Since July 2026, Amazon asks sellers to tag product images, videos and A+ content that show photorealistic AI-generated people. The tag is metadata, not a Seller Central field: you add the keyword contains-synthetic-performer to the file's XMP subject before uploading. Real people, cartoons, images without people and AI backgrounds behind your product don't need it.
More on this topic: Marketplace image requirements, every guide in one place.
The change follows a New York law that requires ads to disclose AI-generated people. This guide explains what counts, how to add the tag on a Mac or PC, what to do with images you've already uploaded, and how to keep your main image out of the question entirely. If your listing images show only the product, as an Amazon white background main image or a generated scene with no people does, the tag doesn't apply.
- Who it affects: any listing image, video or A+ module showing a photorealistic person who was created by AI and isn't a real individual.
- How to tag: add
contains-synthetic-performerto the XMPdc:subject(keywords) field of the file before upload. - Not covered: real models (even if retouched with AI), cartoons and illustrations, characters from films or games, and AI scenes with no people.
- What shoppers see: Amazon says it may show an indicator on the listing where it applies.
- Don't strip it: metadata removers and some export settings delete XMP, which removes the tag.
What changed on Amazon in July 2026?
On July 22, 2026, Amazon told sellers that recent legislation requires disclosure when images or videos in advertisements contain photorealistic AI-generated people, and that product images, videos and A+ content with such people need a metadata tag. News coverage at the time (CNBC, eWeek) tied the notice to New York's synthetic performer law. Amazon applied the rule to listings generally, not only to shoppers in New York.
It isn't a ban on AI images. AI-made scenes, backgrounds and edits are still allowed in secondary images as long as they show the product accurately, and the main image rules (real product, pure white background) haven't changed.
Which images need the synthetic performer tag?
| Image or video | Tag needed? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| AI-generated model wearing or holding your product | Yes | Photorealistic person created by AI |
| AI avatar or creator presenting the product in a video | Yes | Photorealistic person created by AI |
| Real model photographed, then retouched or relit with AI | No | Based on a real person |
| Your product in an AI-generated room, no people | No | No person in the image |
| Cartoon, illustration or obviously stylized character | No | Not photorealistic |
| Licensed character from a film, TV show or game | No | Expressive-work characters are excluded |
| AI-generated hand holding the product | Check | A realistic body part may count; tagging is the cautious choice |
Amazon's notice describes people "created entirely by AI" and not based on a real person. If you aren't sure, tagging is the low-risk choice: the worst case is a disclosure that wasn't strictly required.
Amazon's synthetic performer tagging rule and the New York law were checked in October 2026. Marketplaces change their rules, so confirm the current requirements in your seller dashboard before you upload a large batch.
How do I add the contains-synthetic-performer tag?
Write the keyword into the file's XMP dc:subject field, which most photo software shows as "Keywords". Do it on the final export, right before uploading.
| Tool | How |
|---|---|
| ExifTool (free, Mac, Windows, Linux) | exiftool -XMP-dc:Subject+="contains-synthetic-performer" image.jpg. The same command works on a folder, and on MP4 and MOV video files. |
| Adobe Lightroom Classic or Bridge | Add contains-synthetic-performer as a keyword, and make sure your export settings include all metadata, not "copyright only". |
| Photoshop | File, then File Info, then add it under Keywords before saving. |
| Other IPTC/XMP editors | Any editor that writes XMP keywords works. Check the result with ExifTool or a metadata viewer. |
- Export the final image or video in the format you'll upload (JPEG for images).
- Add
contains-synthetic-performerto the XMP subject (keywords). - Check it's there:
exiftool -XMP-dc:Subject image.jpgshould list the keyword. - Upload the tagged file in Seller Central, or through A+ Content Manager for A+ modules.
- Keep the tagged master in your files, named by SKU, so a later re-upload keeps the tag.
Tools that strip EXIF and XMP for privacy, including our own photo metadata remover, will delete the tag along with GPS and camera data. Remove location data first, then add the synthetic performer keyword as the last step. Compressors and some online editors also drop metadata, so re-check after any edit.
What about images I uploaded before July 2026?
Amazon didn't publish a deadline or say whether older images must be re-tagged. The careful approach is to audit your catalog: find listings with AI-generated models, avatars or presenters, tag the files and re-upload them. Start with best sellers and anything also used in Sponsored Brands or Stores, since the New York law is about advertising.
What does the New York synthetic performer law say?
New York's law (Senate bill S8420A, General Business Law section 396-b) took effect on June 9, 2026. It requires anyone who creates a commercial ad to conspicuously disclose a synthetic performer when they know the ad contains one. A synthetic performer is a digitally created asset, made or changed with generative AI or software, that looks like a human performer who isn't any identifiable real person.
- Penalties: $1,000 for a first violation and $5,000 for each one after.
- Excluded: ads for expressive works such as films and games when the character is used as in the work, audio-only ads, AI used only to translate a real performer's language, and media outlets that just carry the ad.
- Form of disclosure: the law doesn't prescribe one. Amazon's metadata tag is how it handles disclosure on its own pages.
If you run the same AI-people creative on your own site or social ads, add a visible disclosure there too, such as "AI-generated presenter". This is general information, not legal advice.
How do I avoid the question on my main image?
Amazon's main image should show only the product on pure white, so it shouldn't contain a person at all in most categories. Keep AI people, if you use them, to lifestyle images and video, and tag those.
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- AI product photos: white backgrounds, lifestyle scenes and channel sizes cut your real product out of your photo and generate only the background. Scene presets don't add people, so these images don't need the tag.
- UGC video ads: the creators are AI-generated people. If you upload one of these videos to an Amazon listing, tag it, and never present the creator as a real customer.
- Prompted images and edits: if you ask an image model to add a person, that person is AI-generated. Tag the file.
Frequently asked questions
Does Amazon allow AI-generated product images?
Yes, as long as they accurately show the product. The main image must still be the real product on pure white. Since July 2026, images and videos with photorealistic AI-generated people need the contains-synthetic-performer metadata tag.
How do I tag an image as containing a synthetic performer?
Add the keyword contains-synthetic-performer to the file's XMP dc:subject (keywords) field before uploading. With ExifTool: exiftool -XMP-dc:Subject+="contains-synthetic-performer" image.jpg.
Do AI backgrounds need the Amazon AI tag?
No. The rule is about photorealistic AI-generated people. Your real product in an AI-generated scene with no people doesn't need it.
Does a real model edited with AI need the tag?
No. Amazon's rule excludes real people, even when AI was used to edit the image. It only covers people created entirely by AI.
What happens if I don't tag AI-generated people?
Amazon hasn't published a specific penalty for a missing tag, but its image policies allow it to remove images or suppress listings. For ads shown in New York, the law sets fines of $1,000 and $5,000.
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