Etsy Policy, AI Policy Updates, Etsy AI
On October 22, 2026, Etsy tightened its rules on AI. Every listing now needs at least one unedited photo, AI-written patterns and recipes are no longer allowed, and listings produced entirely by bots will be removed.
If you sell on Etsy, this affects how you photograph, edit, and describe your items. Some of it you can fix in an afternoon. Some of it, like AI-generated guides, means rewriting or pulling listings. Here is what changed, what it means for your type of shop, and a checklist you can work through today.
The short version
One real photo is now required. At least one listing photo must show the actual item against a real background, with no edits.
AI-made patterns, recipes, and instructions are out. The steps buyers rely on must be your own work.
Fully automated listings are banned. A listing with no human involved can be removed, and your shop can be removed with it.
AI art is still allowed. You need to play a clear creative role, say that AI was used, and not pass it off as handmade.
Refund risk is real. If a buyer gets something materially different from your photos, you may owe them a refund.
What changed in Etsy's AI policy
Etsy says buyers increasingly cannot tell which items involve AI, and that this is one of the top three reasons they shop less often. The update is Etsy's first step to fix that. It has three parts: clearer rules, stronger detection, and new features. Here are the rules themselves.
1. At least one unedited photo
Every listing needs one photo of the real item against a real background, with no edits at all. That photo must not be changed in any way. Cropping, resizing, and adjusting lighting, colour, or background are fine on your other photos, but not on this one. Some item types have exceptions, so check Etsy's Listing Image Requirements policy for yours.
2. Every photo must be accurate
Photos cannot hide flaws or make the item look different from what the buyer will receive. Beyond the one required unedited photo, you can still use editing tools, including AI, to adjust lighting, crop, resize, or change the background, as long as the item still looks like itself.
3. Functional guides must be your own work
Patterns, recipes, and instructions cannot be AI-generated. The information a buyer uses to make or follow your item has to come from you. These listings also need a photo of a real result made with your instructions, not an AI-generated or simulated one.
4. No bot-generated listings
Listings created with no human involvement are not allowed. Etsy can remove them and can also remove the shop.
5. You may owe refunds
If your photos do not meet the new requirements and a buyer opens a case because the item is materially different, you may be responsible for refunding them.
6. AI art is still allowed, with conditions
Etsy will keep allowing AI-generated art when the seller plays a clear creative role and is open about the process. Its example is a fantasy scene made from the seller's own original prompt or inputs. You must disclose AI use and cannot present the work as handmade or entirely your own creation.
What it means for your type of shop
How much you need to change depends on what you sell. Etsy says different requirements apply to print-on-demand, digital, customised, and made-to-order items, so read the Listing Image Requirements policy for your category.
If you sell | What to check |
|---|---|
Physical items (handmade, vintage, supplies) | Add one unedited photo of the real item on a real background. Make your first photo the clearest, most realistic one. |
Patterns, recipes, or instructions | The steps must be your own writing. Replace or remove AI-generated guides, and show a real finished result made from them. |
Digital products | Check Etsy's policy for the image rules that apply to digital items, and make sure your preview shows what buyers actually get. |
Print-on-demand | Check the policy for what counts as an acceptable main image for your products, and confirm every photo matches what is delivered. |
Custom or made-to-order items | Check the policy for how to show your work, and keep your photos honest about what the buyer can expect. |
AI-assisted art | Keep a real creative role, disclose AI use, and never describe the work as handmade or entirely your own. |
Etsy listing image requirements: a checklist for your shop
Work through your listings in this order. Start with your best sellers, since they carry the most risk and the most revenue.
Open each listing and confirm at least one photo shows the real item on a real background, with no edits.
Make sure your first photo is the clearest, most realistic view of what the buyer will receive.
Check that no photo hides flaws, damage, or changes how the item looks.
If you edited any photo with AI, add a short line to the description saying so.
Rewrite or remove any pattern, recipe, or instruction that AI wrote.
For patterns and guides, add a photo of a real finished result made with your instructions.
Turn off any tool that publishes listings to your shop without you reviewing them.
Read Etsy's Listing Image Requirements policy for your item type (digital, print-on-demand, custom, or made-to-order).
If you sell AI-assisted art, add a clear disclosure and check that nothing calls it handmade.
Look at your open cases and recent returns for "not as described" complaints, and fix those listings first.
How Etsy will enforce the AI rules, and how to appeal
Etsy says it is investing in tools to tell authentic images from misleading ones and to find and remove listings that use AI to create fraudulent inventory. Here is what it has described so far.
Guidance when you upload. If Etsy detects AI-generated images while you create a listing, it shows tips to help you meet its photo expectations. It plans to extend this to existing listings over time.
Buyer reports. Listing pages get a new reason in the "Report this item to Etsy" flow for misleading AI imagery. At the start, these reports are for learning how people see AI use and will not trigger immediate action.
More buyer context. Etsy says it will look at ways to show buyers when AI was used in content they see, in the coming months.
Etsy policy violations appeal
If Etsy removes a listing, you can still appeal. Go to the Policy violations page in Shop Manager and submit an appeal, the same way as for other policy violations. Etsy has not yet explained how it will separate banned AI content from permitted uses, so keep your own records: original photos, work-in-progress shots, and notes on how you made the item.
SB 1050 AI disclosure on Etsy listings
Beyond Etsy's rules, other laws may apply if you sell to buyers in the United States. Etsy points to California's SB 1050, which takes effect on January 1, 2027. Under it, listing images or videos may count as advertisements and may need a clear disclosure if they prominently show an AI-generated synthetic performer, meaning a realistic-looking person who is not a real, identifiable individual. If your images could reach buyers in California, review whether a disclosure is needed and where it should appear. Etsy suggests talking to your own legal counsel with questions.
Etsy AI rules: frequently asked questions
Is Etsy AI art allowed?
Yes, with conditions. Etsy keeps allowing AI-generated art when you play a clear creative role and are open about your process. You must disclose that AI was used and cannot present the work as handmade or entirely your own.
What is the Etsy unedited photo requirement?
It is a photo of the actual item against a real background that has not been changed in any way. Etsy says some exceptions apply depending on what you sell, so check the Listing Image Requirements policy for your item type.
Can I still use AI to edit my other listing photos?
Yes. Apart from the required unedited photo, you can use editing tools, including AI, to adjust lighting or colour, crop, resize, or change backgrounds, as long as the edits do not make the item look different. Etsy also suggests noting in your description when AI was used to edit images.
Are AI-generated patterns and guides banned?
Yes. AI-generated functional guides, such as patterns, recipes, and instructions, are no longer allowed. The information buyers use to make or follow your item must be your own work, and the listing needs a real result made from your instructions.
What are bot-generated listings?
Listings created with no human involvement. Etsy says these are not allowed, will be removed, and may lead to your shop being removed.
Do I need to update my existing listings?
If a listing does not meet the new image requirements, Etsy says you need to update it. Its announcement does not give a deadline or grace period, so it is safest to audit your listings now.
Do these rules cover third-party listing tools?
Etsy's announcement does not address this. If you use a tool that creates or publishes listings, review what it produces before it goes live, since automated listings with no human involvement are not allowed.
