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Frequently
Asked Questions (General)
Here
you'll find answers to basic questions about the site and
troubleshooting some common issues. Just click a question in the list
below and you'll be taken to the answer.
There are more helpful resources
linked on the menu to the left.
About Etsy
What
is Etsy and who created it?
What
does the
word "Etsy" mean?
How
is
"Etsy" pronounced?
Where
can I read more about Etsy, the website and the company?
What
are the Etsy Labs? Can I visit?
Can
I work for Etsy?
Will
you email me about updates to the site and other interesting tidbits?
What does "Admin" mean?
Registering & Signing In
How
do I get
started on Etsy?
Can
I change
my username?
Why
can't I sign in?
Where
is
my confirmation email? I don't think I got one!
I clicked the link in the first confirmation email, but my account isn't
active. What now?
I
can't
remember my password, what should I do?
I
can't
remember my username, can I still sign in?
If
I forgot
my username and/or password and/or email address, what can I do?
Facebook Connect
What is Facebook Connect?
How do I connect with Facebook on Etsy?
What can I do while I'm connected to Facebook on Etsy?
Does Etsy automatically post to my Facebook profile?
How do I disconnect from Facebook?
I have no interest in connecting with Facebook. Can I remove the Facebook Connect link so I don't have to see it when I sign in to Etsy?
I signed in to Etsy and I was already connected with Facebook. Why?
I use the Etsy Shop application on Facebook. Is Facebook Connect the same thing?
I have a Business Page for my Etsy shop on Facebook. Can I use Facebook Connect to publish my Etsy activity on my Page?
How do I change my settings?
I am connected to Facebook on Etsy. Why aren't I seeing the popup dialog boxes from Facebook when I try to post an action?
Which web browsers are supported for Facebook Connect?
Does Etsy save my Facebook login info?
Account
Info
How
do I
change my password?
How
do I change the email address for my Etsy account?
How
do I
add a mailing address?
How
do
I change my mailing address?
How
do I change
the billing information?
How
do I delete
my Etsy account?
Can
I close
my account to start a new one?
Can
I have
more than one account?
I
don't
seem to be receiving any email from Etsy. What should I do?
Public
Profile
What
is an Avatar?
How
do I add/upload an Avatar?
How
do I create
my own Avatar?
How
do I add a Bio?
How
long can my
Bio be?
Can
I use HTML formatting in my Bio?
Why
should I add my location?
How
do I place myself on the map?
Why
should I add my birthday to my Profile?
Site
Features
What
are tags? How do they work?
What
are materials? How do they work?
What
is the
Conversations feature?
Why
are my
Conversations disabled?
What
are the Forums?
What
are the chat rooms?
What
are the Virtual Labs?
What
is The Storque?
What
are
Favorites and Hearts?
Can
I keep
my Favorites private?
What
is a
Secret Admirer?
What
are the different ways to shop on Etsy?
How
does the search bar on Etsy work?
What
is the Showcase?
What
is the Treasury?
What
is Shop Local?
What
is Pounce?
What
is the Geolocator?
What
is Colors?
What
are the Time Machine and Time Machine 2?
What
is the Connections feature?
How
do the Gift Guides work?
What does "Subscribe to shop feed" mean?
Will
you add XYZ as a category, subcategory or sub-subcategory?
I
have an idea to make Etsy better, would you like to hear it?
Alchemy
What
is Alchemy?
Are
there any
special rules for Alchemy that I need to know?
Can I
use
Alchemy to request supplies or vintage items?
What
currency
is used for Alchemy transactions?
Who
can create
an Alchemy request?
Who
can bid on an Alchemy request?
What
are the Etsy fees associated with Alchemy?
How
do I pay for my Alchemy item?
Can I edit my bid?
Can I edit
a completed Alchemy listing?
What if I have a problem
with an Alchemy transaction (buyer doesn't pay or seller doesn't ship the
item)?
RSS Feeds
What is RSS?
What kinds of RSS feeds does Etsy offer?
Feedback
How
does
the feedback system work?
How
do I
leave feedback?
How
do I view
feedback I've received and given?
When
should a buyer leave feedback?
When
should a seller leave feedback?
What
is Kiss
and Make Up? How does it work?
Can I
delete or
edit feedback?
I've
left
negative feedback by mistake. What do I do?
I've
left
feedback for the wrong person. What do I do?
I feel
I've received abusive negative feedback. What do I do?
How
can
someone with negative or neutral feedback still have a 100% positive
rating?
I can't leave feedback
for a transaction. What happened?
Site
Abuse
Where
can I find Etsy's rules?
How
do I report a violation of Etsy's rules?
What
if I see something that shouldn't be sold on Etsy?
What
are the consequences for breaking Etsy's rules?
Flagging
What is flagging? How do I flag an item?
Are there rules about flagging?
What happens when I flag an item?
I flagged an item by accident, can I undo it?
Will I know right away if my item is flagged?
