Can I use product images on my affiliate website?

If you want to sell something online, you've got a few options available to you — one is using your own personal items (or those that belong to someone else) and then selling them at a price you set yourself, or you could just go with an option like Amazon's Affiliate program where you can earn money when people click through to purchase goods they come across on their websites. This latter method involves creating a landing page which displays some kind of relevant information about whatever it is you're trying to promote, usually accompanied by a call-to-action button directing visitors to make a purchase if they so desire.  

The problem here is that you have no control over what these customers will end up purchasing once they have clicked on this link, because you don't actually know who they are until after they've made a payment. You also may not be able to see exactly how many sales were generated from each visitor due to privacy concerns. This means you need more than just a catchy headline and a product description to capture attention. To help overcome this issue, you'll often find links to other pages within your site on your landing page, called "affiliates" or "referral partners." These are typically sites owned by third parties and are designed to drive traffic back to said partner, but there are also plenty of companies out there offering services such as paid ads that aim to accomplish similar goals.

One thing all of these programs share though is that you need to provide a way for potential buyers to browse around your store without making purchases themselves. In order for them to do so, you need to display pictures of your wares along with descriptions. And while most of us probably wouldn't mind having our faces plastered across every item we offer, doing so would require paying licensing fees for each picture, and even then, only if you wanted to allow anyone to download them. That doesn't leave much room for creativity.

While it might seem like a good idea to simply stick with the standard Amazon product images provided by the company itself, they aren't free to use. They are instead protected under copyright laws, meaning that unless you obtain permission before sharing them, you could face legal ramifications.

Can I use photos from Amazon on my website?

In short, yes! Though you should always check first to ensure you haven't infringed upon another party's rights. Here are the steps involved in obtaining permission to use an Amazon photo:

1. Click on the "Images & Media" tab located near the top left corner of your account dashboard.

2. Select "Find Photos" from the menu bar.

3. Choose the category you wish to search in, then select the type of media you'd like to view, whether it be videos, audio files, documents etc., followed by selecting one or more keywords related to the content you'd like to display.

4. After clicking on Search, you'll notice a list of results appear showing thumbnails of various types of media found on Amazon. If you think your chosen keyword(s) appears anywhere among these, click the thumbnail to open its corresponding webpage. From there, scroll down past the main title and search box to the bottom right corner where you'll see a large green icon labeled "Download Images". Clicking this will bring up a new window containing the complete file, ready to copy and paste into your web host directory wherever you choose to place it.

5. It's important to note that the original owner of the photo still owns the copyright, so you must take care to properly credit the source whenever possible. Also, remember that if you plan to repurpose the photo in any way, it needs to remain unaltered otherwise there may be grounds for a lawsuit against you.

6. While you technically retain ownership of the material, you agree to abide by certain terms and conditions outlined by Amazon including the following:

a. The image cannot be altered in any manner.

b. The image cannot include text or logos except for Amazon branding.

c. Use of the image requires proper attribution to Amazon.com and/or the seller.

d. Your use of the image is subject to license terms specified on Amazon.

e. You agree not to reproduce or resell the image.

f. Any unauthorized usage of the image constitutes intellectual property infringement.

g. All materials used in connection with the distribution, reproduction, performance, or creation of works derived from the image must contain clear watermarks indicating the origin and licensee name.

h. For commercial purposes, you grant to Amazon an exclusive worldwide license to use any of your Content solely in connection with the promotion, advertising and sale of Goods offered via the Website.

i. Without limiting anything else herein, you acknowledge that Amazon has neither created nor licensed any of the Content in the Image Files, and does not claim any proprietary interest therein. Accordingly, you hereby release Amazon from any claims arising from or relating to the Content contained in the Image Files.

7. Once everything looks satisfactory, return to your home screen and click the "Review My Account" button to finalize changes to your profile.

8. Finally, log back in to your account and look toward the top right hand side of the page where you'll see a small gear icon labeled "Settings." Clicking this will expand a dropdown menu revealing additional settings pertaining to your account. Near the middle of this section you'll find a setting titled "Use Product Images," which enables or disables the ability to upload photos directly onto your listings. By default, this feature is turned off. However, if you decide to turn it on, you'll need to add the URL pointing to your public folder where you stored the downloaded file to this field.

9. At this point you're done, but if you ever run into difficulties, feel free to contact Amazon support for assistance.

Can I use Amazon product images on my affiliate Pinterest?

Pinterest is a social network dedicated primarily towards posting photographs of interesting articles and ideas users discover elsewhere on the internet. As such, it offers several ways for members to post unique pieces of content in exchange for compensation based on how well others engage with their pins. One of these methods is known as "pinning", whereby individuals pin specific images to their boards so followers can easily access them later.

