How To Sell on Etsy in 7 Simple Steps (2023)
This article is part of a larger series on Retail Management.
Are you an artisan, studio artist, designer, or craft supplier interested in learning how to sell on Etsy? If so, then this guide is for you. We walk you through creating your account, setting up product listings, configuring payment methods, and designing your shop’s landing page. We also explain how Etsy fees work so you can price your products correctly and competitively.
Already an Etsy seller? Follow our tips for selling on Etsy to boost your sales.
Follow the steps below to learn how to sell on Etsy:
Step 1: Create an Etsy Account
Start by creating an Etsy account by clicking the Get Started button on Etsy’s website.
Enter your email address and then click Continue. Enter your name and password, then click Register. Open your Etsy Shop to navigate to the Shop Manager.
Alternatively, you can create an account via single sign-on (SSO) using your Google, Facebook, or Apple account. You can log in and click Open Your Etsy Shop to create your store if you already have an existing Etsy consumer account.
Note: You need to use a desktop web browser to complete the first step of opening your shop. Once your shop is open, you can manage your shop on the Sell on Etsy app.
Check Seller Eligibility
Before creating an account, make sure you are located in a country where Etsy Payments is available (which includes all of North America and most of Europe), and read Etsy’s seller policy.
Etsy has clear policies on items that can be sold in its marketplace. It has an extensive list of prohibited items for selling, and you can only sell handmade products, vintage items, and craft supplies.
- Handmade products are designed and/or created by the seller, such as knitted scarves, enamel pins, pottery, and more. Etsy regularly releases marketplace insights for sellers, so keeping yourself updated with the latest product trends is best.
- Vintage items must be at least 20 years old and can be anything like clothes, electronics, house items, and more.
- Craft supplies are tools, ingredients, or materials used to create an item or celebrate an occasion and may be handmade, commercial, or vintage. Party supplies are considered craft supplies on Etsy.
If you do not meet seller eligibility requirements, consider these Etsy alternatives for your online store. Learn more about the best-selling items on Etsy to see if your products are a good fit.
How to sell on Etsy as a minor: Shop policies on Etsy state all account owners must be 18 years old and above. Minors who want to sell on Etsy must open their accounts under their parents’ or legal guardians’ information.
Select an Etsy Subscription
Etsy offers two subscriptions for sellers, Etsy Standard and Etsy Plus. The Standard plan is free, while the Plus plan costs $10 monthly. The main differences between the two are premium perks such as discounts on certain features and advanced shop customization options.
Etsy Subscription | Monthly Pricing | Features |
|---|---|---|
Etsy Standard | Free |
|
Etsy Plus | $10 |
|
Etsy doesn’t prioritize paid subscriptions when it comes to how listings appear in search requests—it focuses on what items are the most relevant to buyers. If you would like to boost your store sales or expand your audience reach, then you can upgrade to Etsy Plus. The additional perks included (listing credits and Etsy Ads) can help you reach your target goals.
Etsy allows subscribers to downgrade and upgrade their accounts anytime.
After creating your account, add a profile picture and bio so the Etsy community can learn who you are.
Step 2: Set Up Shop Preferences
Once registered, you will be taken to your dashboard, where you can set your shop preferences. This involves designating basic settings for your store. After filling in the details, click on Save and Continue.
On the Shop Preferences screen, designate your shop’s language, base country and currency, and what best describes you as a seller.
- Shop language: This field refers to the default language you’ll use to describe your items. You cannot change this once you save it, so be careful. After opening your Etsy shop, you can translate your page into other languages.
- Shop country: This refers to where your shop is based. If you can’t see your country in the dropdown list, it might not be available right now. You can read the explanation for this recent Etsy development.
- Shop currency: This is the currency you’ll use to price your items. Note that shoppers in other countries will automatically see prices in their local currency. If your bank currency is different from your shop currency, conversion fees (2.5% of the sale amount) will apply.