Who is the Etsy Content team?
Developers and API
What is an API?
Does Etsy have an API?
What can you do with with the Etsy API?
How do I get access to the Etsy API?
Where can I find applications that use the Etsy API?
I have a concern about a developer or application that uses the Etsy API. What should I do?
I have a technical problem with an application that uses the Etsy API. Where can I get help?
Do I have to use the applications created with the Etsy API in order to use Etsy?
More
Help
I
didn't find my answer here. Where else can I get help?
About Etsy
What is Etsy and who created it?
Etsy is an online marketplace where you can buy and sell items that are handmade, as well as vintage goods and crafting supplies. Read more about Etsy, our mission and the people who make it happen:
What
does the word "Etsy" mean?
It's
truly a mystery; Etsy's founders hardly ever give the same answer twice
to this question.
How
is "Etsy" pronounced?
Etsy rhymes with the girls' name
Betsy.
Where
can I read more about Etsy, the website and the company?
Over the past few years, many articles have been written about Etsy. Check out these resources for some of our media hits:
What
are the Etsy Labs? Can I visit?
The
Etsy Labs are our office headquarters and creative space in Brooklyn,
NY. We have open craft night every Monday evening, crafting classes on weekends and
often hold special events. Keep in mind
this is where we work, so please come during a scheduled public event
or contact
us in advance to make sure it's a good time to
visit. We also
make and sell official Etsy merchandise in the Etsy
Labs shop.
You can learn more about the Etsy
Labs here:
Can
I work for Etsy?
Maybe. Check our Jobs page for our current openings.
Will
you email me about updates to the site and other interesting tidbits?
Only
if you ask us to! We believe in respecting the sanctity of your email
inbox and will not bury you with unwanted spam messages. We have a few optional
mailing lists
you can sign up for if you'd like to receive regular newsletters from
Etsy. You can unsubscribe at any time and we promise never to share
your email address with a third party. You can also keep track of
breaking Etsy news by reading The Storque, our superblog.
What does "Admin"
mean?
Admin
is short for "administrator", which is a techy title for a person who
works on a website. Etsy's staff are often referred to as Admin. You
can learn more about the people who work at Etsy here:
Click here to return to
the
list of questions.
Registering
& Signing In
How
do
I get started on Etsy?
Welcome! The first step is registration. Just click the Register
link at the top right of the site to get started. You need a valid
email address, a unique username and a password. Usernames can only be
numbers and letters; no funky characters or spaces are allowed. You can
use both upper and lowercase letters; usernames are not
case-sensitive. Passwords are
case-sensitive, so be careful typing your new password.
Sellers,
be careful when choosing your username because it will also be your
shop name! If you want to be a seller, we also require that you have a
valid credit card on file. See the Selling
FAQ for more information about becoming a seller.
Since Etsy is an e-commerce site, all buyers and
sellers must be over the age of 18 (or have parental permission and
supervision). You also need to familiarize yourself with our
rules in the Terms of Use and the DOs
& DON'Ts of Etsy before registering. Once you're
registered, please consult our Help
resources for more info.
See here for a step-by-step walk through of registration:
Can
I
change my username?
Your Etsy username cannot be changed except in the event of documented legal action (such as trademark infringement) at Etsy's discretion. For this reason, please pause and consider your username carefully before registering. Here are some things to think about when selecting a username:
Why
can't I sign in?
You
can't sign in if your account is not active. When you first register
with Etsy, we send you a confirmation email. You'll just need to click
the confirmation link in this email to get started. If you need to
resend the email, click on
the link at the right side of the sign in page.
You
might also be mistyping your password. Passwords are case-sensitive, so
make sure the CAPS LOCK is off. If
you still can't sign in, follow the link on the sign in page to reset your
password.
You
may also want to try clearing your web browser's cache and cookies, or
simply try accessing the site with a different browser program.
Where
is my confirmation email? I don't think I got one!
Check
your junk mail or spam folder. It may have ended up in there. To
prevent this
in the future, you can add transactions@etsy.com and
registration@mail.etsy.com to
your address book or safe list. In extreme cases you might have to turn
off SPAM filters. If you need to resend the email, click on the link on the right side of the sign in page.
I
clicked the link in the first confirmation email, but my account isn't
active. What now?
You can confirm your account manually by going to the manual
confirmation page.
All you need is the codeword from the most recent confirmation email
and your email address. If you lost the first confirmation email, you
can send yourself a new one by clicking on the "Resend the confirmation email"
link, also on the right side of the sign in page.
I
can't
remember my password, what should I do?
If you cannot remember your password, just click on the reset
password link on the sign in
page. Etsy will email a temporary number that you can use to sign in
with. Change your password back to something you can remember
by going to: Your Etsy > Account Info > Change password.
I
can't
remember my username, can I still sign in?
If you've forgotten your username, click the link
on the right side of the sign in
page. As long as you enter the email address you used to sign up for an
account, we can send you an email with your username.
