Search results (authors) for: "sean11"

Tech Update: Google Product Search Syndication

2009-11-25T15:05:00-05:00

Sellers,

We're excited to announce that Etsy is partnering with Google as a participant in the Google Product Search Marketplace Partner Program.

Etsy's Google Product Search Syndication feature will allow Etsy sellers to have their items automatically submitted frequently and with all relevant attributes to Google Product Search. You can find Google Product Search via the "Shopping" link at the top of most Google search pages.

As a Google Product Search Marketplace Partner, participating Etsy sellers' items will appear in Google Product Search with the associated Etsy shop name and shop feedback visible and searchable.

This feature is being rolled out gradually to the Etsy seller community. Beta testing has been underway and we are now gradually activating this feature for Etsy sellers who currently use their shop feed to submit items to Google Product Search. No action is required from sellers. A gradual rollout to the remainder of the Etsy seller community will follow.

Participating sellers will see a link called Syndication under the Promote section inside Your Etsy when signed in. This Syndication page lists the partner websites Etsy is working with to help you maximize your shop's exposure. More partner websites will be added in the future.

Google Product Search Syndication will be enabled by default for participating sellers. Sellers can opt out of this service at any time.

We'd like to thank all the beta testers for their ongoing valuable feedback. We will update this article as the initial rollout is completed, with a link to a dedicated discussion thread in the Forums.

Please visit Etsy's Help site to learn more details about using Google Product Search Syndication.

Other Tips for Your Etsy Shop in the Seller Handbook

Tech Update: Filter Search Results by Category

2009-09-28T18:00:00-05:00

Today we're excited to announce a useful new addition to the Etsy Search experience — you can now filter your search results by category.

When searching on Etsy, you often get a lot of results back. We think it's important to provide shoppers ways to narrow down their search results, while highlighting the wide variety of amazing items on Etsy, from Handmade, Vintage and Supplies.

Let's look at the search results in Handmade for "Halloween," for example. Under the Handmade heading on the left side of the page, you will now see links to the top seven categories ordered by the number of results for that search term in each. You can click the "see more categories" link to view all the categories with results. You can also jump to the results for your search term in Vintage, Supplies or All Items.

In this example, we see there are 1,919 results for "Halloween" within the Handmade: Art Category. Clicking the link for the Art Category will take you to those results with the option to drill down further into the applicable subcategories.

Now we see there are 238 results for "Halloween" within Handmade: Art: Photography. Let's drill down further to the 60 surreal Halloween photographs.

At any time, you can jump back up to any of your previously chosen filters. In this version, starting a new search will clear your filter choices. You can also clear your search term and simply browse all the items available on Etsy by category.

We hope you enjoy this new way to make discoveries on Etsy! Tell us what you think in this Forum thread. (We'll close comments on this blog post so that we can consolidate your feedback on the thread.)

P.S. If you would like to receive breaking, vital Etsy news as it happens — delivered straight to your email inbox — then sign up for Etsy News Alerts emails. Read more about it here. Expect this as an Etsy Alert email in your inbox if you already subscribe to the list.

You can also get an RSS feed of all TechUpdates here.

Tech Update: Sorting Your Item

2009-09-09T10:30:00-05:00

Tags are keywords sellers attach to their items during the item listing process. After selecting a category for your item, sellers can attach up to 13 keywords or tags. These tags are used to help surface items in Etsy's Search, and they currently determine which subcategories your item falls under.

For example, an item in the Bags and Purses Category with the tags "Clutch" and "Applique" will appear in the Clutch subcategory and Applique subsubcategory of Bags and Purses:

Etsy suggests subcategories for your item on Step 2 of the item listing process, where sellers are asked to "sort your item." These suggestions come in the form of links based on the tags you enter or suggested subcategories you choose.

In the past, these suggested subcategories appeared as "Related Tags" and the suggested subcategories could come from anywhere in Etsy's category tree. Beginning today, we'll only suggest subcategories relevant to your chosen top-level category. We're also making it clearer that these suggestions are not only tags, but also directly relate to the Etsy Categories.

Why are we doing this? We believe this update will help reduce mistagging and confusion during the listing process, and help make the Etsy Categories more relevant. This update should make the item listing experience feel a little more logical.

There is no need to edit or re-tag your listings. You can still enter tags not suggested by Etsy during the item listing process, and the order of your chosen subcategories does not have an impact on your placement in Etsy's Categories. For tagging tips, see this article on current best practices for tagging items on Etsy.

We're taking a thorough look at categorization and tagging on Etsy, and this small adjustment is part of that process.

Check the Virtual Labs Schedule for Shop Critiques | View the Etsy Seller Handbook

Tech Updates: Related Searches

2009-07-10T15:00:00-05:00

Now when you perform a search on Etsy, you will often see links for recent popular related searches above your results. You can try it out now with a search for "handbag":

These related searches are actual searches recently performed by Etsy shoppers. They are specific to Handmade, Vintage and Supplies — you will receive different related searches in a search for "handbag" under Handmade than in a search for "handbag" under Vintage, for example. Related searches are also available for popular searches on category-specific search results.

The related search links for a given search query are selected at random from a pool of recent popular related searches, and they change upon refresh or as you page through search results. They are designed to help shoppers narrow their search results with more specific searches, and they also serve as a suggestion tool providing ideas for searches.

Tip: Sellers can get ideas for item tags from relevant related searches, as they represent actual recent searches from Etsy shoppers. It's amazing to see the things people search for on Etsy!

More improvements are in the works for Etsy's Search, with much of our focus now on improving Etsy's category structure and introducing category-specific search refinements for shoppers. Please keep the detailed feedback coming and stay tuned. We'll close comments here so we can follow discussion in this Forum thread.

Tech Updates: Share Your Favorites

2009-07-01T18:30:00-05:00

Today we rolled out a number of improvements to Etsy's popular Favorites feature. These enhancements are designed to make Etsy Favorites more usable, visible and sharable.

Use 'em

Sold items can now be added to your Favorites. Sometimes you just aren’t quick enough, and an item you want is sold out by the time you see it. You can still add it to your Favorites. Views and hearts now continue to accumulate on items even after they’ve been sold.
Tip: Convo the seller to see if they can make another item for you or if they're planning to list another.