To learn more about this process, visit the official Pinterest blog and read How Pins Work to understand what makes a Pin worthy enough to receive organic engagement from viewers. In addition to pinning, you can create custom tabs, which act similarly to Facebook's Like buttons. Similar to the likes, the purpose of these is simple -- drive traffic to your affiliate website. Unlike Likes, however, these tabs are completely customizable and can be placed on either individual posts or entire boards.

There are two primary differences between regular Pinterest tabs and Amazon ones aside from the obvious fact that the former are entirely visual whereas the latter consist mostly of words. First, Amazon tabs can be pinned to multiple boards, whereas normal Pinterest tabs can only be added to single boards. Second, Amazon tabs automatically generate referral codes which can be entered into the browser address bar to direct visitors to your affiliated storefront.

How do I get product images for affiliate marketing?

As previously mentioned, there are numerous sources for finding high quality, royalty-free images to use on your website. Some popular ones include Pixabay, Canva, Imgur, Flickr, Google Drive and Photobucket. Just keep in mind that images posted publicly on these platforms are considered fair game and therefore freely accessible to everyone, regardless of affiliation status.

A common practice among many affiliate marketers is to use the same images repeatedly throughout their campaigns. Since the vast majority of these resources allow you to save your work, reusing images is very easy. Simply navigate to the appropriate resource, locate the desired image, right click and select Copy Link Address. Then, paste this code into your HTML document somewhere near the beginning. For example, let's say you want to insert the above link into your footer header, you'd replace the existing XXXXXX with the copied link. This is especially useful if you're looking to build a portfolio of different images for future projects.

It's worth noting that while this strategy certainly increases the number of clicks necessary to achieve a goal, it also helps prevent duplicate efforts. Because if you happen to stumble upon a particular image again, you won't have to start from scratch. Instead, you can simply load up the saved version of the image from last time and proceed from there.

Can I use Amazon product images on my YouTube channel?

YouTube is a video hosting platform where anybody can upload their creations. Although the format is quite different from traditional television broadcasts, the basic principles behind monetizing one's videos hold true. For instance, advertisers pay publishers to play commercials during breaks, and viewers can watch videos ad infinitum for free.

You may find yourself being asked if you're allowed to upload or display a picture of an item that is sold on your website. This question has been plaguing many Amazon Affiliates for some time now and it's not really clear how Amazon will respond.

The short answer is no - but let's look at what they've said about it so far.

First up, we have this statement from their "Product Advertising" section on the FAQs:

This means that when selling through Amazon, you cannot show a picture of another seller’s product unless they give you permission first. That doesn't mean you can sell other people's products though – just don't do it!

So, you can't display someone else's product without asking them - but you can still promote those same products with free advertising links which lead directly to the product pages themselves. You would also be able to add these links to you own blog posts too. The only thing stopping you then adding a link back to Amazon (which could earn you extra commissions) is the fact that they want a cut of all sales made via the links.

But wait... does that mean Amazon won't allow me to use product images on my site?

If you're looking to build a profitable online business using Amazon as part of the plan, you'll need to understand the rules relating to both promoting the items on your web store & displaying product images. If you do go ahead and display a product image on your site, remember that doing so will require you to get the owner's permission before making money off of the sale.

In addition to this, you should avoid taking full-size photos of the goods. Instead, take smaller images of individual features such as buttons, labels etc. There's no harm done in doing this either since the customer will see the whole product anyway once they click 'Add to Cart'.

It's true that you can't use an entire photo of a product to advertise it, but you can certainly use small parts of one. It might sound counterintuitive, but think about it like this: you wouldn't put the price tag of an item into every single advertisement you place around town right? So why would you expect anyone to pay more than the actual cost of the item itself?

Of course, you can always provide additional information alongside each image you post on your website. For example, you could include a description of the product, its purpose, who the manufacturer is, where to buy it, and even a link to the main product listing page.

There are plenty of resources out there that can help you make sure you aren't breaking any laws whilst building a successful Amazon based business.

For instance, here's a great article from Stock.XCHNG detailing exactly what kind of content is acceptable in regards to Amazon policies. They cover everything from whether you can embed Amazon videos onto your site, to whether you can use certain fonts within your text descriptions.

Here's a similar list compiled by Matt Cauley over on his Blogger Tips blog. Again, he covers a lot of ground including issues surrounding YouTube channels, website design guidelines, and much more.

These lists are useful because they give you examples of how various companies interpret the law regarding particular topics and offer advice on how best to comply with it.