If
I
forgot my username and/or password and/or email address, what can I do?
In
this case, you'll need to contact Support and ask for help.
Keep
in mind we'll need some way for you to prove ownership of the account.
If you've lost all your information, you'll have to register anew.
Click here to return to the
list of questions.
Facebook Connect
What is Facebook Connect?
Facebook Connect allows you to bring your Facebook account into Etsy, so you can share what you're doing on Etsy with your friends on Facebook. You have complete control over what is shared.
How do I connect with Facebook on Etsy?
After signing in to Etsy, you will see a link for Facebook Connect at the top of the page, next to "Conversations." Click this link and then click "Connect with Facebook" to establish a connection to Facebook.
What can I do while I'm connected to Facebook on Etsy?
You can share select actions you take on Etsy with your friends on Facebook. These actions currently include adding an item to your Etsy Favorites ("hearting" an item) and listing an item on Etsy.
After hearting an item or listing an item, you will see an option to post the item to Facebook. Clicking that link activates a pop-up from Facebook where you can preview and annotate your post before publishing the item to your Facebook Profile and Facebook friends' Home pages.
Does Etsy automatically post to my Facebook profile?
No. All posts to your profile and News Feed are made explicitly by you.
How do I disconnect from Facebook?
You will know when you are connected to Facebook on Etsy because your Facebook Profile Picture will appear at the top of all Etsy pages next to a "Facebook" link. Click this link and then click "Log out of Facebook" to terminate your connection with Facebook. This will log you out of Facebook completely.
I have no interest in connecting with Facebook. Can I remove the Facebook Connect link so I don't have to see it when I sign in to Etsy?
Yes. To remove the Facebook Connect link, click it to activate the overlay and then click "don't show again." The Facebook Connect option will no longer appear when you sign in to Etsy.
If you change your mind, you can re-enable the Facebook Connect option by going to Your Etsy > Account Info. On the Account Info page, you will find a "Settings" section where you can enable or disable Facebook Connect.
I signed in to Etsy and I was already connected with Facebook. Why?
This occurs when you sign in to Etsy while being logged into Facebook, if you've connected with Facebook through Etsy before. You can clear your browser's cookies to prevent this.
I use the Etsy Shop application on Facebook. Is Facebook Connect the same thing?
Facebook Connect is separate from the Etsy Shop application. You can still use the Etsy Shop Facebook applications and other Etsy Facebook applications. Facebook Connect allows you to share actions you take on Etsy, such as the items you list or add to your favorites, with your friends on Facebook.
I have a Business/Fan Page for my Etsy shop on Facebook. Can I use Facebook Connect to publish my Etsy activity on my Page?
Facebook Connect allows you to publish Etsy activity on your Facebook Profile, but not your Pages.
How do I change my settings?
- Log in to Facebook.
- Hover over the link "Settings."
- Click "Application Settings" from the list that drops down.
- Select "Allowed to Post" from the "Show" dropdown.
- Click the link "Edit Settings" for the Etsy application. Note that this is separate from the Etsy Shop application.
If you log out of Facebook in a separate browser tab while you are using Facebook Connect on Etsy, you will need to refresh the Etsy page to get everything working correctly. This is a known issue resulting from the way Facebook handles cookies.
Which web browsers are supported for Facebook Connect?
PC: Internet Explorer 6 and 7, Firefox 2 and 3. Mac: Firefox 2 and 3, Safari 3.
Does Etsy save my Facebook login info?
Per the Facebook API Terms of Service, we may store your Facebook user ID and other assorted item IDs.
Click here to return to the list of questions.
Account Info
How
do
I change my password?
If
you're able to sign in to Etsy, go to Your Etsy > Account Info >
Change password. You can change it there by following the on screen
instructions.
If you cannot remember your password, just click on the reset
password link on the sign in
page. Etsy will email a temporary number that you can use to sign in
with. You can change your password back to something you can remember
by going to: Your Etsy > Account Info > Change password.
How
do
I change the email address for my Etsy account?
You need to sign in to Etsy and go to Your Etsy > Account Info,
then follow the "change your email address" link. Please keep your
email address up-to-date at all times; this is how Etsy will contact
you with important information about your account. You cannot re-use an
email address that is already associated with another Etsy account.
How
do
I add a mailing address?
Sign in to Etsy and go to Your Etsy > Account Info, and follow the
link on that screen.
How
do
I change my mailing address?
Sign in to Etsy and go to Your Etsy > Account Info, and follow the
link on that screen.
How
do
I change the billing information?
Sign in to Etsy and go to Your Etsy > Account Info, and follow the
link on that screen.
How
do
I delete my Etsy account?
Are you sure? If you really want to, please contact
Support
to
request this and we'll do it for you. Be sure to send the message from
the email address on file in your Etsy account and provide us with
your Etsy username.
Can
I
close my account to start a new one?
