Adding pictures to your listing helps you increase sales, gives your buyers a more accurate picture of what to expect, and distinguishes your listing from others of its kind. We offer different options for you to upload photos depending on your system’s capacity and your needs.
Free options and upgrade options
You can include one free picture with each listing. The picture appears in your listing and next to your item’s title in search results. You can add up to eleven additional pictures for a small per-picture fee. We’ll store standard-sized copies of your photos on our server, and they’ll stay in your completed listing for up to 90 days.
Alternatively, additional pictures, Supersize and zoom are available for a single discounted fee with Picture pack.
Also, try Gallery Plus to enhance your search results picture!
Types of photo uploaders and hosting options
An uploader lets you add (or “upload”) a picture to your listing. We have four types: Standard, Basic, Enhanced, and Copy Web Files. Alternatively, you can use Self Hosting to display pictures that are stored on a server or website other than eBay. The Self Hosting option does not require uploading.
Note: If you're new to eBay, you may see only the Standard or Basic uploader. Which one appears will depend on whether or not you have Adobe Flash Player version 9 or later installed already. To use the Enhanced or Copy Web Files uploader, or to use the Self Hosting option, select the Add or remove options link located in the Bring your item to life with pictures header, then select the check box for the picture hosting option of your choice.
We recommend that all images be at least 1000 pixels on the longest side. If they’re in JPEG format (most common), they should have a quality of 90 or greater on the standard 0-99 JPEG quality scale. You can display pictures in these file formats:
JPEG (.jpg file extension)
BMP (.bmp file extension)
GIF (.gif file extension)
TIFF (.tif file extension)
PNG (.png file extension)
Tip: Before you start the upload process, rename your photo files with names that will help you remember what they are, and collect them in a central place on your computer so you can find them quickly and easily.
This table describes our uploaders and the self-hosting alternative:
|
How to access |
System requirements |
Size limit
per picture |
What happens to the picture |
Basic Uploader |
The default choice for new users who do not have Adobe Flash Player v.9 or later installed. |
For use on all recommended operating systems and browser configurations. |
4 MB |
Does not compress. Uploads one picture at a time, at full size. |
Standard Uploader |
The default choice for new users who do have Adobe Flash Player v.9 or later installed. |
Adobe Flash Player v.9 or later installed. |
4 MB |
Automatically reduces large pictures to fit in listings. Adds multiple pictures at the same time. Standardises size after upload. Displays status while upload is in progress. |
Enhanced Uploader |
On the Create your listing page, select the Add or remove options link in the Bring your item to life with pictures section, and then select the Show eBay Enhanced Picture Services options tick box. |
ActiveX software installed; only works with Internet Explorer 6 or later on Windows 2000 or later. |
8 MB |
Lets you preview and edit your picture from the Sell Your Item form before uploading. Reduces uploading time by automatically compressing pictures before uploading. |
Copy Web Files |
On the Create your listing page, select the Add or remove options link within the Bring your item to life with pictures section, then select the Show Copy web files option tick box. |
ActiveX software installed; only works with Internet Explorer 6 or later on Windows 2000 or later. |
4 MB |
Lets you upload your pictures from a website instead of from your hard drive. Optimises your pictures automatically for use on eBay and hosts them on eBay for you. |
Self-Hosting |
On the Create your listing page, select the Add or remove options link in the Bring your item to life with pictures section, then select the Show Self Hosting option box. |
For use on all recommended operating systems and browser configurations. |
Under 50K |
Lets you host your pictures on your own web server or on a web hosting service. Does not compress or optimise your pictures. Picture pack, including zoom and Supersize, is not available for self-hosted pictures. |
Using the Standard or Basic Uploader
To add pictures to your listing:In the Bring your pictures to life section on the Create your listing page, click the Add Pictures button. A pop-up window will appear with the Standard tab selected if you have the Flash (version 9 or later) software installed. If you don't have the Flash software, the Basic tab will be selected.
Click the Browse button (see A below) and locate the picture you want to upload.
Select the picture you want to upload, and then click the Open button (see B below).
The Standard tab will be shown with the picture you've selected for upload (see C below) If you want to use the basic uploader instead, click the Try the Basic Uploader link on the top-right corner.
Click the Upload button (see D below).
The picture will be uploaded to the Create Your Listing page, under the Bring your item to life with pictures section (see E below).
Using the Enhanced Uploader
If you're using Windows 2000 and Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, you can use the Enhanced uploader.
Note: You'll need to click Add or remove options, located next to Bring your item to life with pictures. (See the screen for step 5 above.) The Enhanced uploader will then be available.
To add pictures to your listing:In the Bring your pictures to life section on the Sell Your Item form, click the Add Pictures button.
Click the Enhanced tab, then the Upload button. The Open dialog box will appear with a list of pictures.
Select the picture you want to upload, then click the Open button (see A below).
The picture will appear in the Enhanced tab (see B below). You can rotate, crop, or adjust the contrast and brightness of the picture before uploading by clicking the buttons above the large preview of the picture.
Click the Upload button (see C below).
The picture will be uploaded to the Create Your Listing page, in the Bring your item to life with pictures section.
Note: eBay does not automatically overwrite and upload pictures you've retaken or edited on your computer. To replace a picture with an edited version, delete the existing picture and upload the picture again.
Using the Copy Web Files uploader
You can upload your pictures from a website instead of from your hard drive using Copy Web Files. Your pictures will then be optimized automatically for use on eBay and will be stored by eBay.
Note: For the Copy Web Files option to be available, you need to select the Show/Hide Options on the Sell: Create Your Listing page.
To add pictures to your listing:In the Bring your pictures to life section on the Sell Your Item form, click the Add Pictures button.
Select the Copy Web Files tab.
Enter the URL (see A below), locate the pictures you want to upload, and then click the Add button.
The web address (URL) will appear in the Pictures URL column (See B below) with the status Complete.
Click the Copy to eBay button (see C below).
The picture will be uploaded to the Create Your Listing page, in the Bring your item to life with pictures section.
Replacing pictures
eBay does not automatically overwrite and upload pictures you've retaken or edited on your computer. To replace a picture with an edited version, delete the existing picture and upload the picture again.
Using Self Hosting for your pictures
You can link to pictures you've stored on a website or web server rather than on eBay. For example, if you store pictures on space your Internet service provider (ISP) has given you, or on a website that stores pictures for you, you can enter the web address (URL) of a picture that's stored there using the Self Hosting tab. That picture will then appear in your listing.
Note: If you don’t see the Self Hosting tab, select Add or remove options on the Sell: Create Your Listing page. The Self Hosting tab will then be available (see the screen below).
Tips: To display more than one self-hosted picture on eBay, you'll need to use HTML in your listing description. To make your listing appear quickly enough not to inconvenience buyers, the file size for your picture should be under 50 KB (kilobytes).
To add pictures to your listing:In the Bring your pictures to life section on the Sell Your Item form, click the Insert Pictures button. A pop-up window will appear.
Select the Self Hosting tab.
Enter the URL (see A below) to select the picture you want to use.
Click the Insert Picture button (see B below).
Must use Buy It Now and PayPal.