- Type of seller you are: This is a question that Etsy asks for its own purposes but doesn’t affect your ability to start your Etsy shop.
Step 3: Name Your Etsy Shop
It’s time to give your Etsy shop a name! If you have not thought of this yet, make sure your shop’s name is easy for customers to remember and reflects your brand.
Need help? Try our free business name generator to come up with a shop name.
Once you enter your chosen shop name, click on “check availability” to see if it is in use. If it is not, then you can use it.
Your Etsy shop name can be anything you’d like, as long as it does not violate any of Etsy’s guidelines. Your shop name should:
- Be anywhere from four to 20 characters
- Have no spaces or special characters
- Not include profanities or a name already used by another Etsy seller
- Have no trademark infringements
Once you enter a name that is not available, Etsy will suggest other names you can use.
Before you open your Etsy shop, take your time to choose the right business name because after setting up your store, you can only change your shop name once.
Moreover, if you plan to eventually expand your Etsy shop to an ecommerce store and sell on Facebook or Instagram, then do additional research to ensure you can acquire a business domain name or DBA (doing business as) that matches your shop’s name.
Step 4: Create Product Listings
If you want to learn how to sell things on Etsy, the secret lies in creating great product listings.
You can sell physical and digital goods on Etsy, but they have separate steps. We outline the process of listing physical items below.
To list an item in your Etsy shop:
- Click Shop Manager.
- Click Listings. If you’re a new seller, click Your shop.
- Click Add a listing.
For digital items (like printable stationery, stickers, and gift tags), refer to Etsy’s guide on how to add files to a digital listing.
To upload photos, click Add a Photo to add files from your computer. You can add multiple photos at once. You can change the order of your images—click on a photo and drag it to the left or right.
Etsy recommends using at least five photos per item (maximum of ten images) so that customers can see your product from various angles. Image sizes should be at least 2000px for the shortest side of the image and have a resolution of 72PPI. Learn about Etsy’s guidelines and best practices for item images.
When you upload a photo to a listing, Etsy has tips on the image placeholders on which types of images to include.
Additionally, you can add variation photos (like colors or sizing) and a listing video to your post.
Buyers love video listings, according to Etsy’s July 2020 analysis of over 5 million buyers that compared the purchasing behavior of those who were shown listing videos to those who were not.
Want to learn how to take good product photos and videos yourself? Read our DIY guide to high-quality photography and how to make sales-boosting videos to upscale your selling strategy.
Your thumbnail is your product’s headshot—it is the first image of your product that your customers see in your shop, via search, and elsewhere on Etsy.
The first photo on a listing becomes the thumbnail when you upload images. If you want another photo in the listing to be the thumbnail, simply drag the photo you want to the first photo slot. Learn how to adjust your thumbnail image.
The listing details influence how your product listing will be categorized and how it can be found in an Etsy search. Shoppers can get to your listing faster based on the details you add.
Etsy does a great job of providing information about each listing detail you need to fill in for your product. When you get stuck on a field, click on the corresponding help link to know more.
Here are the detailed listings you need to add:
- Title: Give your item a title that describes the product in as much detail as possible, considering the 140-character limit.
- About this listing: This field involves three questions in a dropdown. Choose the appropriate answer under who made it, what is it, and when did you make it?.
- Category: Think of this field as a blanket keyword for your product that customers will use to search.
An example of what you see when you enter category keywords in your listing.
- Renewal options: By default, listings automatically renew after four months, and you will be automatically charged the applicable listing fee. We will discuss this further when explaining Etsy fees below. If you’d rather renew or delete expired listings yourself you can select “manual” here.
- Description: Provide an in-depth description or a bulleted overview of the product. In the description field, you can preview your listing for a Google search result to optimize for ecommerce SEO. Learn how to write product descriptions that sell.
- Tags: Take advantage of all 13 tags available per item. Shoppers find your item by searching for keywords in the search bar—those keywords are what your tags should be.
