Etsy Bans AI-Generated Functional Guides to Protect Trust

Etsy banned the sale of AI-generated functional guides, including cooking recipes, sewing patterns, and crochet instructions, on its online marketplace. The company implemented the policy to combat the proliferation of AI-generated content that threatens trust between buyers and sellers.

Under the new rules, sellers of instructions must provide a photo of a physical item created using the guides rather than a simulated result. The company is also barring bot-generated listings created without human involvement and now requires at least one unedited photo of any physical product being sold.

AI-generated art remains permitted on the platform, provided sellers disclose the use of AI and do not misrepresent the work as handmade. The company noted that many active buyers currently cannot tell which items involve AI-generated content.

This policy shift follows a struggle with AI-made content and increasing competition from mass-market retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Temu, and Shein.