No more grey boxes to delete. Many Etsy community members have complained in the past about the clutter of anonymous grey items in their Favorites with the text “Listing expired or removed.” This would occur when an item expired, was being edited, or belonged to a shop in Vacation Mode. These grey boxes are no more. Here’s what happens now:

When an item you’ve hearted expires, it will be removed from your Favorites.
When an item you’ve hearted is being edited by the seller, it will not appear in your Favorites while the editing is in progress. When the editing is complete, the item will return to the spot you had it in your Favorites.
When an item you’ve hearted goes into Vacation Mode, it will remain in your Favorites — you will just be unable to purchase the item until the seller returns from vacation.

See 'em

A “heart counter” has been added to item pages. You can now see the number of hearts for any item, active or sold, along with views in the new “stats” section on the lower right of item pages.
Tip: If an item gets blogged about and then sells, it can still show off its street cred with more and more hearts and views.

Show off your Favorites on your Etsy Profile. You now have the option to display the last six items you added to your Favorites on your Etsy Profile page! These items will be displayed below the "Favorite Materials" section of your Profile. To turn this feature on, sign in to Etsy and proceed to Your Etsy > Public Profile. Check the checkbox at the bottom of the page next to “Favorite Items” and click "Save Changes" to start showing the world the cool stuff you find!

Share 'em

Don’t keep your Favorites to yourself! (Unless you want to.) Now when you sign in to Etsy and proceed to Your Etsy > Favorites, you will see a link for a new Share widget on the upper right. Pop this open for options to share your list of Favorites with your friends or with the world. With this widget you can easily share your collection of Favorites on Twitter or Facebook, embed them on your blog, or copy and paste the web address for your public Favorites page.
Happy hearting!

Tech Updates: Facebook Connect

2009-07-01T17:42:00-05:00

Today we made it easier to share your Etsy activity with your friends on Facebook, a social networking site many Etsians use.

When you sign in to Etsy, you will see a link at the top of the page (next to "Conversations") for "Facebook Connect." Click that link to activate an overlay that you can use to establish a connection with Facebook.

Once you're connected with Facebook, you will see your Facebook Profile Picture at the top of every page on Etsy.

What can I do while I'm connected with Facebook on Etsy?

You can share your Etsy activity with your friends! When you list an item or heart an item (add an item to your Etsy Favorites) while connected with Facebook, you will see an option to share that action on Facebook in the form of a story published to your Facebook News Feed. Click the "Post this item to Facebook" link to activate a pop-up from Facebook with a preview of your story before you publish:

These links to share your activity on Facebook will only be visible while you're connected with Facebook, and all posts from Etsy to Facebook are made explicitly by you. You can disconnect with Facebook at any time via the "Facebook" link at the top of the page. If you're not interested in connecting with Facebook from Etsy, you can remove the Facebook option by clicking the "don't show again" link on the Facebook Connect overlay.

We hope you enjoy this additional option to share the Etsy experience with your friends!

FAQs

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.

Can I post items I've renewed or relisted on Facebook?
At this time Facebook Connect on Etsy allows you to post newly listed items on Facebook but not renewed or relisted items.

Does Etsy automatically post to my Facebook profile?
No. All posts to your Facebook Profile and News Feed from Etsy 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.

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 application 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?
Not at this time. Facebook Connect on Etsy allows you to publish Etsy activity on your Facebook Profile, but not your Pages (sometimes called Fan Pages or Business Pages). We plan to enable this functionality in the future.

We're closing comments here since we want to follow your discussion in this Forum thread.

About Us: Sean a.k.a. sean11

2009-06-12T13:22:00-05:00

Sean works on the Product Team, developing new site features. Right now he's focusing on the shopping experience. As many of his colleagues point out, Sean has an absolute passion for user experience, product management and design. Perhaps even more impressively, he can clearly explain dry computer-y stuff and make it really interesting.

Fun Facts:

He consumes vast quantities of mints.
He's a foodie, but Lauren notes that he doesn't know how to cook.
He didn't like his lab coat photo so we combined it with his avatar photo!
Sean's obsessed with Rhode Island history and hosts RI birthday parties (evidence!). Sean and Vanessa are the two Admin who share Rhode Island roots.
Played for a straight-edge hardcore band and published a straight-edge hardcore fanzine in high school. No longer straight-edge; now really interested in Belgian beer. KC confirms Sean's love for witbiers.
He's a former wannabe graffiti artist and claims to have skateboarded with Shepard Fairey in his youth. Anda comments that he practices graffiti all over his notebooks, though she can't vouch for his skater skillz because she's never seen him skate.
First concert: Verbal Assault (a Newport, RI hardcore band), afternoon matinee, age 13. Sean sang for a hardcore punk band called Non-Conformity in the eighth grade.
His favorite TV series is The Sandbaggers.
He thinks public data should be put to good use.
KC notes that he refuses to use iTunes to listen to his music.
Sean is big into old-time comics and spent formative years in cartooning classes at RISD. He vaguely looks like a Chris Ware character, according to Alison.
He loves books and notebooks (evidence!).
His father has the largest handlebar moustache in Rhode Island and possibly the East Coast.
He's been a vegetarian (or rather pescetarian) since age 13.
His Etsy username is sean11 because 11 is his "life path number" in numerology.
He's seen almost every movie shot in New York City in the 1970s and thinks all the best music was made in that decade.
Jen points out his Nike sneaker fetish. Pete says, "He started wearing Nikes on Fridays and then extended it to other days of the week as he became more 'casual.'"
Before Etsy, he worked for the 92nd Street Y.
He has an endearing habit of rubbing his hands together.
Sean is on a mission to visit and document every island in Narragansett Bay (there are 30).
Lauren found a college class that uses his blog as a reference for how to create good wireframes.
Self-proclaimed Big Nerd!

Sean submitted this as an awkward photo, but we think it's pretty rad:

Sean used to compete in breakdancing competitions in the '80s. Again, pretty rad:

Baby Sean sees his first wireframe:

And one more cute one, for good measure:

Etsy has had quite a growth spurt recently and we have the awkward pictures to prove it. We've been posting a series of About Us pieces to help you get to know the Etsy admin (and since many of us work remotely, for the admin to get to know each other!). You've seen the admin badge, and maybe you're a bit curious about the person behind it! For more on Etsy's mission and about the company, please see our About page (the link is in the little blue footer of every Etsy page).

