Search results (tags) for: "tags"

Come Craft With the Etsy Labs & AMH Design: Needlepoint Gift Tags

2009-11-05T10:30:00-05:00

Why stay in and craft all by your lonesome? Come join us for a free needlepoint workshop — whether you're in Brooklyn or anywhere in the world. Stop by for our weekly Craft Night in our online, interactive classroom, the Virtual Labs, for a live demo via webcam at 5 p.m. ET, or in person at the Etsy Labs in Brooklyn anytime between 4-8 p.m. ET at 55 Washington Street, Suite 512 in Brooklyn, New York. (Click here to see what time 5 p.m. ET is in your hometown.) Craft Night is a time to make things, sharpen your craft skills, and make new friends.

This week, on Monday, November 9, we will be making needlepoint gift tags with artist Amy Holbrook of AMH Design. (She is also our neighbor here on Washington Street.) Make your own needlepoint gift tags for the upcoming holiday season. This project is an easy and fun way to learn the basics of needlepoint while making some cute gift tags. Needlepoint adds a personal touch to your gift without a lot of effort!

Amy Holbrook, the founder of AMH Design, is bringing needlepoint into the 21st century with her collection of contemporary needlepoint kits. Easy, stylish, portable and all-inclusive, AMH Design needlepoint kits are perfect for beginner and veteran stitchers alike.

If you are attending Craft Night virtually this week and would like to stitch needlepoint gift tags along with us, you'll need to gather the following supplies:

Perforated paper sheet
Perle cotton floss size 5 (embroidery floss is okay)
Tapestry needle — size 24
Needle threader
Scissors
Colored cardstock paper
X-acto blade
Paper glue
Hole punch
Download the instructions

Upcoming Events at the Etsy Labs:

Saturday, November 7: Sock Monkey Workshop at the Etsy Labs

Join us this weekend for an afternoon of creating original sock monkeys for Fresh Art's Sock Monkey Program.

Fresh Art is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing expanded artistic, personal development, and entrepreneurial opportunities to New York City artists with special needs. The sock monkeys we create this afternoon will be sold to raise funds to support Fresh Art's programs. All skill levels are welcome, though basic hand sewing skills are helpful.

When: Saturday, November 7, 2009; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Etsy Labs at 55 Washington Street, Suite 512, Brooklyn, NY

Please RSVP for this free workshop at rsvp@etsy.com or on the Etsy Labs Meetup page.

Additonal Upcoming Events
11/16: Bag-making workshop with Bags for the People
11/23: Rolling Ball Book Ornaments with Esther K. Smith
11/30: Open Craft Night
12/7: Needle-felted Ornaments with KnitKnit

Looking for more holiday craft projects? Try these how-to's:

Felt Garlands | Snowflake Gift Wrap | Holiday Table Decor

Will we see you on Monday? Let us know in the comments below.

Etsy Finds: Paper Blizzard

2009-11-03T11:33:00-05:00

I treasure the holiday memories of my youth: gift wrap flying through the air as presents were tackled and quickly eviscerated, dogs gathering around to sniff recent acquisitions with tails a'thumping, then the whole family adjourning for a fireside chat with steaming mugs of cider as the snowflakes twinkled and the picturesque holiday scene came to a close.

Today's Etsy Finds collection is virtual snow-strewn jaunt through Etsy's Holidays and Paper Goods Categories. Get pumped for the coming months with Etsy sellers' wide variety of modern, humorous, traditional and sincere takes on what the holiday season means to them — and perhaps you as well. Peruse Etsy's Cards, Calendars and Wrapping Guide and Holiday Home Decor Guide for more inspired takes on the season.

Spread Holiday Cheer

Letterpress Holiday Cards Set

By sycamorestreetpress, $15.

View Item | View Shop

I Want to Believe Card Set

By PortHopePress, $15.

View Item | View Shop

Holiday Deer Cards - Set of 6

By luckybeepress, $18.

View Item | View Shop

holiday jukebox letterpress cards

By afavorite, $15.

View Item | View Shop

Hanukkah Crest Card

By Earmark, $3.50.

View Item | View Shop

Politically Correct holiday card

By NeatThings, $4.50.

View Item | View Shop

Winter Wonderland - 3D Card Set

By TeaAndCeremony, $25.

View Item | View Shop

Pets Love Christmas card

By gemmabear, $3.50.

View Item | View Shop

Scarlet Noel Holiday Cards

By rubypress, $15.

View Item | View Shop

Merry Christmas Yeti Card

By thebeautifulproject, $3.75.

View Item | View Shop

Set of 6 Hand Printed Hanukkah Cards

By desTroy, $14.50.

View Item | View Shop

peace on earth / letterpress cards

By LouellaPress, $16.

View Item | View Shop

Red Nosed Rudolph Pop-Up Card

By tracychong, $6.50.

View Item | View Shop

Keep Calm and Carry On Parody Cards

By dippylulu, $8.

View Item | View Shop

Festive Garlands and Holiday Decor

Christmas Advent Box (Santa)

By MySweetSussie, $15.

View Item | View Shop

12 German Folded Paper Stars--Blue

By KeriLouNewYork, $12.

View Item | View Shop

Sweet Garland

By belladrummer, $25.

View Item | View Shop

advent wreath children's craft kit

By GraceHill, $5.

View Item | View Shop

JOY Decorative Letters

By NeedleinaScrapStack, $30.

View Item | View Shop

Christmas Star Decorations

By peasplease, $7.

View Item | View Shop

Winter Mittens Primitive Hang Tags

By AbsolutelyDottie, $5.

View Item | View Shop

Advent Calendar

By nouveaudesigns, $20.

View Item | View Shop

Believe Banner for Christmas

By StoriaHome, $20.

View Item | View Shop

Festive Paper Chain Antiqued Gold

By ThePaperAddict, $18.

View Item | View Shop

Bits and Bobbins for a Pretty Package

Christmas Gift Tag -- Naughty

By desTroy, $2.

View Item | View Shop

Santa Special Delivery Tags

By snicklefritzandpj, $5.

View Item | View Shop

Something Extra Gift Tags (Red)

By katieblairdesigns, $5.

View Item | View Shop

be merry

By perchpapiers, $2.50.

View Item | View Shop

Double-Sided Gift Wrap - Paisley

By elizabethandhomer, $5.

View Item | View Shop

custom dove tags. set of 6

By paperinstyle, $3.

View Item | View Shop

WRAPPING PAPER - Ampersand

By JessicaPilar, $5.

View Item | View Shop

holiday gift packaging set

By perideaudesigns, $15.

View Item | View Shop

MERRY CHRISTMAS gift bag

By palomasnest, $6.

View Item | View Shop

Brown Paper Gift Tags

By katieblairdesigns, $5.

View Item | View Shop

Winter Wishes Carnival Tickets

By petitepaperie, $2.

View Item | View Shop

Blue DIY Gift Packaging Kit

By melangerienyc, $40.

View Item | View Shop

Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

Gift Guides | Paper Goods Category | Holidays Category | Gift Ideas

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

Seller How-To: Tag-o-rama With Descriptive Keywords

2009-10-05T14:00:00-05:00

Tagging is an essential part of the listing (and selling!) process. Many shoppers are using keywords to search for the exact type of items you make, and you want your work to show up in these search results! The key component in this search-and-rescue mission are your items' tags.

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

After you choose the category and subcategories, you then can choose words that accurately describe your item. Etsy Admin often suggest using style, color, textures and motifs as tags for your items, so with the help of some of my colleagues (and sellers) I've come up with the following lists to help you if you get stuck.

Want a few more tips? Come on by the Virtual Labs for a workshop on Tagging, Titles and Descriptions on Oct. 15, 2009 at 4 p.m. ET.

Style 1980s (or any decade) adorable African Americana angelic antique art deco art nouveau Asian autumn avant-garde bizarre black tie bohemian boho chic bold burlesque business casual cheerful chic circus classic classy clever cocktail colorful complex contemporary country cute cyber dark deconstructed delicate DIY dramatic earthy eccentric edgy Edwardian elegant ethnic European everyday fall fantasy feminine flapper folk folk art formal formal French funky funny futuristic gag geek geekery gladiator glam goddess goth gothic gothic lolita grotesque harvest hippie hipster horror humorous Indian indie industrial Japanese kawaii librarian lolita luxurious manly masculine mermaid Mexican midcentury Middle Eastern mod modern modest modish mystical natural nautical nerd noir nostalgic old world organic oriental Paris peasant pirate playful polished prairie preppy pretty Primitive punk quirky refined Renaissance Renaissance Fair (Ren Faire) retro rockabilly Roman romantic rustic sailor secretary seductive shabby chic simple sophisticated southwest sporty spring steampunk summer sustainable tasteful traditional trendy ugly urban Victorian vintage waldorf weird western whimsical winter witty woodland zany	Texture airy bright bumpy buttery coarse cool cozy cuddly delicate downy embossed feathery fluffy frilly frizzy furry fuzzy glittery grainy hammered hard iridescent light luminescent luminous matte metallic opaque patina plush pointy polished prickly puffy rough ruffled sculptured shaggy sharp sheer shimmery shiny silky slick smooth soft sparkly stamped translucent transparent velvety waxy woolly	Size baggy big bulky chunky curvy deep delicate dense extra small fitted frail gigantic heavy huge large lightweight little long loose massive medium miniature oversized petite plump plus size shallow shapely short small snug streamlined substantial tailored tall thick thin tight tiny voluminous voluptuous wide	Motifs and Patterns argyle Asian asymmetrical brocade Celtic checked checkered complex damask dotted Egyptian fleur de lis floral geometric gingham Gothic hearts paisley plaid polka dot scalloped stars striped swirls symmetrical tartan tweed woodland	Specific Colors charcoal chartreuse chocolate brown cobalt blue coral pink cornflower blue cream crimson cyan emerald green fuschia gold hot pink indigo ivory kelly green lemon yellow lime magenta mauve navy blue nude olive green periwinkle robins egg blue royal blue sapphire silver sky blue slate grey taupe teal turquoise

Feel free to add other keywords that fit in these lists in the comments below!

