On October 22, 2026, Etsy announced new rules for sellers on AI use and listing images. The point that raises the most questions: most listings now need at least one “unedited” product photo. In this article we explain in plain language what the rule requires, what is still allowed, and how to check your existing listings. Everything here comes from Etsy’s own help pages; sources are listed at the end.
What exactly does the rule say?
According to the announcement in the Etsy Seller Handbook, your listing must include at least one photo that shows the item itself in front of a real background and has not been edited or altered in any way. Etsy also notes that some exceptions may apply depending on what you sell.
The second key point: every photo must accurately show the item the buyer will receive. Hiding flaws or damage, or making the item look different from what it is, is not allowed.
Third, the rule has teeth: if your listing doesn’t meet the new image requirements and a buyer opens a case saying the item is “significantly not as described”, you may be responsible for the refund.
What is still allowed?
The rule does not say “don’t edit any photos”. For images other than the required unedited photo, Etsy explicitly says you can use editing tools, including AI, to:
- adjust lighting and color,
- crop and resize,
- change the background.
There is one condition: these edits must not make the item look different from what it is. So you can keep using a clean white-background main image, a size reference image or a lifestyle scene, as long as there is also one untouched real photo. (For white background prep, see our white background product photo guide.)
Etsy also recommends a best practice: your first photo should be the clearest, most realistic view of the item, because it’s the first thing buyers see. If you edited any image with AI, Etsy recommends mentioning it in the listing description.
Exceptions
Etsy’s help page sets different requirements for some item types:
- Print-on-demand: If your design is printed on a standard item (t-shirt, mug), you can use a stock mockup that its owner permits you to use.
- Digital items: For visual templates or printables, show a preview of the actual content the buyer will receive.
- Personalized / made-to-order: Use photos of real, finished items you have made before.
- Patterns, recipes, seeds, etc.: Include at least one real, unedited photo of a result made with the item; an AI image cannot be the only result image.
6 steps to check your existing listings
- Open each listing and find the “untouched” photo. Is there a phone shot with no filters and no background change?
- If not, take a new one. In daylight, in front of a real surface (table, fabric, shelf), with the whole item in frame. Don’t edit this shot afterwards; cropping is also an edit, so frame it correctly when you shoot.
- Review your other images. Is the color close to the item’s real color? Has a scratch, stain or stitching flaw disappeared through retouching? If so, fix it.
- Choose your first photo. Put the clearest, most realistic shot first. Etsy’s image guide recommends a landscape or square first photo of at least 635 pixels; the general recommendation is at least 2000 pixels in width and height.
- Add a short note to the description. For example: “Photo 1 is the unedited original; background and lighting have been edited in the other images.”
- Don’t use transparent PNGs. Etsy shows transparent areas as black; upload JPGs.
Common mistakes
- Using only AI-generated scene images. Without a real photo, the listing doesn’t meet the rule.
- Putting a filter on the “unedited” photo. Even a small brightness tweak makes that shot “edited”.
- Changing the item’s color to make it look nicer. Changing the background is fine; changing the item’s color misleads buyers.
Conclusion
The new rule means extra work for sellers, but the logic is simple: buyers should see the item as it is in at least one photo, while the other images can make it easier to understand. One original shot plus a few honestly edited, clean images meets the rule and lowers your return risk.