The Etsy marketplace is a platform that connects people in search of unique products with independent sellers across the globe. To maintain its distinct identity, Etsy requires that all items listed for sale are either handmade by the seller or vintage or craft supplies. Furthermore, all items must adhere to Etsy’s Prohibited Items Policy.

As an Etsy seller, it is your responsibility to ensure that your shop and its items comply with these policies. Before buying or selling on Etsy, review their Terms of Use.

Handmade Items

Handmade items refer to products made and/or designed by you, the seller. The spectrum of handmade sellers ranges from makers who create their items with their own hands (or tools) to designers who come up with original designs but rely on outside assistance or production partners for physical production. Many sellers fall in between as they design and create their products themselves.

Regardless of where you fall on this spectrum, transparency about your process is crucial. Ensure that everything listed as handmade is made and/or designed by you while avoiding reselling in this category. You may also have shop members assisting in running your business as long as you are directly involved in creating or designing your items. For more information, read Etsy’s full Handmade Policy.

Makers vs Designers:

If using a production partner for item manufacturing as a designer, disclose information about them within relevant listings.

• Makers - Sellers who physically create the items listed for sale in their shops with their own hands (or tools). Makers might design their items or follow a pattern/template not designed by them.
• Designers - Sellers who develop original designs, patterns, sketches, templates or prototypes produced either by in-house shop members or a disclosed production partner. Simple customization like selecting colors or shapes doesn’t qualify as designing on Etsy.

When selling handmade items on Etsy:

1. Create and physically make original designs for your products.
2. Include each person involved in making your items or running your business in the About section of your shop.
3. Disclose any production partners you work with in relevant listings.
4. Use your own photographs for listing images.

Reselling Handmade Items: Is It Allowed?

Reselling is not permitted within the Handmade category on Etsy—meaning you cannot list an item as handmade if you were not involved in designing or making that item. Learn more about Etsy’s policy on reselling.

Vintage Items

To be considered vintage on Etsy, an item must be at least 20 years old. When listing vintage products in your shop, keep in mind that Etsy may request additional information such as:

• Where do your vintage items come from? How do you source them?
• How did you determine the age of an item?
• Who is the designer? Which collection does this item belong to? When did that collection debut?
• For clothing: What fabric is used? Are there brand labels or care instructions present? What materials are zippers/buttons made of?

Note that photo documentation of key vintage indicators may be necessary. If you’re selling deadstock (unworn, unsold clothing/accessories), be prepared to explain how you’ve authenticated your items as vintage. Discover more information about selling vintage items on Etsy.

Craft Supplies

Craft supplies encompass tools, ingredients, or materials primarily used for creating an item or special occasion. These supplies may be handmade, commercial, or vintage—party supplies can also be sold as craft supplies. Explore what can be sold as a craft supply on Etsy.

Examples of craft supplies include:

1. Beads
2. Paints
3. Fabric yardage
4. Patterns
5. DIY kits
6. “Blanks” are primarily for crafting, such as blank nesting dolls, aluminum cuffs and canvases.

Etsy also allows the sale of party supplies like balloons, confetti and cake toppers. Items that do not qualify as craft supplies include mass-produced clothing/accessories ready for retail sale and “blanks” that are ready to use as-is (e.g., ready-to-wear boots, swimsuit tops and blank sweatshirts).

Digital Items

Digital items consist of files that buyers can purchase and download from your shop. Similar to handmade products, digital items listed in your store should be made and/or designed by you—the seller. Digital files can either be pre-made or custom-made and delivered to the buyer after purchase. Learn how to manage digital listings on Etsy.

Digital items on Etsy fall into two categories:

1. Instant downloads: Ready-made files that buyers can access immediately upon purchase.
2. Made-to-order downloads: Custom files made according to a buyer’s specifications, and sent to them upon completion.

To list a digital item on Etsy, follow these step-by-step instructions:

1. Refer to the instructions for listing an item on Etsy.
2. Under the Type section, choose Digital item.
3. Navigate to Listing Details and find this listing
4. In When did you make it? dropdown menu, select Made To Order.

Uploading Files to Your Digital Listing

For instant download listings, upload up to five digital files (maximum 20MB each) when creating the listing. Supported file types include .bmp, .doc, .gif, .jpeg, .jpg, .mobi, .mov, .mp3, .mpeg., pdf., png., psp., rtf., stl., txt., zip., ePUB., and iBook.

Uploaded files will appear in a list with their names (limited to 70 alphanumeric characters), file sizes and upload dates—ensure proper naming before uploading as there is no option for editing after the fact. You can also add a note for buyers that applies to all digital listings purchased from your shop; they can view this note on their Downloads page.

Prohibited Items on Etsy

Etsy does not curate its marketplace but prohibits certain items due to legal risks or inconsistency with community values. The platform enforces a zero-tolerance policy for prohibited items—particularly those promoting/supporting hatred, violence, or unlawful activities. Sellers violating this policy may face immediate account suspension or termination according to Etsy’s Terms of Use.

Etsy prohibits the sale of certain types of items, including but not limited to:

1. Alcohol, tobacco, drugs, drug paraphernalia, and medical drugs.
2. Certain animal products and human remains.
3. Dangerous items such as hazardous materials, recalled items, and weapons.
4. Hate items that promote, support or glorify hatred.
5. Illegal items or those promoting illegal activity and highly regulated items.
6. Internationally regulated items.
7. Pornography and mature content
8. Violent items that promote, support or glorify violence.

Read more about prohibited items on Etsy.