Keep up with Etsy updates as it regularly rolls outs, removes, and updates listing categories based on feedback and research. Its January 2023 update involved adding new product categories, such as Potli Bags and Parandas, and new names for Unisex Kids’ and Babies’ Clothing to Gender-Neutral Kids’ and Babies’ Clothing.
Enter your product’s price, sales tax (if applicable), quantity, SKU (if you have one), and variations. You can add variations (such as sizes, materials, and colors) and link respective photos to the variations.
Related:
Include all the necessary shipping details: shipping services you will use, fees, country of origin, processing time, and your item’s weight and size.
You can also let Etsy calculate your shipping prices (which it recommends).
If you want Etsy to calculate your shipping costs, then you need to enter your ZIP code and processing time.
If you decide to go with Etsy, then fill in your item’s weight and size when packed. You’ll be able to preview the shipping price that the buyer will see.
To make things easier, you can set shipping profiles after you have opened your Etsy shop so you can quickly update items with the exact shipping costs. Etsy has shipping charges for its shipping carriers: USPS, FedEx, and Canada Post.
In the News:
Effective January 2023, Priority Mail products purchased through Etsy can now qualify for cubic pricing (based on a package’s size and distance traveled rather than its weight), which can be beneficial for sellers who ship small but heavy items.
Your listing will be saved once you click Save as Draft or Publish.
Save as Draft
To save as a draft, enter at least one photo, a category, a price, quantity, shipping rates, and a title. You can always enter temporary info and then replace it before you publish. You can find your draft listing on your Listings page under Drafts.
Drafts never expire, and there is no limit on your number of drafts. You also aren’t charged the listing fee until the listing is published in your shop.
Publish
If you are ready to sell, click Publish to post your listing. The 20-cent listing fee will be added to your Payment account.
It may take up to 24 hours for listings to appear in Etsy search results and categories. If you want to create similar listings, then create one listing and copy it to save time.
Step 5: Set Up Etsy Payments
Once you’ve set up your product listings, the next step would be to set up your Etsy Payment preferences. Etsy requires that eligible sellers (based on their location) use Etsy Payments and set currencies supported for Etsy Payments.
You need to specify what type of seller you are for tax purposes.
Since our last update: Update to Bank Verification for US Sellers
Sellers with US bank accounts are now required to verify their bank account with Plaid while opening a shop or any time you update your bank details. (October 2022)
Depending on your bank location, you would need to enter your bank details as shown above.
As a security measure, Etsy requires you to set up two-factor authentication as a security measure.
You’ll be prompted to provide the code:
- Whenever you sign in using a different browser or on a new device
- Every 30 days
You can receive this verification code through:
- An authenticator app on your Android or iOS device (Recommended)
- An SMS
- A phone call
When starting an Etsy shop, this step will depend on your country.
In certain countries, Etsy will require that you provide a credit card for identity validation and authorization purposes. You’ll also need a card on file so that it can charge you for selling fees (more on that below).
If you are based in the US, you have the option to enroll in auto-billing, and Etsy will automatically charge your credit card on file for the selling fees you incur.
Step 7: Customize Your Shop
It isn’t over yet! Now it’s time to design the front end of your store. Your Etsy shop has its own landing page—similar to a one-page website where customers can view your products, learn more about you (or your company), read your store policies and updates, and find anything they want to know before checking out any of your items.
Click on the Shop Manager icon in your menu navigation bar to be able to edit the design of your shop.
Here are a few sections you can fill out to help establish your Etsy shop’s credibility:
Store Banner & Shop Announcement
The store banner spans the top of your homepage and will stand out when shoppers visit, so ensure your design speaks to your brand. Share a welcome message as a shop announcement with shoppers.
You can add a banner or a header picture to the top of your shop, describe your shop in a sentence, add a featured area to highlight product listings, and specify contact details.
