Etsy has been a first mover in AI shopping integrations. We’ve focused on making sure Etsy sellers show up in these emerging channels, where more shoppers are starting their journeys 1. From the start, the goal has been simple: be present, test, and learn, so we can help sellers get discovered and compete, while using what we learn to build better experiences on Etsy.
Building on what we’ve learned
Today, we’re taking the next step. The Etsy app in ChatGPT is now live in beta, allowing users to search and compare Etsy items directly in conversation.
Here’s how it works: a user tags @Etsy and types a prompt – i.e. “@Etsy Help me find a Mother’s Day gift under $100 for my mom who loves gardening” – and the Etsy app in ChatGPT provides relevant listing results shoppers can look through, compare, or click into to go to Etsy and learn more. Following launch, we’ll be iterating quickly on what we learn in order to optimize how our sellers show up in this emerging channel.
In September, we became the first live integration partner for ChatGPT Instant Checkout. That experience made something clear: ChatGPT works well as a discovery channel. Shoppers often chose to come to Etsy from their chats to learn more before making a purchase.
The Etsy app in ChatGPT offers shoppers a deeper view into sellers’ items within an interface that draws directly from Etsy’s inventory. It also gives them room to express what they’re looking for, especially in cases where nuance matters – like finding a meaningful gift for Mother’s Day, or an end table that fits perfectly in their living room. At the same time, the Etsy app in ChatGPT is poised to give us earlier insight into the moments Etsy is relevant in a shopper’s journey, opening the door to understanding how and when shoppers choose to use conversational search.
Testing into conversational search on Etsy
AI platforms are transforming the way we interact with search interfaces across every surface. In ecommerce, this means our challenge is becoming less about matching keywords and more about understanding context. That shift fits Etsy well: our marketplace is home to millions of unique items listed by real people that don’t map to a catalog or SKUs.
Large language models are well-suited to address this challenge. They can connect how sellers describe their items with what buyers are trying to find. Conversational search extends that further. It gives shoppers a way to say what they mean, whether they have something specific in mind or just a starting point.
As we test into conversational search within AI platforms, we’re also building on our learnings on Etsy. We’re testing a beta conversational search experience on Etsy designed to help shoppers find a gift. It’s still early, but we’re iterating quickly and learning from real usage what’s actually valuable to shoppers.
Our approach will evolve based on what we learn. We’re showing up in these channels to test, iterate, and understand how to help sellers reach shoppers looking for the meaningful items they offer. We won’t figure it out by sitting on the sidelines. We’ll keep showing up where shoppers are, and learning how to make sure Etsy sellers show up there too.
