The complete guide to background rules, dimensions, metadata traps, and hidden-text detection
Walmart’s item setup system is strict, especially for primary images. When your main photo is rejected, the platform usually gives you a short, vague message like “Invalid primary image” or “Image not accepted”. But the underlying cause almost always relates to format requirements, improper backgrounds, hidden text, or embedded metadata.
This guide explains every major cause of a Primary Image Rejected error, how to fix it fast, and how to prevent future upload failures.
Inside this article
1. Walmart’s Primary Image Requirements (What Sellers Must Follow)
Walmart applies stricter rules to the primary image than any secondary image because this picture becomes the official product thumbnail across search, ads, and the PDP.
Here are the core requirements every primary image must meet:
✔️ 1.1 White or Light Background (No Patterns, No Gradients)
Walmart requires a pure white or very light background for the primary image. These backgrounds are NOT allowed:
- Light gray gradients
- Wooden table textures
- Concrete or fabric textures
- Lifestyle scenes
- Drop shadows that resemble real surfaces
- Colored borders or frames
Even subtle texture can cause an auto-reject because Walmart uses machine-vision checks.
✔️ 1.2 Minimum Dimensions + Aspect Ratio
- Minimum: 1000px on the shortest side (ideal for zoom)
- Recommended: 1500×1500px
- Aspect ratio: Square is preferred, but vertical and horizontal images are allowed if the product fills the frame.
Photos below 500px on any side are instantly rejected.
✔️ 1.3 Accepted File Formats
- JPG (most reliable)
- PNG (accepted but can create larger file size)
- WEBP is sometimes supported in API feeds but not recommended due to inconsistent acceptance.
Walmart does not accept:
- TIFF
- BMP
- GIF
- SVG
✔️ 1.4 The Product Must Fill 85%+ of the Frame
Small product in big empty white space = likely rejection.
Walmart’s AI checks:
- Product coverage
- Unused whitespace
- Proper cropping
2. Hidden Text & Invisible Elements: A Major Cause of Rejection
This is one of the top reasons Walmart rejects primary images.
Walmart’s detection system scans for:
- Faint or low-opacity logos
- Hidden promotional text
- Watermarks turned nearly invisible
- Semi-transparent corner branding
- Very small text (eg. 2-4px)
- Embedded shapes or strokes around the product
- Invisible layers accidentally exported from design software
Walmart flags these as “text overlays” even if the text cannot be seen.
How to diagnose this:
- Open the image in Photoshop or Photopea.
- Crank exposure, contrast, or invert the image.
- If any text appears, Walmart’s algorithm can see it too.
How to fix it:
- Remove ALL text except what naturally appears on the product packaging.
- Flatten the image to a single layer before exporting.
- Export as a clean JPG instead of PNG if issues persist, JPG strips transparency.
3. Metadata Problems: EXIF, MakerNotes & ICC Profiles
Many Walmart rejections come from metadata Walmart cannot parse.
Cameras, phones, and editing apps embed:
- GPS coordinates
- Lens info
- ICC color profiles
- Orientation flags
- Thumbnail previews
- MakerNotes (especially from iPhones)
These fields can corrupt Walmart’s ingestion pipeline.
Common metadata-related rejection triggers:
- EXIF orientation tag: Photo appears rotated 90° after upload.
- ICC color profiles: Walmart prefers sRGB; AdobeRGB or Display P3 may cause issues.
- Large metadata blocks: Walmart’s server sometimes rejects oversized EXIF blobs.
- Progressive JPEG encoding: Some Walmart ingestion pipelines fail on certain progressive JPG variants.
How to fix:
Re-export your image with:
- sRGB color profile
- Baseline (not progressive) JPG
- Metadata stripped (most editors offer this option)
Tools like TinyJPG, ImageOptim, or Img.vision’s CDN can handle this automatically.
