How to Keep AI Product Copy Compliant (Claims, Safety, Regulated Categories)

AI product copy compliance: why AI makes it harder and easier

AI product copy compliance is both a risk and an opportunity. The risk: AI models generate fluent, convincing text that can include unsubstantiated claims, restricted phrases, and regulatory violations without any awareness that they are doing so. Ask an AI to describe a supplement and it may casually claim it "boosts immunity" — a statement that requires specific regulatory approval in the EU and careful substantiation in the US.

The opportunity: AI makes it practical to scan, flag, and enforce compliance rules across thousands of SKUs in ways that manual review never could. The same technology that creates the risk can help manage it.

This guide covers the specific compliance challenges ecommerce teams face when using AI for product descriptions, organized by category and regulation type. For the brand voice and style side of AI-generated copy, see our companion article on keeping AI product copy on-brand.

Restricted phrases and claims by category

Different product categories have different compliance rules. The common thread: claims must be substantiated, and certain phrases are outright prohibited.

Health, supplements, and wellness

This is the highest-risk category for AI-generated copy.

Prohibited or restricted claims:

• "Cures," "treats," "prevents" any disease (unless FDA/EMA approved drug)
• "Clinically proven" (without published clinical trial data)
• "Doctor recommended" (without verifiable endorsement)
• "FDA approved" for supplements (supplements are not FDA-approved; they are FDA-regulated)
• Specific disease references: "helps with diabetes," "reduces cancer risk"

What you can say (with substantiation):

• Structure/function claims: "supports immune health," "promotes joint flexibility" (US, with disclaimer)
• EU-approved health claims per EFSA register (specific list of allowed claims per ingredient)
• "Contains [ingredient]" followed by factual information about the ingredient

AI compliance rule: Build a restricted phrase list for health claims and scan every AI-generated description. Flag any health-related claim for mandatory human review.

Cosmetics and personal care

Restricted claims:

• "Anti-aging" — regulated differently by market; some jurisdictions restrict as medical claim
• "Hypoallergenic" — requires testing in many markets; cannot be used loosely
• "Dermatologist tested" — must be substantiated with actual dermatologist testing
• "Natural" or "organic" — requires certification (COSMOS, USDA Organic, etc.)
• Specific skin condition claims: "treats acne," "cures eczema"

Required information:

• EU: full INCI ingredient list
• US: ingredient listing per FDA requirements
• Allergen warnings where applicable

Electronics and safety

Compliance requirements:

• CE marking for EU market (must not claim CE if not certified)
• UL listing for US (do not claim "UL approved" if only "UL recognized")
• FCC compliance for US wireless/electronic devices
• Electrical specifications must be accurate (voltage, wattage, frequency)
• Battery safety information where required

AI risk: AI may generate specifications that sound plausible but are inaccurate. Always validate technical claims against the actual product data sheet.

Children's products

Strict requirements:

• Age recommendations must be accurate and comply with safety standards (CPSIA in US, EN 71 in EU)
• No small parts claims for under-3 products without testing
• Material safety claims must be substantiated (BPA-free, phthalate-free)
• Choking hazard warnings required for specific product types

Food and beverages

• Nutritional claims regulated by FDA (US) and EFSA (EU)
• Allergen declarations are mandatory
• "Organic" requires certification
• "Sugar-free," "low-fat," "high-protein" have specific regulatory definitions
• Health claims on food are heavily restricted in the EU

Environmental and sustainability claims

Environmental claims are under increasing regulatory scrutiny in 2026. The EU Green Claims Directive requires substantiation for all environmental marketing claims.

What is changing

• "Eco-friendly" — too vague. Must specify what makes it eco-friendly with evidence.
• "Sustainable" — requires a clear definition of what is sustained, how, and evidence.
• "Biodegradable" — must specify conditions (industrial composting vs. home composting vs. landfill).
• "Carbon neutral" — increasingly scrutinized. Offset-only claims are being challenged.
• "Recyclable" — must be recyclable in practice, not just in theory. Specify what percentage and where.

