Seller Handbook

The holidays are always magical on Etsy—and it’s because of you. So this year, we’re infusing your holiday shop prep with some magic of our own: Each month, we'll be sharing a short-and-sweet checklist with the top tips and resources you need at that exact moment. You can also expect to see new tools for managing your shop and listings, and new ways to connect with the community and get the support you need, when you need it. Do just one checklist item a month, do them all; it’s completely up to you. No matter what, we’re here to help so you can spend less time digging for details and more time making your special brand of Etsy holiday magic.

This month is all about getting your business in shape for the busy season. Find out how to get your products in front of the shoppers who want them, bring your latest product idea to life, and review our research into five-star customer service.

Take action

Set up Etsy Ads: Shoppers will be searching for holiday gifts on Etsy in the coming months, and Etsy Ads helps connect your unique listings to the buyers who want them the most. Learn more about setting up an Etsy Ads campaign.

Explore and learn

• Find out how visible you are in Etsy search: Shoppers want to see high-quality listings from sellers they can trust. Visit your Etsy search visibility page to discover how you’re measuring up in three key areas—your shop, customer service stats, and your listings—and get tips on how to improve them.
  
• Develop a Winning Product in 5 Easy Steps: Thinking about adding something new to your shop? Discover how to get your new idea out of your head and in front of shoppers in time for the holidays with this Seller Handbook article.
  
• Find out How to Get 5-Star Reviews: Quality, customer service, and on-time shipping are the three key areas Etsy shoppers mention in 5-star reviews. Read the Seller Handbook article to get research-backed tips for mastering all three.

This month, let’s dive into Etsy’s newest tools and features—each one designed to help support the authentic human connection holiday shoppers want.

Try these tools

• Scale smarter with Etsy Plus: Monthly listing and Etsy Ads credits, restock request emails, and extra shop customization features that can make your brand stand out are just some of the ways that Etsy Plus can help you grow your business. The best part: This is just the start for this tool and more. See all that Etsy Plus has to offer here.
  
• Get your time back with the writing assistant: Our new AI-powered tool can help you provide great customer service through quick responses (in your own unique voice!) to buyers’ most frequently asked questions. If the tool is currently available to you, all you have to do is select the sparkle icon in any buyer message to get started. Check out this Seller Handbook article for more details. Note: The writing assistant is only available on desktop or on the Etsy Seller app to some eligible sellers, but we’re working to expand access soon.

Take action

• Review your processing times: Want to help set the right expectations and potentially encourage more early purchases? Consider adjusting processing times in your Shipping Profiles to provide buyers with earlier shipping dates and realistically reflect the time needed to prepare and ship the item. Review your shipping profiles and learn more about how estimated delivery dates are calculated.
  
• Protect your shop: At Etsy, we’re working around the clock to keep your shop safe by tracking evolving scam patterns, blocking fraudulent accounts, and taking swift action to help preserve the community. But the choices you make regarding your shop security are just as impactful:
  • Verify your phone number so we can send you real-time alerts if we detect unusual activity on your account.
  • Enable two-factor authentication to get an extra layer of account protection.

Connect

• RSVP to Etsy Up: A strong human connection to shoppers starts with proven expert tips, great tools, and most of all, a supportive community—and Etsy Up’s got all three. Join us on September 18 at 1pm ET to discover strategies for optimizing your listings, learn how to make our latest seller tools and features work for you, and connect with a community of like-minded sellers who’ve got your back. Save your spot to join the fun.
  
• Visit the new Community Hub: We’ve been listening, learning, and working behind the scenes to build a new and improved community experience for sellers. Now we’re upgrading to a modern, intuitive space designed to help you easily connect, learn, and grow. Head over to the Community Hub to explore what’s new!

Explore and learn

• Find out How to Ship Smoothly This Holiday Season: Get your shipping in tip-top shape with these proven strategies for holiday shipping success.

Take action

• Opt into Etsy’s Cyber Sales event: Millions of deal-seeking shoppers are heading to Etsy for our biggest sales moment of the year, so we’re making it easy to join.
  • Schedule a sale of at least 25% off from November 24 - December 2 with just a few clicks, and you’re in!
    
  • Bonus: Want to be considered for Etsy’s marketing during Cyber Week? Schedule a sale with a discount of at least 25% and global shipping by October 27 for a chance to be included! Check out our Help Center article for more information.
    
• Discover what’s new with Shop Manager: See recommended actions around shipping, replying to time-sensitive messages, and managing your listings, so you can tackle them quickly and keep your business moving through the holidays. Visit your Shop Manager to see the newest personalized recommendations for you.
• Level up on your shipping prep: Set up smart shipping practices before the rush to save you time later. Here’s how to help improve your on-time shipping rate:
  • Set realistic processing times in your processing profiles
  • Review your processing schedule
  • Accurately mark orders as complete
    

For more guidance on streamlining your approach and staying on top of customer expectations, check out The Ultimate Guide to Shipping.

Try these tools

• Refine your customer communication strategy: Sellers who respond to buyer messages that are sent before a purchase in less than two days have a 27% higher conversion rate on average.* Download the Etsy Seller app to easily respond to messages on the go anywhere, any time.
  
  • Quick replies: Save frequent responses as saved replies to easily repurpose them.
    
  • Weekly auto replies: Set your weekly availability to send auto-replies when you’re usually offline. You can find this in the "Messages" tab.
    
  • Writing assistant: Eligible sellers can use our optional AI powered writing assistant to answer shoppers’ frequently asked questions or edit your writing. Hot tip: Save your favorite replies as Quick replies to use later. Just select the sparkle icon in any buyer message (either from Messages or the Orders page) to get started.

