If you use AI-generated people in your Amazon images, Amazon now wants you to label them, in the file’s metadata, not just on the page. As of July 27, 2026, Amazon requires sellers to tag product images and A+ Content that feature photorealistic AI-generated people by adding a specific keyword to the image file itself. It is a small technical step that most sellers do not know exists, and it pairs with a wider legal shift toward AI disclosure. Here is exactly what to do.
Quick Answer
Effective July 27, 2026, Amazon requires sellers worldwide to add the keyword “contains-synthetic-performer” to the metadata of any product image or A+ Content image that features a photorealistic AI-generated person. The tag goes in the image file’s metadata (the dc:subject XMP field) using an IPTC-compatible metadata editor, not in the visible listing. It applies specifically to images with realistic AI-generated humans, not to AI use in general.
What Changed
Amazon updated its content compliance rules through its Seller News center, requiring sellers to flag images that contain photorealistic AI-generated people. The mechanism is technical and easy to miss: you use an IPTC-compatible metadata editor to add the keyword “contains-synthetic-performer” to the image file’s metadata, specifically the dc:subject field in the image’s XMP data. This is embedded in the file, so it travels with the image rather than appearing anywhere a shopper sees.
The scope is narrow and worth being precise about. It targets photorealistic AI-generated humans, a synthetic model, a fake AI “customer,” a generated person made to look real. It is not a blanket rule on all AI use. AI-generated backgrounds, non-human graphics, and ordinary image editing are not the target. The trigger is a realistic fake person in the image.
What It Means for Sellers
On its own, this is a minor compliance task. Its importance is what it signals and what it pairs with. Amazon is building disclosure of AI-generated people directly into its content pipeline, at the file level, which tells you the platform is treating synthetic humans as something that must be declared rather than quietly used.
It does not stand alone. It runs parallel to a legal shift already in effect: New York’s synthetic performer law, live since June 9, 2026, requires a conspicuous disclosure when an advertisement uses an AI-generated person, with real penalties. So a single AI model image in your listing can now touch two separate obligations at once, an Amazon metadata tag and, potentially, a legal disclosure depending on where your listing reaches shoppers. The direction of travel is unmistakable: AI-generated people increasingly need to be labeled, by the platform and by law.
What to Do Now
- Audit your images for AI-generated people. Go through your main images, secondary images, and A+ Content. Flag anything containing a photorealistic AI-generated human: models, lifestyle “customers,” synthetic spokespeople.
- Add the metadata tag to each one. Using an IPTC-compatible metadata editor, add the keyword “contains-synthetic-performer” to the dc:subject (XMP) field of each flagged image file. Many photo tools and dedicated metadata editors can do this; the key is that the keyword goes in the file’s metadata, not the visible listing.
- Build it into your creative process. Whenever new creative uses an AI-generated person, tag the file before it is uploaded. Make it a standard step so you are not retrofitting later.
- Check the legal side too. If your listing reaches shoppers in jurisdictions with AI disclosure laws, the metadata tag does not satisfy a legal disclosure requirement. Confirm your separate legal obligations, and treat visible disclosure as its own question.
- Know your rights position on real people. Tagging a synthetic performer is a different issue from using a real person’s likeness. If an image uses a real model or an AI re-creation of one, confirm you hold the rights, that is a separate and often more serious risk.
Related Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the “contains-synthetic-performer” tag?
It is a keyword Amazon requires in the metadata of any product or A+ Content image that features a photorealistic AI-generated person. You add it to the image file’s dc:subject (XMP) field using an IPTC-compatible metadata editor. It is embedded in the file, not shown to shoppers.
Does this apply to all AI-generated images?
No. It applies specifically to images containing photorealistic AI-generated people. AI-generated backgrounds, non-human graphics, and ordinary editing are not the target. The trigger is a realistic synthetic human in the image.
Does the Amazon tag satisfy legal AI disclosure laws?
No. The metadata tag is Amazon’s platform requirement. Separate laws, such as New York’s synthetic performer law, may require a conspicuous, visible disclosure to shoppers. Treat the two as different obligations and confirm your legal position where your listings reach consumers.
Written by the AMZ Scaler Team
Amazon advertising and listing specialists with 5+ years managing PPC and listing optimization for brands across the US, UK, and Canada. We publish what we apply in real seller accounts every day.
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