Some favorite shops below...

Seller Workshop Recap: Tags, Titles, Descriptions and Most Relevant Search

2009-06-02T11:30:00-05:00

Thanks to everyone who came to our May 28, 2009 Virtual Lab on Tags, Titles, Descriptions and Materials and the new Most Relevant option in Etsy's Search. We had some great questions come up, and we wanted to make sure we shared the answers with those who couldn't make the workshop. Here's a quick Q&A.

Q: How long should my item titles be?
A: We suggest three to seven words. The most important words in your title should be first, as the first 18 characters of your title are going to be seen in Gallery View in Etsy Search, and the first few words will be the ones displayed on external search engine results (see this Seller How-To: Optimizing Your Etsy Shop for Search Engines). If your item titles are too short they will not grab a buyer's attention, and if they are too long they will distract buyers, so balance is key. It's great to be creative in your titles for your branding, but we recommend beginning titles with the specifics. Try to think like a buyer and use words that your customers would use when searching. Generic-sounding titles don't attract potential buyers as well as specific titles, so don't be afraid to be specific! You'll improve your targeting and attract more buyers in the market for your items.

Q: How important is the order of your item's tags?
A: Your first tag is your item's top-level category. If you are interested in promoting your item in a Subcategory Showcase, your next tag should match that Subcategory. We suggest tagging in order of importance, and in general for each of the item fields (Tags, Titles, Descriptions, Materials), go with the most important information first. Note: Major changes to tagging guidelines or the listing process will be communicated in advance. Our current tagging guidelines still apply.

Q: Should I use all 14 tags?
A: Yes! It is important to use 14 relevant tags that properly describe your item. See this article on tagging for lots of tips!

Q: Should I be tagging a striped item with "stripes," "striped" and "stripe"?
A: No. Using the root word "stripe" is enough, and our search function will pick up these variations. No need to use multiple variations of a word.

Q: What about "floral" and "flowers"?
A: Yes. Those words are different enough to be used as two different tags.

Q: How much of your item's description shows up in a Google search result?
A: The first 160 characters of your item description appear in Google search results, so be sure to include the most important information first! Be as specific as possible and use words that you think your customers would use. Item dimensions and measurements are important pieces of information for buyers but can go lower down in your description. Lots of great information on search engine optimization can be found in this article.

Q: I sell soy candles. Should I be adding "soy" to my item titles, tags and descriptions?
A: Yes. The fact that your candles are made of soy is an important selling point. Include this information in the title, description and as a tag, as it is relevant information.

Q: I've heard that if I use only a few tags my items will show up higher in search results sorted by Most Relevant.
A: The best strategy for placement in search results sorted by Most Relevant is to describe your items accurately and thoroughly, using words your customers would use. It's important to follow our guidelines for tagging and to keep your tags relevant (and to use them all!). Improvements to relevancy on Etsy are being rolled out regularly and frequently, with the goal of matching well tagged, thoroughly described items with the often very specific searches shoppers are performing.

Remember, if a shopper is searching for "emerald green earrings" and you've only tagged your item "jewelry," for example, your item won't be found in that shopper's search results. When you describe your item thoroughly and accurately with specifics and details, you give your item more opportunities to be found by buyers looking for your items. Items not described well are simply not seen by the right people. Also, note that optimizing a listing for a single search term you have in mind will actually limit your visibility — you won't appear in as many searches as you might otherwise. The more tags you can use the better.

See this article for more tips on optimizing your listings for search results sorted by Most Relevant.

Q: What percentage of searches on Etsy are currently using the Most Relevant option?
A: A very small percentage of searches on Etsy (less than 1 percent) are currently being sorted by Most Relevant. The Most Relevant search option is not the default search option. It is a feature in active development and updates are being rolled out regularly and frequently behind the scenes, just as with other search engines. Searches sorted by Most Relevant are leading to purchases at a higher rate than searches sorted by Most Recently Listed, and we're actively monitoring the performance of the Most Relevant search option — as well as your feedback — to make it even better.

Q: How important are Materials in search results sorted by Most Relevant?
A: Materials are a factor in search results sorted by Most Relevant, but not an important one. Item tags, titles and descriptions, in that order, are the most important item fields in search results sorted by Most Relevant. However, don't forget that Materials is an option in the Advanced Search.

Q: Why is item listing date a consideration in search results sorted by Most Relevant?
A: It's true, an item's listing date is also a factor in determining relevancy, though not the most important one. We've found shoppers value fresh results for their favorite searches. This is common among other search engines — you'll find Google often returns relevant and current (recently updated) results.

Q: If I put "free shipping" at the beginning of my title, will that hurt me?
A: It can. Remember that in Gallery view, Etsy shoppers can only see the first 18 characters of your title, and you have a better chance of making a sale when you attract shoppers that are searching for specific things. People do perform searches for "free shipping," but they usually qualify those searches with something specific. We recommend doing the same: include "free shipping" in your title if you like, but start with something more specific.

Q: Does using your Etsy Team tag hurt your item's performance in search results sorted by Most Relevant?
A: Team tags are relevant for Team-related searches. Using one or two Team tags will not hurt your chances of being found in search results sorted by Most Relevant.

Q: Is the price of an item a factor in relevancy?
A: No. Price is not a factor in search results sorted by Most Relevant.

Q: How would you tag something that can be made in any color scheme?
A: Use "custom" or "personalized" as a tag.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Seller Workshop Virtual Lab! Please keep an eye on the Virtual Labs schedule to find out about upcoming Seller Workshops. (EDITOR'S NOTE: The previously noted discussion about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on June 15 has been postponed.)

Related Articles:

Tech Updates: Sort Search Results by Most Relevant

2009-05-20T12:35:00-05:00

Today, after lots of user testing, public previews in the Virtual Labs and detailed feedback from the Etsy community, we’ve rolled out an exciting enhancement to the Etsy Search experience.

You can now sort your Etsy search results by Most Relevant, in addition to Most Recently Listed and by Price. While the default sort option for search results is still Most Recently Listed, users can now choose to view results for Handmade, Vintage, Supplies, All Items and category-specific searches sorted by Most Relevant.

How does the Most Relevant option work?