Explore & learn

• Get familiar with Etsy Purchase Protection: This holiday season, we’re increasing Etsy Purchase Protection for sellers by covering refunds on qualifying orders up to $500 USD—double our regular coverage of up to $250 USD.** Get more information on how it works here.
• Add an extra layer of shop security: Protect yourself by staying informed about the latest scam tactics. Watch this video to learn how to spot phishing emails.

* Based on 2024 conversion metrics of sellers who responded to buyer messages in less than two days rather than more than two days.

** Qualifying orders based on criteria outlined as part of Etsy’s Purchase Protection program. Orders placed from November 1, 2025 at 12am ET through December 31, 2025 at 11:59pm ET that are up to $500 USD (or local equivalent) and meet all other eligibility criteria will qualify for Etsy to cover the cost of refunds if a buyer doesn’t receive their order, it arrives damaged, or it doesn’t arrive within the seller’s estimated delivery dates.

Take action

• Join Etsy’s Cyber Sales event: There’s still time to join Etsy’s biggest sales moment of the year. Just set up a sale from Nov. 24 - Dec. 2—it only takes a few taps!
• Get Marketplace Insights, powered by real Etsy data: The new Marketplace Insights tool helps you spot rising trends, choose the best keywords for your listings, and plan inventory with confidence—all based on real Etsy search data. Every seller gets 15 free keyword searches per week, and Etsy Plus subscribers enjoy unlimited access. Head over to Shop Manager > Stats > Marketplace Insights to get started.
• Download the Etsy Seller app: Update your listings, manage orders, track shipments, and message buyers this busy holiday season, right from your phone. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
  • Give your listings some extra love with our new photo tools. You’ll get faster uploads, easier editing, and time-saving custom photo filters to help give your shop a cohesive look.
  • Keep your buyers in the know: If an order is running behind schedule, keep the buyer in the loop so they know when to expect it. Use the app to communicate directly with your buyers about potential delays and update your ship-by dates to reflect delays in real time.
    Download the Etsy Seller App to start managing your shop on the move.

Try these tools

• Take payments anywhere with Square: Don’t miss out on potential sales during peak purchase weekends. Order a Square reader and connect it to your Etsy shop to accept cards at holiday markets, speed up checkout, and ensure every in-person sale updates Shop Stats and inventory automatically. Connect your Etsy shop to Square to get started.
• Add US-specific pricing to your listings: If you’re based outside of the US, you can now set US-specific prices for your listings. When paired with Delivered Duty Paid shipping, this allows you to seamlessly build tariff costs into your listings for US buyers and maintain competitive listing prices in other countries. Visit the Help Center to learn more.
• Stay in touch with Etsy Support 24/7: This holiday, we’re adding more support team agents to help you get faster resolutions during this critical time. For eligible shops operating in English, you can connect with us seamlessly by using chat right in your Shop Manager. You can manage your account, payments, marketing, and listings issues, or quickly find the right Help Center article to get the information you need. Just click the blue chat icon in the bottom right of Shop Manager. If you don’t see the blue chat icon, we’re working on expanding it to more sellers soon!

Explore & learn

• Explore the new Community Hub: Our updated community hub is designed to make it easier to connect with other sellers, access key resources in one central hub, and grow your creative business. Now you can access the Forums, Teams, educational resources, events, and more all in one place. You’ll also notice exciting upgrades, including AI-powered search on the homepage, simpler navigation across the Forums,and new tools to make peer-to-peer engagement even easier. Visit the Community Hub to try it out for yourself.
• Catch up on the latest Etsy seller events: Missed out on one of our live events, virtual workshops, or expert-led sessions? We’ve got you covered. Head over to our YouTube playlist to watch our recent events like EtSEO live listing critiques, our seller-led workshop with Genna Tatu on bringing digital items to life, or last week’s AMA with Etsy’s soon-to-be CEO Kruti Patel Goyal.

Take action

Step up your shipping strategy in the final stretch

• Save time and money with shipping labels on Etsy: Want to get the most out of every last-minute order? When you buy shipping labels on Etsy, you get savings and convenience, all without setting foot in a post office:

  • Up to 30% off standard retail shipping prices for USPS, UPS, FedEx, Canada Post, Evri, Royal Mail, or Australia Post
  • Automatic tracking on most services
  • More time back: We’ll help you out by filling out forms, emailing buyer updates, and keeping tabs on shipments
    
  • To buy a shipping label on Etsy, select any unshipped order on the Orders page and tap the van icon to get started.
• Simplify shipping with one of our partner carriers: If shipping labels on Etsy aren’t available in your area yet, consider using one of Etsy’s shipping partners. They make it easy for sellers in some markets to purchase and print shipping labels, manage inventory across platforms, and get access to streamlined tooling. These services work with partner carriers like USPS who handle the final delivery to your customer, and they’re already commonly used amongst the Etsy seller community. Check out this Seller Handbook article to get the most up-to-date information on the carriers available to you.
  
• Bring back shoppers with a thank you coupon: Want to help build loyalty with your buyers in the new year? Create a coupon and mark it as “Send as thank you.” After you’ve marked their order as complete, we’ll automatically send the coupon to your customers—it’s a way to encourage them to shop from you beyond the holiday season. Head to Sales & Discounts in Shop Manager to get started.

Explore & learn

• Celebrate the Etsy 2025 Community Highlights: From big events like the Etsy Design Awards to everyday moments like swapping ideas and encouragement in the Forums, our community thrives because of the creative entrepreneurs behind it. Cozy up with your favorite warm drink and reflect on this year—and get inspired for the year to come—in the Etsy Community Hub.
• 7 Essentials for Exceptional Customer Service: Make every interaction with buyers memorable (in a good way) with these time-tested, seller-approved tips. One of our favorites: Include a handwritten note—or similar thoughtful touches that reflect your unique style—in each order.