Amazon added a new compliance requirement in July 2026 that changes how sellers need to handle AI-generated model imagery: any product image or video containing a photorealistic AI-generated person now has to be tagged with specific metadata before it goes anywhere near Seller Central. The rule took effect immediately, with no grace period, and it applies across every one of Amazon’s worldwide stores.
If your team uses AI-generated lifestyle imagery for apparel, beauty, home goods, or any other category where a model shot drives conversion, this is a workflow change worth making immediately, not something to get to eventually.
What the Rule Actually Requires
If an image or video contains a photorealistic person who was generated entirely by AI, you must add the keyword contains-synthetic-performer to the file’s dc:subject field in its XMP metadata before uploading it to a listing or A+ Content. Amazon uses that metadata to add a visible disclosure indicator on the product page, letting shoppers know the image includes an AI-generated person.
The rule is narrower than it might first sound. It applies specifically to fully synthetic human figures that look real — not to every AI-touched image in your catalog.
What Needs the Tag
- Any image or video with a photorealistic AI-generated person — a synthetic human who doesn’t exist and looks real.
What’s Exempt
- Real people, even if the photo was AI-edited or enhanced — the exemption covers retouching and upscaling, not full generation.
- Fictional characters from movies, TV, streaming content, documentaries, or video games.
- Images with no people at all.
- AI-generated figures that aren’t photorealistic — stylized or clearly illustrated figures don’t qualify.
Why This Is Happening Now
The most direct driver is New York’s General Business Law Section 396-b, which took effect on June 9, 2026. The law requires businesses to clearly disclose when a commercial advertisement uses a “synthetic performer” — digitally created media designed to give the impression of a real human performance. It carries a civil penalty of $1,000 for a first violation and $5,000 for each one after that, with the disclosure obligation falling on the advertiser — which, on Amazon, means the seller or brand owner, not Amazon itself. Amazon’s global rollout gets every seller compliant ahead of that law and the similar state-level disclosure rules taking shape elsewhere, rather than trying to apply the requirement market by market. This mirrors the kind of proactive compliance stance we’ve tracked in Amazon’s recent Featured Offer and account-health changes throughout 2026 — get ahead of the regulatory requirement globally rather than reacting jurisdiction by jurisdiction.
Amazon isn’t the first major platform to require this. Meta labels AI-generated people in advertising content, TikTok requires disclosure of realistic AI-generated content, and several other platforms have added similar labeling through 2025 and 2026. Amazon’s policy brings product listings in line with what advertising content already requires elsewhere.
How to Tag Your Files
The tag has to be embedded in the file itself before it’s uploaded — it can’t be added after a listing goes live. The exact method depends on your operating system.
On macOS
- Open the file in Preview.
- Open the Inspector (Tools > Show Inspector, or Cmd+I).
- Click the Keywords tab.
- Click the + button and type contains-synthetic-performer, then press Enter.
- Save the file, then reopen it to confirm the keyword is still present.
On Windows
- Right-click the file and select Properties.
- Go to the Details tab.
- Under Description, find the Tags field — not the Subject field. They write to different metadata locations, and only Tags is correct.
- Type contains-synthetic-performer into the Tags field and save.
On Linux or via Command Line
Amazon’s help documentation provides exiftool commands that append the keyword to the XMP-dc:Subject field without overwriting any existing metadata — the safer approach for a bulk-tagging workflow across an image library.
Two Ways to Skip Manual Tagging
- Use the checkbox — A+ Content Manager’s Creative Assets upload flow includes an “AI-generated people” checkbox that applies the metadata automatically when selected.
- Use Amazon’s own AI tools — images generated through Amazon’s built-in generative AI features, such as Creative Studio, are tagged automatically.
Whichever method you use, verify the metadata is actually present with an XMP-capable reader before uploading. Several sellers on Seller Central forums have reported tagging files correctly but not seeing the disclosure indicator appear on the live listing yet, which suggests the customer-facing indicator rollout may be trailing the tagging requirement itself — tag anyway, since the compliance obligation is on the metadata, not on the indicator appearing.
