Etsy implements stricter AI policies for listings and functional guides

Etsy has introduced sweeping new policies to combat "AI slop" and restore buyer trust. The e-commerce platform is banning AI-generated "functional guides," which include digital downloads such as sewing patterns, crochet instructions, recipes, and assembly guides. To ensure quality, sellers of these guides must now provide a photo of an actual finished product made from the instructions rather than an AI-rendered simulation.

To prevent visual deception, Etsy now requires most listings to include at least one unretouched photo of the physical item shot against an authentic, real-world background. While sellers may still use AI-powered tools for lighting or cropping in secondary images, the final result must remain an accurate representation of the product. Listings created entirely by bots are prohibited and may result in shop closures.

AI-generated art remains permitted on the platform, provided that sellers maintain genuine creative input and clearly disclose the use of AI technology. The company noted that the inability to distinguish between human-made and AI-generated content has become a top-three barrier to shopping on the site. Additionally, Etsy is implementing new tools to flag AI-generated images during upload and providing a reporting mechanism for buyers to flag misleading imagery.