Etsy looks at a combination of item tags, titles, descriptions and materials to determine which items are most relevant for a given search query. Item listing date is also an important factor in determining Most Relevant, as we’ve found users value fresh results for their favorite searches. (The ability to save your favorite searches is something we’re actively exploring based on this feedback.)

Relevancy also works for Advanced Search queries — you can choose to limit your search to item descriptions via our Advanced Search page, for example, and sort your results by Most Relevant.

As on other sites, establishing relevancy on Etsy will be an evolving process and is in active development. We expect that Etsy’s ability to sort results by Most Relevant will progress as we roll out improvements to the item listing process. We will always communicate changes to the item listing process in advance — there are no changes to the item listing process at this time and sellers do not need to do anything differently to ensure their items appear in search results sorted by Most Relevant. Describing and tagging your items accurately is the best way to ensure your items are found for the appropriate searches. Our current guidelines and tips for tagging items still apply, and items tagged well according to these guidelines should perform well under Most Relevant.

What’s next?

We have a number of enhancements in the works, including links to related searches on search results, location-related search improvements and improvements to the item listing process. Stay tuned, and keep the detailed feedback coming. We will continue to communicate our progress in this area here on the Etsy Blog, in the Etsy Forums and to the Etsy News email list.

We've closed commenting on this article; please join in this Forum thread to discuss your questions or comments about these improvements to Etsy Search.

Please join Etsy Admin Daniellexo and Sean11 for a workshop about creating thorough listings with tags, titles, materials and descriptions in the Virtual Labs on Thursday, May 28, 2009 at 3 p.m. ET.

Tech Updates: Advanced Search

2009-04-30T12:08:00-05:00

UPDATE: There is a now a link to Advanced Search in the header at the top of every page on Etsy. Look for it next to the Search button.

After a busy period of testing and refining, we’re excited to announce some significant enhancements to Etsy's Search—and the shopping experience on our site. These changes were outlined in our March 9 article on Search, and a number of you have had the opportunity to preview them in recent sessions in the Virtual Labs about Etsy's Search.

What’s changed?

Simplified search dropdown menu. The main search dropdown menu now offers the following options for searches: Handmade, Vintage, Supplies, All Items, Sellers. Previous options included “Handmade Items: tags, titles,” “Vintage Items: tags, titles,” “Supplies: tags, titles," “Handmade Items: tags, titles, descriptions” and "Materials." Modifiers like tags, titles and descriptions have been removed from the search dropdown menu, and the Materials option has been moved to our new Advanced Search page (more on that in a minute). Etsy searches item tags and titles by default.

Redesigned search results pages. Search results pages for Handmade, Vintage, Supplies and category-specific searches have been redesigned. The Search Tools, Search Tips and Matching Sellers boxes have been moved from the right side of search results to the left side of the page, following a standard in use on many ecommerce websites and search engines. There is now a price filter on all item search results pages, including the pages you get when you click on links for Tags and Materials on item listing pages. Additional filters will eventually be incorporated into this area on the left.

When no results are found for a search, users will now be presented with suggestions for searching and see recently listed items on the site.

Advanced item search. We now have an Advanced Search page, accessible via the Search Tools box on every item search results page.

The Advanced Search page offers a variety of ways to search for items on Etsy. You can search within Handmade, Vintage, Supplies or All Items. You can also search within the categories specific to Handmade, Vintage and Supplies. By default, searches within these areas will include sellers' item tags and titles, but you now also have the option to include item descriptions and item materials in your search as well. You can also limit your search by including only item tags, titles, descriptions or materials in your search, or any combination of these attributes. You may find that including item descriptions is useful for some searches but not for others, or you may find that limiting your search to item titles returns the best results for your needs.

Expect this Advanced Search page to grow as we roll out additional enhancements including improved options for searching by seller and by location, as well as more intuitive ways to refine your search.

What’s next?

We’re refining a forthcoming option to sort search results by Most Relevant. In its initial rollout, we anticipate that users will have to actively choose to reorder the default search results (search results will continue to be sorted by Most Recently Listed by default). This new Most Relevant option will allow users to sort search results by Most Relevant in addition to Most Recently Listed and by price.

A number of you had the opportunity to preview the Most Relevant option in recent search-focused sessions in the Virtual Labs. We have another search Virtual Lab coming up next Tuesday, April 21. Anyone who is interested in testing different searches will be given access to a special area on Etsy to try out new search features and discuss the future of Etsy Search with us. Join us Tuesday, April 21 at 3:00pm EDT (check when this is in your time zone) in the Virtual Labs to talk search.

As we noted in March, improving the item listing process is central to improving the quality of Etsy's Search, and we’re hard at work on improvements in this area. We will share more details about listing process improvements as they near completion.

There’s much more to come, so keep the detailed feedback coming and stay tuned. We will continue to communicate our progress in this area here on the Etsy Blog, in the Etsy Forums and to the Etsy News email list.

We've closed commenting on this article; please join in this Forum thread to discuss your questions or comments about these improvements to Etsy Search. Also, be sure to mark your calendar for our next special Virtual Lab session on Tuesday, April 21 at 3:00pm EDT.

P.S. If you would like to receive breaking, vital Etsy news as it happens—delivered straight to your email inbox—then sign up for Etsy News Alerts emails. Read more about it here. Expect this as an Etsy Alert email in your inbox if you already subscribe to the list.

You can also get an RSS feed of all TechUpdates here.

Tech Update: Freshening Up the Category Pages

2009-03-12T19:15:00-05:00

Etsy's Category pages have a fresh new look—check them out. This is the first set of enhancements we have in mind for the Category pages. Our goal in implementing these changes is to enhance the shopping experience on the site, making it easier to navigate and to find items to purchase. We also hope that the improved design will encourage shoppers to spend more time on these pages.

So what’s changed?

More prominent Category Showcases. The Category Showcases have been given greater prominence at the top of Category pages and are more clearly distinguished from the rest of the page with a slightly shaded background and the title “Sponsored Items from Etsy Sellers.” The images are larger than in the previous version, and we have also added the item title and price to make browsing more efficient. We will be carefully following the performance of these pages and listening to feedback from shoppers and sellers. We may make design adjustments based on that information.