We
can close the account for you so that you can open a new one, but you
will need to use a different email address and none of your information
will be carried over. For security reasons usernames and emails can't
be reused once they are in our system. Please contact
Support if
you would like to close your account.
Can
I
have more than one account?
Yes, however there are special rules for
holding multiple accounts. Please see the DOS & DON'Ts for more info.
I
don't seem to be receiving any email from Etsy. What should I do?
There are a few things you can do to help ensure our emails get
through:
- Make sure your email addresses on file are
correct. If this
address isn't correct, we can't contact you and neither can buyers.
- Check your spam/junk folder to see
if our emails were diverted there by your email client.
- Add
Etsy's email addresses to your address book. This will ensure our
emails don't end up in your spam/junk folder. We recommend adding the
following addresses to your contacts
list: registration@mail.etsy.com (for
registration), support@etsy.com, abuse@etsy.com, content@etsy.com,
community@etsy.com, billing@etsy.com
(those are for Etsy Help), transaction@etsy.com (for transaction
notices), and conversations@mail.etsy.com (for Convo notifications).
- Let us know if you think you're
missing an email from Etsy by
contacting Support.
Click here to return to the list of questions.
Public Profile
What
is
an Avatar?
An
avatar is a small square image that shows up when you post in the
Forums, in Conversations, in your public profile and various
other places throughout the site. It adds a visual element to your
identity on Etsy, complementing your username.
How
do
I add/upload an Avatar?
Sign in
to Etsy and go to Your Etsy > Public Profile. Click the browse
button to locate the image file on your computer, then make sure to
click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen. Make sure
your original image is a square, otherwise there will be distortion.
How
do
I create my own Avatar?
You
can use a variety of image manipulation applications, like Adobe
Photoshop or GIMP, to tweak a photo you've taken. Your avatar image
should be 75 x 75 pixels in size at 72 dpi resolution. The files should
be one of these formats: .jpg, .gif or .png.
How
do
I add a Bio?
Sign In to Etsy and go to Your Etsy > Public Profile.
How
long can my Bio be?
As long as you'd like it to be, but not as long as Moby Dick.
Can
I
use HTML formatting in my Bio?
We
do not allow any user-created HTML formatting anywhere on the site. We
have designed Etsy to provide a consistent visual experience.
Why
should I add my location?
As
a seller, if you enter your location and place yourself on the map in
Your Etsy > Public Profile, your shop will be included in the Geolocator
and Shop
Local
features. Adding your location is optional, but keep in mind
that buyers like to know where an item will ship from when
shopping. Including your location can also be helpful when joining an Etsy Team.
How
do
I place myself on the map?
You
can position the marker on the map in two ways. The first way is to
enter your location in the City text field, then press the "look up"
button. (You may need to include more info like your state or country,
if you live in a city with a common name, like Manchester.) You can
also interact directly with the map. You can zoom in/out and move
around by using the buttons on the map itself. Click on the map to
place the red
balloon icon.
Why
should I add my birthday to my Profile?
Each day, the members who are celebrating a birthday are
featured in the Happy Birthday Etsians
feature. This is optional. If you choose to not include your
birthday, just select - month
- and - day
- from the menus.
Click here to return to the
list of questions.
Site Features
What
are tags? How do they work?
Tags
are keywords used to sort items on Etsy. The first tag on an item
determines which top-level category it's listed under. Subcategories on
Etsy are also based on tags. For example the drawing subcategory inside
Art shows items tagged with Art and drawing. A single tag can be
comprised of multiple words, e.g. Bath and Beauty. You can have up to
14
tags per item.
Sellers, please see these other resources for more in-depth info on how to use tags appropriately:
What
are materials? How do they work?
Materials
are a special kind of single-word keywords. Instead of helping you
understand what an item is used for, they help you figure out what it's
made out of. You can click a material anywhere you see it to be taken
to a list of all other items using the same material. You can list up
to 13 materials per item.
What
is
the Conversations feature?
Conversations
(also called "Convos" for short) is an Etsy-only messaging system. It's
a great way to communicate with other members, especially regarding the
details of a transaction. You can access your Conversations inbox by
clicking the link at the very top of the site header. You can send and
receive Convos from any other registered member. Additionally, you can
set your preferences receive an email notification every time you get a
new Convo. (To do this, go to Conversations and click the "set email
preferences" link.) Be sure to read the rules in the DOs
& DON'Ts
regarding the appropriate use of Convos.
Why
are
my Conversations disabled?
In
our effort to protect Etsy users from abuse by spammers and scammers,
if you send out several conversations that all have similar content in
a short period of time, your ability to send new Conversations is
automatically disabled by the spambot.
The best way to communicate with groups and clubs, or send shop
announcements and promotions is to use your business email address.
Conversations were designed to handle transaction arrangements. Please
contact Support
to have your Conversations reinstated.
What
are the Forums?
