Mercado Libre photo requirements, in short: upload square JPG or PNG photos at 1200×1200 px, up to 10 MB, with the product filling about 95% of the frame. Images over 1920×1920 are scaled down; the minimum is 500 px on the long side. A pure white background is required in Technology, Beauty, Health and Supermarket; other categories may use a contextual background.
More on this topic: Marketplace image requirements, every guide in one place.
Mercado Libre is the largest online marketplace in Latin America, and its photo rules have changed more than once. The old publication policy demanded a white background on every main photo; current seller help limits that to four categories. The developer documentation and the seller help pages also give different minimum sizes and zoom thresholds. This guide sets out the current numbers from both official sources (read in Spanish in October 2026), explains which to follow, and shows how to prepare photos that pass. For a pure white main image, AiArter's white background tool does the job for 4 credits.
- Size: 1200×1200 px square; up to 1920×1920 (bigger is scaled down).
- Minimum: 500 px on the long side; smaller images aren't enlarged.
- Files: JPG, JPEG or PNG, up to 10 MB, RGB.
- Fill: the product at about 95% of the image, no margins.
- White background: required in Technology, Beauty, Health and Supermarket; optional elsewhere.
- Photo count: set per category, not one fixed number.
What are Mercado Libre's photo requirements?
Square JPG or PNG photos, 1200×1200 pixels recommended, up to 10 MB, with the product filling 95% of the frame. Mercado Libre's developer documentation (updated March 2026) and its seller help center set these rules.
| Rule | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Formats | JPG, JPEG, PNG | Developer docs |
| Recommended size | 1200×1200 px | Developer docs and seller help |
| Maximum size | 1920×1920 px (larger images are scaled down) | Developer docs |
| Minimum size | 500 px on the long side | Developer docs and seller help |
| Maximum file size | 10 MB | Developer docs |
| Color | RGB preferred over CMYK | Developer docs |
| Product fill | About 95% of the image | Developer docs and seller help |
| Shape | Square, no margins | Seller help |
| Photos per listing | Set by category | Developer docs |
Mercado Libre's photo rules were checked in October 2026. Marketplaces change their rules, so confirm the current requirements in your seller dashboard before you upload a large batch.
The developer docs give a 500×500 minimum and say zoom turns on above 800 px wide; the seller help says the long side needs 500 px (the short side only 50 px, or 250 px for very thin products) and recommends 1200×1200 for zoom. Uploading 1200×1200 squares satisfies both.
What size should Mercado Libre photos be?
1200×1200 pixels, square. That's the size both official sources recommend, it enables zoom under either threshold, and a 1200 px JPEG is usually well under 1 MB.
| Export | Pixels | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended | 1200×1200 | Every photo |
| Largest kept | 1920×1920 | No benefit beyond this; it's scaled down |
| Minimum | 500 px on the long side | Too small for zoom; avoid |
| Thin products (cables, pens) | Square canvas, 1200 px | Product fills the long side |
The free square image maker pads a rectangular photo to a square, and the marketplace image resizer exports exact sizes.
Does Mercado Libre require a white background?
Only in four categories: Technology, Beauty, Health and Supermarket, where the background must be pure white and made digitally. In other categories, Mercado Libre's seller help says white is allowed but no longer mandatory, and contextual backgrounds are fine.
| Category | Main photo background |
|---|---|
| Technology (electronics, phones, computers) | Pure white, required |
| Beauty | Pure white, required |
| Health | Pure white, required |
| Supermarket (groceries, household) | Pure white, required |
| Fashion, home, sports, toys and others | White or a contextual background |
Older guides cite Mercado Libre's publication policy, which required a white background, one item and no logos, text or contact details on every main photo. The background part has been relaxed; the rest is still good practice. Even where it's optional, a clean white main photo stands out in search results.
Make a pure white main photo for Technology, Beauty, Health or Supermarket listings.
Make a white main photo7 days free · 50 credits · No credit cardWhat should not appear in Mercado Libre photos?
- Seller logos, watermarks or text on the main photo.
- Contact details: phone numbers, websites, social handles.
- More than one item on the main photo, unless it's a set sold together.
- Wide margins: the product should fill about 95% of the frame.
- Blurry or dark photos: they reduce clicks and can be flagged as low quality.
How many photos can a Mercado Libre listing have?
It depends on the category. The developer documentation says the limit is set per category (the max_pictures_per_item value), so there's no single number for every listing. Use as many as the category allows when they add information.
| Photo | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Main photo, product filling the frame | Search results |
| Back and sides | The whole product |
| Details and labels | Materials, model numbers, ingredients |
| In use | Context and scale |
| Contents of the box | What the buyer receives |
| Size or dimensions | Fewer returns |
How do you prepare photos for Mercado Libre?
- Shoot or pick a sharp photo of the whole product.
- In Technology, Beauty, Health or Supermarket, replace the background with pure white.
- Crop to a square so the product fills about 95% of the frame.
- Export at 1200×1200 as a JPEG in RGB.
- Check the file is under 10 MB (it almost always will be).
- Add extra photos up to your category's limit.
Crop with the free image cropper and shrink files with the image compressor. Selling on Amazon Mexico or Brazil too? Compare Amazon product image requirements and Google Shopping image requirements.
How do you take Mercado Libre photos with a phone?
Use daylight from a window, a plain background and the main camera lens, and fill the frame with the product. Mercado Libre asks for the product to take up about 95% of the image, so get close or crop tight afterwards.
- Set the product near a window with soft daylight; turn off the flash.
- Use a sheet of white card or a plain wall behind it.
- Shoot with the 1x lens from a slight distance and zoom in a little, to avoid distortion.
- Take the front first, then the back, sides, labels and any details.
- Crop each photo to a square with the product filling about 95%.
- Export at 1200×1200 and check the colors match the real product.
Mercado Libre runs separate sites in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and other countries. The photo rules above come from its Argentine developer docs and Mexican seller help, which match on the main numbers; check your country's seller center for category rules.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my Mercado Libre photo look blurry?
Usually because it was uploaded below 1200 px or heavily compressed. Mercado Libre doesn't enlarge small images, so re-export the original at 1200×1200 and keep the JPEG quality high.
Can I use lifestyle photos as the main image on Mercado Libre?
Outside Technology, Beauty, Health and Supermarket, contextual backgrounds are allowed. Keep the product filling about 95% of the frame so it still reads clearly in search.
Can Mercado Libre photos include my logo?
Keep logos, text and contact details off the main photo. Mercado Libre's publication rules have long banned contact details, and a clean photo performs better in search.
What size should Mercado Libre photos be?
1200×1200 px square. Images over 1920×1920 are scaled down, and the minimum is 500 px on the long side.
What is Mercado Libre's maximum photo file size?
10 MB per image, according to the developer documentation.
Does Mercado Libre require a white background?
Only in Technology, Beauty, Health and Supermarket. Other categories can use contextual backgrounds.
How many photos can I upload on Mercado Libre?
It's set per category, so check the limit shown when you list.
What image formats does Mercado Libre accept?
JPG, JPEG and PNG, ideally in RGB.
How much of the photo should the product fill?
About 95%, with no margins, according to Mercado Libre.
When does zoom work on Mercado Libre?
The developer docs say above 800 px wide; seller help recommends 1200×1200. Use 1200 to be safe.
Make pure white main photos and styled extra images from the photos you already have, sized for Mercado Libre, Amazon and your own store.
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