To accommodate these changes, three items from the Category Showcase will randomly display each time the page is loaded or refreshed (versus the five smaller item images in the previous version). To browse through the entire Showcase, there are navigation arrows on each side as well a link to a page showing all items in a particular Category Showcase. Items will continue to be randomly displayed in this section from the full pool of relevant Showcased items.

New area for Category title, subtitle and illustrations. We have also added an area for each Category's title and subtitle, making the purpose of the page more clear, particularly for those who land on the page from searching on Etsy or via a link outside Etsy. As an additional benefit, this will help improve Etsy’s visibility to search engines since they principally read text. The new illustrations on each of Category page are meant to add a cohesive visual element from Etsy’s front page.

Nested subcategory list. Now when you browse to a subcategory, you will see a nested list of the other subcategories on the left side menu. This allows a shopper to quickly navigate from one subcategory to another.

Here's the big picture:

As noted above, we will have a few other changes to Category pages coming in the near future. One of these future enhancements will be highlighting related content from Etsy's blog on Category pages. Content that is relevant to each top-level Category will be featured in the left side menu. We have seen that engaging content draws shoppers into the site and can inspire people to discover new treasures. We’ll keep you posted on other improvements to the Category pages as we get closer to releasing them.

We welcome your feedback on these design changes to the Category pages in this discussion thread in our Forums. (We’ve closed commenting on this article to consolidate the conversation.)

Here's to a better shopping experience on Etsy!

ps
If you want to get the breaking, vital Etsy news as it happens — delivered straight to your email inbox, then sign up for Etsy News Alerts emails. Read more about it here. Expect this as an Etsy Alert email in your inbox if you already subscribe to the list.

You can also get an RSS feed of all TechUpdates here.

Tech Update: Pay Your Etsy Bill with PayPal Now Available

2009-03-10T14:45:00-05:00

Sellers,

After a smooth and productive beta test, we're very happy to announce the full public release of functionality that allows you to pay your Etsy bills via PayPal. You will now see an option for PayPal under "Method of payment" when you go to Your Etsy > Your Etsy Bill > Make a payment.

When you select PayPal as your method of payment on this screen and click "Submit Payment," you will be taken to PayPal. Log into PayPal to complete the payment. You will be directed back to Etsy upon completion of the transaction.

Paying your Etsy bill with PayPal is optional. You can still pay your Etsy bill via the credit card you have on file with Etsy. Regardless of whether you pay your Etsy bill with PayPal or credit card, Etsy sellers need to keep a valid credit card on file with Etsy because we require a valid credit card to become an Etsy seller at this time.

With this release we are also removing the minimum payment amount for seller fee payments, whether paid by credit card or PayPal. Previously, Etsy only accepted payments of $1 or more from sellers. This is no longer the case—Etsy sellers will be expected to pay their bills in full regardless of the amount. So, if you are billed $0.60, you can now pay $0.60, and you have the option to pay via PayPal.

We'd like to thank all the beta testers for their valuable feedback. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions.

Can I pay my bill with my PayPal account?
Yes. Go to Your Etsy > Your Etsy Bill, select the PayPal option and click the green button that says Submit Payment. You will be directed to PayPal and prompted to log in to your PayPal account. Log in, review your payment and click “Pay Now”. You will then be redirected back to Etsy to conclude the transaction. If you pay via PayPal eCheck, your payment will be held as "Pending" until the payment clears, and your bill balance will not change until your payment is cleared.

Can I pay my bill with my PayPal account directly, without signing into Etsy?
No. You must pay your bill by signing in to Etsy and going to Your Etsy > Your Etsy Bill.

Is there a minimum amount I must owe Etsy before I can pay my bill?
No. There is no minimum amount you must owe Etsy before you can pay your bill. If you are billed $0.20, you can pay $0.20. You have the option to pay your bill via PayPal or with the credit card you have on file with Etsy. Etsy sellers are expected to pay their bills in accordance with our collection policy.

Do I have to use the PayPal account I use to accept payments on Etsy to pay my bill via PayPal or can I use another PayPal account?
You can pay your Etsy bill with any PayPal account you like.

Can I sign up as a seller on Etsy with a PayPal account, and use that to pay my fees?
No. Etsy accepts PayPal as a way to pay your bill but we still require a valid credit card to become an Etsy seller.

Etsy says my payment is "Pending." Why? How long will it remain pending?
A “Pending” status results when a payment is made with PayPal eCheck. eCheck payments are usually made when your PayPal account does not have a balance, and does not have a secondary backup funding source associated with it. eCheck payments made from a PayPal account associated with a U.S. bank account will be held as pending for 3-4 business days. eCheck payments made from a PayPal account associated with a bank account outside the U.S. will usually be held as pending for 7-8 business days. When the electronic funds transfer clears your bank, the payment will be completed, and your Etsy bill balance will be updated accordingly.

We hope you find this feature convenient. Let us know what you think in this dedicated discussion thread in our Forums. We will be sending an email out to all Etsy sellers regarding these changes before the next billing cycle.

Tech Updates: Improving Search

2009-03-09T13:00:00-05:00

Today, we rolled out some small improvements to the search experience on Etsy. In addition to explaining these improvements, we want to share with you more about our approach to improving Etsy’s search function. Improving search on Etsy is an ongoing, collaborative effort involving the entire Etsy community.

First, what’s launching today?

Search dropdown menu choice has been made persistent. Previously, when performing a search under Vintage for example, the search dropdown menu would switch back to Handmade after clicking to view an item in the search results. Your dropdown menu choice is now persistent when searching under Handmade, Vintage, Supplies or All Items—until you change it. We’ve also made it easier to return to your search results from an item listing page—just look for the “Search Results” link in the breadcrumb navigation below the Etsy logo.
Search result sort order has been made persistent. Similarly, if you like to sort search results by price for example, Etsy will remember your preference and allow you to keep sorting search results the way you want to for the length of your session on Etsy.com, until you decide to change it (or open a new browser window and start a new session). This is another small way to help make Etsy more searcher friendly.
A price filter has been added to search results for Materials. You can now set a price range for search results under Materials—look for the price filter under Search Tools on the right.

We’re working on a lot more that we want to tell you about.

Where We Are

Etsy’s search is faster and more active than ever. After replacing Etsy’s search technology with Solr—an industry-leading, open-source search system—we’ve seen significant increases in search speed and volume. Etsy engineer David aka davidgiffin led this work, which has led the way to all-time highs in the number of searches per day on Etsy.