The Forums
are a big part of Etsy's community spaces. These are public
bulletin boards on Etsy for all members to discuss a variety of things,
ranging from getting help with using the site or advice on running a
shop to suggesting new site features and reporting bugs, as well as
just socializing with others in the Etsy community. The Forums can be
found in the Community section of the site.
For more info about the Forums, please check out these resources:
What
are the chat rooms?
The chat
rooms
are interactive spaces where you can virtually "talk" with other
members
in real time. There are three standard chat rooms, but members can also
create their own custom rooms and even password-protect a room for
privacy. A chat room is a great place to socialize with other members
and get immediate help. Teams can also use the chat
rooms for virtual meetings. The chat rooms can be found in the Community
section of the site.
For more info about the chat rooms, see here:
What
are the Virtual Labs?
The Virtual
Labs
are special multimedia chat rooms. Etsy staff and members can use the
Virtual Labs to hold interactive workshops, like seminars on marketing
or real-time shop critiques. Scheduled events will be announced in the
Storque. The Virtual Labs can be found in the Community
section of the
site.
To learn more about the Virtual Labs and how to use them, check out
these resources:
What
is the Storque?
The
Storque
is Etsy's superblog. It provides information and announcements for
buyers and sellers about the site and the handmade lifestyle. Articles
are written by Etsy's staff, special guests and members of the Etsy
community. It's
updated several times daily with new content. Readers can also leave
comments and pitch ideas for new articles.
There's lots more info about The Storque in these places:
What
are Favorites and Hearts?
When
you find an item or shop on Etsy that you love, you can bookmark it by
adding it to your Favorites. In Etsy-lingo, this is also called
hearting an item or shop. To heart a item/shop, click the link
in
the right sidebar on a shop or item page that says "Add this to
favorites." To view your Favorites list, go to Your Etsy >
Favorites. You can also browse the Favorites of other members by
clicking the Favorites link in their Profiles. You can see who has
hearted a certain item/shop by clicking the right sidebar
link
that says, "See who hearts this item/shop."
Can
I
keep my Favorites private?
If
you want to keep your Favorites private, go to Your Etsy >
Favorites
and then click the Preferences setting. Here you can choose to make
your list private or public.
What is a Secret Admirer?
A secret admirer is someone who has chosen to keep their Favorites
private.
What
are the different ways to shop on Etsy?
Etsy
has many great tools to help buyers shop on the site. There are
traditional methods (like Search and browsing Categories)
as well as
innovative Flash-based tools (such as Colors,
Time Machine 2 and Shop
Local).
We've created an in-depth guide on the different ways to shop on the
site:
How
does the search bar on Etsy work?
The search bar atop every page is contextual, based on what section of the the site you're in. Look directly to the right of the search bar to find the drop-down menu, which shows you exactly what you're searching. You can change what's selected to search different areas.
The shopping search on Etsy is divided into three types of listings: Handmade, Supplies and Vintage. You can also choose to search the entire marketplace by choosing All Items from the drop-down menu.
You can use multiple terms in a search to narrow down the results. You can also use special operators. Using NOT or the minus sign (-) in front of a word will exclude that term from your search. You can use % as a wildcard operator to search when you only know part of a term. For example, using "sellers: usernames" on the drop-down menu and searching for "%love" will return results for all shops with the word "love" somewhere in the name. Enclosing a word or phrase in quotation marks will look for items that use that exact word or phrase only.
More detailed info about searching on Etsy can be found here:
What
is
the Showcase?
The
Showcase
is a paid advertising program for Etsy shops. Sellers can purchase a
spot to promote their items on the site. There are a few different
kinds of Showcases on Etsy.
The Main
Showcase (aka the Homepage
Showcase) is linked from the front page
of the site and features items from 36 sellers daily. A one-day spot on
the Main Showcase costs $15.
The Storque Showcase is linked from
the front page of the Storque and features items
from 25
sellers daily. A one-day spot on the Storque Showcase costs
$7.
Additionally, there are Category Showcases displayed as a
ticker at the top of the main page for each category. These Showcases
feature items from 25
sellers daily, selected by the seller from their listings in that
category. A one-day spot on a Category Showcase costs $7.
You can read more about the Showcase here:
What
is
the Treasury?
The Treasury
is a member-curated gallery of short-lived lists of 12 hand-picked
items each. Members can feature their favorite items, items selected on
a theme or just whoever they like. The Treasury is not intended for
self-promotion, but instead to acknowledge and share the many cool
things for sale on Etsy. Admin often choose an exceptional Treasury
list to promote to the the homepage hand-picked items.
Please see this guide for more detailed info about the Treasury:
What
is
Shop Local?
Shop
Local
is a feature that allows you to browse through shops in a specific
geographic area, like your hometown, state or country. This is based on
the optional information provided by sellers in their Profiles, so you
may need to be creative in your search terms if you live in a town with
a common name or a remote area.
