REPORTED DEVELOPMENT
Etsy requires at least one original, unedited image of the actual item on a real background in most categories, faithfully representing colour, material, texture and condition. Additional AI images are allowed if they do not misrepresent products. Entirely AI-generated listings and functional AI instructions face restrictions, with exceptions for digital, custom and print-on-demand products.
These are platform rules, not general law, and no ROI evidence is supplied.
WHY IT MATTERS TO THE MARKET
Creative presentation and evidence of a physical product are different. Provenance and fidelity matter to commercial product information.