Improving the speed of search on Etsy is part of a larger initiative aimed at making Etsy’s search simpler and more effective on the buyer side and more intelligent on the seller side. When we talk about the “buyer side of search,” we are generally referring to the search bar, dropdown menu and search results. When we talk about the “seller side of search,” we are referring to the item listing process, especially tagging. The listing process on the seller side directly impacts the search experience on the buyer side.

Here’s what we’re working on now:

Simplifying the Search Dropdown Menu
The current search dropdown menu is a confusing experience for many. For starters, there are too many options. In addition, we’re asking users to work too hard when we ask them to think about things like tags, titles or descriptions when they search. Most buyers or browsers don’t think in such a nuanced way when searching.

The default search option on Etsy is “Handmade Items: tags, titles.” The majority of searches are done with this setting, which excludes the description field for handmade items. The description field is also excluded from the search options for Vintage, Supplies and All Items. Many Vintage and Supplies sellers on Etsy have expressed concerns about this (there is an option to include the description field for Handmade items). We understand that concern and agree that the fields available to be searched should be consistent across Handmade, Vintage and Supplies.

We believe that including the option to search item descriptions will improve buyers’ chances of finding unique items that delight them. So we will be including an option to search descriptions for Handmade, Vintage, Supplies and All Items on search results pages, and making the search dropdown menu exactly that: Handmade, Vintage, Supplies, All Items. The other existing search dropdown options such as “Materials” and “Sellers: usernames” will still exist, as will the search dropdown options available from other areas of the site.

This is the first step in a gradual streamlining of Etsy’s contextual search dropdown menu.

Improving Accuracy
Currently, Etsy’s search results default to a reverse-chronological order display, with most recently listed items first. Item fields like tags and titles are weighted equally, which doesn’t always help buyers find what they’re looking for, particularly when item titles are written in a playful but non-descriptive way.

There will be no immediate changes to the way search results display on Etsy. Our goal is to give browsers and buyers an option to sort search results by relevancy, in addition to recency, to help them find items of interest.

Our current work on relevancy involves weighting some item fields more than others. What do we mean by weighting? We mean the importance attributed by the search engine to the types of fields being searched. For example, to return quality search results by relevancy, we may find we need to give item tags slightly more precedence than titles and significantly more precedence than descriptions. This would be due to the nature of the data: tags are usually more specific than titles, and descriptions need to be processed appropriately to determine relevancy. The recency of listings is also an important factor in returning quality search results on Etsy and will continue to be weighted highly.

We will continue to communicate our progress in this area. Improving search on Etsy is by its nature a collaborative community effort, as everything listed on the site comes from the community. Sellers need to understand how Etsy’s search function works in order to list items effectively and have their items be found.

Redesigning the Listing Process
That’s why we’re focused on redesigning the item listing process, which is really where it all begins when it comes to search on Etsy. Our search index is updated constantly by thousands of sellers around the world, all of whom have different ways of describing their items. We’re working to make this listing process more structured, intelligent, understandable and fun, and the steps we’re taking are all done with the search experience in mind.

We’re taking a thorough look at Etsy’s category structure and our current use of tags. Incorporating more structure here will ultimately enable category-specific filters on search results pages, allowing users to narrow down their search intuitively. It will enable multiple ways to shop: for example by category, by recipient, by material or by technique. Better data collection during the listing process could enable buyers to filter search results by location or by shipping preference. Making tag entry more intelligent and social will also help improve the Etsy search experience. We’re exploring a variety of ways to provide more direction and clarity during the listing process so that it’s easy for sellers to list items in such a way that the right people will find them.

As Etsy CEO Maria Thomas mentioned recently, we have Sep Kamvar, “one of the world’s brightest minds in personalized search,” working with us on this area in particular. Expect improvements throughout 2009. Details will be announced here on the Etsy Blog, in the Etsy Forums and to the Etsy News email list.

Come Try It Out
Improving search is an ongoing, iterative process involving continual testing and evaluation. We’ve been busy testing search adjustments with users here in Brooklyn at the Etsy Usability Lab as well as remotely, and we’re about to begin a series of Virtual Labs where we’ll give anyone interested access to a test area to try out different searches and discuss the future of Etsy search with us. The first of these sessions will take place this Friday, March 13 at 1:00 pm EDT (check when this is in your time zone). Save the date and join us!

Where We Want to Go

Search enhancements we’re actively exploring include things like links to related searches on search result pages, spell-checking functionality to suggest searches for misspelled words, advertising options for search result pages and many more features we’ll discuss as they near completion.

We’re excited to partner with you to make search on Etsy better. There’s nothing quite like the feeling you get when you find that perfect, one-of-a-kind item on Etsy and we want more people around the world to experience it.

We've closed commenting on this article; please join in this Forum thread to discuss your questions or comments about these improvements to search. Also, be sure to mark your calendar for the special Virtual Lab session on Friday, March 13 at 1:00 pm EDT.

P.S. If you want to get the breaking, vital Etsy news as it happens — delivered straight to your email inbox, then sign up for Etsy News Alerts emails. Read more about it here. Expect this as an Etsy Alert email in your inbox if you already subscribe to the list.

You can also get an RSS feed of all TechUpdates here.

Tech Updates: Beta Release of Etsy Bill Payment with PayPal

2009-03-03T18:37:00-05:00

UPDATE: This feature is now live! Read about it here.

Sellers,

Today, Etsy is kicking off a beta test of functionality that allows sellers to pay their Etsy bills via PayPal. Many of you have asked to be able to pay your Etsy bills with PayPal. International sellers in particular overwhelmingly prefer PayPal as a method of payment, and sellers have told us it would be convenient to pay their Etsy bill with the same PayPal account they use to collect payments from sales on Etsy.

A small group of Etsy sellers will begin testing this functionality today. Once we have their feedback, we will communicate more details about the timing of a full launch. Details will be announced here on the Etsy Blog, in the Etsy Forums and to the Etsy News email list.

