As of November 9, 2026, Etsy's help center recommends listing photos with "a width and height of at least 2000 pixels or more", a first photo of at least 635 pixels on each side, and a horizontal or square first photo. Files must be JPG, GIF, PNG, SVG or HEIC, and Etsy warns that "images larger than 1MB in file size may not finish uploading." For AI-made images the rule that matters most is a different one: every listing must include "at least one unedited photo of the actual item against a real background."
Checklist
- At least 2000 px wide and 2000 px tall (recommended).
- First photo at least 635 px on each side, or it may show up lower in search.
- First photo horizontal or square; the other photos in the same shape as the first.
- JPG, GIF, PNG, SVG or HEIC. No animated GIFs, no transparent PNGs.
- Aim for under 1 MB per file; larger files may not finish uploading.
- Frame loosely: Etsy crops thumbnails to square, portrait and landscape.
- At least one unedited photo of the real item on a real background.
- No edit that hides flaws or makes the item look different from what ships.
- If images were edited, say so in the description (Etsy's best practice).
The reasons, and how each one meets AI output, follow.
What Etsy says, quoted
From Etsy Help, "Requirements and Best Practices for Images in Your Etsy Shop":
| Topic | Etsy's wording |
|---|---|
| Size | "We recommend your listing photos have a width and height of at least 2000 pixels or more." |
| First photo minimum | "at least 635 pixels to avoid showing up lower in searches" |
| Shape | "The first photo in a listing should be horizontal (landscape) or square." Later photos should match the first. |
| File types | ".jpg, .gif, .png, .svg, or .heic"; animated GIFs and transparent PNGs are not supported |
| File size | "Images larger than 1MB in file size may not finish uploading." |
| Thumbnails | photos should work cropped to "square, portrait, and landscape thumbnails" |
| Resolution | enlarging an image can pixelate it; make sure images were "produced at the highest resolution" |
| Real item | listings need "at least one unedited photo of the actual item against a real background" |
| Edits | edits must not hide flaws, conceal damage or make the item look different from what buyers receive |
| Functional items | patterns, recipes and instructions must show an actual result, not "an AI-generated or simulated result" |
| Disclosure | best practice: note in the description whether images were edited |
The same page also says "Avoid square crops. Upload horizontal or landscape images," which sits awkwardly next to its own advice that the first photo can be square. Horizontal is the shape that satisfies both lines. The page shows no date, so we record what it said on the day we checked.
How AI output meets each line
Size: 2000 px both ways
Etsy's recommendation applies to width and height. The most common Nano Banana 2 output we measured is 2752 x 1536: wide enough, but 1536 px tall, short of 2000. Nano Banana 2 at 4K (22 credits per image) or Nano Banana Pro at 4K (42) give more pixels. Seedream 5 Lite's most common output is 2304 x 4096, comfortably over 2000 both ways, but portrait, and Etsy wants the first photo horizontal or square.
If an image is too small, enlarge it before upload rather than letting Etsy display it soft:
| Upscaler on 8frame | Price in credits | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| BRIA Increase Resolution | 6 | 2x or 4x, content-preserving, up to 8192 x 8192 |
| Topaz Image Upscale | 11 per 24 MP block | Fixed 4x precision path |
| Clarity | 13 | Always 2x, diffusion based, returns JPG |
Clarity is diffusion based, so it can add detail that was not in the photo. On a real product that is the edit Etsy forbids, because it can make the item look different from what ships. For the unedited photo, use none of them; for a styled AI image, BRIA's content-preserving mode is the safer choice.
File size: the 1 MB warning
The image models we measured on 8frame (Nano Banana 2, Nano Banana Pro, Seedream 5 Pro, Seedream 5 Lite and GPT Image 2) return PNG, and the stored original is kept as delivered. Median files are 5.5 MB for Nano Banana 2, 6.0 MB for Nano Banana Pro, 6.9 MB for Seedream 5 Pro and 7.1 MB for Seedream 5 Lite. All of these are over Etsy's 1 MB warning.
The download menu offers Small, Medium and Large versions, but those are WebP files 256, 640 and 1280 px wide, and WebP is not on Etsy's list. Download the Original and save it as JPG in your own editor. Check the file size, and lower the JPG quality step by step until it is near 1 MB without visible blocks.
Shape and thumbnails
Generate the first photo at a horizontal ratio and keep the item in the middle with space around it. Etsy crops the same image to square, portrait and landscape thumbnails, and an item filling the frame edge to edge loses its corners in at least one of them. Put "product centred, generous space on all sides" in the prompt.
Transparent PNGs
Background removal on 8frame (12 credits) cuts the product out of its photo. A cutout is usually saved with a transparent background, and Etsy does not support transparent PNGs, so place the cutout on a background (a colour, a surface, a scene) before export.