Guidelines & Tips: Tagging on Etsy | The Seller Handbook

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

Handmade Code: Tag Finder Tool from Craftweasel.com

2009-09-04T13:15:00-05:00

As part of our Handmade Code series, we're bringing you news and how-to's about the innovations emerging from the Etsy Developer Community. Located at developer.etsy.com, the Etsy Developer Community serves as a hub for third-party software developers who are making neat and helpful programs for Etsy shoppers and sellers. In this edition, Martin Jones tells us all about his Tag Finder tool, just one of the applications he's developed for his website Craftweasel.com.

Photography has been a hobby of mine for a while, and at the start of this year I set up an Etsy shop called redrowstudio for my photographic prints. At the same time, I was taking the photos for my partner's shop, thedoghouse. My day job is in computational biology, and I do a lot of programming, so straight away I started thinking of ways to use the data from Etsy's API to make useful tools. The first thing I built was the Personal Shopper tool — I've been interested for a while in recommendation systems, and I thought that Etsy Favorites might be a good starting point. I put up the craftweasel.com website, posted a link in the Forums, and got lots of good feedback. I wrote the Tag Finder tool to see if it could help me with my own tags, then realized by reading the Forums that others might find it useful, so I added it to the website, and straight away it became the most popular tool.

What's the basic idea of the Tag Finder tool? What need does it fill?
A lot of sellers (myself included!) find that one of the most difficult jobs is deciding on tags for our items — if you search the Etsy Forums on any given day you can pretty much guarantee that someone will be asking for help with their tags. Sometimes you can't think of enough tags for a particular item, and sometimes you can think of too many and can't decide which to use!

The idea behind the Tag Finder tool is to help with both of these problems. You give Tag Finder a couple of tags to start with, then it gives you a list of suggested tags that are associated with your original tags. (This bit works like the Google and Yahoo keyword tools).

It also lets you see the average number of views per day of each suggested tag. (It's a bit more complicated than that; see the website help page for more info). This is very useful if you're a seller, because you can choose tags that generate high numbers of views.

Very Important Editorial Note from our Etsy Support Team: Please remember to only use tags that are accurate and relevant to your specific item listing to best help shoppers find your items on Etsy. Inaccurate tags may be flagged by other members for review and removed from your listing by Etsy, without notice. Also, remember to consider appropriate tags that function as subcategories within your item's category. Check out the Selling FAQ for more info about using tags properly.

Who is it for? How many people are using it right now?
The Tag Finder tool is for Etsy sellers who want to optimize their tags. Of course, you can also use it for market research — to see what color of hats get the most views, for instance. We've had about 5,000 visitors who have used the Tag Finder tool, and they've searched using about 7,000 different sets of starting tags.

Where do we go to find it? What's the URL, etc?
Go to http://craftweasel.com, and click to go to Tag Finder from the menu bar at the top of any page on craftweasel.com. Or go directly to this link: http://craftweasel.com/TagToolQuery.do

How do you use it?
The Tag Finder page is very simple — just a single box! You type in some tags that describe your item (for example, wool scarf) and click the button. You might have to wait a while for the results to load,
because the application has to go and retrieve a bunch of data from Etsy.

The results page consists of a few graphs and a table. The first two graphs show the distribution of price and average number of views per day for items that match your input tags. For instance, for "wool
scarf" we see that most items cost between $20 and $40, and that most items get fewer than 10 views per day.

The next three graphs show some suggested tags, with views/day on the up-down axis and price on the left-right axis. From the first graph, two suggested tags stand out as getting high numbers of views —
"'woman" and "organic." So if these tags are suitable for your item they would be good to include in your tags.

Right down at the bottom of the results page is a big table that shows all the suggested tags and for each one the average views/day, price, and the number of items that were found. You can click on the column
headers to sort by that column. The table shows all tags that are associated with "wool scarf" so it can be useful for market research. For instance, imagine that we are trying to decide what color scarf we should make next. If we look in the table for color words, we can take a note of the views/day for each color:

red 3.10
blue 2.75
green 2.61
silver 3.31
gray 6.68

Gray wool scarves seem to get more views than the other colors, so we might decide to make our next scarf a gray one.

Are there any costs or further opportunities/ways to get involved?
All the tools on craftweasel.com, including the Tag Finder, are free to use — the website is supported by advertising through Project Wonderful. I'd love to hear any feedback, and I'm always interested in ideas for new tools — contact me using the details below. I'd also love to hear if you've come up with an interesting way to use the Tag Finder; I'd like to put more examples on the craftweasel blog.

What should one do if there's a bug or a problem? Who should one contact?
I've tried to make it easy for users of the tool to report problems or give suggestions, etc. You can:

Email me: martin@redrowstudio.com
Convo me: my Etsy username is redrowstudio
Leave a comment on the craftweasel blog: http://craftweasel.blogspot.com
Message me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/craftweasel

If you do encounter a problem, please let me know what tags you were searching for, as that will help me track down the problem. There are a couple of known issues: the Tag Finder tool won't work when Etsy is
down for site maintenance, and the site can be slow when a lot of people are using it. Hopefully I will be able to move craftweasel.com to a faster server in the future, which should speed things up.

What's one surprising/fun/amazing story you've heard about someone using your app? Or what is your favorite part about the app?
My favorite thing about the app has been the response from the Etsy community — lots of people have given feedback, and helped out with bug reports and feature suggestions. I also love the way that people have come up with creative ways to use the tool. For instance, because top-level categories are also tags in Etsy, the Tag Finder can be used to choose which category to list an item in when it could fit in more than one ("knitting" and "accessories," for example).

Anything else you'd like to add?
I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who helped with craftweasel.com by reporting problems and making suggestions. I chose the Related Items below from some of the shops of sellers who have helped. Particular thanks go out to my partner Jane (thedoghouse) who came up with the name and color scheme for the website.

Also, there are a few other tools on craftweasel.com that might be useful. They are:

Shop Stats tool: Summarizes a bunch of information about your shop, prices and tags.
Personal Shopper tool: Finds recently listed items for you based on your Favorites.
Similar Items tool: Enter a few items and it will try to find similar items that have been recently listed.

Post in the comments below if you love the Tag Finder!

Join the Etsy Labs at the Last Open Craft Night on Gold Street

2009-07-23T14:00:00-05:00

Important note: This will be the last Craft Night in our current home on Gold Street. Craft Night will be canceled for the month of August during our transition to a new space in Dumbo, Brooklyn. The grand opening Craft Night in our new location will be held on Monday, September 14, so mark your calendars! To stay in the loop regarding Craft Nights of the future, please join our mailing list.

Why stay in and keep your creative skills all to your self? Come make a craft of your choice with us, whether you're in Brooklyn or anywhere in the world. Join us for our weekly Craft Night in our online multi-user chat room, the Virtual Labs, or in person at the Etsy Labs in Brooklyn. Craft Night occurs every Monday from 4-8 p.m. ET at 325 Gold Street, 3rd floor in Brooklyn, New York and in the Virtual Labs. Drop by our space in Brooklyn anytime between 4-8 p.m. to craft with us. Craft Night is a time to make things, sharpen your craft skills, meet new friends, and hang out.

This week, on Monday, July 27, we're hosting an open Craft Night, as we usually do on the last Monday of each month. Instead of an organized project, this week we are throwing the doors of the Etsy Labs wide open and letting you work on any project that strikes your fancy. Bring along any project you'd like to develop during this week's Craft Night, or start a brand new project using our tools and extra supplies. The sky's the limit!

Upcoming Events at Etsy Labs:

8/02: Church of Craft meeting (2-6 p.m.) — This is the last event we'll be hosting at 325 Gold Street!

9/14: Grand Opening Craft Night at our new space in Dumbo, Brooklyn (Details to come!)

If you'd like to lead a Craft Night in the future, send your ideas to labs@etsy.com with "Craft Night idea" as the subject line. Have you participated in Craft Night? Share your photos with the Etsy Labs Show and Tell Flickr group! If you'd like to learn more about the Etsy Labs, check out our FAQs. Want to receive email updates? Join our Etsy Labs mailing list.

Will we see you Monday? What project will you be working on? Let us know in the comments.

Getting Creative with Moo

2009-06-29T15:21:00-05:00

Every time I'm at a craft show, there are always a few sellers giving away Moo MiniCards (which are mini business cards that display photos of your work). There's something about the compact size and design that draws a lot of attention. What's more, you can use up to 100 full color photos on your mini calling-cards, and these photos can be pulled right from your Etsy shop. Moo is offering a special deal just for Etsians for the next two weeks: Spend $30 (£15/€22.50) on Moo.com and get free shipping on your order. Use the code: "etsyjune." This promotion ends on July 13, 2009.