As well as this, you should check out our guide to avoiding legal trouble on Amazon. We explain how to stay safe while building your online business and ensure that you don't end up getting penalized by Amazon. Of course, if you'd rather skip straight to that guide, head on over to the next section below to learn about whether product images are actually copyrighted.

Are product images copyrighted?

We mentioned above that Amazon prohibits us from uploading photographs of other people's products without their consent. However, what if we were to say that the original photographer had given us explicit permission to use their work? Would that matter?

Well, yes and no. In order to determine if you're violating copyright law, you must consider two factors: ownership and distribution rights.

Ownership Rights

When referring to ownership rights, we're talking specifically about the exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, perform, adapt, publish and communicate works. These terms collectively describe how you can control access to an intellectual property.

Copyright protects creative expression and ideas. When something becomes protected under copyright, it gives owners the right to prevent others from copying or distributing copies of their creation.

Distribution Rights

Under copyright law, you retain the right to copy, modify or publicly distribute your work after you choose to protect it. Distributing your work includes posting it online, sharing it with friends, giving it away for free, charging fees for it, or anything else you wish to do with it.

When discussing distribution rights, it's important to distinguish between private and public uses of material. A private user generally refers to the person whose work is being used, whereas public users refer to everyone else.

Private Users

A private user retains the right to keep others from reproducing, modifying or performing their work. Private users therefore maintain exclusive control over their creations.

Public Users

On the other hand, public users gain limited privileges when it comes to distributing their work. Public users typically lose most of their distribution rights but instead receive the privilege of reproduction.

Although the majority of creators give their work away freely, there are instances where they opt to charge for it. For instance, musicians often release albums for free, yet charge fans to download songs individually. Likewise, authors sometimes write books for free yet ask readers to purchase physical copies.

However, regardless of whether you decide to share your work for free or charge for it, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. Don't violate privacy rights

2. Don't steal intellectual property

3. Be respectful towards other artists' work

4. Provide attribution whenever possible

5. Give credit to the creator(s) wherever applicable

6. Make sure you know your limits

7. Keep your work safe and secure

8. Treat your customers with respect

9. Protect your work from piracy

10. Maintain high quality standards

11. Consider licensing options

12. Avoid plagiarism

13. Use common sense

14. Respect copyrights

15. Stay informed

16. Understand fair use

17. Know your local regulations

18. Pay attention to licenses

19. Never break the law

20. Always follow the Terms of Service

21. Remember that you're responsible for your actions

22. Do not infringe upon anyone's rights

23. Follow copyright infringement procedures outlined by relevant organizations

24. Check the source code of your software

25. Make sure your website complies with accessibility requirements

26. Get professional assistance if needed

27. Document your processes

28. Report violations promptly

29. Take proactive measures against theft

30. Educate employees about copyright restrictions

31. Investigate potential threats to your company

32. Communicate effectively with clients

33. Ensure compliance with government regulations

34. Recognize that mistakes happen

35. Accept responsibility

36. Adhere to industry codes of conduct

37. Create and enforce clear policies

38. Monitor ongoing projects

39. Establish a system of checks and balances

40. Have a policy manual

41. Conduct regular audits

42. Develop a strategy for managing risks

43. Identify areas of vulnerability

44. Plan and implement disaster recovery strategies

45. Follow security protocols

46. Implement proper authorization mechanisms

47. Manage sensitive data appropriately

48. Train staff members adequately

49. Securely dispose of confidential materials

50. Encrypt files properly

51. Maintain adequate backups

52. Dispose of waste responsibly

53. Prevent unauthorized access

54. Restrict access to systems and networks

55. Limit employee access

56. Ensure appropriate levels of IT monitoring

57. Review security logs regularly

58. Evaluate existing technologies periodically

59. Understand the importance of securing digital assets

60. Update passwords frequently

61. Assess risk exposure

62. Perform penetration testing

63. Employ encryption technology

64. Install firewalls

65. Ensure network segmentation

66. Configure intrusion detection protection

67. Implement anti-malware solutions

68. Deploy antivirus software

69. Apply patch management practices

70. Defend against zero day attacks

71. Minimize vulnerabilities during development

72. Test new applications thoroughly

73. Track changes carefully

74. Validate application updates manually

75. Verify integrity of third party components

76. Integrate security patches automatically

77. Regularly test firewall configurations

78. Audit backup systems

79. Implement automated backups

80. Restore data immediately in case of failure

81. Back up multiple times daily

82. Store backup media offline

83. Retain backup tapes securely

84. Recover backed-up data quickly

85. Rebuild failed volumes from backups

86. Ensure that backups meet minimum storage capacity requirements

87. Restore data incrementally

88. Perform periodic tests

If you're looking at this article and thinking "I want to know if I'm allowed to do that", then we probably have something else in common! The answer is yes - but only under certain circumstances (we'll get to those). You must also be careful with how you go about using these images, though. Let's talk more...