We have also updated the Etsy-to-PayPal experience: Etsy branding has been incorporated into the PayPal checkout pages linked from Etsy. This is designed to reduce buyer confusion during checkout. Now, when a buyer is sent to PayPal from Etsy during the Etsy checkout process, the Etsy logo will be visible at the top of the pages where the payment is made. We think this will help lessen the confusion experienced by some new buyers on Etsy, as we've seen in user testing, research, survey results and feedback from the community.

See how-tos about using PayPal.

More enhancements to the Etsy checkout process are in the works, and we will communicate further details about them as they near completion.

P.S. If you want to get the breaking, vital Etsy news as it happens — delivered straight to your email inbox, then sign up for Etsy News Alerts emails. Read more about it here. Expect this as an Etsy Alert email in your inbox if you already subscribe to the list.

You can also get an RSS feed of all TechUpdates here.

Tech Updates: Feed Enhancements, Google Base and More

2009-01-08T17:45:00-05:00

UPDATE 11/25/09: Google Product Search no longer supports submissions from individual sellers on marketplaces like Etsy. Etsy is partnering with Google as a participant in the Google Product Search Marketplace Partner Program. Learn more about Etsy's Google Product Search Syndication feature.

We've rolled out some small but important improvements to Etsy's RSS feeds. (What is RSS? Check out this post for an introduction.) These enhancements are designed to make Etsy's feeds more discoverable, useful and visible.

What's changed?

1. Shop feeds now include thumbnail images! They're also much easier to find. Previously shop feeds could only be found on shop pages. Now, in addition to shop pages, every item listing page on Etsy includes a link to that shop's feed. Look for it below the "Bookmark and Share" link under "Page Tools":

2. We've also made Favorites feeds easier to find. Did you know how easy it is to keep up with the latest items from your favorite sellers, or your friends' favorite sellers? All public Favorites pages now include a prominent link to the associated Favorites feed:

3. RSS autodiscovery has been implemented throughout the site. This means Etsy feeds will be easier to discover by both people and search engines. If you use the Mozilla Firefox web browser, you'll know you're on a page with a feed when you see the little RSS icon in the web address field. You can click it to access the feed.

4. Shop feeds now come pre-formatted for easy upload to Google Base! Uploading items to Google Base is a great way for sellers to help Google — specifically Google Product Search — find their items. Shoppers will then be able to find sellers' items via the 'Shopping' link on the upper left of any Google search page.

ps
If you want to get the breaking, vital Etsy news as it happens — delivered straight to your email inbox, then sign up for Etsy News Alerts emails. Read more about it here. Expect this as an Etsy Alert email in your inbox if you already subscribe to the list.

You can also get an RSS feed of all TechUpdates here.

Tech Update: Bookmark and Share

2008-12-30T17:00:00-05:00

UPDATE 11/5/09: Sharing is back! Look for our better, stronger, faster share module on item listing pages, shop pages and public favorites pages. With it you can easily share Etsy pages on Facebook, Twitter, Kaboodle, Tumblr or StumbleUpon.

UPDATE 10/27/09: This feature has been disabled temporarily. Learn more here.

Now on every item listing page, shop page and Etsy blog post, you can use pre-installed social bookmarking options to share and spread the cool stuff you find on Etsy. Whether you're into Twitter, StumbleUpon, Facebook, MySpace, Google Bookmarks, Kaboodle, Stylehive, Delicious, ThisNext or Digg, we've got you covered.

Look for the link that says "Bookmark and share" at the bottom of blog posts like this one or under Page Tools on item listing pages and shop pages:

Click it to pop open a box with options and start sharing!

Social bookmarking and social shopping sites are web tools people use to keep track of items—be it news headlines or things they want to buy or just point out to their friends. Which one of these social bookmarking sites is right for you? It's your call. They're all a little bit different, and you can always use different accounts to suit your different purposes. We've done some posts on these tools here on the Etsy blog, which might help you get started.

If you're in the know, post in the comments below with your tips!

Tech Updates: Etsy Shopper Survey Results & Payment Enhancements

2008-12-18T17:45:00-05:00

A big thank-you to everyone who took our brief Shopper Survey! We've been working on a number of important payments-related enhancements and your feedback is critical. These surveys are a fast and efficient way to get structured feedback from many of you; they complement our usability testing, traffic analyses and financial metrics.

We wanted to share some of the results of this survey with you:

In the five days that the survey was offered, we received close to 3,000 responses from shoppers throughout the United States and in the United Kingdom, Australia, Argentina, Aruba, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Thailand! Clearly, the Etsy community is global, and one of our follow-up surveys in the New Year will focus more on international buyers and sellers.

PayPal was the overwhelming current preferred method of payment, with 90% of respondents preferring to log in directly to PayPal to make purchases, rather than to not log in and use a credit card processed by PayPal (PayPal calls this 'Guest Checkout').

In response to our question about future methods of payment, PayPal was also the winner by a 40% margin over the other possibilities presented: credit cards processed by Etsy, credit cards processed by PayPal, Direct Debit, Google Checkout and Amazon Payments.

Etsy's site search was the number-one way respondents said they find items on Etsy. As noted recently by VP of Product Management Sara Hicks, we're working hard to make improvements so stay tuned. Browsing categories and Favorites were the next most popular ways to find items on Etsy.

Speaking of Favorites, 95% of respondents said they actively add items to their Favorites and 50% said they add items to their Favorites almost every time they visit Etsy. 75% of respondents said they regularly purchase items they've added to their Favorites. We knew Favorites were important and this was a welcome confirmation.

We also received many thoughtful responses to the open-ended survey questions about Etsy's current checkout process and overall shopping experience. The responses ran the gamut from "Everything is amazing!" to "It's terrible! Fix it!" Many respondents said they found the jump to PayPal during checkout confusing at first. We're going to be incorporating Etsy branding into the PayPal checkout pages linked from Etsy to lessen the confusion experienced by some new buyers.

And as noted last month by CEO Maria Thomas, we're going to be offering sellers the option to pay their Etsy bill using PayPal in the coming weeks. These enhancements are a small part of a comprehensive look at all payments processes on Etsy. Improving the checkout process and shopping experience on Etsy is one of our major focus projects for 2009.

Thanks again to everyone who participated in the survey. We're reading and listening and putting your constructive feedback to work.

ps
If you want to get the breaking, vital Etsy news as it happens — delivered straight to your email inbox, then sign up for Etsy News Alerts emails. Read more about it here. Expect this as an Etsy Alert email in your inbox if you already subscribe to the list.

