Will Etsy accept this as your unedited photo?
Etsy now asks for one photo of the real item that's not edited or changed in any way, and it checks new uploads for AI images. Drop a photo to see what's recorded inside it: camera info, editing apps, or AI labels.
Free · works on your phone · your photo never leaves your device
Got a whole shop to check?
The free shop audit reads your Etsy listings file and shows every listing's photos side by side, so you can mark the real photo or flag the ones that need a new shot. Then it prints your list of photos to take.
Audit my whole shop free Read the rules in plain EnglishWhat this checks
AI labels
ChatGPT, Adobe Firefly, Google's tools, Midjourney exports, Stable Diffusion and phone "generative edit" features often write labels into the file (C2PA Content Credentials, IPTC "digital source type", or prompt text). If they're there, upload checks can read them too.
Editing apps
Photoshop, Lightroom, Canva, Snapseed, Picsart, PhotoRoom and others often leave their name or an edit history behind. Etsy's rule for the required photo: no photo-editing software or AI tools.
Camera original
A fresh phone or camera photo carries the camera model and the time it was taken. Newer Pixel and Samsung phones also add Content Credentials that say "captured by a camera".
What it can't see
Data can be stripped, and a filter applied inside the camera app may leave no trace. So a green result means "nothing suspicious recorded", not a guarantee. Etsy hasn't published exactly how its own check works.
Quick answers
Does cropping or brightening count as editing?
For the one required photo, yes. Etsy's policy says not to use photo-editing software or AI tools to alter it, and that the photo "hasn't been edited or changed in any way." Cropping, resizing, color fixes and background changes are allowed on your other photos.
Does the unedited photo have to be the first photo?
Etsy's policy only says each listing must include at least one. It doesn't say it has to be first, so your styled photo can stay as the thumbnail.
I sell print-on-demand or digital downloads. Do I need one?
Print-on-demand items can use a stock mockup if its owner authorized it. Digital downloads should show a true preview or excerpt of what the buyer gets. Patterns and recipes need at least one real, unedited photo of something made with them.
Why does my photo say "Can't tell"?
Messaging apps, downloads, screenshots and many "export" or "save for web" options remove camera information. Upload the original from your phone's camera roll instead.
I checked a photo I saved from my Etsy listing and it says "Can't tell"
Etsy removes camera information from listing photos when it displays them, so a copy saved from your listing will always show "Can't tell". Check the original file on your phone or computer, before you upload it.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. The check runs in your browser and reads only the file's own data. Nothing is sent anywhere.