All these options seem to be inspiring Etsy sellers to get crafty with their Moo minis! Check out some cool examples below...

pretty buggie sachets by jekbot

sweet jewelry packaging by wiccked

Moo Bookmarks by Emmalynne

How I use my moo cards by clevergirl

MooPocket with window by splatgirl

tagged with a matching moo card by memake

So what can you do with your Moo cards? We want to see! Upload your photos to Flickr and tag them Etsy Moo MiniCard Challenge!

The items below are some of our previous top picks!

More Moo Posts | Seller Handbook | Help on Etsy

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:

Your Shop 101: Hitting the Sweet Spot with Etsy's Most Relevant Search

2009-05-21T13:33:00-05:00

What's the ultimate goal of the Most Relevant option in Etsy's Search? To get shoppers more quickly to the exact items they want. But how does Etsy get them there? The answer is bound up in our site's collaboration with you, our sellers. We need sellers to create listings that accurately and fully represent their items. The goal, really, is to arrive at that magical moment — that sweet spot — when shoppers find the items they love and sellers do the happy dance!

Although that sweet spot feels magical, there are a lot of algorithms and number crunching going on behind the scenes. Etsy's Most Relevant Search is a living feature in active development, and it will evolve over time as we monitor its performance and make improvements to the listing process. However, as a seller, you can follow these golden rules when listing your items:

"ANY 3-Letter Word in ASL Your Choice" By MoonlightAura

Tags: Tags, also known as "keywords," are the most important part of your listing! Sellers can use up to 14 tags right now; use as many as you can to accurately describe your item. Use the most important words in the tags, even if they are in your title. Remember, the first tag determines the category your item. Look at that category's subcategories and include the relevant one as one of your tags as well. Please see this how-to for thorough tagging guidelines.

Titles: Titles can be a catchy and creative way to lure in a shopper, but keep in mind that titles should also be descriptive. Think about it from the computer's point of view: a computer is not going to understand something titled "Welcome to My World," even if that is a really awesome title for your self-portrait art photograph. "Self-Portrait Art Photograph - Welcome to My World" may not be quite as catchy, but our computer friend crunching the algorithm will know how to translate that for relevant searches.

Also, consider if from the point of view of a shopper who is scanning a search results page in Gallery view: when you put your descriptive title first, those words quickly communicate what your item actually is to the shopper. Then when they click through to your listing page, they'll see the rest of the title and get hooked by your clever branding.

Super long and unnaturally written titles don't work well for Most Relevant, and they are unappealing to shoppers. A good, accurate, buyer-friendly title can help your relevancy; a super-long title, jam-packed with keywords — or, conversely, a short title with no descriptive information — will hurt it. Aim for the "sweet spot" in the middle here. Make sure to put very important search words, such as what the item is, in the title. For more tips on Titles, see this how-to.

Descriptions: Thorough and meaty descriptions will boost your relevancy. Having inadequate descriptions for your items will bring down your relevancy. Think about what keywords your ideal buyer would be using in her searches, and try to weave that into the story you're telling.

For example, "This handmade lamp would fit into a chic, modern home or office decor — perfect for contemporary design collectors. When designing this lamp, I was inspired by mid-century interiors and decor, so my piece has a bit of a retro furniture style. Its glossy finish and vivid green make this lamp a statement piece for your living room or workplace. I made this ceramic lamp by hand with a special glaze and fit it with standard hardware. It measures 16 inches high and 6 inches wide. Lamp shade is not included." This is just an example to illustrate that considering your target market when writing your descriptions will lead to proper relevancy.

ElizabethOcean's paper doll description includes the words "Bike Messenger, Rockabilly, Steampunk, Rollerderby, Goth Lolita"...because you can't fit all that in a title!

Extra tip: If you've made the item, use the active (not passive) voice. For example, "I made this item using reclaimed silver." Passive voice works better for vintage items: "This item was made with reclaimed silver."

While you want your descriptions to be thorough, you don't want them to be intimidatingly long blocks of text. Many online shoppers simply scan text. Daniellexo, the Etsy Admin who runs the Etsy Success email list, suggests breaking out your description text into easy to read paragraphs. She notes that you can use bullet points to call out important info, like dimensions, customizations or alternate sizing. For more tips on Descriptions, see these how-tos.

Extra tip: Following the instruction is this how-to will also be good for your search results in Google and other search engines. Learn more about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Etsy here.

I found this Haute Potato Bag by SasakiCreations by searching Materials for "potato sack."

Materials: Fill this section out accurately with all of the materials that are used in your item. Think in terms of supplies (for example: chain, fabric) and content (for example: metal, copper, cotton). Most Relevant takes Materials into account as well as Tags, Titles and Descriptions; however, Materials are weighted lower than these others. Also, remember that shoppers can choose to search by Materials in the Advanced Search page.

Recency: An item's listing date is also an important factor in determining relevancy, as we've found shoppers value fresh results for their favorite searches. Sellers should experiment with what time of day and which days of the week work best for their types of items. Consider things like time zones and climates around the world. What time of day do you think your customers are on the hunt? Use the Craftcult site (craftcult.org), and scan the times that your items and shop get hearted. What times are bringing the best results?

To reiterate, Most Relevant will be an evolving site feature, and this is normal for search algorithms around the Web. Thank you, sellers, for taking the time to make your listings the best they can be. We know this is a time-consuming process, but we hope that the results will benefit both you and your buyers and create that magic moment. We want you doing the happy dance!

Please join Etsy Admin Daniellexo and Sean11 for a Tags, Titles, Materials and Descriptions discussion in the Virtual Labs on Thursday, May 28, 2009 at 3 p.m. ET. Please bring any questions you have.

About Us: Amy aka amydec

2009-05-15T13:40:00-05:00

Amy DeCicco, a.k.a. amydec, joined the Etsy Admin in April of 2009. She comes to us via National Public Radio and brings her expertise as a librarian. Amy will be working on Etsy's taxonomy, specifically the organization of the Etsy Categories and how they relate to tagging.

Fun Facts:

In college, Amy wanted to be a sociologist or anthropologist, but decided academia wasn't for her.
According to her former boss at NPR, "When Amy is upset and disagrees with something, she sends her boss memos so well written, so clear, specific and precise outlining her disagreements that her boss has no choice but agree with her!"
Her first gig at NPR was interning for the music librarian, which has to be one of the best jobs ever. That's where she fell in love with opera. Which brings us to our next Fun Facts...
Her favorite opera singers are Enrico Caruso and Juan Diego Flores.
Her former NPR boss weighed in on the opera theme too, "She has been known to travel to the suburbs to catch the Met Opera simulcast in HD. (On public transportation, of course!)"
She's a good cook and likes to host dinner parties.
Her celebrity look-alike is Brittany Murphy.
She grew up in the Blueberry Capital of the World in South Jersey (Exit 28, Expressway).
Amy dreams of joining a marching band.
From looking at her flickr stream, I got the feeling she's into shoes. This Fun Fact has been verified by her NPR blog post about librarian fashion. She also told me her taxonomy inspiration is Endless.com.
She has worked as a barista, florist, cheese monger, research coordinator, and news librarian. No, she is not a taxidermist.
Her To Do List for the year includes organizing a double-dutch jump rope team and learning to play the xylophone.
She can drink wine seven nights a week with little or no after-effect.
Amy can write backwards in cursive.
She's an example of the reason why you shouldn't get a tattoo in high school. She wouldn't spill the beans until I guessed what it was on the first try! Now I'm sworn to secrecy.
Don't challenge her to a game of dice.
According to other folks on the Product Team, Amy is preparing to blow everyone else in the "messy desk contest" out of the water.
Her first concert was Faith No More and Helmet.

Amy (on the right) gives Tara a run for her big-haired money. I love how the bouffants seem to be casting shadows along the far wall.

Amy got into karaoke before everyone else, way back when blue shag carpet, Mr. Potato Head, and — as Eric put it — "Burt and Ernie shirts" were de rigeur. Amy, "You should be dancin', yeah!"

Etsy has had quite a growth spurt in the past year, 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 of Amy's favorites below...

Another Etsy & Moo Partnership: Special Extra Limited Time Offer for Sellers

2009-05-06T15:00:00-05:00

Etsy and MOO have teamed up yet again to offer a great deal to Etsy sellers! Buy 1 pack of MOO MiniCards and get your second pack at half price, now through May 19th, 2009.

In case you didn't know, MOO is a printing company. They print beautiful products using images you upload directly to their site, and we long ago said that they are one of our BFFs. In fact, MOO let's you print a box of cards with a different image on each card. That's neat. And now they print and ship from the good old USA as well as England. And that means it's quicker and more affordable for US folks.

Here are the instructions: Add 2 packs of MiniCards to your basket on MOO.com. Then use coupon code 'etsymoomini' at checkout before May 19, 2009. Remember, both packs need to already be in your basket for the code to work. Voila! You'll get the 2nd pack for half price.

Etsy sellers have been using MOO MiniCards in many ways. The traditional: business cards, promotion & coupon cards and trade show cards. And the non-traditional: price tags, hang tags and earring cards. So dive in and print MOO's famous mini-cards, business cards, postcards, greeting cards and stickers. At right, you can see how peelapom gives her packaging that special handmade feel that her customers love. What will you come up with? Let us know in the comments!

Click here to get started making fresh printed products for your Etsy shop now! Check out the Labs' how-to with a plethora of ideas for using Moo products for your Etsy shop.

Please note: this offer is only good through May 19th, 2009 and cannot be combined with any other MOO promotions or discounts.

