Is Amazon Replacing My Hero Image With an AI Version? What Pet Brands Need to Know

Yes, on some listings. Amazon now shows hero images in US search results that brands did not upload, and several look AI-rendered. Pet product brands should check their live search tiles every week, as changing the main image can lead to a loss of clicks and may even risk suppressions.

I spotted it while scrolling skincare on the Amazon app late one evening, which is how all serious marketplace intelligence begins. Three St. Ives tiles sat on soft gray backdrops, glossy and slightly too perfect. Pure trompe-l’oeil: the products are real, but nobody ever ran that photo shoot.

Amazon US app search results, October 2026. The boxed tiles sit on gray backgrounds instead of the pure white Amazon requires for main images. Two of the three are 2-pack variations.

Selling on Amazon? 
Check Out Your Industry Potential

What Is Amazon Changing in Hero Images on Search Results?

Amazon has not announced AI-generated hero images yet. However, the signs point to a live test. Amazon requires main images on a pure white background (RGB 255, 255, 255), with the product filling at least 85% of the frame (Amazon Seller Forums, 2026). The tiles above break that rule. A brand upload couldn't do so without risking suppression, and this fact supports our theory.

Sellers reported that the main images changed between October 13 and 15, 2026, with some appearing to have been created using artificial intelligence and others appearing against a gray background (SentryKit, 2026). One brand owner reported that an Amazon-created 2-pack took over the main image of the original single-unit ASIN (SentryKit, 2026).

The 2-pack detail matters. Amazon creates Virtual Multipacks of eligible FBA ASINs and generates their images from the single-pack visuals, styled by pack size (Seller Central, 2025). Two of the three tiles we observed carried 2-pack labels. Meanwhile, Amazon began showing AI-generated concept images in its US search bar (The Verge, 2026).

Why the Hero Image Matters for Pet Brands on Amazon

In 2025, spending in the US pet products industry reached $158 billion, a 3.7% increase from the previous year, and according to APPA forecasts, this figure is expected to reach $165 billion in 2026 (APPA, 2026). The global e-commerce market for pet care reached $94.9 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $147.6 billion by 2030 (Grand View Research, 2025).

In particular, the hero image highlights what shoppers notice first: package weight, age range, flavor, and quantity. A render in which a “puppy” transforms into an “adult dog” will attract the wrong kind of customers to your page.

A tile featuring a multipack can also split traffic between different package sizes, distracting attention from the single-pack option that carries your Subscribe and Save history.

Seller-Uploaded vs Amazon-Rendered Hero Images: Comparison

How Should Pet Brands Protect Their Amazon Hero Image?

Step 1: Audit Live Search Tiles, Not Seller Central

Search for your 20 most popular keywords while logged out of your account in the Amazon app — as if you were a shopper with a cat sleeping on your lap. Seller Central may display your original image, while buyers see something different. Take a screenshot of each such discrepancy, noting the date and time.

Watchout: Check the mobile app first. It renders the most shopper sessions, and it showed the gray tiles in our example.

Step 2: Review Every Virtual Multipack Amazon Created

Open Manage All Inventory and filter for ASINs that start with "VMP_". Decide which multipacks earn their place and delete the rest. A 2-pack of kibble can make sense; a 2-pack of 30-lb bags makes a delivery driver reconsider their career.

Watchout: By default, Amazon calculates the cost of Virtual Multipacks as the price per unit multiplied by the number of units in the set, so be sure to check your markup before listing such an item for sale.

Step 3: Restore Your Original Image and Document Everything

Re-upload your original through Edit listing, then open a case with ASINs, screenshots, and timestamps. Ask Amazon to remove the incorrect image, not just to "review the listing." Brand Registry owners should report the change there too.

Watchout: Amazon replies say updates can take up to 24 hours, so recheck the live tile the next day.

Step 4: Make Your Own Hero Image Impossible to "Improve"

Upload a high-resolution main image on a pure white background, making sure the product fills the entire frame. Don’t give Amazon’s automated review systems a reason to make corrections. Your bag of dry dog food doesn’t need a gloomy gray background — it’s dog food, after all, not a presentation of a new fragrance.

Watchout: Since July 2026, images with photorealistic AI-generated people need a disclosure tag before upload (CNBC, 2026). That includes lifestyle shots of a model walking your dog.

Want more Amazon deep dives? Read them here: 

• What Happens When Amazon Suppresses Your Listing? The New 2026 Rules

• Amazon’s New “Sourced from Brand” Buy Box Label: Who Gets It and Who Doesn’t

• What Does the EU Green Claims Ban Mean for My Pet Brand's Amazon EU Listings?

Amazon updates the design of your storefront from time to time. Your job is to notice these changes before your customers do — and before the algorithm decides that the gray version is better for sales. Check weekly, quickly fix any errors, and keep records of the changes.

Bonne chance - and may your Subscribe & Save conversion rate be ever in your favor!

 Don’t Wait — Get Results