Photos and copy · 28 July 2026 · 12 min

Product photography and AI listing copy: from photos to a finished listing

The photo earns attention and proves condition; the copy helps buyers find and understand the item. AI can speed all of this up, but the seller still has to check the facts.

Before you shoot: light, background, preparation

Use daylight, diffused, near a window. Keep the background plain, and make sure both the lens and the item itself are clean. Flash creates hard shadows and misleading colour. Keep personal documents, labels and other sensitive details out of frame.

The ten basic photos

1. the whole item from the front, as the main photo;
2. a three-quarter or side view;
3. the back;
4. brand, model, label or data plate;
5. an important material or technical detail;
6. size with a tape measure, if it matters;
7. every accessory in one photo;
8. the item in use, if that can be shown;
9. every fault, close up;
10. the packaging, if it is part of the sale.

What each category needs

Clothing: the garment laid flat or on a hanger, the care label, the fabric close up, and measurements — chest, waist, length. Worn photos help, but a clean flat-lay is easier to compare.

Electronics: the screen switched on, the serial or model number (mask anything personal), ports and connectors, battery health where it can be shown, and the charger. A powered-on photo answers the first question every buyer asks.

Furniture and household items: the whole piece in context so the scale reads, joints and edges, the underside, and any wear on surfaces that get touched.

Photographing faults honestly

A hidden fault does not make an item sell faster; it makes it come back. Photograph every scratch, stain, missing part and non-working function close up, and say so in the text as well. Sellers who show faults up front get fewer disputes and better ratings — and buyers who accept a visible flaw rarely haggle over it later.

What makes a good title

Put the brand, model, key attribute and condition in the title, in the order a buyer would search: brand first, then model, then size or capacity. Skip decorative words. „Beautiful lovely dress" tells a search engine nothing; „Zara linen midi dress, size M, worn twice" tells it everything.

What makes a good description

Do not just repeat the title. Describe condition, signs of use, measurements, accessories, how it works, handover options and every known fault. On Vinted a tighter text focused on the garment and its condition tends to work; on general classifieds there is room for more technical and handover detail.

What to check in AI-written copy

• whether the brand and model really are what it says;
• whether the material, size, storage capacity and technical data are right;
• whether it invented an accessory, a warranty or a feature;
• whether every fault is mentioned;
• whether it contains exaggerated or unprovable claims;
• whether the tone and length suit the marketplace.

An AI draft is a starting point. Never leave an unknown detail in the text as a stated fact, and always add the condition that a photo cannot show.

Next step: set a realistic price, then pick the right marketplace.