Updated October 28, 2026 · based on Etsy's own policy pages · 7-minute read
Etsy's new AI rules (October 2026): what counts as an unedited photo
On October 22, 2026 Etsy changed its Listing Image Requirements and its rules on AI. The biggest change for most shops: every listing now needs at least one photo of the real item that hasn't been touched by editing software or AI. Here's what Etsy actually says, the answers to the questions sellers keep asking, and a plan for fixing a big shop.
What Etsy's new rules say
- One unedited photo. "For most products, you must include at least one unedited photo of the actual item against a real background." Etsy's Seller Handbook adds that this means "the photo hasn't been edited or changed in any way."
- No editing tools on that photo. "Do not use photo editing software or AI tools to alter this required photo."
- Your other photos can be edited, including with AI, to adjust lighting or color, crop or resize, or clean up or replace the background, as long as they still accurately show the product. You can't hide flaws or change the item's color, texture or design.
- Patterns, recipes and instructions must be your own work, not generated by AI.
- AI detection on new uploads. If Etsy detects AI-generated images when you list, it will let you know and give tips. It says it will expand this to existing listing images over time.
- A new report reason. Buyers can report listings that may use misleading AI imagery. At first, Etsy says these reports help it learn rather than trigger action.
Different rules by product type
| You sell | What Etsy asks for |
|---|---|
| Physical items you make or source | At least one unedited photo of the actual item on a real background. |
| Print-on-demand (a partner prints your design on a standard product) | A stock photo mockup is fine if the stock photo's owner authorized it. |
| Digital downloads | A visual preview or excerpt of what the buyer gets. Items with nothing visual, like audio, may use representative images, including AI ones, if they don't mislead. |
| Custom and made-to-order items you make yourself | Photos of real, finished items you've made in the past. |
| Patterns, recipes, seeds, kits | At least one real, unedited photo of something made with your product. AI images can't be the only images of the finished result. |
The questions sellers keep asking
Does cropping or brightening count as editing?
For the required photo, yes. Etsy's wording is that it "hasn't been edited or changed in any way" and that you shouldn't use editing software or AI tools on it. Cropping and lighting fixes are explicitly allowed on your other photos only.
What about my phone's automatic enhancements, portrait mode or beauty filters?
Etsy hasn't addressed phone camera settings directly. To be safe, turn off beauty, "AI enhance" and filter modes, skip portrait blur, and use the normal photo mode.
Is a lightbox or white backdrop a "real background"?
Etsy hasn't said. A physical backdrop you actually photographed is real. A background added or swapped afterwards isn't, for the required photo. If in doubt, shoot it on a table, shelf or fabric.
Does the unedited photo have to be first?
No. The policy says each listing must include at least one. It doesn't require it to be the first photo or the thumbnail.
Can a video count instead of a photo?
Etsy hasn't said. The policy talks about a photo, so add one.
What's the deadline for my existing listings?
There isn't a published one. Etsy says listings that don't meet the requirements need to be updated, and that its AI-image checks will expand to existing images "over time." Separately, if a buyer gets an item that's materially different from your photos, Etsy may refund them and hold you responsible for the refund. That's true today.
What happens if a listing is removed?
You can appeal from the Policy violations page in Shop Manager. Repeated violations can lead to further action, up to shop removal.
How does Etsy detect AI images?
Etsy hasn't published how. Many AI tools write labels into image files (C2PA Content Credentials or an IPTC "digital source type"), and editing apps often leave their name behind. Our free photo checker shows you what's recorded in your file.
A plan for a shop with dozens, or thousands, of listings
- List every listing with its photos. Shop Manager → Settings → Options → Download Data → "Currently for Sale Listings" → Download CSV. The file includes each listing's photo links.
- Set aside the listings with different rules: print-on-demand, digital, and patterns.
- Find the physical listings with no real photo. Watch for listings with a single photo, descriptions that say "mockup" or "render," and AI mentions.
- Shoot in batches, best sellers first. One afternoon of phone photos by a window usually covers the listings that matter most.
- Check, then upload the original as an extra photo. Don't run it through an editing app. Your styled photo can stay first.
Our free shop audit does steps 1–3 for you: drop in the CSV, see every listing's photos side by side, mark the real one with a keypress, and print a list of photos to take. The photo checker handles step 5. Both are free and run in your browser.
Check a photo Audit my whole shop
Sources
Etsy, Listing Image Requirements (updated Oct 22, 2026) and Seller Handbook, "Important updates to AI use on Etsy" (Oct 22, 2026). Quotes are from those pages. Etsy's own pages always take precedence over any summary, including this one. This is guidance, not legal advice.