4. File Structure Pitfalls (The Technical Causes Most Sellers Miss)
Even if your image looks correct, the underlying file may violate Walmart’s parsing rules.
Avoid these common issues:
❌ CMYK color mode
Print-style CMYK JPGs are immediately rejected.
Always export images as RGB → sRGB.
❌ Transparency in PNGs
Primary images may not contain an alpha channel.
Solution: Flatten + export as JPG.
❌ Embedded thumbnails
Some cameras embed a second thumbnail inside the file with an incorrect orientation or color profile → Walmart rejects it.
❌ Odd DPI settings
DPI doesn’t matter for the web, but extremely unusual values (eg. 1 DPI or 30,000 DPI) can break validation systems.
5. Background & Edge Detection Errors
Walmart uses machine learning to ensure “clean product silhouette”.
These common issues cause rejection:
⚠️ Shadows that look like surfaces
A strong shadow makes Walmart think the product is on a table → rejected.
⚠️ Jagged or poorly cut-out edges
AI interprets this as image manipulation or “fake background”.
⚠️ Partial transparency around the product
Especially visible when the background is supposed to be pure white.
How to solve edge issues:
- Use feather radius of 0.3-0.7px for cutouts.
- Avoid sloppy Magic Wand or AI-remove backgrounds.
- Zoom to 300% and manually refine edges.
6. How to Avoid Walmart-Invalid Upload Errors
Below is a checklist to ensure your primary images pass the first time.
Primary Image Acceptance Checklist (Copy & Use)
1/ Background & Composition
- Pure white or ultra-light background
- No textures, floors, gradients, props
- Product fills 85%+ of the frame
- No cut-off edges unless part of product shape
2/ File Format
- JPG (preferred)
- RGB/sRGB
- No transparency
- Baseline encoding
3/ Dimensions
- At least 1000px on shortest side
- Ideally 1500×1500px or larger
- Sharp, high-resolution
4/ Overlay Controls
- ZERO text or logos added
- No watermarks
- No badges (sale, promo, limited edition)
- Check for hidden text in layers or alpha channels
5/ Metadata Cleanup
- Strip EXIF metadata
- Remove GPS, lens, orientation data
- Confirm sRGB color profile
6/ Final Validation
- Test with Walmart’s API or Seller Center
- If rejected → re-export (start from scratch, see next part)
7. When You Should Re-Export Images Instead of Editing Them
Sometimes the file is so corrupted (metadata, channels, color profiles) that editing only makes it worse.
Re-export from scratch if:
- You shot the photo on an Apple device using HEIC
- You saved PNG with transparency
- You edited in AdobeRGB or P3 color profile
- You used Canva, then exported to PNG, then converted to JPG using a random online tool
- Walmart repeatedly rejects the file despite meeting all visual requirements
A clean JPG export solves 90% of stubborn rejections.
8. Prevent Future Rejections (Pro Tips for Sellers & Brands)
⭐ Shoot product photos in controlled light
Avoid shadows, reflections, and uneven white backgrounds.
⭐ Use consistent export settings
Set templates in Photoshop / Lightroom / Capture One:
- JPG
- sRGB
- Baseline
- Metadata stripped
⭐ Host images on a proper CDN
While URL rules are outside this article’s scope, but a reliable CDN ensures files deliver correctly to Walmart.
⭐ Use an automated cleanup workflow
Platforms like Img.vision can:
- Normalize JPG color profiles
- Remove problematic metadata
- Apply correct dimensions
- Validate file structure before Walmart ever sees it
This ensures your images comply with Walmart’s strict ingestion pipeline the first time.
Final Thoughts
Walmart’s Primary Image Rejected errors feel cryptic, but they’re actually predictable once you understand the underlying rules. The problem almost always comes down to:
- Background violations
- Incorrect dimensions
- Hidden text
- Metadata corruption
- CMYK/ICC profile problems
- Transparency or bad file structure
Fix those, and your images will upload cleanly every time.