Seller How-To: Optimizing Your Etsy Shop for Search Engines

2009-04-29T17:01:00-05:00

UPDATE: Please see the most recent information on this topic in our Help section. Click here!

We've been making some changes around the site that we hope will have a big impact. Over the past several months, we've implemented a series of changes to improve Etsy's SEO (search engine optimization). Improved SEO means that it's more likely Etsy pages will be found by people searching with sites like Google, Yahoo and other search engines. While we've done a lot of the work behind the scenes, Etsy sellers can also help maximize the impact of Etsy's SEO on their shop and item pages.

Meta Data: Understanding the Components

Much of this SEO work is done through meta data, which is part of a website's code that is read by search engines. Meta data for SEO has three main components: page title, meta description and meta keywords.

ABOVE: In this screenshot of the Jewelry Category, the meta page title is highlighted in orange in the web browser title bar.

The page title is visible on the site in the top bar of your web browser window. This also shows up when you add a web page to your browser's Favorites or Bookmarks. Ever wonder how a search engine gets the text for the link that is shown in results pages? That's right: it's the page title.

ABOVE: This screenshot shows how Google displays the meta page title and meta description for Etsy's home page in search results.

Both the page title and the meta description are displayed on search engine results pages. Search engines display just a short bit of text for the description, between 140-180 characters depending on the search engine. Meta keywords are generally not visible to someone viewing a web page, but they are used by search engines to help rank relevancy of pages in search results.

We’ve updated the meta data for many of the pages on Etsy: Category and Subcategory pages, the shopping features (like Treasury and Pounce), Etsy shop and item listing pages. Certain pieces of information you control for your shop and item listing pages can impact your shop's SEO. Below we'll explain how you can boost your Etsy shop's SEO.

Your Etsy Shop Pages

ABOVE: This diagram of jenniferladd's shop home page shows how Etsy uses parts of your shop text for the page title, meta description and meta keywords for your shop page.

The page title format on shop pages is: "[username] on Etsy - [Shop Title]"

You can partially control what appears here by using your Shop Title wisely. Your Shop Title is the text that appears in bold just below your banner in your shop. To edit your Shop Title, go to Your Etsy > Appearance. We recommend using this Shop Title to briefly describe your shop and the items you sell so search engines will pick it up more readily. You may also want to include your full name or your business name in your Shop Title if potential customers are likely to search for you that way.

The meta description is the short blurb that appears on a search engine result page to help people quickly learn what the page is about. For your Etsy shop page, the meta description is the first part of your Shop Announcement. We recommend you use the first 1-2 sentences of your Shop Announcement to describe your shop (what kinds of items you sell) and use welcoming language that will entice someone to explore your shop further.

Meta keywords are a less critical component to SEO, and various search engines use them differently to help rank relevancy of a page in search results. For Etsy shop pages, we have automatically pulled the Section Titles for the shop to be used as the meta keywords. We observed that many sellers use basic terms for their sections that translate relatively well into keywords. For example, it's common for jewelry shops to have Section Titles such as: bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings. To edit your Section Titles, go to Your Etsy > Sections.

Your Item Listing Pages

ABOVE: This diagram of an item listing page from FriendlyFairies shop shows how Etsy uses parts of your item listing text for the page title, meta description and meta keywords for your item listing pages.

On individual item pages, the page title format is:

   • For handmade items – "Handmade [Category] on Etsy - [Item Title] by [username]"
   • For vintage items – "Vintage on Etsy - [Item Title] by [username]"
   • For supplies – "Craft Supplies on Etsy - [Item Title] by [username]"

Once again, you can partially control the information that appears as the page title for your listing pages. You create your Item Title on the first step of the listing process. (To edit an Item Title, go to Your Etsy > Currently for Sale, and click the edit link by the item you wish to edit. Make sure to click "finish" to save your changes.) We recommend you clearly describe your item in the Item Title so search engines will understand what the page is about.

For listing pages, the meta description is taken from the first portion of your Item Description. You create your Item Description on the first step of the listing process. (To edit an Item Description, go to Your Etsy > Currently for Sale, and click the edit link by the item you wish to edit. Make sure to click "finish" to save your changes.) Remember: search engines only display the very beginning of this text, just 1-2 sentences. We recommend you use the first part of your Item Description to draw in potential shoppers: describe your item briefly and use engaging language to encourage them to want to find out more.

Meta keywords on item listing pages are taken from the listing's tags. You tag your listing on the second step of the listing process. (To edit the tags on a listing, go to Your Etsy > Currently for Sale, and click the edit link by the item you wish to edit. Make sure to click "finish" to save your changes.) If you're using your tags wisely for Etsy's on-site search already, then most likely you'll be in pretty good shape with your tags for SEO. For more help with tagging, check out Guidelines & Tips: Tagging on Etsy.

These are a few easy ways you can help bring more targeted traffic to your Etsy shop from search engines by improving the SEO of your shop and item listing pages. Search engines are complex, and there are several other factors that contribute to how high your pages rank in search engine results. For more insight on some of these other factors outside your Etsy shop and item listing pages, you may want to read Shop Makeover Series: Google PageRank Tips for Your Etsy Shop.

Seller Handbook | Shop Makeover Series

P.S. These exercises are also published in the Etsy Success Mailing List. Sign up here to get helpful tips delivered to your inbox twice a week!

Etsy Finds: Fashionable in Fur

2009-04-02T10:30:00-05:00

Following the latest handmade trends? Did you know you can find matching trends for your four-legged friends? Check out these Finds for a few cutting-edge suggestions... Oh, who am I trying to kid? We all know I just did this so I could show you some cute Etsy puppies (and a kitten)!

Rainbow dog coat-recycled sweater

Do you have a ruffeoheartslilsnoty sweater lined up for spring? Pepe needs a matching colorful coat! By mygreydog, $49.

View Item | View Shop

Commission a REALISTIC Needle Felted Likeness of your Dog or Cat - Custom Order Sculpture

Have a look through this seller's sold items to see some of the great mini-likenesses! By KaysK9s, $250.

View Item | View Shop

Every Dog Has His Day Spa Kit

SweetPetula now has a line for your pet. Now you both can have a handmade bath! By GoodCleanDog, $29.

View Item | View Shop

Vintage Upcycled Suitcase Pet Bed - Purple and Black

Vintage suitcases are hot right now. Vintagerenaissance even upcycles them into pet beds! By vintagerenaissance, $75.

View Item | View Shop

CUSTOM LEATHER EXTRA LARGE DOG COLLAR 29 to 35 Plus Inches Long

Obama fever has made red, white and blue big again. Now your pup can rock this trend. By KYODT, $60.

View Item | View Shop

Double Decker Dog Bone

Steampunk? How about steampup? By danaruth, $65.

View Item | View Shop

Jay McCarroll Mushroom Fabric Martingale Collar - Medium

Retro mushroom styles for your fashion forward buddy. By 2houndsdesign, $34.

View Item | View Shop

Take a Bow Dog Hair Accessories- set of 3

Big bows, à la Gossip Girl, now available for FiFi. By FrouFrouFido, $25.

View Item | View Shop

Extra Wide Cool and Warm Neck Attire

Hip cowls for photogenic pups? Check! By EmmaCharlesPhotoPlus, $12.50.

View Item | View Shop

Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

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

Guidelines & Tips: Tagging on Etsy

2009-03-25T14:20:00-05:00

Tags are keywords sellers attach to their items in the item listing process. When searching for the perfect handmade or vintage item or supply on Etsy, a shopper will browse Categories, or more often, use Search to find their items. Since tags are keywords for Search, and they are also used to organize items in Categories and Subcategories, it's important to understand how to tag your items correctly and effectively so that buyers can find them!

The step-by-step guide below will give you 13 ideas for good tags to help buyers find your item and help it get featured. If you are having a hard time thinking of tags, look in your title and description for keywords.

Please see special rules and help for Art, Bags and Purses, Bath and Beauty, and Clothing at the bottom.

TAGGING SUGGESTIONS AND IDEAS

For your first tag, choose a main Category from the drop-down.

If the item is handmade or hand-altered by you, your first tag can by any category but vintage.
- Don't use the tag commercial.
- Handmade crafting supplies? Your first tag can be supplies or another appropriate handmade category.

If you're not sure, go to the Categories page, and see if your item is a Subcategory of any Category. Or, do a search for like items and see what Category most of the items are listed in. Eg. Does an apron go in Accessories or Clothing? Doing a quick check will help you find apron listed under the Accessories Category here.

If your item fits in two categories (eg. Children and Clothing), you may pick which one you use for your top category tag. Try to decide where might a shopper look first.

Only select vintage if the item is 20 years or older. See more on vintage items here.

Now you will choose your remaining 13 tags.

The order of them does not matter. Related tags will pop up as you add tags, remember these are only suggestions that *might* apply to your item. You may choose any that accurately describe your item.
You may also create your own tags based on what will be most accurate for your item. Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself:

1. What is it?

Tip: Don't pick any words that are related, but not what it is. Eg. Don't tag bracelets with "earrings".

Tip: If the word describes what something is, don't use that unless your item *is* that. Eg. Don't tag a tote bag with "clutch", even though you can clutch it in your hand. Don't tag anything but a dress with dress. Eg. Don't tag cookies with "tea" or "coffee", even though you can eat them with these drinks.

2. What is it specifically? What type?

Eg. Hoop (for earrings), v-neck (for sweaters), long sleeve (shirt).