For more information about Shop Local, please see here:
What
is
Pounce?
Pounce
is a shopping tool that allows buyers to browse two ways. You can
see recently
purchased items and view more great things for sale in the same shop ("Just Sold" mode).
Or, you can choose "Undiscovered" mode to find fresh shops that have
not yet made their first sales.
For more about Pounce, please see here:
What
is
the Geolocator?
The Geolocator
is a way to search the world for shops in specific locations. You can
search by place and a number indicator will pop up on the globe. Click
the number and you'll see the avatars for the shops in that location.
You can also search for items through the Geolocator, and see where in
the world the items will be shipped from. This is based on the
optional location information provided by sellers in their Profiles.
Read more about the Geolocator here:
What
is
Colors?
The Colors
tool allows you to browse items based on the colors in the
listing
photos. Just click a spot on the palette and items will pop up. Click
the item icon to learn more and visit that shop. If the color arrow
icon says "more..." you can click it to see additional items for that
color. You can also narrow your results by using search terms.
Read more about Colors here:
What are the Time Machine and Time Machine 2?
Both of the Time Machines on Etsy
will
display the 1000 most recently listed items. The original Time
Machine provides different viewing options for items flying
through time and space. The TM2
displays items on a grid and allows you to select items which are
Recently Listed, Recently Sold or Expiring Soon.
What is the Connections feature?
Connections
is a fun way to browse hearted items and see which other Etsy members
have taste similar to your own. Connections starts by showing you a few
of your Favorite items. If you click an item, it will expand to show
you who else calls that a Favorite. Click the person icon, and you'll
see a few of their other Favorite items. You can also search
Find User if there's an Etsian you want to start with.
How
do the Gift Guides work?
The Gift
Guides
are lists of suggested gifts available on Etsy. These are meant to help
shoppers come up with ideas for the perfect gift for that
hard-to-buy-for person on their gift lists. These Guides are curated by
Etsy's staff (Admin). We select items that are interesting, have great
photos and descriptions and fit one of the Guide themes. We search the
site daily for more items to add to the Guides.
See here for more info about the Gift Guides:
What does "Subscribe to shop feed" mean?
An RSS feed is a way to keep track of when new content is added to a website.
You need to utilize a special software program called a "feedreader" or "aggregator." You can subscribe
to the RSS feed of an Etsy shop and be informed when new items are listed. Etsy shop feeds are also
pre-formatted for upload to Google Base.
We also offer RSS feeds for the Etsy blog, Alchemy and public Favorites.
Learn more about RSS and how to use it:
Will you add XYZ as a category, subcategory or sub-subcategory?
Please contact us
with suggestions – we’d love to hear them! It helps if you can link us
to an item so we can see an example of what you are talking about.
Please add your suggestion as a tag to your listings where accurate.
For additional information about requesting new categories, see this
article:
I
have
an idea to make Etsy better, would you like to hear it?
We are always looking for new ideas and improvements. We have an Ideas Forum for just this purpose.
You can also contact Community
with your suggestions.
Click here to return to the
list of questions.
Alchemy
What is Alchemy?
Alchemy
is a feature on Etsy where buyers can post requests for custom items
and sellers can bid on the opportunity to make the item. You can learn
more about how Alchemy works in the questions below, or take a peek at
these other helpful resources:
Are
there any special rules for Alchemy that I need to know?
Yes! The basic policies for Etsy's marketplace apply to Alchemy, but
there
are a few additional rules you'll need to know as well. You can find
them in the DOs &
DON'Ts of Etsy.
Can
I use Alchemy to request commercial supplies or vintage items?
Alchemy is for custom handmade goods only. (We may extend the feature
to include sourcing for Commercial Supply or Vintage items at some
point in the
future, but for now please use Alchemy to request handmade items only.)
What
currency is used for Alchemy transactions?
All transactions on Etsy, including Alchemy requests, are in United
States Dollars (USD).
Who
can create an Alchemy request?
Any Etsy member can make a request, since all members have "buyer"
status. Not a registered member yet? Join up! It's free and quick. See
the Registration
Help Guide for more details.
Who
can bid on an Alchemy request?
Only members who have signed up to be sellers can place bids, since
this is a transaction. To convert your buyer-only account to a seller
account, visit the Sell
page. You'll need a valid credit card to create a seller
account.
What
are the Etsy fees associated with Alchemy?
There are no fees for buyers to make Alchemy requests. Once a bid is
accepted and confirmed, the seller will be charged a 3.5% transaction
fee on their Etsy bill. This fee is based on the item price agreed upon
in the bid (shipping excluded).
How
do I pay for my Alchemy item?
The buyer and seller negotiate the payment terms for an Alchemy
transaction. The seller will include their preferred payment method in
the bid. Some options include full payment upfront, payment by
installments (50% as a deposit upfront and 50% when the item is
complete) or full payment when the item is completed, prior to shipping.
