# Check Etsy listings against the new AI rules

> Researched. Small business · Beginner · Content. Updated 2026-11-02.

Canonical page: https://www.aisetupsthatwork.com/setups/check-etsy-listings-against-the-new-ai-rules/

## What it does
Paste an Etsy listing and get a checklist against Etsy's October 2026 AI rules: unedited photo, accurate images, AI disclosure, functional guides and bot listings, with the fix for each miss.

## Who it's for
Etsy sellers who used AI anywhere in a listing, from photos and mockups to descriptions, patterns or the item itself, and want to stay within the new rules.

## Tools
- ChatGPT or Claude
- Your Etsy listing text and a list of its photos

## Steps
1. Copy the listing title, description and a one-line note for each photo: unedited, edited, AI background or AI mockup.
2. Paste them into the prompt below with what you sell.
3. Fix anything marked missing. Etsy says each listing needs at least one unedited photo of the actual item against a real background, with exceptions for some item types.
4. If AI helped create the item itself, add a plain disclosure in the description. Etsy says seller-prompted AI creations must be disclosed there.
5. If you sell patterns, recipes or instructions, make sure the instructions are your own work and show a real result. Etsy no longer allows AI-generated functional guides.
6. Check the exceptions on Etsy's Listing Image Requirements page for your item type before changing photos.

## Copy-paste prompt
Adapt bracketed fields to your situation.
```text
Check this Etsy listing against Etsy's AI rules. Use only what I paste.

What I sell: [E.G. PHYSICAL CANDLES / DIGITAL PLANNER / KNITTING PATTERN]
Title: [PASTE]
Description: [PASTE]
Photos (one line each): [E.G. 1 unedited on table, 2 AI background, 3 mockup]
Did AI help create the item itself? [YES/NO, HOW]

Check each rule and mark OK, MISSING or CHECK:
1. At least one unedited photo of the actual item on a real background
2. Photos accurately show what the buyer receives
3. AI use disclosed in the description, if AI helped create the item
4. Patterns, recipes or instructions are the seller's own work, with a real result shown
5. The listing was written and reviewed by a person, not posted by a bot

For each MISSING, write the exact fix. Do not rewrite my listing unless I ask.
```

## Guardrails
- What it touches: Chat input you provide (ChatGPT or Claude; Your Etsy listing text and a list of its photos).
- Needs your OK: Send, pay, publish, and account changes stay with you. Treat agent output as drafts first.
- Safety level: Read-only
- Assuming an AI background is fine everywhere. Check the image rules and exceptions for your item type.
- Disclosing AI in tags but not in the description.
- Selling an AI-written pattern or recipe; those are no longer allowed.

## Tips
- Start with your best sellers; a removed bestseller costs the most.
- Keep your disclosure line short and plain, like: Designed by the seller with AI image tools.
- Etsy may owe a buyer a refund on a materially different item, so fix photo mismatches first.

## Estimates (labeled, not measured)
- Time saved: About 5 minutes per listing.
- Money saved: Not stated in sources.
- Tool cost: Free tiers can run the check. Prices: Not stated in sources.

## Sources
Summaries use the public sources below, not independent verification.
- Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/1522733284810 (Important updates to AI use on Etsy: at least one unedited photo of the actual item on a real background, photos must accurately represent the item, AI-generated functional guides not allowed, bot-generated listings not allowed, sellers may owe refunds on materially different items (read 2026-11-02 from a search result excerpt of the page))
- Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/1275449912004 (What is Etsy's stance on AI creations: seller-prompted AI creations allowed, must be disclosed in the listing description, AI prompt bundles not allowed (read 2026-11-02 from a search result excerpt of the page))

## Get the free starter pack
Five beginner copy-paste AI setups, free by email: https://www.aisetupsthatwork.com/starter-pack/?utm_source=ai-agent&utm_medium=markdown&utm_campaign=setup-check-etsy-listings-against-the-new-ai-rules

Related:
- [Etsy listing titles, tags, and descriptions with AI](https://www.aisetupsthatwork.com/setups/etsy-listing-titles-tags-and-descriptions-with-ai/index.md)
- [Write bulk product descriptions for Shopify without duplicates](https://www.aisetupsthatwork.com/setups/bulk-product-descriptions-for-shopify/index.md)