If you plan to publish AI-generated or AI-edited product images, do a short rights check and save a provenance record before the upload. It’s a small amount of work now that avoids marketplaces rejecting listings or a later dispute about who may modify and sell an image.
Contents
Quick pre-publish checklist (do these, in order)
- Check the tool/model TOS and licence: open the exact Terms of Service or licence page for the tool or model you used, save the URL and the date you checked (take a PDF or archived snapshot). For OpenAI’s guidance about output ownership and reuse, see OpenAI’s Custom GPTs overview.
- Check the marketplace rules you’ll publish to: some marketplaces require metadata or treat synthetic images specially. For Google Merchant Center, review image requirements and synthetic-image guidance and save that policy reference. See Google Merchant Center image requirements and Google’s synthetic/AI image metadata guidance.
- Preserve originals: archive the unedited source file (original camera RAW, supplier master, or the image the customer supplied) in your asset manager before editing. WooCommerce product-image guidance shows practical places to attach edited images to listings: WooCommerce image guidance.
- Record a provenance record: for each edited or generated image, add a simple record (see the template below) listing source, tool/model and licence URL+date.
- If the image uses another person’s photo: do not publish without a signed consent or release (see the Customer & supplier photos section below).
Documenting provenance — what to store and where
Keep one place for each image’s provenance: an internal asset manager entry, a product note in your CMS or a simple spreadsheet that you back up. Make each record searchable by filename or product SKU.
- Fields to record (minimal useful set): original filename/source, source type (own photo / supplier / customer / AI-generated), tool or model name and version, edit date, licence or TOS URL plus the date you saved it, any consent or supplier-contract notes, and the product SKU or listing URL.
- Why URL + date/snapshot? Licences and TOS pages change. Saving the page or an archive snapshot proves what the policy read on the day you edited the image.
- Structured data on product pages: use schema.org’s ImageObject fields like contentUrl, datePublished and license where you already publish structured data. See schema.org’s ImageObject for practical properties you can record.
Asset-row template (copy into your spreadsheet or asset manager)
original_filename: 2026-08-01-blue-bag.jpg
source_type: own-photo / ai-edited / supplier
tool_or_model: BackgroundRemoverX v2.1
edit_date: 2026-09-10
license_or_tos_url: [tool TOS — saved snapshot 2026-09-10]
consent_or_supplier_note: supplier email allows edits? YES ([consent link])
marketplace_checks: Google Merchant policy saved 2026-09-10 ([policy link])
product_sku_or_url: BAG-1234 / [product URL]
notes: exported with IPTC DigitalSourceType=TrainedAlgorithmicMedia
Embedding metadata and how to verify it
Where marketplaces ask for it, embed provenance into standard metadata fields (IPTC/EXIF) and your structured data. Google explicitly recommends sellers provide IPTC metadata fields for synthetic or AI-assisted images; keep the marketplace policy reference in your asset record: Google’s synthetic-image metadata guidance.
- Which fields to use: IPTC DigitalSourceType/TrainedAlgorithmicMedia (where supported), ImageObject properties (contentUrl, license, datePublished) in structured data, and a clear internal note linking the image to its provenance record (the spreadsheet row or media-library note).
- How to verify metadata on a WordPress/WooCommerce site: WordPress can read EXIF/IPTC fields server-side (for example, see the wp_read_image_metadata() function). That makes it practical to confirm the metadata you embedded is readable by the CMS and therefore auditable later.
- Simple observable check: open the edited image file in a metadata viewer (or in WordPress’s Media Library if you embedded IPTC) and confirm the expected fields are present and match your asset record. Keep a short screenshot of the viewer showing the fields as additional proof in your asset folder.
Customer and supplier photos — extra caution
Photos that come from customers or suppliers are not automatically reusable. Treat them as third-party content until you have documented permission.
- Customer photos: do not republish customer-supplied images commercially without a signed, documented consent or release. Record the consent document and link it to the asset record.
- Supplier images: review supplier contracts or licence language. If a supplier’s agreement does not explicitly permit modification and republication, request written permission before editing or using the image on your product listing.
- Record the evidence: store the consent or supplier response in the same asset folder as the image and note the filename in your provenance row.
Publish-time checks and keeping an audit trail
- Before upload: confirm the edited image meets the marketplace’s content rules (background, cropping, prohibited content) and that any required metadata is present. Save the marketplace policy URL + date in your asset record.
- Attach provenance to the listing: where your CMS permits, paste the provenance row into the product’s private notes, the media-library caption, or the structured-data fields. If your platform doesn’t expose those fields publicly, keep the record internally but accessible to whoever manages listings.
- Backup: keep originals and the provenance spreadsheet in your asset manager and a separate backup (cloud or offline). A single internal folder per product with the image files, a provenance file and any consent PDFs is an effective audit package.
When you can’t confirm rights
- If the tool’s licence or the supplier contract is ambiguous: treat the image as not permitted for republication until you get written clarification. This checklist is risk reduction, not legal advice.
- Get professional advice: for ownership disputes, licence interpretation or if the commercial risk is material, consult a qualified legal professional and retain their written guidance.
- Record the decision: if you decide not to publish an image, mark that decision in the asset record and explain why (unclear licence, missing consent, marketplace prohibition).
Fictional example (labelled)
Example (fictional): A shop owner edits their own product photo using an AI background-removal tool that states commercial use is allowed. Before uploading the edited image, they save: original filename, tool name and version, edit date, the tool’s TOS URL plus a saved PDF snapshot, and a note that the image was exported with IPTC DigitalSourceType set to TrainedAlgorithmicMedia. They paste the provenance row into the WooCommerce product’s private notes and confirm the IPTC fields are readable in WordPress using wp_read_image_metadata(). The listing is then uploaded with the saved policy references in the asset folder.
Practical next action and related guides
Pick one image you plan to publish and run the checklist now: save the TOS/policy pages, preserve the original, add the provenance row and embed any required IPTC fields. Confirm the metadata is readable in your CMS (Media Library or wp_read_image_metadata) and store the evidence with the product files.
Related guides
Edit product photos with AI — turn your own camera shot into a studio-style image using AI tools and a repeatable workflow.
Alt-text checklist — write image alt text that helps shoppers and accessibility tools.
Note: This checklist explains practical checks you can perform. It is not legal advice. For licence interpretation or ownership disputes consult an appropriate legal professional.