AppSumo listing images: every rule, explained

We read AppSumo's image guidelines and listing policy on 31 October 2026. Neither page shows a date, so open them again before you submit. If the team reviewing your listing tells you something different, follow them.

The rules at a glance

The size rule comes with a reason: "Images with lower resolutions may look degraded and negatively impact your sales." AppSumo doesn't say what happens to a listing that breaks a rule, beyond calling these things "against our image submission guidelines". Assume you'll be asked to fix it, and plan to get it right first time.

What "no text or overlays" rules out

This is the rule people miss, because good screenshot habits elsewhere are exactly what AppSumo bans. Its don't list says no headlines, no "stickers" or "stamps", no banners, no watermarks, no images or emojis over your design, and "Don't add text/custom messaging or overlays on images".

So each of these breaks the rules:

• Marked-up captures. Arrows, boxes, highlights, numbered steps and captions are all overlays. That includes markup made in any screenshot tool, such as the arrows and text in the Programmable Capture extension.
• Designed graphics. A feature card with a headline, a screenshot in a browser frame on a coloured background, or a Product Hunt gallery slide. These are the layouts that make a good launch graphic, and they're what AppSumo doesn't want. Don't reuse your Product Hunt set here.
• Collages. Two screens side by side fail "only one view per image".
• Illustrations. Abstract hero art, or a drawing of your interface.
• Rebuilt interfaces. A frame from an animation that redraws your UI isn't a screenshot of your product. It risks the illustration rule and the listing policy, which says to "Honestly represent your product in the images".

Text that's part of your product is fine. The rule is about what you add on top of the capture. A dashboard full of labels is a screenshot; the same dashboard with "Save 10 hours a week" across it is not.

The header image is the one exception, within limits

The guidelines are less tidy here. They offer a Figma template for the header, and they have do's about your logo: "Your logo should be clearly visible and accessible on your cover image", with strong contrast against the background. They also mention "your logo and complementing graphics", and tell you to follow the examples shown. The same page still says not to add any text over your design.

We read that as: the header may carry your logo on the template's layout, and nothing beyond it. No tagline, no price and no badge. If you're unsure about a detail, ask AppSumo rather than guessing.

What about blurred customer data?

AppSumo's page doesn't mention blur. A blur or a black box isn't obviously text, but it could count as an overlay, and it makes a screenshot look like something is being hidden. The safer answer is to load the product with sample data and capture that, so nothing needs covering. If you must capture a live account, read our guide to hiding customer data in screenshots first, and check the result as an image rather than trusting the tool.

How to capture at 1920 × 1080

The size is measured in the pixels of the file, which aren't always the size of your window. On a display with 2× scaling, each page pixel becomes two image pixels.

The most exact route needs no extra software and doesn't depend on your screen size. It uses device mode in Chrome DevTools:

1. Open your product with sample data loaded, and open DevTools.
2. Turn on the device toolbar and choose the Responsive size.
3. Type 1920 and 1080 into the width and height boxes.
4. In More options, choose "Add device pixel ratio", then set it to 1.
5. In More options, choose "Capture screenshot". You get a PNG of the viewport at that size.
6. Check the size in your file details before you do anything else.

The Programmable Capture extension can also set the page area for you: its Page size menu offers 1920 × 1080, labelled for AppSumo, and 1270 × 760 for Product Hunt. Two limits apply. Chrome won't make a window bigger than your screen, so on a small laptop the extension tells you what fit instead. And its Visible area capture depends on your screen's pixel density, so check the file's size after you save it: click a capture in the tray, then press Download for a PNG. See the extension guide for what it does.

If your interface looks tiny at 1920 wide, zoom the page to 125% or 150% before capturing. The file stays the same size and the interface becomes easier to read in a listing.

Getting under 5 MB

A flat interface in PNG is usually small. Gradients, photos and 2× captures are what push a file over. AppSumo says "We highly recommend using lossless compression if you need to reduce file size", so try that first, with a tool such as ImageOptim or oxipng. If a file is still too big, go back to a 1× capture at 1920 × 1080, or export a high-quality JPG. Don't resize a smaller capture up to pass: the numbers will be right and the image will be soft.

Watch for accidental WebP files too. Some browsers and image tools save WebP by default, and AppSumo rejects the format by name.

A shot list for five images

You only get five, so plan them around what a buyer needs to believe. This is an example for a fictional invoicing tool. Swap in your own screens.

Keep each to one view. Close side panels and toasts you don't need, hide personal bookmarks and browser chrome, and use sample names that aren't real people. Make sure anything shown exists in the plan the deal includes, because the policy asks you to represent the product honestly and to "Update your listing appropriately whenever product changes occur."

Where Programmable helps, and where it doesn't

Programmable isn't the right tool for these image slots. Graphics makes designed images with headlines, which is what AppSumo excludes, and our animated films redraw your screens instead of showing them untouched. A plain screenshot is better here, and it costs nothing.

It's useful around the listing: a short film for your own launch page, share images, and social posts, where designed work is welcome. Launch visuals for Product Hunt and AppSumo covers that side. We found no video specification on either AppSumo page, so ask AppSumo before you plan a film for the listing itself.

Final checklist

1. One header image made from AppSumo's template.
2. Five product images, each a single view.
3. Every file at least 1920 × 1080, checked in the file's details.
4. Every file JPG or PNG, and 5 MB or smaller.
5. No arrows, captions, badges, frames, stickers or watermarks on any product image.
6. No illustrations or rebuilt screens.
7. Sample data only, with nothing on screen you lack the rights to.
8. Every feature shown is in the deal.

If you're launching elsewhere too, our guide to every launch image size lists the other platforms.

Common questions