The seller is responsible for sending the buyer an invoice if necessary.
Can I edit my bid?
Yes,
you can edit your bid. Etsy will send a Conversation to the buyer to
let them know you changed your bid. Once a bid is accepted or declined,
it can no longer be edited.
Can I edit a
completed Alchemy listing?
No,
a completed Alchemy listing cannot be edited. The description from the
accepted bid will become the listing description, so be sure to make
any changes before the bid is accepted by the buyer.
What if I have a
problem with an Alchemy transaction (buyer doesn't pay, seller doesn't
ship the item)?
Please contact Support in this
unfortunate event. We'll do our best to help set things right.
RSS Feeds
What is RSS?
An RSS feed is a way to keep track of new content as it is added to a website. You'll need to utilize a special software program called a "feedreader" or "aggregator."
Learn more about RSS and how to use it.
What kinds of RSS feeds does Etsy offer?
Etsy offers a wide variety of RSS feeds:
- Shop feeds: Every Etsy shop has a feed, which can be found on both shop pages and item listing pages. Look for the link on the lower right that says, "Subscribe to shop feed." Shop feeds contain thumbnail images of shop items and come pre-formatted for use on Google Base, which is handy for sellers.
- Favorites feeds: Every Etsy member who has opted for their Favorites to be public has a Favorites feed, which displays the latest items from their favorite sellers.
- Gift Guide feeds: Every Etsy Gift Guide has a feed. Look for the link on the bottom of Gift Guide pages that says, "Feed for this guide."
- Alchemy feed: There is a feed for Alchemy requests for custom items. Look for the link on the bottom of the Alchemy main page that says, "Subscribe to Alchemy feed."
- Etsy blog feeds: Etsy's blog offers feeds for all articles,
all comments, Spotlight articles and
comments, This Handmade Life articles and comments,
Craftivism articles and comments,
How-To articles and comments,
Reviews articles and comments,
Etsy News articles and comments,
Events articles and comments,
Etc articles and comments, and Videos, as well as feeds for any blog search term and feeds for comments on individual blog articles.
Feedback
How does the feedback
system
work?
You may
leave a feedback rating of positive or negative, a comment and
a "Customer Appreciation Photo" for users whom you've been involved in
a transaction with. Your feedback score is the cumulative total of all
positives (+1) and negatives (-1) you receive. To leave feedback,
sign in, go to Your Etsy > Feedback, and you'll see all items
awaiting
your feedback there. Neutral feedback does not affect the user's rating
number as it's neither positive or negative.
You have 90 days from the transaction date to leave
feedback. After 90 days, the ability to leave feedback expires.
You can find more information about
feedback here:
How
do I leave feedback?
To leave feedback, sign in and go to Your Etsy > Feedback. Then click the Items Awaiting Feedback tab and you'll see everything there. You can submit feedback for individual items, or in batches. For more help, see our step-by-step Help Guide:
How
do I view feedback I've received and given?
Sign in and go to Your Etsy > Feedback > Completed Feedback and click the appropriate links on that page.
When
should a buyer leave feedback?
Once they have received the item from the seller. Keep in mind that you
have 90 days from the transaction date to leave feedback. After 90
days, the ability to leave feedback expires.
When
should a seller leave feedback?
The seller can leave feedback as soon as they receive payment, or wait
until they've confirmed that the buyer has received the item and is
happy with the transaction. Keep in mind that you have 90 days from the
transaction date to leave
feedback. After 90 days, the ability to leave feedback expires.
What
is Kiss and Make Up? How does it work?
This is a way for members to change negative or neutral feedback if an issue has been resolved. You will find the link for Kiss and Make Up underneath the negative or neutral feedback entry that on Your Etsy > Feedback > Completed Feedback. When you initiate a Kiss and Make Up offer, a Convo is automatically sent by Etsy to both you and the other person involved in the transaction. Both parties must agree to change the feedback rating from negative/neutral to positive.
Can
I delete or edit feedback?
Feedback can only be changed by using our Kiss and Make Up feature.
This feature only applies to negative or neutral feedback and requires
both
parties involved to agree to change the feedback to positive.
There are a few other circumstances in which Etsy will remove feedback
entries. Please see the DOs
& DON'Ts of Etsy > Feedback for more details.
I've
left negative feedback by mistake. What do I do?
Click the Kiss and Make Up link below the negative or neutral feedback in Your Etsy > Feedback > Completed Feedback > Left for others.
I've
left feedback for the wrong person. What do I do?
If it's totally misplaced, you can contact Support
for help. You have up to 30 days to report a problem with feedback.
I feel I've received abusive negative feedback.
What do I do?
Please contact
Support
for help. You have up to 30 days to report a problem with feedback.
How
can someone with negative or neutral feedback still have a 100%
positive rating?
Feedback
ratings are rounded to the nearest whole number. For this reason,
someone with an extraordinary amount of positive feedback and just a
few negatives will show as a 100% score. Neutral feedback is
truly
neutral; it does not impact the percentage rating at all.