3. Who is it for?

Tip: You may pick as many correct ones as you want. Eg. women, men, baby, children, boy, girl, adult, pets, dog, cat.

4. What is the main material?

Tip: Add the major material to your tags, if it is something you think a buyer might search for to find your item. Add minor materials or component materials to the "materials" box on page 1. Eg. leather, cotton, canvas, felt, metal, 14K gold, sterling silver, glass. If there are two words to describe a material, use them both, as separate tags. Eg. cotton, canvas. metal, 14K gold. mahogany, wood. merino, wool.

5. What is the main color?

Tip: Buyers are not likely to look for minor colors in your piece, so stick to the main color(s) or important color combos! Eg. white, black, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple.

6. What method or technique did you use to make it? Only relevant for some items.

Eg. hammered (for metal jewelry), burned (for woodworking), appliqued, embroidered.

7. Where will the item be used? Only relevant for some items.

Eg. kitchen, hair, office, beach, garden, car, nursery.

8. What size is it?

Eg. small, extra large, 7mm, 18in, 8x10.

9. What style is it?

Eg. goth, victorian, hippie, punk, impressionist, post-modern, feminine, sophisticated, southwestern.

Eg. sweet, spicy, salty (for bath and beauty and food items).

10. Imagery or motifs that are on the item.

Eg. owl, landscape, nature, Marilyn Monroe.

11. Are there synonyms?

Tip: Use these if the word means exactly the same thing as the tag you already used, it is accurate for your item, and you think it will be an important search term that buyers will look for. Eg. Infant for young babies, handbag for purses and clutches, toddler for children 18 months - 3 years, drink for coffee, trousers for pants.

12. Mature content items must have the tag "mature".

Mature content is defined as: sexual activity or content, profane language or graphic violence. Artful representations of the nude human figure do not need the tag "mature".

13. Don't tag with potential uses for the item.

Eg. Don't use "stocking stuffer" or "gift" as tags. Do not tag a messenger bag with "backpack", even though you can wear it on your back. Don't tag a blank book with "poetry".

14. Don't put multiple words in one tag box, unless they are a phrase.

Eg. Do tag with "sterling silver". Don't tag with "silver earrings", these should be two different tags.

Helpful Tips

Feeling stuck? Look to your item description for keywords to use as tags.

Check out this list of colors to inspire using more than just a simple "blue" tag. What about "Cornflower Blue", instead?

Use a second browser window to navigate through the Categories and Subcategories that pertain to your item. This way you can be sure to include tags for all the Subcategories that relate to your item.

If you sell similar items in your shop, it is helpful to create a listing template on your desktop with your most commonly used tags. This way you can quickly pick and choose which ones are appropriate and just copy and paste them into place.

Using Google's Keyword Tool or Yahoo's Keyword Selector Tool will help you generate a list of the most popular related search words and phrases. This involves a good amount of time and research, but can be a valuable tool to help create a list of the most commonly searched for words to use as tags.

You do not have to duplicate words found in a compound tag. Eg. "sterling silver" does not also have to appear as "sterling, silver".

Common Definitions of Tags by Category

Art: All 2D artwork is either an original or reproduction, but not both.

Original: for original 2D artwork only.

Reproduction: for copies or reproductions of your original 2D artwork.

Bags and Purses:

Only tag your bag or purse with the correct terms (as defined below) so buyers can find what they are looking for. Almost all items should only be tagged with one of these.

Backpack: primarily meant to be worn on the back. With rare exception, has two straps that are worn over both shoulders at the same time. Messenger bags and tote bags are not backpacks.

Clutch: small (sometimes medium sized), usually flat bag primarily meant to be carried in the hand. Usually does not have straps. Wallets and simple zip-top cotton pouches are not clutches.

Diaper Bag: a large bag with multiple interior and/or exterior pockets. Main purpose is to be used to carry diapers and baby items. A messenger bag or backpack is not a diaper bag. A tote with no pockets is not a diaper bag.

Laptop Bag or Sleeve: A padded bag designed to snugly fit and protect a laptop.

Messenger Bag: A medium to large sized bag with one wide, long strap that is long enough to wear crossing the chest, over one shoulder, to waist.

Pouch: a small to medium sized bag, usually with a zipper. Not worn as a woman's handbag or "carrying bag"- usually holds items within a larger bag.

Purse: a women's bag with 1 or 2 straps or handles, worn over one shoulder, or carried in the hand.

Tote: Bag with two long straps, that is meant to be worn over the shoulder.

Wallet: Primary function is to hold money and credit cards. Not worn as a handbag or carrying bag — it goes inside another bag. A simple pouch with no inner dividers is not a wallet.

Wristlet: A bag with a looped strap that is wide enough to wear on the wrist.

Bath and Beauty:

Body Wash: liquid, gel, or other non-solid body wash. Solid soap is not body wash.

Fragrance: perfume, cologne, eau de toilette. Not scented lotions or soaps. Use the tag scented instead.

Oil: for products in oil form. For products containing oil, list the name of the oil as a tag, but do not use the tag oil by itself. Eg. jojoba oil.

Vegan: contains no animal products, or products directly produced by animals, even if the animals are not harmed. No honey, no milk, etc. See this how-to on tagging vegan items.

Clothing:

Dress: means an actual dress, not formal wear.

Plus Size: size 16 (USA) or larger.

Sweater: an actual sweater, not scarves or other things made of sweater material. The name for sweater material is knit, or knitted or sweater knit or "crocheted." Not a sweatshirt.

If you notice a seller misusing tags, you may report it to flagged@etsy.com.

If you would like to share any of your own tagging tips, or have questions about how to tag your items, please ask in the forums. Check out our other tagging how-tos for more help.

Seller Handbook | Shop Makeover Series

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 Update: Etsy Web Analytics Enhancements

2009-02-02T15:45:00-05:00

Dear Etsy sellers,

Recently, Etsy launched Web Analytics for your Etsy shops (powered by Google Analytics). Today I am pleased to share with you two enhancements to Web Analytics. First, we updated our configuration for Google Analytics, which has reduced unexpected Traffic Source keywords in Google Analytics reports. Second, we have expanded the available features within Google Analytics to include info about Etsy's site search. More details on each of these items below.

1. Traffic Sources: Search Engine Keyword Referrals
Sellers can find the search query terms that lead visitors directly to your Etsy shop under the Google Analytics report Traffic Sources > Keywords. This report will show both natural search and paid search results, which is useful if you spend money on Google AdWords.

On January 15th, we posted in the forums about an issue in which sellers were seeing unexpected keywords in their Traffic Source reports. We updated our configuration with Google Analytics. This change to our configuration has not eliminated the problem with keywords but it has resulted in a noticeable improvement for Traffic Source keywords. There is nothing you need to change with your Etsy shop or your Google Analytics settings. The fix was already put in place, and you should already have observed an improvement over the past week. We appreciate your patience on this issue.

2. Etsy Site Search Tracking

We've made another improvement to Web Analytics. Sellers can now track which search terms used by shoppers on Etsy brought visits to their Etsy shops. When we say "on Etsy", we include the six types of search found on the dropdown shown below:

We tested this feature since January 27th and we will be monitoring your feedback to make continual improvements going forward.

When enabled, your Google Analytics reports will tell you both which terms the user typed into the search box to find your items and which search method was selected from the drop-down menu. This allows sellers to further refine how to best tag and describe items to maximize their exposure to shoppers.

To enable Site Search, follow the steps below:

Sign in to your Google Analytics account.
If you have more than one website profile, click on the profile name for your Etsy shop.
In the "Actions" column on the right, you should see a link that says "Edit." Click on the word "Edit."
You should now be on a page called "Profile Settings." In the gray header that says "Main Website Profile Information", click "Edit" on the right.
Under "Site Search," click the button for "Do Track Site Search." More options should appear.
Following the example shown in the image below, change the "Site Search" settings. Enter ga_search_query for the query parameter and ga_search_type for the category parameter:

Once you've changes the settings, click "Save Changes."

To see the Site Search data, view your Google Analytics reports and choose Content > Site Search (on the left). From there you can view the search terms and search types (Google calls this Category Parameter) that were used in Etsy's search to find your listings!

NOTE: Since Google Analytics updates every 24-hours, you may not see data in the Site Search reports until the day after you enable the feature. You will only see this data going forward from the date you enable it in your Google Anallytics account; it is not retroactive.

As reference, the following search types will be appear in the report:

Category Parameter value in Google Analytics	Type of search used on Etsy
tag_title	Handmade Items: tags, titles (NOTE: this is the default search on Etsy)
tag_title_description	Handmade Items: tags, titles, descriptions
tag_title_supplies	Supplies: tags, titles
tag_title_vintage	Vintage: tags, titles
tag_title_all	All items: tags, titles
seller_usernames	Sellers: usernames
materials	Materials
user_shop_ttt_id_<your user ID #>	Search within your Etsy shop

Finally, checkout this recent posting on Blog Handmade with a step-by-step video tutorial.

As always, we appreciate your feedback and will continue to improve Etsy for our seller community. Please join the discussion about this article in our community Forums.

Tech Update: Improvements to Search

2009-01-07T13:01:00-05:00

UPDATE: Our new Search system is now live! Please post in this forum thread with your comments.

This week we are replacing Etsy’s existing search technology with Solr, an industry-leading, open-source search system. Solr is currently in use by major consumer sites like Netflix as well as important e-commerce sites like Zappos. We believe it will provide Etsy the foundation to scale in terms of both speed and functionality.

