eBay Australia lets you add up to 24 photos to a listing. You don’t need all 24, but most second-hand items deserve at least six to eight: enough to show the whole item, its labels, its details and every flaw.
The right number is whatever answers a buyer’s questions before they have to ask. This guide covers eBay’s photo rules, then gives shot lists for common resale categories.
eBay Australia’s photo rules
From eBay Australia’s adding pictures and picture policy pages, checked on 31 October 2026:
| Rule | eBay Australia’s guidance |
|---|---|
| Maximum photos | Up to 24 pictures per listing |
| Minimum size | At least 500 pixels on the longest side |
| Recommended size | 800 to 1,600 pixels on the longest side |
| File size | No larger than 7 MB per upload |
| Accepted formats | JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, WEBP, HEIC and AVIF |
The picture policy also lists photos that aren’t allowed, including:
- photos with added borders;
- photos with added text, artwork or marketing material;
- watermarks of any type;
- stock photos for used, damaged or defective items;
- photos that don’t accurately represent the item.
Some categories, including vehicle parts, vehicles, books and tickets, may be exempt from some of these photo requirements.
Modern phone photos are well above the minimum size, so the rules that catch resellers out are usually text overlays, borders and stock photos, not resolution.
Why more photos usually help
Each photo answers a question. A buyer looking at a second-hand jacket wants to know the brand, the size, the colour in real light, and whether there are marks on the cuffs. A buyer looking at a camera wants to see the lens, the screen and the battery compartment.
When a listing leaves those questions unanswered, the buyer either messages you, scrolls past or buys with assumptions that lead to returns. Clear photos of flaws protect you as much as the buyer: they show what was disclosed before the sale.
That doesn’t mean padding a listing with near-identical shots. Twelve useful photos beat 24 photos of the same angle.
Get the first photo right
The first photo is the one buyers see in search results, usually at a small size on a phone. Make it:
- the whole item, front-on, filling most of the frame;
- on a plain, uncluttered background;
- evenly lit, with true colour;
- free of text, borders and props that compete with the item.
Save labels, close-ups and flaws for the photos after it.
Shot lists by category
Clothing and shoes
- Full front (cover photo)
- Full back
- Brand label
- Size label
- Care or material label
- Close-ups of fabric, buttons, zips or hardware
- Every flaw, such as marks, pilling or loose threads
- Measurements laid against a tape measure, if useful
- Shoes: both sides, soles and inside heels
Our phone photography guide for clothing covers setup, lighting and framing in more detail.
Cameras and lenses
- Front of the body or lens (cover photo)
- Back, including the screen
- Top plate and controls
- Model and serial plate
- Lens glass, front and rear, showing any haze or scratches
- Battery compartment and memory card door
- Mount and contacts
- Included accessories, laid out together
- Screen showing it powered on, if tested
Electronics and gaming
- Front of the item (cover photo)
- Back and underside
- Model or regulatory label
- Ports and connectors
- Buttons, sticks or keys, close up
- Screen powered on, if it has one and you have tested it
- Every included cable, controller or accessory
- Any damage, wear or missing covers
If you haven’t tested an electronic item, say so clearly. See untested vs for parts on eBay for choosing the condition.
Homewares and collectables
- Whole item (cover photo)
- Each side, or all around for round items
- Base or underside, including maker’s marks
- Close-ups of patterns, glazes or detailing
- Chips, cracks, crazing or repairs, under good light
- Something for scale, such as a ruler, if size isn’t obvious
Keep private photos out of the listing
Some photos are useful to you but shouldn’t appear in the listing. A photo of a storage label, a receipt or your notes helps you organise stock, but it doesn’t help a buyer and may reveal information you’d rather keep private. Remove those before publishing.
To find an item after it sells, record its storage location in the listing’s Custom label (SKU) field instead. Our storage guide explains a simple system.
Order your photos like a buyer reads
Arrange the photos in the order a buyer would inspect the item: whole item, other sides, labels, details, flaws, accessories. A consistent order across your listings also speeds up your own photographing, because you follow the same sequence each time.
Where Listalong Snap fits
Listalong Snap is our phone app for photographing stock in batches. You take every angle of an item, tap Next item and keep going, and each item’s photos stay grouped together. Before publishing, you can preview the photos, remove unwanted shots and drag them into order.
Snap can also recognise a Listalong QR storage label in your photos. The label photo stays private, and the tub code is saved in eBay’s SKU field instead. Snap is in private iPhone testing, with Android on the way. Sign up for launch updates on the Snap page.
Frequently asked questions
How many photos can you put on an eBay listing in Australia?
eBay Australia’s help page on adding pictures says you can add up to 24 pictures to a listing. At least one photo must be 500 pixels or more on its longest side.
What size should eBay photos be?
Photos must be at least 500 pixels on the longest side. eBay Australia recommends aiming for 800 to 1,600 pixels on the longest side, with each uploaded file no larger than 7 MB.
Can I use stock photos on eBay?
Not for used, damaged or defective items. eBay Australia’s picture policy does not allow stock photos for those items, or photos that don’t accurately represent the item being sold.
Sources and review date
Photo limits, sizes, formats and content rules checked 31 October 2026 against eBay Australia’s adding pictures to your listings and picture policy pages. The shot lists and photo counts are editorial recommendations.