Etsy listing photo requirements: sizes, formats, the unedited-photo rule, and how to export them from one photo

Etsy's photo rules come down to a handful of numbers, a short format list and one rule that changed the game for AI-edited images: most listings now need at least one real, unedited photo of the item. Get the numbers wrong and the editor warns you or search ranks the listing lower; get the unedited-photo rule wrong and the listing breaks Etsy's policy. This page takes every figure from Etsy's own help pages and ends with a workflow for getting the whole gallery from one good photo.

Key takeaways

• Size: Etsy recommends photos at least 2,000 px wide (and tall); the listing editor shows "Listings look best with photos at least 2000 pixels wide" below that, but still lets you publish. The first photo must be at least 635 px on both sides or the listing ranks lower in search.
• Formats: .jpg, .gif, .png, .svg and .heic. No animated GIFs, no transparent PNGs, no WebP.
• Count: up to 20 photos and 2 videos of 5–15 seconds per listing.
• Shape: make the first photo horizontal or square and the rest match; Etsy crops thumbnails square, portrait and landscape, so centre the item and leave room.
• The unedited-photo rule: most listings must include one real, unedited photo of the actual item on a real background. AI may adjust light, colour, crop or background on the other photos, as long as the item does not look different from what the buyer receives.

Minimum and recommended sizes

Two different numbers do two different jobs. Etsy's image guide recommends photos "at least 2000 pixels" in width and height, and the listing editor nudges you with "Listings look best with photos at least 2000 pixels wide" when a file is smaller; that is a quality recommendation, and publishing still works. Separately, the first listing photo must be at least 635 × 635 px, or the listing appears lower in search results. So 635 is the floor that affects ranking; 2,000 is the target that affects how the zoomed image looks.

Go larger than 2,000 when the source allows; downsizing keeps detail, upscaling a small file does not. Etsy warns that large files can fail: the image guide says files over 1 MB may not finish uploading on slow connections, and the listing-creation page says files bigger than 300 KB may time out. Export a 2,000 px JPEG at a quality around 80–85, which usually lands under 1 MB.

Formats

Supported: .jpg, .gif, .png, .svg, .heic. Not supported: animated .gif files and transparent .png files. WebP is not on the list. Use JPEG for photographs; keep PNG for flat graphics without transparency.

The unedited-photo rule and what AI edits are allowed

Etsy's listing-image requirements now state that most listings need at least one real, unedited photo: "An unedited photo should show the actual item against a real background and must not be edited or changed in any way." Outside that photo, editing tools including AI may "adjust lighting or color, crop or resize images, or change backgrounds", provided the item does not look different from what the buyer receives. The line not to cross: "Don't use AI to hide damage or change an item's appearance in a way that could mislead buyers."

Category exceptions from the same page: print-on-demand sellers may use a stock mockup if the mockup's owner authorised it; digital items with no visual component may use representative imagery, including AI-generated images; digital items with a visual component (printables) should show a preview of the actual content; for craft patterns, recipes and seeds, AI-generated images cannot be the only images of the finished result. Sellers must still disclose when an item itself is made using AI.

For a seller using generated lifestyle scenes or on-model images, the workflow follows directly: photo one is the real, untouched shot; the generated images go in slots two onward, and the product in them must be the product as shipped. A tool that keeps the product pixels and generates only the surroundings stays on the right side of "does not look different".

Count, shape and cropping

A listing takes up to 20 photos and 2 videos of 5 to 15 seconds. The editor lets you crop each photo to an aspect ratio of your choosing and pick the thumbnail frame, so one well-shot source image can cover several slots. Etsy's own advice: shoot from farther back than you think, centre the important part, and shoot horizontally, because vertical images need more cropping; the first photo should be horizontal or square and the later photos should match its shape so the gallery reads as one set.

Getting the whole gallery from one photo

1. Shoot the real photo first: item on a real surface, daylight, sharp, 2,000 px or more. This is photo one and it stays unedited.
2. From the same file, generate the context shots: a lifestyle scene for the mood, a second angle or detail crop, a scale shot. PicBarn's AI product photography tool keeps the item's pixels and builds the scene around them; the scene library has twelve looks tuned for home, kitchen, beauty and gifting.
3. Export each at 2,000 px on the long side; the Etsy preset in the export panel is 2,000 × 1,600 JPEG. Check the file is under 1 MB.
4. Keep the shapes consistent with photo one and check each thumbnail in all three crops before publishing.
5. If the item is printed, worn or coloured, compare the generated images against the real one: nothing about the item may differ.

FAQ

What size should Etsy listing photos be? At least 2,000 px wide and tall is Etsy's recommendation; the first photo must be at least 635 × 635 px or the listing ranks lower.

What formats does Etsy accept? .jpg, .gif, .png, .svg and .heic. No animated GIF, no transparent PNG, no WebP.

How many photos can I add? Up to 20 photos and 2 videos (5–15 seconds each) per listing.

Can I use AI-edited or AI-generated photos on Etsy? Yes for additional photos, as long as the item looks the same as what ships and you are not hiding damage. Most listings must still include one unedited real photo of the item on a real background.

Why did my upload fail? Usually file size: Etsy says files over 1 MB (and on the listing page, over 300 KB) may not finish uploading on slow connections. Re-export the JPEG at a lower quality.

Sources

• Etsy Help, Requirements and best practices for images in your Etsy shop: 2,000 px recommendation, 635 px first-photo rule, formats, 1 MB note, thumbnail cropping advice.
• Etsy Help, How do Etsy's listing image requirements apply to my listings: the unedited-photo rule, allowed and disallowed AI edits, category exceptions.
• Etsy Help, How to create a listing: 20 photos and 2 videos, cropping and thumbnails, 300 KB time-out note.