Product Infographics That Sell: Design Rules for Marketplaces

A product infographic is an image that pairs the product with short text, icons or dimension lines so a shopper can grasp key features, size and contents in seconds. Done well, infographics answer the questions buyers would otherwise scroll or leave to find, and Baymard Institute's testing shows that images with descriptive text help shoppers discover features they would miss in the description. The catch is that marketplaces restrict text on images differently, so an infographic that works in one place can be rejected in another.

Why infographics work

Most shoppers explore images before they read anything, and they skim. Images are processed fast: MIT neuroscientists found the brain can identify images seen for as little as 13 milliseconds. Text in a description takes much longer to find and absorb, especially on a phone.

Infographics combine the two. Baymard Institute's product page testing found that images with descriptive text or graphics can communicate a great deal of information quickly, and are useful for "accidental discovery" of features, which for some shoppers is decisive. Yet the same research found 52% of sites don't use descriptive text or graphics on images for even their top-selling products (2018).

The kinds of information that suit an infographic are the ones shoppers try to get from images anyway:

• Size and scale. Baymard's 2026 benchmark found 42% of users try to gauge a product's size from its images. Dimension lines, or the product next to a hand or a familiar object, answer that directly.
• What's in the box. In Baymard testing, 63% of users initially missed that a mixer came with three premium accessories when there was no "included accessories" image (2019). A labelled flat-lay fixes this.
• Features you can't see. Waterproof ratings, battery life, materials, certifications and compatibility are invisible in a photo. A short callout makes them visible.

Where text on images is allowed (and where it isn't)

This is where many sellers get caught. The rules below are a summary; check each channel's current documentation and category style guide before publishing.

• Main images: almost never. Amazon's main image must be a realistic image of the product alone on a pure white background, filling 85% of the frame; the few product types allowed a lifestyle main image must carry no text or extra logos. Google Merchant Center disapproves images with promotional overlays, including calls to action, prices, "free shipping", warranty claims, subjective words like "best", condition labels such as "new" or "2-piece set", and added logos.
• eBay: no added text anywhere. eBay's picture policy does not allow photos with added text, artwork or marketing material, borders or watermarks. Put feature information in the item specifics and description instead.
• Amazon secondary images and A+ Content. Amazon's image guide bans images of customer reviews, five-star imagery, claims such as free shipping, and Amazon logos or badges across all images, so feature callouts must stay factual. For richer graphics, registered brand owners can use A+ Content, which Amazon says can increase sales by up to 8% for basic A+ Content and up to 20% for well-implemented Premium A+ Content.
• Other Australian marketplaces. Retailer-run marketplaces such as Bunnings and THE ICONIC have their own content standards, generally restricting logos, promotions and clutter. See our marketplace image requirements comparison.

Designing an infographic that sells

Good infographics are plain. They look like a clear answer, not an advertisement.

1. One message per image. A dimensions image, a features image, an in-the-box image. Cramming everything into one graphic makes it unreadable on mobile.
2. Write for a phone screen. 97% of Australian adults went online using a mobile phone in 2025, so text that looks fine on a 27-inch monitor becomes illegible. Use large, high-contrast type and no more than four or five short callouts. Our guide to mobile-first product images covers sizing.
3. State facts, not adjectives. "IPX7 waterproof", "Fits 15.6-inch laptops" and "Includes 3 attachments" are useful. "Best quality" and "Amazing value" are not, and are banned on several channels.
4. Keep it accurate. Dimensions, capacities and certifications on an image are claims under Australian Consumer Law, the same as in your description. If the box says 1.8 litres, the image can't say 2.
5. Match the master data. Pull numbers from the same product record that feeds your titles and attributes. Mismatches between image and description erode trust and invite returns.
6. Keep the product as the hero. Callouts should frame the product, not hide it. Leave enough clear space that the product reads at thumbnail size.
7. Localise. Use metric units and Australian spelling for Australian channels, and check plug types and certifications match the AU version of the product.

Common infographic mistakes

• Putting the infographic in the main image slot, where it will be rejected or demoted.
• Text so small it can't be read without zooming.
• Repeating the title instead of answering a question the title doesn't.
• Using one infographic file across every channel, including eBay, where added text is not allowed.
• Leaving numbers on images unchanged after a product revision.
• Adding badges that imitate marketplace badges ("Best seller", "Top choice"), which Amazon explicitly prohibits.

Key figures

• 52% of sites don't use descriptive text or graphics on images for top-selling products (Baymard Institute, 2018).
• 63% of test users missed bundled accessories when there was no "included accessories" image (Baymard Institute, 2019).
• 42% of users try to work out product size from images (Baymard Institute, 2026).
• Basic A+ Content can increase sales by up to 8%; Premium A+ by up to 20% (Amazon, 2026).
• The brain can identify images seen for as little as 13 milliseconds (MIT News, 2014).

How eComChannels helps

The hard part of infographics isn't the first design. It's producing accurate, compliant versions for every SKU and every channel, then updating them when specs change.

eComChannels AI graphics is trained on each marketplace's image rules, so it knows which channels accept annotated secondary images and which don't. It prepares channel-specific image sets from your master photos, keeps text off images where a channel bans it, and routes the drafts to your team to approve once before publishing everywhere. Because callout figures come from the same master product record used by AI listing optimisation, the numbers on your images match your titles and attributes, which cuts the mismatches that lead to returns and complaints.

The result is complete, compliant galleries across your channels with far less manual design work. Book a demo or start a 30-day free trial.

FAQ

Can I use infographics as my Amazon main image?

No. Amazon's main image must be a realistic image of the product alone on a pure white background, filling most of the frame. An infographic doesn't meet that standard. Use infographics in secondary image slots, within Amazon's rules for your category, or in A+ Content if you are a registered brand owner.

How much text should a product infographic have?

As little as possible: a short headline and three to five brief, factual callouts. If a shopper can't read it on a phone without zooming, there's too much.

Are infographics allowed on eBay?

eBay's picture policy does not allow photos with added text, artwork or marketing material. Show features with clear photos and put specifications in item specifics and the description.