What This Means for Your Image Workflow
AI-generated lifestyle imagery has become a standard, lower-cost alternative to traditional studio photography for a lot of sellers, particularly in apparel, beauty, and home goods where a model shot does real conversion work. This rule doesn’t ban that — you can keep using AI-generated people in your listings and A+ Content — it just adds a mandatory tagging step and a customer-facing disclosure that wasn’t there before.
Whether the disclosure indicator actually affects conversion is genuinely unclear right now. Shoppers already see AI-generated people across advertising everywhere, so in a lot of categories the label may barely register. In trust-sensitive categories — skincare, supplements, fitness, or anything where a shopper is assessing how a product will look or perform on a real body — it’s worth testing real photography against AI-generated model shots rather than assuming the disclosure is neutral. If you’re rebuilding listing images and A+ Content anyway, this is a good moment to build the tagging step directly into your creative brief and into your listing optimization process, rather than retrofitting it after the fact.
If you use outside photographers, freelance designers, or an AI image vendor, don’t assume they’ve already seen Amazon’s announcement — update your creative brief and asset-delivery checklist now so tagging happens before files reach you, not after.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly do I need to tag?
Any product image or video that contains a photorealistic AI-generated person — a fully synthetic human figure that looks real — used in a listing, A+ Content, Brand Story, or Amazon Store. If the figure isn’t photorealistic, or there’s no person in the shot at all, no tag is needed.
Do I need to tag a real photo that was edited with AI?
No. Real people whose photos were retouched, upscaled, or edited with AI tools are exempt. The requirement is specifically for people who don’t exist — fully generated, not enhanced.
What about images with fictional characters or video game models?
Exempt. Characters from movies, TV, games, or other expressive works don’t count as “synthetic performers” under the rule, even if they’re photorealistic.
What’s the exact keyword and where does it go?
The keyword is contains-synthetic-performer, added to the dc:subject field of the file’s XMP metadata using an IPTC-compatible metadata editor, before the file is uploaded to Seller Central.
Can I add the tag after the listing is already live?
No — the metadata has to be embedded in the file itself before upload. If an image is already live without the tag and it qualifies, you’ll need to re-tag the original file and re-upload it.
Is there a way to skip manual tagging?
Yes, two ways: select the “AI-generated people” checkbox in A+ Content Manager’s Creative Assets when uploading, which applies the metadata automatically; or generate the image using Amazon’s own generative AI tools (such as Creative Studio), which are tagged automatically by Amazon.
What happens if I don’t tag a qualifying image?
Amazon hasn’t published a specific listing-level penalty structure, but the underlying laws driving this policy — starting with New York’s synthetic-performer disclosure law — carry civil penalties per violation, and each non-compliant piece of content can count separately. Beyond legal exposure, an untagged image that should have been tagged is a compliance gap Amazon could act on directly through Seller Central enforcement.
Why did Amazon do this now specifically?
The most immediate driver is New York’s General Business Law Section 396-b, which took effect June 9, 2026, and requires disclosure whenever a commercial advertisement uses a “synthetic performer” that gives the impression of a real human. Amazon’s global rollout gets ahead of that law and similar disclosure rules taking shape in other states and jurisdictions.
Does this affect AI-generated images without people, like AI-generated backgrounds or props?
No. The requirement is specific to photorealistic AI-generated people. AI-generated scenery, product renders, or backgrounds without human figures aren’t covered.
Will the visible disclosure indicator hurt my conversion rate?
It’s genuinely unclear yet. Shoppers already encounter AI-generated people constantly in advertising, so the label may have minimal impact in most categories. In trust-sensitive categories — skincare, fitness, apparel where fit and appearance matter — it’s worth testing real photography against AI-generated imagery rather than assuming the label is neutral.
Keep Your Listings Compliant and Converting
AI content disclosure requirements are only going to tighten from here, across every commercial channel, not just Amazon. If you’d rather have someone building compliance checks like this directly into your creative and listing design process — rather than finding out about the next rule change after the fact — that’s part of what our Amazon account management services cover for sellers across the UK, US, UAE, and India.