About Section & Shop Members (if applicable)
Your About section is the main way an Etsy buyer gets to know you, the person behind the creative works. A well-developed About section should give the customer a window into who you are, not just what you produce.
This area also allows you to add the Members, Story, and Manufacturers sections. You can also access the About Your Shop tab from the Your Shop menu.
This section gives your customers a glimpse of your brand ethos and values.
- Story: You have 5,000 characters to tell customers your business’s origin story. Include information about why you started your Etsy store and what you love about the creations you make or sell on the site.
- Manufacturers: If you use any outside manufacturers to create your products, you can list them here with explanations of how each provider helps you.
- Members: Add this section link to your user profile on Etsy and any Etsy profiles who work in or are connected to your shop.
You can also provide photos or videos of your studio space or creative process and add links to your store’s social media profiles. This is a great way to let your customers get to know you better.
Shop Policies
In this section, you answer any questions your customers may have about your item production, order processing, shipping, and payment processes.
Etsy makes it easy for you to craft shop policies by allowing you to use its templates or its prompts as jumping-off points to write your own.
Add an FAQ section and seller details at the bottom of your shop page.
Step 7: Open Your Shop
Once you click Open Your Shop, your store will be open and you can start receiving orders.
You can access your Etsy shop with the following URLs: https://www.etsy.com/shop/yourshopname and https://yourshopname.etsy.com.
Congratulations, you are now ready to sell! Read our tips for selling on Etsy to increase sales.
Here are some things you should try to enhance your Etsy experience:
- Manage your Etsy store on the go through the Etsy Seller app.
- Follow customer service best practices so you’re qualified for Etsy’s Seller Protection Policy.
- Sign up for Etsy’s seller email lists, so you don’t miss out on tips and information.
- Read about Etsy’s Review system and how to get 5-star reviews.
- Become a Star Seller.
Fees for Selling on Etsy
Similar to other online marketplaces, Etsy charges fees for listing and selling products. As mentioned earlier, you’ll need to set up your payment preferences and billing information because these will be directly related to the fees you’ll incur.
Etsy Payments will automatically deduct these fees from your sales funds. If you still owe additional fees at the end of the month, you’ll be responsible for paying them. If you’re based in the US, Etsy will automatically charge the credit card you have on file.
Etsy charges three main types of seller fees: a listing fee, a transaction fee, and a payment processing fee.
Type of Seller Fee | Cost | What It Is For |
|---|---|---|
Listing Fee | 20 cents per listing | Platform fee
|
Transaction Fee | 6.5% from each sale (item price + shipping fee) | Etsy’s sales cut
|
Payment Processing Fee (for those who use Etsy Payments) | 3% plus 25 cents each sale (US) | Payment processing fees are charged on each transaction that uses Etsy Payments and vary per country. They are in addition to Etsy's transaction fees. |
For an in-depth look at Etsy’s fees, read our guide to Etsy Seller Fees.
How To View Your Etsy Fees & Taxes
You can view your Etsy fees and taxes in your Payment account:
- Sign into Etsy.com and go to Shop Manager.
- Go to Finances and then Payment account.
- You can see fees and taxes owed under Recent activities and Fees & Taxes.
On the Sell on Etsy app, you can pay your statement and manage your Payment account under Finances.
Bottom Line
If you’re an artisan, you definitely have a buying audience already shopping on the platform, so learning how to sell on Etsy should be a part of your growth plan. Like any other business, selling on the platform takes time to launch—and success requires continuous effort. But Etsy makes many listing and selling products relatively easy, especially compared to maintaining your website. This leaves you more time to concentrate on your creative works.
It’s after opening an Etsy shop that the real work begins. A great marketing strategy, quality unboxing experience, and consistent stellar customer service will give your shop the potential to receive five-star reviews. They also convey your credibility to potential customers, directly resulting in more sales.
However, remember that the Etsy community was built for creatives and artisans—so, ultimately, excellent products are the biggest draw for new and returning customers.