How to disclose AI on Etsy listings.

General information, not legal advice. Etsy's own pages win if anything here differs.

What Etsy actually says

"Sellers must disclose within their listing description if an item is created with the use of AI."
Etsy Seller Handbook, What is Etsy's stance on AI creations?

Etsy's help center says the same thing for seller-prompted AI creations in the "Designed by a seller" category (What Can I Sell on Etsy?). Etsy doesn't give required wording, so the sentence is up to you.

Step by step

1. Check whether it applies. If AI generated or helped create the item itself (the artwork, pattern, illustration or design), it applies. If you're unsure about smaller uses, like AI-written listing text, see our FAQ.
2. Write one or two plain sentences in the description. Say what AI did and what you did. Put it near the top, where buyers actually read, not at the very bottom. (That placement is our suggestion; Etsy only says "within their listing description.")
3. Repeat it on every AI listing. The rule is per listing. A shop announcement or About section on its own doesn't match Etsy's wording.
4. Answer the listing form honestly. Sellers report that the listing form now has a "Created by an AI generator" option (r/EtsySellers, April 2026). We haven't found an Etsy announcement for that option, and Etsy's policy still names the description, so do both.
5. Add your production partner if someone else prints it. See the next section.
6. Check your mockups for AI-generated people. See below.

Example wording you can adapt

These are our suggestions, not Etsy's text. Change them so they describe how you actually made the item.

• This design was created with the help of AI tools from my own prompts, then edited by me.
• Product images include AI-generated backgrounds. The first photo shows the actual product.
• The artwork for this print was generated with AI from my original prompts. I chose, edited and color-corrected the final design. Printed and shipped by my print-on-demand production partner.
• Your custom portrait is created with AI tools from the photo you send me, then I review and retouch it before delivery.

Print-on-demand: add your production partner

Etsy defines a production partner as a company or person outside your shop that physically produces items from your own designs, such as a printing service. Etsy requires sellers who use one to share it on the applicable listings (Etsy Help). The steps Etsy gives on Etsy.com:

1. Sign in and go to Shop Manager.
2. Select Settings, then Partners you work with.
3. Select Add a new production partner and fill out the form: the partner's name (you can hide it from buyers and use a descriptive title like "Apparel printer"), their location, and an "About production partner" description.
4. Preview it and select Save partner.

Then pick that partner in the Production partners section of each listing, or bulk-edit from Listings → Editing options → Change production partners. Etsy notes you can't add new partners in the Etsy Seller app yet. Etsy's Handmade Policy says your partner's location and description appear on your About section and listings.

Choosing a print partner? Compare Printify vs Printful.

AI-generated people in mockups and ads

New York's law on AI "synthetic performers" in ads took effect on June 9, 2026. It's a state law, not an Etsy rule. Printful's help center, which explains how it applies to its mockups, says:

• It covers realistic AI-generated people who aren't a real, identifiable person. Flat lays, mannequins and photos of real people aren't "synthetic performers."
• Printful lists mockups in marketplace listings, paid ads and email marketing as "likely in scope."
• The person who creates the ad is responsible for the disclosure. That's you, not the platform.
• Placement isn't specified, as long as it's clear and conspicuous. That could be on the image or in the description.
• Printful lists penalties of USD 1,000 for a first violation and USD 5,000 for each one after.

Source: Printful Help Center. Printful says its article is not legal advice either.

Example line (our suggestion): The model in the product photos is AI-generated.

Common mistakes

• Disclosing only in your shop announcement or About section.
• Hiding the line under care instructions, where nobody reads it.
• Selling the prompts themselves. Etsy bans AI prompt bundles sold without the finished artwork.
• Using a free design or mockup plan that's personal use only (Kittl Free and Mockey Free are marked that way) for products you sell.

Want to know when Etsy changes these rules? The rules tracker logs every dated change, and the newsletter below sends them to you.