You may recall that Maria Thomas, Etsy’s CEO, recently mentioned that we are going to be focusing on Search in 2009 and that we intend to orient Etsy’s search function more to buyers’ needs. This first phase launch of Search is the first in what we expect to be a series of improvements to Etsy’s search function throughout the year.

For this initial launch we primarily focused on improving the speed with which search results are returned on Etsy. We believe you’ll notice immediate and significantly faster results, though specific return times will vary based on your location and type of connection.

In addition to speed improvements, the Solr technology is smarter than our old search technology in how it handles certain queries. A specific improvement worth mentioning is the way in which the new system handles searches containing compound words. In our old system, a search for “notecards” would bring up items containing “notecards” in the tag, title or description field, but items containing only “note cards” (two separate words) would not show up in results. With our new search system, searches containing compound words like “notecards” or “hairbows” return all associated items.

There’s no need to make any updates to your item descriptions and tags to accommodate these improvements but this launch is a great time to remind sellers about the importance of accurate tags, titles and descriptions. You can find more info on how to best tag items in these tagging how-tos. We will be holding a Tagging Workshop in the Virtual Labs on Wednesday at 5pm (Eastern).

Future phases of Search will include upgrades to the relevancy and ranking of the results. The way current search results are displayed (ranking) is based on chronology (most recently listed items first). We believe that Etsy buyers will be better served by a system that takes into account both ranking and relevance in a way that helps them find items they’re looking for according to various criteria by category. And, for those buyers who may not know what they're looking for, we also hope to introduce later in 2009 tools to foster discovery based on all the hearting and curating that takes place across the Etsy community every day.

While our main goal with Search is to help buyers find what they’re looking for, we are mindful that sellers want various options to promote their items on Etsy. Redesigning the search function and creating new ways for sellers to advertise on Etsy are two important initiatives that are in the works for the first half of 2009.

Our new Search system will be launching later this week; we will update this post when it’s actually live. We look forward to your feedback. Please post in this forum thread with your comments.

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.

Team Tip: Fun Facts!

2008-10-13T18:05:00-05:00

"Just what are the Etsy Teams and how do I get involved?"

Since so much has grown about the Etsy Teams program in the past year, we're revisiting this FAQ on the Etsy Teams. Since this article was first published, Etsy Teams program has more than doubled in size - in numbers of Teams and the number of members involved. It's truly gratifying to see members of the Community self-organize. Soon, we hope to launch new tools to help the Etsy Community communicate and to give Etsy Teams a more visible role on the site. On the Storque, you can keep on top of Team-related content by clicking on the EtsyTeams featured column listed in the left sidebar.

At Etsy, community is super important to us, and one big way Etsy members can become active in the Etsy Community is to join an Etsy Team. Etsy Teams are for not only Etsy sellers, but there are Teams for buyers, as well! Support your favorite Etsy artists by promoting handmade and buying from Team members! Here are a few simple things you need to know if you'd like to participate in Etsy Teams. To learn more, you can always visit http://team.etsy.com to find lots more information in a few quick clicks.

What is an Etsy Team?
Etsy Teams are groups of organized Etsy members who network, share skills, meet other people with similar interests, and promote their shops and Etsy together. A Team forms around a shared location, a craft or genre, or another interest. Currently, there are over 400 Teams and new Teams forming daily. This makes us not just a marketplace of individuals, but an interconnected and diverse handcrafters' community. Teams are Etsy’s biggest and most creative grassroots engine for support, networking and marketing — for each Team member’s shop, for the Teams themselves, and for Etsy as a whole.

How can I shop by Etsy Teams?
Many Teams have a search tag listed on their Profile page. You can find items made by that Team by searching for their Team tag, or by clicking through shops listed on the Profile pages. If you want to just search for items by all Teams, you can search "team" and find over 150,000 items by all Etsy Team members!

How do I join a Team?
You can browse through the list of Etsy Teams, which are sorted by location and by interest, to find teams that suit you and your shop. Each Team has contact information on their profile page about how to join.

[Examples of Treasuries from the CCCOE and ArtsInRI Teams]

Can I join more than one Team?
Sure! Please join as many Teams as your schedule permits you to be actively involved in.

What Team should I join?
You can browse through the Team Profiles to see what each Team is up to — visiting the Teams' pages and clicking through their websites and blogs will help you get an idea of what the team is about and how active they are. We do ask that you join location-based Teams according to where you spend most of your time (ie, where you live). Some Teams have membership requirements, and these are listed on the profile pages. If you have specific questions about a Team, try contacting the contact person or leader listed on the page.

There are over 400 Etsy Teams and new Teams being formed each day, there's an Etsy Team for everyone! If you don't find a Team that interests you, or if there isn't currently an active Team in your area, you can start an Etsy Team yourself.

How do I update my Team's page?
If you've started an Etsy Team, you can have the profile page updated by emailing updates to teams@etsy.com, and we'll make the changes for you. Updates can include new members, new links to websites or blogs, or you can let us know about event, challenges, contests and more.

Are there resources for Teams, like ideas on how to promote or organize events?
Yes! You can search for Team Tips here in the Storque, or check the Guides page at http://team.etsy.com/guides.html.

Not on a Team? No problem! Lots of the Tips and Resources available for Teams are also useful for individual sellers!

For more Team Tips, please check the Teams Resource page. Also, we discuss the Team Tips, news and ideas in the Etsy Teams email list! Keep up the great work, Etsy Teams!

Etsy Holiday How-To #3: Creating Labels and Hang-Tags

2008-10-07T11:21:00-05:00

So, dear seller, you've just figured out how to wrap that 300 lb, giraffe-shaped menorah it took you 4 days to carve. Why not let your buyer know where it came from? Michelle from Etsy Labs gives you some creative techniques for labeling your loot in our third edition of the Holiday How-To series. Check out everyday materials you can use to make hang-tags and easy ways to put a little bling on your labels.

See more helpful how-tos about your indie biz in the Seller Handbook. Don't feel like making your own tags? Support your fellow crafters and get some from them! We'd also love to hear your crafty ideas for making hang-tags and labels in the comments below.

Handmade Hang Tags | Hang Tags in the Supplies Category

[This video was originally published October 12, 2007. We're bringing it back for the '08 season!]

Tech Update: More Info on Search & Categories

2008-09-24T13:12:00-05:00

Last week Etsy's new CTO, Chad Dickerson wrote an honest account of some of the technical challenges Etsy.com is currently facing, specifically in reference to the search function. In that article, Chad mentioned some new hardware and "other tweaks" to improve things. Many of you may be curious about what we're working on, how it's helping and how it will impact your ability to shop and sell on Etsy. So let's get right into the nitty gritty ...

New Hardware

Without getting into too many technical details, last week we added some new hardware with the goal of improving speed. We're happy to say so far it's helped, and some of our slowest queries more than doubled in speed. This is a great improvement, but still below our internal goals — which means there is more work ahead. The Engineers are continuing to monitor search speeds and page load times.

Simple Searches Redirect to Categories

Many shoppers use simple one-word searches, such as earrings or purse. Since there are several thousands of items that will match such a simple query, the current system gets bogged-down in an attempt to return all the possible results. To help alleviate that demand, we've begun automatically redirecting several one-word searches to the corresponding category or subcategory pages.

[ ABOVE: Screen shot of the Art category page. ]

As you may have noticed, we've already done this for terms like jewelry and art, and we will be adding more redirects as necessary. From a category page, shoppers can easily narrow the results by clicking subcategory links or searching within the category.

Limited Number of Search Terms (or "My nots are not working!")

Just as one-word searches can cause problems, too many terms in a search can be taxing on our current search structure. Therefore, we've limited the maximum number of terms available in a single search to seven. The current search system will return results based only on the first seven terms in an inquiry and simply ignore the rest.

[ ABOVE: Screen shot of the search results page for women dress -green -doll. ]

Unfortunately, "not" is counted as a term, so if you try to exclude several terms from a search, you are likely going to find that some of your "nots" weren't effective. The good news is that we've enabled the use of the minus sign (-) to work exactly like "not" in a search. The minus sign (-) does not count against the seven-word limit. For example, these searches should now produce identical results: women dress not green not doll and women dress -green -doll. We'll be updating our Search Tips sidebar and Search Help Guide with this info.

Batch Loading in Search and Categories

When you list an item on Etsy, there's a note that says it may take up to 24 hours for your item to appear in category and search pages. New, renewed and relisted items are posted in your shop immediately, but they are not added to search results and categories in real-time. Instead, Etsy adds items at regular intervals in batches to the category and search pages. This is a function of the mechanics of the master-slave database system Chad explained last week. Once loaded into the master database, items are replicated to "slave" databases. It takes some time for the data to be replicated; the technical term for this is "slave lag." This system is generally good for overall site performance (i.e., speed) and stability, but not so great for the instant gratification of sellers who want to see their items immediately appear at the top of their chosen categories.

Category pages and search results pages currently default to display the most recently listed items first. When there are many items being simultaneously listed, relisted and renewed it creates a traffic jam in some of Etsy's more populated categories. There could be dozens of items in a batch, however, each category and search result page on Etsy shows 21 items. This means some items could make their first appearance in a category on page two, or even farther back. Listing, relisting and renewing will place your item toward the front of a category, but not necessarily on page one and not instantaneously.

What Does This Mean For Sellers? (or "How will shoppers find my items?")

