Did Etsy ban AI images?

No. Etsy requires one unedited photo of the actual item and accurate images throughout. AI-assisted images are still allowed as extra images if they represent the item truthfully.

What counts as an unedited photo on Etsy?

A photo of the actual item against a real background that has not been altered with editing software or AI tools: no cropping, brightness changes or background swaps on that one photo.

Do I have to disclose AI photo editing on Etsy?

Etsy recommends noting AI-assisted edits in your listing description as good practice. Disclosure is required when AI was used to create the item itself.

What happens if a listing misses the new photo rule?

Etsy says those listings need updating. If a buyer opens a case because an item differs from its listing, the seller may have to refund when the listing did not meet the image requirements.

Does a listing video replace the unedited photo?

Etsy’s rule names a photo. Keep a real, unedited still in every listing even if you also add videos.

Etsy's Unedited Photo Rule: Seller Checklist (2026)

One unedited photoReal backgroundTrue color and scaleAI images only as extrasKeep your originalsEffective October 22, 2026

Your 10 photo slots, under the new rule

Slot 1: unedited, actual item, real backgroundSlots 2 to 10: edits and AI-assisted images allowed if accurate

The checklist

Run each listing through these eight checks. Tick them off as you go; most shops only need to add or move one photo per listing.

0 of 8 done

Add one unedited photo of the actual itemFor most physical items, at least one photo must show the real item against a real background. Etsy suggests making your clearest, most realistic photo the first one.
Leave that photo completely aloneNo cropping, straightening, brightness fixes or background swaps on the required photo. Edit your other photos instead.
Make every image accurateAll images must show the item’s true color, condition, scale and material. A styled photo that misleads on any of these breaks the rule.
Edit the other photos within limitsLighting, exposure, color balance, cropping and background cleanup are allowed on your other photos, as long as the item stays accurately shown.
Use AI images only as extrasAI-assisted images may supplement your real photo if they match the item. They can never be the only images of a physical product.
Show a real result for patterns and recipesAI-generated patterns, recipes and instructions are no longer allowed. Listings for them must include a real photo of a finished result.
Check your category’s exceptionsSome print-on-demand, digital, customized and made-to-order items follow different photo rules. Look up your item type in Etsy’s Listing Image Requirements.
Keep your original filesSave the untouched originals of your required photos. If a listing is questioned or a buyer opens a case, the original is your best record.

What's in the OriginCert Listing Kit

One place to get every listing photo ready for Etsy's rule, with a record you can show if anyone questions it.

Shoot the required photoFollow the kit’s shoot guide for the one unedited photo: HDR off, window light, a real surface, framed so it never needs a crop.
Check against Etsy’s rulesRun the 8-item pre-publish checklist on every listing, including the photo exceptions for your shop type.
Get listing-ready copyTemplates for the title, tags and description fitted to Etsy’s limits, plus disclosure wording and alt text for every image.
Keep a signed, dated recordOn the Creator plan, OriginCert registers your original photo and records the date. Stamping makes a separate copy, so the untouched original stays in Slot 1 for Etsy.
Share it if questionedIf a listing is flagged or a buyer opens a “not as described” case, share your record link. It shows when you registered the photo, and the verifier matches a copy back to it.

Where OriginCert fits

OriginCert is the record behind the kit. It's the same signed, dated registration OriginCert issues today on the Creator plan. Your untouched original stays in Slot 1, and you keep a record and a link you can share.

A record shows when a photo was registered and lets a later copy be matched back to it. It doesn't decide Etsy disputes. Not affiliated with Etsy.

A twine-wrapped glass jar beside a woven seagrass ball on a walnut shelf, with a white stoneware jar of pampas grass and a black scalloped bowl on the shelf above

The OriginCert Listing Kit is open

A 29-page plug-and-play kit for Etsy sellers under the October 22, 2026 photo rule. What to shoot, what to edit, what to write, how to get found. Six category profiles and the OriginCert record step. Enter your email and the kit lands in your inbox.

Two things you may have heard

Etsy banned AI.

It banned specific things: AI-generated patterns and recipes, and listings run entirely by bots. AI-assisted images are still allowed as extra images when they show the item accurately.

Background removal must be disclosed.

Etsy recommends noting AI-assisted photo edits in your description as good practice, not as a rule. Disclosure is required when AI was used to make the item itself.

Questions sellers ask

Did Etsy ban AI images?: No. Etsy requires one unedited photo of the actual item and accurate images throughout. AI-assisted images are still allowed as extra images if they represent the item truthfully.
What counts as an unedited photo on Etsy?: A photo of the actual item against a real background that has not been altered with editing software or AI tools: no cropping, brightness changes or background swaps on that one photo.
Do I have to disclose AI photo editing on Etsy?: Etsy recommends noting AI-assisted edits in your listing description as good practice. Disclosure is required when AI was used to create the item itself.
What happens if a listing misses the new photo rule?: Etsy says those listings need updating. If a buyer opens a case because an item differs from its listing, the seller may have to refund when the listing did not meet the image requirements.
Does a listing video replace the unedited photo?: Etsy’s rule names a photo. Keep a real, unedited still in every listing even if you also add videos.