Listings Violating Etsy’s Intellectual Property Policy

Etsy is not in a position to offer legal advice or determine whether your shop content infringes on someone else’s intellectual property. If you’re unsure whether your item(s) infringe on someone’s intellectual property rights, consider contacting the intellectual property owner or consulting an attorney. Etsy follows its policy for removing specified material when it receives proper notice of intellectual property infringement.

Services or Rentals on Etsy

In general, services—including rentals—are not allowed to be sold on Etsy; only services resulting in a new tangible item that meets Seller Policies may be sold here. Discover more about services qualifying for sale on Etsy.

1. Custom Writing and Design: These services may be sold on Etsy as they result in a new tangible good (e.g., final item sent as an attachment via email or Etsy Messages).

2. Curated Lists: Lists uniquely compiled or curated by the seller producing a new tangible good can be sold (final item sent via email or Etsy Messages); however, specific types of lists are still prohibited.

3. Modification Services: As these do not produce a new tangible good, modification services such as tailoring, restoring/repairing items, photo retouching/color correction and jewelry alteration are prohibited.

4. Rentals: The temporary use of goods or places is prohibited on Etsy.

5. Divination and Spells: Tarot/psychic/divination readings must include a tangible good (e.g., photos of tarot spread/audio/video of reading/text). Supplies related to spellwork can be sold without metaphysical outcomes.

Metaphysical Services or Items

Metaphysical services (e.g., reiki and spell casting) are prohibited from being sold on Etsy; however, tarot or psychic readings accompanied by a physical/digital copy (e.g., recording email or tarot spread photo) may be listed for sale here. Supplies related to spell work (e.g., herbs, crystals, candles, tinctures) can be sold on Etsy so long as they are not listed with metaphysical claims.

Examples of prohibited metaphysical services include:

• Reiki and distance healing
• Spellcasting
• Prayers
• Rituals
• Items with a metaphysical outcome (for example: attracting wealth, love, gambling luck, more business, employment opportunities, or assistance with legal or relationship situations)

Reporting Listings That Violate Etsy’s Policies

If you encounter a listing that appears to violate Etsy’s policies, report it. Etsy may review and/or remove listings that breach these policies.

How Much Does It Cost to List a Product on Etsy?

When you sell on Etsy, it’s essential to understand the fees associated with listing products. Listing fees are charged for each individual item you post in your Etsy shop. The cost of listing a product on Etsy is a flat rate of $0.20 USD per listing, regardless of whether the item sells or not. This fee is automatically added to your payment account when you publish an item.

Popular Items to Sell on Etsy

To give you an idea of what sells well on Etsy and might inspire your own product offerings, here is a list of 15 popular items that have been successful for other sellers:

1. Handmade and personalized jewelry: Custom name necklaces, birthstone bracelets, or initial earrings.

2. Jewelry and craft supplies: Beads, charms, pendant trays, and jewelry-making tools.

3. Printables: Printable planners, calendars, wall art quotes, or party invitations.

4. Digital artwork: Downloadable illustrations, and graphic designs for t-shirts or logos.

5. Stickers: Planner stickers, laptop decals, or custom vinyl stickers for water bottles.

6. Notebooks and journals: Bullet journals with unique covers, personalized leather-bound notebooks or hand-painted diaries.

7. Party decorations: Custom banners for birthdays or baby showers, themed party favors or table centerpieces.

8. Wedding products: Personalized wedding invitations, handmade cake toppers or bridal accessories like hairpins and veils.

9. Personalized cards: Custom birthday cards with a person’s name and age; holiday cards featuring family photos; graduation announcement cards tailored to the graduate’s school colors and style preferences

10. Personalized gifts: Monogrammed tote bags; engraved cutting boards; custom photo blankets

11. Handmade clothes: Unique knitted sweaters; hand-sewn baby rompers; custom-designed t-shirts

12. Accessories: Handcrafted leather wallets; crocheted scarves; beaded keychains

13. Homemade bath and beauty products: Natural soaps infused with essential oils; organic lip balms in reusable containers; homemade sugar scrubs

14. Zero-waste products: Reusable produce bags made from cloth; beeswax wraps to replace plastic wrap in the kitchen; refillable glass spray bottles for cleaning solutions

15 . Vintage items: A classic mid-century modern chair restored to its former glory; a beautifully preserved vintage dress from the 1960s; antique brooches with intricate designs

Boost Your Etsy Success with Alura

To optimize your Etsy shop and make the most of your product listings, consider using Alura’s suite of tools. These powerful resources can help you identify relevant keywords, analyze product performance, and create compelling listing templates. Alura offers a combination of tools designed to improve your Etsy selling experience:

1. Keyword Finder - Discover popular search terms related to your products by entering a primary keyword. Integrating these relevant keywords in your titles, descriptions, and tags can boost visibility in search results and attract more potential buyers.
2. Product Seeker - Analyze the performance of specific products on Etsy by searching for a particular keyword or niche. This tool displays top-selling items within that category to help you understand market trends, identify opportunities for new products, and gauge competition within your chosen niche.
3. AI Templates- Create compelling product listings using AI-generated templates tailored for Etsy sellers. These templates are designed to attract buyers’ attention and drive sales by making it easier for you to craft engaging descriptions that resonate with potential customers.

By incorporating these tools into your Etsy selling strategy, you can enhance your shop’s performance while saving time and effort on research and listing creation.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, selling on Etsy offers a unique opportunity for creative entrepreneurs to showcase their products to a global audience. By focusing on popular categories and incorporating relevant keywords, you can optimize your listings and increase visibility in the competitive marketplace. Alura’s suite of tools, including Keyword Finder, Product Seeker, and AI Templates, can further enhance your selling experience by streamlining research and listing creation processes. By combining these insights with hard work and dedication, you can build a successful Etsy shop that stands out from the competition.

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