studio-style photos and short video of your real product from one photo you send. It's a good fit for several of the slot types above, and not a fit at all for others.

• Can help — different angles and detail shots: styles like dramatic hero, clean studio, and editorial are built for exactly this: a clean, close read on the product itself from a new angle.
• Can help — in-use or lifestyle demonstration: the lifestyle style places your product in a real-world setting, which maps directly to this slot type.
• Can help — human-scale reference for wearables: the on-model style shows a bag or garment worn by a person (face out of frame), which gives a shopper a sense of real-world scale and fit for clothing and bags.
• Can't help — infographics, callouts, and size charts: ShopShot doesn't add text overlays, callout graphics, or comparison or size charts to any image. If your secondary-image plan includes those, you'll need a separate design tool or designer for that slot.
• Can't help — packaging shots of items we're not sent: we generate images from the product photo you upload. A box, insert, or accessory that isn't in your photo can't appear in the result, because we only work with what you actually send and check every image against it.
• Worth knowing — small printed text: ingredient lists and other very small printed text on a product or label can't be reproduced letter-for-letter, which matters if a secondary image is meant to show detailed label text.

Where ShopShot Studio fits

We currently deliver photos for four real categories: bags, clothing, home & ceramics, and skincare. You send one phone photo, pick a style, and every image is checked against your original before delivery, with one free redo if something doesn't match. That covers the angle, detail, lifestyle, and on-model slot types above; it doesn't cover infographic, callout, size-chart, or unsupplied-packaging slots. Photos are delivered within 1 business day, starting at $15.

For the main image's own white-background rule, separate from everything on this page, see our guide to Amazon's main image requirements. And if you're deciding how many images to shoot across Amazon, Etsy, Shopify, or TikTok Shop, our guide to how many product photos you need covers each platform's own count.

Questions

Related guides

• Amazon's main image requirements
• How many product photos do you need?

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