Seller Handbook

When shoppers are searching on Etsy, it’s important that they can easily find high-quality listings from shops that have a track record of good customer service. Making these listings easier to find helps build trust with shoppers so they come back to shops like yours again and again.

That's why Etsy search currently takes into account your shop, listing, and customer service quality. We’ve heard from sellers consistently over the years that you need more transparency into what goes into Etsy search to help optimize your listings. We’re excited to announce the new Etsy search visibility page in Shop Manager—giving you more insights and recommendations into how you appear in search than ever before!

Etsy search visibility page

This page will show you how your listings are performing in three key areas, along with actions you can take to improve.

Your shop

Buyers want to know who they’re purchasing from, which is important when building trust in your shop and building your brand. For example, your shop should have a shop icon, which helps to represent your business.

Customer service

We know that as an Etsy seller, you do everything you can to ensure a smooth and trusted shopping experience for your buyers. That's why shops that consistently follow our customer service standards are prioritized in search. We include factors like a shop’s average review rating, message response rate, and case rate from the past three months in our search ranking.

• Average review rating: Good reviews let customers know what to expect when they shop with you and help give them confidence to purchase from your shop. Star ratings of 4 or 5 help attract new buyers and keep them coming back to your shop. Read How to Get 5-Star Reviews to learn more.
• Message response rate: Responding to customers’ messages creates a reliable shopping experience and ensures your customers get the answers they need to feel confident making a purchase from your shop. That’s why responding to initial messages within 48 hours is one of our customer service standards. We only look at the first message within a thread and messages sent through your auto-responder. And we exclude any messages in your From Etsy inbox as well as spam.
• Case rate: When something goes wrong with an order, we always encourage buyers to work with you first. If you can’t reach a resolution, buyers will sometimes ask Etsy to step in by opening a case. Not all cases will count against you or reflect negatively on your shop, as long as you're meeting our customer service standards. We only count cases where a refund was taken from your Payment account. Cases covered by Etsy are not considered a factor in this score.
• On-time shipping & tracking: Shipping your orders on time helps give buyers peace of mind so that they know when to expect their orders.

We'll let you know if your shop is meeting customer service standards on the first of every month, and how this impacts your visibility. You can also keep track of your daily progress on your customer service stats page. Explore the dashboard. Plus, consistently going above and beyond for your customers could also help you become a Star Seller, which serves as a further trust signal to buyers and can drive increased conversion for your shop. Check out How Great Customer Service Can Improve Your Search Ranking to learn more.

Your listings

When shopping from the millions of unique items on Etsy, we want to make sure high quality listings with clear information stand out so that buyers feel confident in making a purchase

• Each of your listings should include multiple high-quality photos, which are critical for buyers when deciding when to make a purchase. Learn more about photography best practices in the Ultimate Guide to Product Photography.
• Your listings should also include a return policy so that buyers know whether you accept returns or exchanges before they make a purchase. You don’t have to offer returns or exchanges on your items unless it’s required where you live.
• When determining how listings show up in search, we also consider shipping price as an overall factor for US sellers. Visit our Shipping Checklist to learn more about different approaches.
• Our data tells us that once shipping prices are $6 or above, buyers are less likely to make a purchase. We want to make it easier for buyers to find shipping prices that meet their expectations, so starting October 1, 2024 US listings with domestic shipping prices lower than $6 will be prioritized in search. We know that shipping needs vary based on the type of item or where it's shipping from, so we'll exclude certain categories and items shipped from outside the US from this new search criteria. We're also giving you better tools to adjust prices if you choose.
• Read all about how shipping is being factored into search here.
• For more listing optimization tips, read Creating Listings That Convert.

What’s next?

To see your shop’s personalized search insights and recommendations, check out the Etsy search visibility page in Shop Manager. Want to share your thoughts about the new Etsy search visibility page? Let us know here.

Your questions, answered

Q: I have a lot of listings and updating my photos is going to take time. Is there an easier way to do this?

A: The new Etsy search visibility page is also available on the Etsy Seller app, making it easy to take photos on your phone and quickly make updates to your listings. You can also see all your personalized insights and recommendations directly from the app. Make sure you’re running the latest version of the app to see these new features!

Q: I’m not a Star Seller, does that mean I won't be shown in search?

A: No, not having a Star Seller badge does not impact your search visibility. You just need to maintain Etsy’s customer service standards to keep your search visibility on track. While maintaining customer service standards is important for how you appear in search, Star Seller lets buyers know that you have a proven record of providing an exceptional customer experience.

Q: My items are over $250 and aren’t covered by Etsy Purchase Protection, will this negatively affect me?

A: No, for our case rate standard we exclude any cases for orders over $250 or those that are refunded before the buyer opens a case.

Q: What if I don’t have any reviews yet? Does this impact my new listing’s visibility in Etsy Search?

A: New listings will still be shown in search even if they don’t have any reviews or ratings yet, as long as they don’t have any other listing or shop quality issues. For example, if a new listing is missing photos or a return policy, search visibility might be impacted immediately.

Q: I made all my updates, why am I not seeing my listings higher in search?

A: Changes can take up to one day to reflect in search. Also keep in mind there are several other factors that impact where your listing shows up in search for any individual keyword, including keyword relevance and any search filters buyers may apply. You can find more education on this in the Etsy search visibility page, and check out How Etsy Search Works for an in-depth guide. Also remember to abide by Etsy policies to ensure that your listings can continue to show up or be sold on Etsy.

Q: Why did my insight disappear even though I didn’t make any changes yet?

You’ll only see insights for your active listings, so if you deactivate a listing or put yourself in Vacation Mode, insights on your Etsy search visibility page or in your listing form may change.

Q: Why am I being asked to consider presenting my shipping prices differently?

A: Our data tells us that once shipping prices go above this amount, purchase rates begin to decline. To ensure buyers see shipping prices that better meet their expectations, starting October 1, 2024, items with US domestic shipping prices lower than $6 will be prioritized in search, with some exceptions. Read more about how shipping price is being factored in search for US listings here.