Etsy's unedited photo rule: what counts as edited, and what a photo file can show
Etsy's Listing Image Requirements say most listings need at least one unedited photo of the real item, and that this photo must not be changed with editing software or AI tools. A photo file can carry signals about its source, but they are often lost when a file is saved again, and none of them shows what Etsy will decide.
What does Etsy's unedited photo rule say?
We read Etsy's Listing Image Requirements on November 2, 2026. Its general rules ask for "at least one unedited photo of the actual item against a real background" for most products. Its photo editing section adds that sellers must not use photo editing software or AI tools to alter that required photo.
The same page lets sellers use editing software or AI-powered tools on their other listing images, as long as the final result stays an accurate picture of the physical product. It bars edits that hide flaws or make an item look different from what the buyer will receive.
Etsy's annual report for 2025 says the Etsy marketplace had 5.6 million active sellers as of December 31, 2025, so the rule can reach many shops.
What edits does Etsy allow and bar?
Etsy's page lists examples of allowed and barred edits. We have shortened them into our own words.
| Etsy lists as allowed | Etsy lists as prohibited |
|---|---|
| Adjusting light, exposure or colour balance to match real life | Changing the product's real colour, texture or condition |
| Cropping, resizing or straightening | Removing or hiding defects, cracks or damage |
| Cleaning up or replacing the background, if the product stays accurate | Using AI to change the core design or features of a physical item |
One point is left open. The table follows the paragraph about the other listing images, and the page does not say whether a light crop or exposure change to the required photo counts as altering it. If that matters for a listing, ask Etsy.
Which listings are exceptions?
Etsy's page has rules by product type. Three of them, in summary:
- Print-on-demand sellers may use a stock mockup of a standard base product, such as a mug, if the owner of the stock photo has authorised it.
- Some digital downloads, such as audio files, have nothing to show, so representative images, including AI-generated ones, may be used if they do not mislead buyers.
- Patterns, recipes, seeds and similar items need at least one real, unedited photo of something made with the product. AI-generated images cannot be the only images of the finished result.
How does Etsy find AI images, and what happens next?
Etsy's page does not say how it finds edited or AI-made photos. It does say what can follow when an item arrives materially different from its image: if a buyer opens a case, Etsy may refund the buyer and the seller may be responsible for the refund. Etsy may remove misleading listings, and repeated violations may lead to further action, up to shop removal.
Digital Commerce 360 reported on October 26, 2026 that Etsy will alert sellers if it finds AI-generated images while a listing is made, and will extend that to existing listings over time. The report does not describe the method.
We cannot see Etsy's tools or what they read. What our checker shows about a photo and what Etsy decides about a listing are separate matters, and they can differ either way.
Can a photo file show whether it was edited or made with AI?
Sometimes a file carries signals, such as a signed Content Credentials record, a label in its metadata or a tool name. A signal is a statement stored in the file, not proof of how the picture was made, and a missing signal is not proof that nothing happened. Our guide on how to check whether a photo has been edited explains why no tool can say a photo was never edited.
Two of our own test results show the limits.
| Question | What we found |
|---|---|
| Does a tool name settle how a picture was made? | No. A JPEG filed under "Images generated by Canva" on Wikimedia Commons names Canva as its creator tool in its metadata. It reads "Metadata found; source not established". |
| Does a signed record survive a re-save? | Not in our test. We redrew 9 files from our real-file set that carry a Content Credentials record on a canvas and saved them again, as PNG and as JPEG. 0 of 9 kept the record either way, and all 18 outputs read "No supported provenance signals found". |
Both Canva files in our set of 32 real files read the same way. A third party uploaded them, so we do not know how each was handled before upload.
In the second test we wrote a new file from the pixels alone, as a screenshot or a browser export does. The limits are one browser and one JPEG quality, with no resize. We contacted no platform, so this does not show what any site does to an upload. We report it as a limit of checking files, not as advice. The numbers are on our accuracy page.
What this means when you check an image
Open the checker and choose the photo. Three headlines matter most for a listing photo.
- "No supported provenance signals found" means we found none of the signals we read. It does not mean the photo is unedited, and it does not tell you what Etsy will decide.
- "Metadata found; source not established" means the file carries metadata, but none of it says how the image was made. Our Canva JPEG names Canva in its metadata and still reads this way.
- "Trusted Content Credentials declare AI use" means a signed record from a signer on the trust list we load says AI was used. Whether the record is true is a separate question.
The result always carries the line "These checks cannot determine whether an image is AI-generated." It also lists what we do not check, with links to other companies' checkers, such as Google's SynthID Detector. Those open another company's site, you may need to sign in, and your image goes to them, not to us.
Nothing the checker shows is a ruling on an Etsy listing. Ask Etsy what it will accept.
Guides on this topic
- How to tell if an image is AI is the main page on this topic.
- Is this product photo AI? covers checking listing and marketplace images.
- How to check whether a photo has been edited shows which signals point to an edit.
- Does a screenshot keep metadata or Content Credentials? covers what a re-save leaves behind.
- Google Merchant Center and AI-generated images covers Google's digital source type requirement for AI-generated product images.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Etsy ban AI-edited photos?
- Not across the board. Etsy's page bars AI edits to the required unedited photo and says other images may use AI tools if they stay accurate.
- Can your checker tell me whether Etsy will accept a photo?
- No. It reads signals stored in a file. Etsy's page does not say how it checks photos, so we cannot say what it reads or how it decides.
- Does "No supported provenance signals found" mean my photo is unedited?
- No. It means we found none of the signals we read. Many files carry none, and a file saved again can lose the ones it had.
- Does a tool name in a file's metadata settle how the image was made?
- No. A name in metadata is a statement stored in the file, and it does not say how the picture was made. Our Canva JPEG names Canva and still reads "Metadata found; source not established".