You can also get an RSS feed of all TechUpdates here.

Etsy Shopper Survey

2008-11-25T19:01:00-05:00

Attention Shoppers!

We want to make the shopping experience better on Etsy and we need your help. We value your input and would love to gain some insight into your experience of Etsy's current checkout process, how you find what you want to buy, and how you prefer to pay for your purchases.

If you've ever purchased on Etsy, please take our brief Shopper Survey. It'll take three minutes! This survey will only be live until Sunday night, November 30, 2008, so please don't delay!

UPDATE: The survey is now closed. Thanks for participating!

Tech Updates: Freshening Up the Front Page

2008-11-19T11:00:00-05:00

We're excited to announce that enhancements to the front page are now live! We've freshened things up a bit and rearranged some things but no major functionality has changed. The enhancements were mentioned recently in CEO Maria Thomas's article.

What's new?

Categories are now higher up on the left side of the page to help buyers find what they're looking for. You asked for this and we listened.
Items from Gift Guides are now highlighted on the upper left, and you can scroll through listings by clicking the arrows to the left and right. We expect over time to use this space as a promotional area for a variety of things, not just Gift Guides—so stay tuned.
Colors, Treasury, Pounce, Time Machine 2 and Editors' Picks from our blog are now listed under 'Explore' on the left side of the page. You can click 'Explore' for more ways to shop. Geolocator and Time Machine haven't gone away—all the ways to shop Etsy can be found fully functioning through our Buy page.
And our front-page promotional banners, including those for the Main Showcase and this week's Gift Ideas Showcase, have a fresh new look.

We're constantly working to improve based on your feedback, so let us know what you think in this forum thread! We'll close commenting on this post so we can keep feedback in one place.

Tech Updates: Tell a Friend

2008-11-17T15:45:00-05:00

Now it's easier than ever to spread the word about cool items you find on Etsy. When you find an item that you can't resist sharing with friends, make sure you're signed in to Etsy and then click the 'Tell a friend' link under 'page tools' on the right of any listing page. You'll be taken to a form that looks like this:

Enter the email addresses of up to 10 friends separated by commas, customize the subject line, personalize your message and click 'Send.' Your friends will receive an email that looks like this:

If they use a web-based email service like Gmail that displays HTML, they'll see a thumbnail image of the item and a summary of the item description along with your personalized message. If their email client doesn't display images, they'll see a plain-text version with a link to the item page. The email your friends receive will come directly from the email address you have saved on file in your Etsy account info. Your friends will be able to reply to the email and continue discussing the item directly with you.

We will only use the email addresses you provide for Tell a Friend for the Tell a Friend service. See our Privacy Policy for details on how we protect your personal information and feel free to contact us with any questions. Recipients of Tell a Friend emails will always have the option to opt out of receiving future Tell a Friend emails.

Try it out with these great items below or items in your Favorites!

We closed commenting on this post so we can consolidate responses in this forum thread.

Tech Updates: Favorites in Your Shopping Cart

2008-11-14T10:05:00-05:00

Attention shoppers!

We heart hearts, so as mentioned in CEO Maria Thomas's article last week, we've decided to share the love in a very important corner of the site: checkout. Now, as you begin the checkout process, you can dip into your Favorites and add them to your Cart.

After signing in, look right below your Cart under the checkout button for the last three available items you added to your Favorites:

Click the 'Add to Cart' button on the items in your Favorites to add them to your Cart right away! Want another look before you buy? Click the item images to peruse the listing pages again.

Or, if you decide you can't buy an item then and there, you can move items from your Cart to your Favorites, rather than removing them and forever losing track of the cool stuff you've found—just click the 'Move to Favorites' link next to the items in your Cart. Later, you can come back to your Favorites and purchase when the time is right. But be warned: we all know the sadness of passing on that one-of-a-kind item when we had the chance and finding it sold when we return!

More improvements to the checkout process are in the works—stay tuned.

Thank you for supporting indie artists and crafters this holiday season and beyond. We hope this makes your Etsy shopping experience more convenient!

See more Tech Updates about site features.

Tech Updates: Bringing Favorites to the Forefront

2008-11-04T17:04:00-05:00

You may have noticed some small changes to Etsy's header (also known as the global navigation) at the top of every page. As mentioned in CEO Maria Thomas's article yesterday, we've been making some adjustments:

The link for Alchemy, the space on Etsy where buyers can post requests for custom items, has been changed to 'Custom' to make it clearer to potential buyers that they can request custom items. The feature is still named Alchemy; we've just changed the word on the navigation link to more clearly describe the function of the feature.
Links for 'Login' and 'Logout' have been changed to 'Sign In' and 'Sign Out.'
The link for Invite a Friend, formerly on the upper right, has been removed. You can still get there through the Referrals page inside Your Etsy.
And most importantly, when you're signed in to Etsy, a link to your Favorites appears next to your Cart on the upper left.

The Favorites function on Etsy is an important one. It enables buyers and sellers to keep track of the stuff they like and discover what others like, too. By keeping track of your friends' Favorites or your favorite sellers' Favorites (look for the RSS feed on your friend's Favorite Sellers page), you can make some amazing discoveries. We're working on new ways to harness the power of members' Favorites and all the hearting and curating that takes place across the Etsy community every day. In the meantime, we wanted to make it easier for you to get to your Favorites.

Happy hunting!

-Sean, aka sean11, Etsy admin on the Product Team

Etsy Find that features Favorites of Favorites | TechUpdates

Commenting has been closed on this post because we'd like to follow your comments and feedback in this forum thread.

Etsy Finds: Mini-Comics!

2008-08-30T10:00:00-05:00

Sean Flannagan, aka sean11, is a new hire to the Etsy product team. Welcome, Sean!

I've had a love affair with independent comics since grade school, when my mother took away my prized collection of Robert Crumb books and consequently made weird comic art even more desirable. These days I enjoy hunting for the next comics genius on Etsy. cartooncarolyn of Curls Studio has some great mini-comics for sale, including this one about something a lot of us wish we had: a Printable Brain.

Need a daily fix of Etsy Finds? Sign up for the Etsy Finds e-mail! Conveniently delivered to your inbox on the daily!