It's critical that sellers tag their items correctly. This will ensure that your items appear in the correct categories and subcategories. It will also make it easier for shoppers to find your items when they use specific multi-word searches. If you have items that fit equally well in more than one category, try placing some items in each category. For example, a potter could list one handmade ceramic bowl in the ceramics and pottery category and another one in housewares to have greater cross-category visibility. The articles on tagging in the Seller Handbook will help you determine the best way to tag your items so shoppers can find them.

So, is renewing for exposure worth the $0.20 if you don't land on page one each time? Ultimately, that's up to each seller to decide. While your item may not appear on page one for jewelry, it may be on page one of specific search for blue flower earrings or steampunk cufflinks or a specific subcategory page (like necklace within the jewelry category). Also, items still appear in other browsing features that function independently of the batch loading system, such as Time Machine 2, Recently Listed on the home page and Shop Local.

There are many ways to promote your Etsy shop on the site (Promotions Forum, Virtual Labs, Showcase) and through off-Etsy methods (blogs, advertising, etc). The best way to get customers into your shop is to target your own marketing. There's a wealth of information on advertising and marketing linked in the Seller Handbook. As an alternative to renewing to hit the top of a category, sellers may want to consider purchasing a Category Showcase spot. This is a one-day paid advertising spot displayed on the top of each page of a main category. To learn more about Showcase, check out 13.5 Questions about the Showcase and Showcase Deconstructed.

Looking Ahead

Chad and the Engineering Team are working on longer-term solutions to our current search issues. We don't want to disrupt site performance during the holiday shopping season, so in the meantime, the above measures are aimed at the goal of ensuring people can find and purchase the many incredible items available on Etsy.

We've closed commenting on this article. If you would like to comment, please join the discussion in this Forum thread.

Tagging Tips for Sellers: Kids, Baby, and Maternity

2008-07-09T10:58:00-05:00

Hello sellers of children's, baby, and maternity items! The Handmade Kids series prompted us to start a conversation about tagging your items.

Finding the right tags is an easy way to increase the number of buyers who are seeing your items. Here are a few suggestions for tags to use to improve your exposure and get your items in the right places in the Category Browser and in search.

Tip #1: Choosing Categories
Are there multiple top-level categories that your items could fit into? For example, if you make toys for children, you might try listing some of them in Children, and some in Toys. Overall, the Children category is the best place to list Children's items, but listing in other appropriate categories can increase your exposure. After you list, check the views and hearts of your items to see which category is best for your items.

Tip #2: Research in the Category Browser
Look under the category where you've listed your item. Add the names of any subcategories that are accurate to your tags. Look under these subcategories, and add any sub-subs that are accurate as well.

Tip #3: Synonyms
Are there any words that buyers might search for that mean the same thing as the normal word you might use? These make great tags. Some examples:

Children: kids, girls, boys, toddlers, tots

Baby: Infant, Newborn (generally under 3 months old)

Tip #4: Activities and Uses
Think about the uses and activities that apply to your item. Here are some examples:

- Breastfeeding, nursing, feeding

- Play, dress-up

- Educational, learning

Tip #5: Sizes
Add the size as a tag for clothing.

In your description for children's clothing, try putting the approximate age of the child that this would fit. This helps relatives and friends who are shopping for a gift — but don't have kids themselves — find the correct size.

So, there you go! Hopefully, these tips will give you a good start for tagging your items. Please suggest any sub-categories or tags below. We want to hear from you.

As well, check out this tagging tips article for more suggestions for effective tags. Happy selling!

Vegan Tagging: A How-To for Sellers

2008-07-08T15:45:00-05:00

Samantha Sauvé aka bookworms helps clear things up in the ongoing debate over what should or should not be tagged as "vegan" on Etsy. A vegan is defined by Vegan.org as "someone who, for various reasons, chooses to avoid using or consuming animal products. While vegetarians choose not to use flesh foods, vegans also avoid dairy and eggs, as well as fur, leather, wool, down, and cosmetics or chemical products tested on animals." Samantha kindly elaborates...

Dear Sellers:

Lately, there's been a lot of discussion in the Forums about tagging items as "vegan." A lot of sellers are confused about what does and does not constitute a vegan item — some don't use the tag at all, for fear of being mistaken.

I'm here to say, "Fear not!" Utilizing the "vegan" tag (when appropriate!) can open up your store to a new audience, and may very well direct more business your way — and more sales are never a bad thing! However, abusing the tag can really turn off some customers who care passionately about the types of products they buy.

The nuts-and-bolts idea of veganism is a life free from consumption of animal products. Vegans aim to not use anything that comes from an animal or is tested on an animal.

[Vegan Yarn by hobbledehoy]

The aim of this article is to provide a basic list of materials that are not vegan. Proper tagging helps both the buyer (for ease of finding truly vegan products) and the seller (adds a popular search term to your items, helping to direct more traffic your way).

The following are NOT considered vegan, and should not be tagged as such. Bear in mind that even if these products are organic, they are still not vegan!

Animal fibers:
Alpaca, angora, cashmere, merino, mohair, qiviut, silk, wool, yak, wool felt, velvet made from silk
Bee products:
Beeswax, bee pollen, honey, royal jelly
Foodstuffs:
Butter, casein, cheese, eggs, cow's milk, goat's milk, animal rennet, whey, white sugar*
Other products:
Bone, coral, feathers, animal gelatin, animal glycerin, ivory, lard, leather, shell, pearl, lanolin

*Many brands of white sugar are produced with bone char, which is not vegan. Check out the link at the bottom of this article for more information.

(Fragrance oils are almost always vegan, so if you're selling an "Oatmeal, Honey, & Milk Soap" that is made from vegetable glycerin and uses an oatmeal, honey, and milk fragrance (and no actual milk or honey), you could accurately tag it vegan. You might want to explain that to your customers in the listing's description.)

[Faux Leather Clutch by CrystalynKae]

Etsy is home to several vegan-friendly Teams. Check out Cruelty Free Etsy (tag is CFE Team), EtsyVeg, and VeganEtsy.

Trying to decide if something is vegan can be confusing. Please keep in mind that this list is rudimentary — hopefully, enough to clear up common concerns. If you have any specific questions, please don't hesitate to comment here or contact me — I'm happy to help!

Further Resources:
Vegan Resource Library (Especially helpful for bath and beauty products)
Is it Vegan?
The Vegan Wolf (Food-oriented list)
Veg Family Mmore about white sugar)

Cruelty Free Etsy | EtsyVeg | EFA Etsy for Animals | Handmade4Hounds | VeganEtsy

Looking for more vegan friendly info? Check out our past articles on the subject. Stay tuned for an upcoming article from the VeganEtsy Team.

Seller How-to: International Tagging, Yeah Baby!

2008-06-17T12:15:00-05:00

How can thousands of items boost their visibility? Why would most British men steer clear of your handmade suspenders? Why is my mother blushing at your listing for a fanny pack?

scatterboxoriginals, one of Etsy’s growing number of international members, invites you for tea, cucumber sandwiches and a lesson in the wonderfully weird world of British English…

International tagging, yeah baby!

When I first started selling on Etsy, as a Brit trying to reach a predominantly American market, I thought translating my descriptions and tags into American English would be easy as pie. After all, I was partially raised by Elmo and the cast of Friends, I like to think I speak pretty fluent American. But, in the two years I’ve been here, I’ve learnt a lot and I’d like to return the favour (or, indeed, favor).

Since Etsy began, many British sellers and customers have signed up, and right now, the UK stands as the third largest group (after the US and Canada, and followed up by Australia). Etsy's popularity continues to spread around the world, but English speakers are predominently the audience right now. All those potential customers! You want to be sure they can find your items too, right? Or maybe you’re a Brit like me, still getting your head around the linguistic differences.

Here are a few hints that you might not be aware of.

Vocabulary is a useful thing to be aware of while you’re tagging and describing your listings. For instance, what we Brits call a purse isn’t a bag; it’s a wallet or coin purse. If you’re selling one of those bags you clip on around your waist, very handy for keeping change in at craft fairs … please be aware that fanny means something a bit different, and quite a lot ruder in Britain. We call them bum bags (‘bum’ meaning posterior, not hobo — though hobo is also a type of bag). We also often refer to backpacks as ‘rucksacks.’

One of my favourite colours is a sort of deep purple – I know it as aubergine, you may know it as eggplant (both referring to the same food). Today, typing eggplant into the search gives 588 results, while aubergine gives 146. Only 35 items are using both tags and maximising their potential to show up in a search.

There are also a few odd differences in names for clothing. What Brits call braces, Americans call suspenders, while what Brits usually call suspenders, Americans call a garter (that’s one I learnt from being on Etsy, not from Elmo). We call sneakers trainers, sweaters jumpers, sweater vests tank tops and tank tops are vest tops. Confused yet? Now you know how hard it can be for a non-American customer to find what they’re looking for.

It’s not just an international issue: there are various words that have more than one commonly used spelling in English speaking countries. Brits generally spell ‘gray’ with an ‘e’ - ‘grey.’ At the time of writing this, there are 7906 items on Etsy tagged ‘gray’, but not ‘grey.’ 10369 items are tagged ‘grey’ but not ‘gray.’ Only 3283 items tagged both ‘grey’ and ‘gray.’ Thousands of listings could be missing out on being found here; you can’t be sure your potential customer will think to search with both spellings.

British English also loves to add extra letters – e.g. ‘jewellery,’ ‘aeroplane,’ ‘moustache.’ Try using alternative spellings if you have tags to spare — you may be able to check using your word processing software’s spell-check by changing the language setting.