HEIC
Etsy accepts HEIC, which is what many phones save. The 8frame canvas does not accept HEIC uploads (it takes PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF, AVIF and BMP), so convert phone photos to JPG before you put them on the board. The MCP upload page does accept HEIC and converts it to JPEG.
The unedited photo comes first
The rule that one photo must be unedited, of the actual item, against a real background, decides the order of work. Shoot that photo first, with daylight and a plain real surface. Then use it as the reference for everything AI makes, so the generated images show the same item.
A listing set that respects the rules looks like this:
| Slot | What it is | Made with |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hero, horizontal, item in a styled setting | Image node from your real photo |
| 2 | The unedited photo on a real background | Your camera, no edits |
| 3 | Scale: the item in a hand or next to a known object | Image node, checked against real measurements |
| 4 | Detail close-up | Your camera, or a crop of the unedited photo |
| 5 | In use or in a room | Image node from your real photo |
Slots 2 and 4 are the ones buyers trust. If an AI image ever shows a colour, size or finish the item does not have, delete it: Etsy's rule is about what the buyer receives. Our AI video for Etsy sellers page covers the listing video and the same handmade line for motion.
A board for a listing set
- Upload the unedited photo and pin a sticky with the facts: real colour name, size, material.
- Connect it to three image nodes for slots 1, 3 and 5, each with a different setting. Nano Banana 2 at 2K is 17 credits per image; Seedream 5 Lite is 6 per image if you want many settings to choose from.
- For text on a sign or package inside the scene, use Nano Banana Pro (21 per image at 1K or 2K) and check every letter; for the item's own label, keep the real photo.
- Check each output against the sticky. A changed glaze, stitch or engraving means regenerate or drop.
- Enlarge with BRIA if the short side is under 2000 px.
- Download the Original, convert to JPG, check it is near 1 MB.
Which model for which listing image
| Need | Model on 8frame | Price in credits | Catch for Etsy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Styled setting, many tries | Nano Banana 2 | 11 at 1K, 17 at 2K, 22 at 4K | Most common output 1536 px tall: go 4K or enlarge |
| Words in the scene | Nano Banana Pro | 21 at 1K or 2K, 42 at 4K | Check the spelling |
| Many cheap background swaps | Seedream 5 Lite | 6 | Portrait in our sample; Etsy wants horizontal first |
| Small edit to a real photo | Flux Edit (FLUX.2 pro) | 7 for a ~1 MP input, more for larger | Any change to the item itself breaks the unedited rule for that photo |
| Stronger edit | Kontext Max | 13 | Same |
| Cutout | Background removal | 12 | A transparent cutout is not accepted: add a background |
Where it breaks
- The edited item. An AI image that changes the item (colour, shape, engraving) is the one Etsy's policy targets. Models do not keep small details reliably; check at full size.
- Functional listings. For patterns, recipes and instructions, Etsy wants a real result, not an AI-generated one.
- File size. PNG originals are several times the 1 MB warning.
- Wrong file type. WebP downloads and transparent cutouts are not accepted.
- Too short. A 16:9 image can be wide enough and still under 2000 px tall.
FAQ
What size should Etsy listing photos be? Etsy recommends at least 2000 pixels in width and height. The first photo should be at least 635 pixels on each side, and horizontal or square.
What is the maximum file size for Etsy photos? Etsy states no hard limit but warns that images larger than 1 MB may not finish uploading.
Can I use AI-generated photos on Etsy? As styled images, yes, as long as they do not make the item look different from what buyers receive, and the listing also has at least one unedited photo of the actual item against a real background. Etsy recommends saying in the description whether images were edited.
Does Etsy accept PNG with a transparent background? No. Etsy does not support transparent PNGs or animated GIFs. Put a cutout on a background before upload.
Why do my AI images upload slowly or fail on Etsy? Most likely file size. Nano Banana 2, Nano Banana Pro and Seedream 5 on 8frame return PNG files with medians between 5.5 and 7.1 MB, well over Etsy's 1 MB warning. Save as JPG.
What shape should the first Etsy photo be? Horizontal or square, with the rest of the photos matching it. Leave space around the item, since Etsy crops thumbnails to several shapes.
Sources
- Etsy Help, "Requirements and Best Practices for Images in Your Etsy Shop": https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/115015663347-How-to-Add-Photos-and-Videos-to-Your-Listings, checked 2026-11-09
- 8frame prices, defaults and limits: the 8frame app, checked 2026-11-09
- 8frame image file format, size, resolution and download options: medians of generated files over 120 days, template examples excluded, checked 2026-09-30
- 8frame upload formats on the canvas and the MCP upload page: the 8frame app, checked 2026-09-30
Try it without signing up: the 8frame canvas opens on a real board. The canvas is free and unlimited; generation is paid from $19/month.