Where these rules come from
- Etsy's Listing Image Requirements, last updated Oct 22, 2026: what images must and must not do, editing and AI, and rules by product type. Quoted from the Internet Archive's copy of Oct 22, 2026; the link goes to the current version.
- Etsy's help center, Requirements and Best Practices for Images in Your Etsy Shop: sizes and shape. Quoted from the Internet Archive's copy of Oct 12, 2026.
What every listing needs
Etsy's two requirements:
- Accurate images. "All images must accurately reflect the item's true appearance, including color, condition, scale, and materials."
- One unedited photo. "For most products, you must include at least one unedited photo of the actual item against a real background." And: "Do not use photo editing software or AI tools to alter this required photo."
And two things it prohibits:
- "You must not hide flaws, conceal damage, or edit an item's appearance to make it look different from what the buyer will receive."
- "You must not use images that create false expectations about what the buyer will receive."
Which photo edits Etsy allows, and AI
"You may use photo editing software or AI-powered tools on your other listing images, provided the final result remains an accurate representation of the physical product." Etsy's lists:
| Allowed | Prohibited |
|---|---|
| Adjusting lighting, exposure, or color balance to match real life | Prohibited: Changing the product's actual color, texture, or condition |
| Cropping, resizing, or straightening the image | Prohibited: Digitally removing or hiding defects, cracks, or damage |
| Cleaning up or replacing the background, as long as the product itself is accurately represented | Prohibited: Using AI to change the core design or features of a physical item |
Etsy's own examples allow a listing with "a real, unedited photo of the item for sale, as well as an AI-edited image that accurately represents the item", and prohibit "An AI-generated approximation of the item that does not accurately reflect the color, texture, quality, or other characteristics of the product."
Rules by product type
| What you sell | What Etsy says |
|---|---|
| Print-on-demand items | What Etsy says: A stock photo mockup of your design on the base product, "if the stock photo's owner has authorized its use" |
| Digital downloads | What Etsy says: Items with no visual side, like audio files, may use representative imagery, including AI-generated images, if it doesn't mislead. Other downloads should show a preview or excerpt |
| Customized and made-to-order items | What Etsy says: Photos of real, finished items you've made in the past |
| Patterns, recipes, seeds and similar | What Etsy says: At least one real, unedited photo of something made with your product. "AI-generated images cannot be the only images used to show the finished result." |
If an image misleads
If the item received is materially different from the image: "If a buyer opens a case, Etsy may issue the buyer a refund, and you may be responsible for the refund amount." Etsy may also remove misleading listings, and "Repeated violations may result in additional enforcement action, up to and including shop removal."
Sizes and shape
| What | Etsy's help center |
|---|---|
| Recommended size | Etsy's help center: A width and height "of at least 2000 pixels or more" |
| First photo minimum | Etsy's help center: At least 635 pixels each way, "to avoid showing up lower in searches" |
| First photo shape | Etsy's help center: It "should be horizontal (landscape) or square", and it "dictates the shape of the photos that follow" |
| File size | Etsy's help center: Images "larger than 1MB in file size may not finish uploading, especially on a slower internet connection" |
| Color | Etsy's help center: Etsy converts images to sRGB; if colors look wrong after upload, convert yours to sRGB first |
Thumbnails, crops and how many photos a listing takes are in our Etsy listing photo size guide.
Where ReddStudio fits
ReddStudio makes a listing's images from one product photo. With Etsy picked, the first image is a landscape 4:3 shot of the product alone on a light, natural-looking background, and the rest share its style. It redraws the whole picture, product included, so these are the edited images Etsy allows only when they stay accurate: check each one against your real item. They don't replace your unedited photo; for most products, keep your own photo of the item in the listing too. On Pro, the Etsy download includes your own photo as a separate file, not redrawn, only shrunk to at most 2048 pixels and saved as a JPEG. For the unedited photo Etsy requires, your original photo straight from the camera is the safest choice.
FAQ
What are Etsy's photo requirements in 2026?
Etsy's Listing Image Requirements (last updated Oct 22, 2026): every image must accurately show the item's color, condition, scale and materials, and for most products one photo must be unedited, showing the actual item against a real background. Etsy's help center adds the sizes: at least 2000 pixels each way recommended, and at least 635 pixels for the first photo.
Can I use AI images on Etsy?
Yes, on all but one photo, for most products. Etsy says "You may use photo editing software or AI-powered tools on your other listing images, provided the final result remains an accurate representation of the physical product." The required unedited photo must stay untouched.
Which photo edits does Etsy still allow?
On the photos other than the required unedited one, Etsy allows "Adjusting lighting, exposure, or color balance to match real life", "Cropping, resizing, or straightening the image", and "Cleaning up or replacing the background, as long as the product itself is accurately represented." It prohibits changing the product's actual color, texture or condition, hiding defects or damage, and using AI to change the core design or features of the item.
What happens if my Etsy photos are misleading?
If the item a buyer gets is materially different from the images and they open a case, "Etsy may issue the buyer a refund, and you may be responsible for the refund amount." Etsy may also remove misleading listings, and repeated violations can lead to shop removal.
Should the first Etsy photo be landscape or square?
Either. Etsy's help center says the first photo "should be horizontal (landscape) or square", and it sets the shape of the photos after it. Its thumbnail tips lean landscape: "Avoid square crops. Upload horizontal or landscape images."