I can't leave
feedback for a transaction. What happened?
You have 90 days from the transaction date to leave feedback. After 90
days, the ability to leave feedback expires.
Also, if the transaction was canceled by the seller, the ability to
leave feedback is removed.
Click here to return to
the
list of questions.
Site Abuse
Where
can I find Etsy's rules?
Etsy's rules are outlined in the Terms
of Use (which is a legal agreement for using the site) and in
the DOS & DON'Ts of Etsy.
How
do
I report a violation of Etsy's policies?
You should contact us to let us know.
We take all such matters seriously and act on them promptly.
What/join
if I see something that shouldn't be sold on Etsy?
In
the right-hand sidebar of every item page, there is a "Report this item
to Etsy" link, which will send an email to us with the item # in it.
(If the link doesn't work with your computer's settings, you can contact
Flagged.
Please include a link to the item.) We appreciate your help with this!
Please note: we do allow some non-handmade items in the Commercial
Supplies and
Vintage categories.
What
are the consequences for breaking Etsy's rules?
First
and foremost, we can usually work things out with a member personally
and
privately. If this is not successful, a member's site privileges may be
suspended or an account may
be terminated.
Click here to return to the
list of questions.
Flagging
What is flagging? How do I flag an item?
If you find an item on Etsy which appears to violate the DOs & DON'Ts
or Terms of Use,
you can bring it to the attention of Etsy's staff by clicking "Report this item to Etsy"
in the right sidebar on the listing page. Just complete the simple form by selecting a reason
and adding any additional information in the message field.
Are there rules about flagging?
Yes, there are a few rules outlined
Etsy's policies for flagging from the DOs & DON'Ts.
- Flagging should be used to report any item listing, shop or Alchemy request that violates any of Etsy's policies.
- Do not flag a single violation multiple times.
- Since flagging is a private matter, members should not discuss flags in any of Etsy's community spaces.
What happens when I flag an item?
The Etsy
Content Team reviews every flagged item. If the item appears to violate Etsy's policies, the Content Team will contact the seller by email.
In extreme cases the item may be removed from the site immediately. Flagging is confidential; only Etsy's staff will know who flagged an item.
Oops, I flagged an item by accident! Can do I undo it?
There isn't a way to undo a flag, but don't worry, each flag is reviewed by a human being.
If you flagged an item in error, it will be cleared when the Content Team reviews the shop.
Will I know right away if one of my items gets flagged?
The Etsy Content Team reviews each flag before notifying the seller.
You will only be contacted if there is something you need to change about the listing or if Etsy's staff have
questions about the item or shop. If you do get an email from Content, it's important to respond promptly
so the issue can be resolved quickly. You will be contacted by email at the email address on file in
your account information (Your Etsy > Account Info), so be sure that info is up-to-date.
Who is the Etsy Content team?
You can read more about the people and process of the Content Team in this Storque article:
Meet the Content Folks on the Support Team.
Click here to return to the
list of questions.
Developers and API
What is an API?
API is an acronym that stands for Application Programming Interface. An API is basically a set of software development tools that allows software developers to build new applications based on the unique data and capabilities provided by a software program or website.
Does Etsy have an API?
Yes, Etsy has a public API that allows developers to query information from the Etsy website. You can find out more on the Etsy Developer Community website.
What can you do with with the Etsy API?
Currently the Etsy API provides access to public information such as item listings and shop information that you would find on the Etsy website. For example, you can use the API to query product information, get information about a seller's shop or to see publicly viewable favorite items or shops.
How do I get access to the Etsy API?
To get access to the Etsy API, you need a developer key. Register at the Etsy Developer Community website to get started. After you receive a developer key, you will also be provided with a complete set of documentation to help you get started.
Where can I find applications that use the Etsy API?
We maintain a list on the Etsy Developer Community website of applications that you might find useful. Note that unless otherwise stated, these applications are not affiliated with or supported by Etsy.
I have a concern about a developer or application that uses the Etsy API. What should I do?
If you believe an application is violating Etsy's Terms of Use or Etsy's API Terms of Use, you may contact Etsy at developer@etsy.com. Include details such as the reason for the issue, information about the application and links to the developer's website.
I have a technical problem with an application that uses the Etsy API. Where can I get help?
Please contact the developer of the application directly, using the contact information provided on the developer's website or application. Etsy cannot provide support for applications created using the Etsy API.
Do I have to use the applications created with the Etsy API in order to use Etsy?
No. You will still be able to use Etsy without these applications, and Etsy's Product and Engineering Teams will continue to work hard to deliver improvements and new functionality to the site for our members. The applications created by software developers using the Etsy API are bonuses to the Etsy experience.
Click here to return to the
list of questions.
More Help
I
didn't find my answer here. Where else can I get help?
Check out these other resources:
Click here to return to
the
list of questions.
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