Compliance approach

• Only use environmental claims that can be substantiated with documentation
• Be specific: "Made from 85% post-consumer recycled polyester" is better than "eco-friendly"
• Include certifications where they exist: GOTS, OEKO-TEX, FSC, Bluesign
• Avoid comparative claims without clear data: "greener than competitors" needs proof

AI models are especially prone to generating vague environmental claims because they sound good. Add environmental claim phrases to your restricted word list and require human review.

Building a restricted phrase scanning system

Automated scanning is the most scalable way to catch compliance issues before they reach shoppers.

How to build it

1. Create category-specific restricted phrase lists

Organize by risk level:

2. Implement scanning in your content pipeline

Run the scan on every AI-generated description before it enters the review queue. Flag descriptions with matches and route them to a compliance reviewer.

3. Category routing

Descriptions for regulated categories (supplements, cosmetics, children's products, electronics) should automatically go through stricter review, even if no flagged phrases are detected. AI can generate compliant-sounding but still problematic content.

Tools like Lasso support review workflows where AI-generated content can be flagged, reviewed, and approved before publishing — giving teams a structured gate for compliance checks.

Audit trails and documentation

When regulators, marketplace compliance teams, or legal counsel ask "who approved this claim?", you need an answer.

What to track

For every AI-generated product description that goes live:

• Timestamp of generation
• AI model and prompt used (or template version)
• Reviewer identity — who approved the description
• Review timestamp — when it was approved
• Compliance flags — what was flagged and how it was resolved
• Source data — what product attributes the AI had access to
• Version history — previous versions if the description was edited

Implementation

• Store audit data in your PIM or content management system alongside the description
• Implement version control so previous descriptions are retrievable
• Set retention policies aligned with your market requirements (EU typically requires records for product lifetime + a reasonable period)

For broader catalog validation practices that complement compliance workflows, see our guide on reducing catalog errors with a validation framework.

Channel-specific compliance

Different sales channels have their own compliance rules on top of market regulations:

Google Merchant Center

• Misleading claims trigger disapprovals
• Price accuracy requirements are strict
• Prohibited categories (weapons, drugs, etc.) have hard blocks
• Image requirements include no promotional overlays

For more on Merchant Center compliance, see our guide on fixing Google Merchant Center disapprovals.

Amazon

• Category-specific content policies restrict certain claims
• Pesticide claims require EPA registration numbers
• Supplement listings have specific prohibited phrases
• A+ content has additional formatting and claim restrictions

Meta/Facebook

• Advertising policies apply to catalog content used in dynamic ads
• Health and beauty claims are reviewed
• Before-and-after claims are restricted

Compliance checklist for AI-generated product copy

Use this checklist before any AI-generated description goes live:

General:

• No unsubstantiated superlatives ("best," "#1," "most effective")
• No false or misleading claims
• Product specifications verified against data sheet
• Price and availability match across all channels

Category-specific:

• Health claims comply with target market regulations (FDA/FTC/EFSA)
• Environmental claims are specific and substantiated
• Safety certifications accurately stated (CE, UL, FCC)
• Age recommendations and safety warnings included where required
• Ingredient/allergen information complete and accurate

Process:

• Restricted phrase scan completed
• Human reviewer approved (for regulated categories)
• Audit trail recorded (reviewer, timestamp, flags resolved)
• Channel-specific compliance verified

Getting started with compliance workflows

1. Build restricted phrase lists for your product categories, starting with the highest-risk ones
2. Implement automated scanning in your content pipeline
3. Route regulated categories through mandatory human review
4. Document your audit trail for every published description
5. Review and update restricted phrase lists quarterly as regulations evolve

Lasso helps teams maintain compliance by providing structured review workflows, AI-generated content with configurable guardrails, and approval queues that create a clear audit trail. Explore use cases or book a demo to see how it fits your compliance needs.

For the brand voice side of this equation, see our companion guide on keeping AI product copy on-brand.