Compress Images - Reduce File Size

File Size Limits and Why They Matter for Marketplace Sellers

Every major marketplace enforces file size limits on product images: Amazon allows up to 10MB, eBay up to 12MB, Etsy up to 20MB, Shopify up to 20MB, Google Shopping up to 16MB. These limits rarely cause problems for individual uploads, but for bulk catalog uploads — especially via API or bulk upload tools — large files cause timeouts, failed uploads, and inconsistent results. Beyond upload limits, page load speed matters: marketplace product pages load all listing images simultaneously, and oversized files slow down the page, increasing bounce rate. Compressed images that maintain visual quality load faster, display crisply, and upload reliably.

Understanding JPEG Quality Settings

JPEG compression is lossy — every save reduces quality slightly, and the amount of reduction is controlled by the quality setting (0–100). At quality 95+, files are nearly indistinguishable from the original but are large. At quality 85, files are approximately 40–50% smaller with no visible quality loss to the human eye. At quality 70, files are 60–70% smaller but show visible compression artifacts — blocky areas in gradients and soft edges. For marketplace product photos, quality 80–85 is the standard sweet spot: small enough to upload quickly, high enough that buyers can't see compression artifacts even at full zoom. Going below 75 is not recommended for product photography — the quality degradation is visible and looks unprofessional.

Tips for Best Results

• Target 500KB–1MB for standard product photos — small enough for fast uploads, large enough for marketplace zoom.
• Use WebP format instead of JPEG when your platform supports it — WebP achieves the same visual quality at 25–35% smaller file sizes.
• Compress after all other edits are done — compressing then resizing re-introduces artifacts.
• For bulk compression of a whole catalog, process images in the same batch to ensure consistent quality settings across listings.

When to Use This vs Other Tools

Use this when you have a specific file size target or want to fine-tune quality settings. For a complete workflow including resize, compress, format conversion, and metadata removal per platform, use the Image Pack Exporter instead. If file size is high due to image dimensions (not quality), resize first using the Image Resizer before compressing.