The first thing you need to understand before you start building your site or YouTube channel around these images is whether they are protected by copyright law. If so, then you cannot legally use them without permission. This means that even if you don't think anyone will ever find out, you still shouldn't make use of them. It could mean trouble down the line.

There are many examples of people who found themselves in hot water because their sites were built around stolen content. In one case, someone was arrested after being caught posting a list of hacked passwords online. Another example involved a man who used a picture of his wife posted to Facebook to build a dating profile. He didn't realize that she owned the rights to the photo until he had been sent several cease-and-desist letters.

So what does all of this mean for us? Well, if you plan to include a lot of images taken directly from other websites or services, such as photos from Instagram or YouTube videos, then it would appear that you may have some issues ahead of you. These aren't necessarily illegal per se, but they might require licensing agreements. And while most companies won't mind having their work republished, others will take action against you.

However, if you just want to add a few images here and there to accompany text articles, then this isn't really a problem. But again, just keep in mind that you should check with whoever owns the copyrights to see if you can use the images.

Can I use a copyrighted image on a website?

It depends entirely upon where you live. For instance, in the United States, the Fair Use provision generally protects noncommercial uses of works like photographs, video clips, etc., provided that the purpose of such use is not to exploit the original author(s) for financial gain. However, the Copyright Act doesn't protect every single photograph, regardless of its source. There are specific exceptions, including fair use. So, if you want to reuse a particular image, you need to consult with the owner of said image.

Also, remember that you don't own the intellectual property of anything you post to social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook. As such, you may not be able to rebrand a logo or brand name or create derivative artwork based on another person's material.

In short, the best way to ensure that you stay within the bounds of the law when using images is to contact the owners of the materials and ask for permission. They'll give you the license you need, which will allow you to share the images on your website or elsewhere.

Can I use Amazon product images as an affiliate?

As mentioned above, you definitely can't copy and paste an entire Amazon listing onto your blog, no matter what you claim. That goes double for using actual screenshots of the product pages (which are covered below), too. Instead, you should choose an image that showcases the main features of the item rather than simply the whole packaging itself.

This helps readers better visualize exactly what they'd be getting into, and makes it easier to compare prices between different items. Plus, if you've got an interesting spin on the subject, then people might actually come back to read more once they've decided whether or not to purchase.

You may also consider adding a small description beneath each image instead of having large blocks of text. Not everyone wants to scroll through hundreds of words to learn about a product, especially if they're trying to decide quickly. A brief blurb might help speed up the process considerably.

But again, always seek permission from the seller first. Some sellers will gladly offer you a URL to their store if you email them asking for permission to feature the item. Others may charge fees for using their images -- usually anywhere from $5-$10. Again, check with the seller to determine what options are available to you.

Can you use Amazon images for affiliate marketing?

No. While Amazon gives you the ability to upload images of your choice, you cannot use these images to promote third party merchandise.

Is it legal to use pictures from Amazon?

While you can certainly use product images from Amazon, you should never try to sell anything via an Amazon affiliate link. Doing so violates Amazon policy and puts you at risk of having your account suspended. Even worse, you run the very real possibility of incurring civil liability.

To avoid problems, stick to promoting products that you personally endorse and believe in. Don't try to trick visitors into buying something by making them click through from an affiliate link. When you're selling a product, focus on providing value to customers. If you feel strongly enough about a given product, then you should be willing to recommend it yourself.

That said, if you absolutely must use an Amazon affiliate link, you should limit the amount of time spent doing so. Ideally, you should only spend 10% of your total display time talking about the product. Otherwise, you'll end up losing potential sales due to poor conversion rates.

In addition to avoiding bad practices, you should also pay close attention to the language you use whenever discussing the product. If you call it a "product" without qualifiers, that implies ownership over it. Make sure you clearly state that the information presented is merely informational, and that you yourself are in no way affiliated with the company.

Also, do your research. Before linking to a product, make sure you fully understand the terms and conditions surrounding that item. Be aware of any restrictions placed upon you regarding the promotion of the product. Also, if possible, visit the vendor's website and review the Terms & Conditions section thoroughly.

Finally, just like everything else in life, it pays to be safe. Always exercise caution whenever dealing with unfamiliar parties or situations, particularly if money is changing hands.