The exchange rate between British pounds and American dollars is great for British customers right now, so a lot of Brits are looking at buying from America. It doesn’t mean you have to talk like Austin Powers through your whole listing (in fact, please don’t) — just bear in mind while you’re listing your item what else it might be called and try adding in the alternative words in your tags or description.

Don’t forget Etsy’s many other international members — Canadian English and Australian English have their own differences too. There are numerous resources on the internet that you can use to find out alternative words, or perhaps you can ask someone who’ll know. You could see an increase in views, hearts and sales – groovy, baby!

Celebrate the differences!

American English – British English

Gray – grey
Eggplant – aubergine
Fanny pack – bum bag
Suspenders – braces
Tank top – vest top
Sweater vest – tank top
Sweater – jumper
Jumper – pinafore or pinny
Sneakers – trainers
Airplane – aeroplane
Jewelry – jewellery
Pillow – cushion
Purse – handbag
Candy – sweets

Gotta Travel On | Travel Showcase | Etsy World Tour

A Dude's Perspective: How to Market to Men

2008-06-03T10:27:00-05:00

We all know that a majority of the traffic at Etsy is generated by women, and most of the items are targeted to women buyers as well. However, we also know that around key holidays (hello, Father's Day!), men's items featured on the front page sell very quickly. To us, that looks like an opportunity for savvy sellers to branch out and create some men's items to take advantage of all of that gift buying. With Father's Day upon us, it's also a good time to plan for the holiday shopping season around the corner. Here are a few simple thoughts on how to go about it:

Design
I hate to say it, but think plain. Which is not to say boring, but rather classic, minimalist. There’s a reason that The Gap sells a zillion pairs of men’s khaki pants each year. That’s not to say that you should hide your creativity, or that there aren't some exceptions to the rule. But think about it like the classic jewelry adage: put on your jewelry, look in the mirror and take one piece off. I love things with subtle design elements that stand out to me, but don’t call attention.

Marketing
Take a few simple steps to determine if your current customers would be interested in buying men’s items from you. If you’ve received permission to email past or potential customers, send them an email and inquire as to whether you could ask them a few questions regarding men’s items. If they’re willing to answer the questions, keep it short and see what types of items they might be interested in and try to get them to be as specific as possible — also ask for permission to contact them once you’ve listed some men’s items. Blog about your new items and perhaps switch up your avatar. It's also a great idea to add a new section to your shop, clearly labeled Men's Line. Once you’ve made some items, it’s critical to categorize and tag them correctly, which brings us to our next topic.

Tagging
Here are a few suggestions for ways to tag men’s items (of course always follow HeyMichelle’s awesome tagging tips). Tag everything with men and man. Tag with the theme and motif of your item and use the holiday that you're targeting as well as the ulimtate consumer of the item: Father's Day, son, brother, etc.

Categories:
The important thing here is to do your research on Etsy and see what subcategoires are being used for the types of items you make. While it may seem like this would increase your competition, being included with similar items will actually help your item be discovered.

Alchemy:
Last but not least, enable shoppers to request a custom item in your shop if you haven't done so already. Everyone loves something made specifically for them. You may want to note in your Alchemy announcement that you can make custom gifts for men.

Hey sellers, let us know in the comments if you have any tips for marketing your handmade items for men. Hey shoppers, what do you look for and how can sellers make the shopping experience easier for you?

Father's Day Showcase | Gift Guide for Him | Father's Day Gift Guide | A Dude's Perspective

Collectibles category: We've Reconsidered

2008-05-28T20:10:00-05:00

Hi there everyone, here's an update:

We have decided to put the creation of a Collectibles category on hold. We want to make sure that we find the best long-term solution for the items that would belong in such a category, as well as all of the items on Etsy. We are so sorry for the inconvenience, as we know some of you were looking forward to a Collectibles category. We thank everyone who has given their input on this via the forums, convo, and email.

Let's have a discussion in the Treehouse room of the Virtual Labs tomorrow, Thursday at 7PM Eastern U.S. time to brainstorm possible ideas. Again, thank you to everyone, and I will hopefully see you tomorrow!

----------

Here's the original text of the article:

Hello Etsians!

On Thursday, May 29 at 4PMish Eastern U.S. time, we will be adding Collectibles as a top-level category. We hope that makers of handmade collectibles will begin adding them to this new category as soon as it's live. We will also have a Showcase available for this category.

The Collectibles category is for handmade items, and is intended to include dolls and doll accoutrements, figurines, miniatures, plush animals, and other "toys" for adult collectors. As well, some items of non-functional home decoration, such as ornaments, or a tole-painted teakettle that is for decoration only, will fit into this category.

If there is currently another category that your item belongs in that you would prefer to keep listing in, you are welcome to do that! For example, some makers of art dolls may choose to remain in Art and some makers of amigurumi may choose to continue to list in Toys. Remember that at this time, a single listing may only be in one category.

Tips:

Start by adding your most recent listings to the Collectibles category, and then work backward in time.
Accurate tags help buyers find your items. While you are adding your items to the Collectibles category, take it as an opportunity to see if there is room for improvement of your tag choices. Check out our tagging tips for help.
If your items fit into multiple categories, consider adding some to one category, and some to another. This will give more exposure to your items. Over time, observe the number of views, hearts, and sales that your items get in one category vs. the other, and then make listing decisions accordingly.

Please join us in this forum thread as we flesh out the subcategories and sub-subcategories of Collectibles. Also, a big thank you to those who joined in this thread to help us develop the idea for a Collectibles category! We love you guys!

Tech Updates: Upcoming Changes to Search and Categories

2008-04-28T10:52:00-05:00

Hello Etsians!

UPDATE:
There's even more info in this post, Upcoming Changes to Search: Your Questions Answered. Ok, here's the original post...

On Monday, May 5, 2008, some important and exciting changes are happening with searching and categories. These changes are in response to feedback from all around the Etsy community, and were first introduced back in February with Rob’s Focus on Handmade Storque article. Here's a rundown of what is to come:

We’ll be separating item search into three new searches: Handmade, Vintage, and Supplies.

Handmade Items – This is the default search. This searches all items on Etsy that are not tagged with “commercial” and do not have “vintage” as the first tag. Handmade supplies will still appear in this search. You can search tags and titles or tags, titles, and descriptions.

Supplies – This will search all of the supplies on Etsy, both handmade and commercial. Any item tagged “supplies” will show up in the results. Only crafting supplies should be tagged supplies.

Vintage – This special vintage search returns only items within the Vintage category. This means items with vintage as their first tag (selected from the dropdown menu in the listing process). Only items 20 years or older can go in Vintage.

The existing search will also remain available. Just select “All items” from the search bar to search handmade, supplies, and vintage all at once.

We’ll also be making changes to the category browser. Currently a top-level category such as Jewelry shows only items within the Jewelry category. The subcategories and sub-subcategories contain any items that have the tag “jewelry,” but are not necessarily in the Jewelry category. We call this “category bleed.”

The changes on May 5 will eliminate category bleed. All subcategories will only show items from within that category. Meaning the subcategories of “jewelry” will no longer pull up jewelry supplies.

The Patterns category is also gearing up for change, although this will not be part of the May 5 update. In order to help keep things organized, Patterns will be moving into the supplies category. A new drop-down will appear in the listing process for Patterns, prompting you to select handmade (if it’s your own pattern) or commercial (if it’s someone else’s pattern)

What you need to know as a seller:

To make sure your items are coming up in the right search, you may need to adjust your tags.

Make sure your listings comply with Etsy’s policies. In short, any item not handmade by you (or a member of your collective if you qualify as one) must be tagged with the word commercial. Commercial Supplies may only be listed in the Supplies category, and must have commercial as one of the tags. Unaltered vintage items must be at least 20 years old, may only be listed in the Vintage category, and must have the tag commercial. Sellers who refuse to follow these rules may be penalized.
Properly tag handmade items (including supplies). Make sure these do not have the tag commercial, or your item will not appear in handmade search.
Tag handmade supplies with the word handmade. This will allow them to show up in the handmade subcategory under Supplies.
What about vintage supplies? Vintage supplies are art/craft supplies that are 20 years or older. They may be listed in either Vintage or Supplies, at the discretion of the seller. As with all unaltered vintage items, they must have the tag commercial. Non-vintage supplies listed in the Vintage category will be removed.
Tag patterns with handmade/commercial. This category will be moved into Supplies very soon, and your items will be moved for you. Handmade/original patterns: please add the tag handmade so your items will appear in the handmade subcategory. Commercial patterns: you must add the tag commercial, and may not use the tag handmade.

How to edit your already listed item's category and tags:

On the second page of the Item Listing process, you chose a Category and tags for your items. If you need to edit these, go to Your Etsy, and click edit next to the listing. Click on the pencil icon near the tags to go straight to the item’s tags. Click the x next to any tag to delete it, and choose a new category from the drop-down menu if necessary. When you are done making changes, click Last at the bottom of the page, review your changes, then click Finish. Done!

We hope these important changes will benefit the entire Etsy Community. We want to improve the shopping experience for buyers, and thus, help our sellers reach their customers in a more targeted way. We realize it takes effort and time to retag, and that many of you will have questions. Please see the forum thread.

Earth Tones How-to: Tagging Your Eco-Friendly Items

2008-04-14T11:22:00-05:00

Dear Sellers:

In one sense, all handmade and vintage items on Etsy are eco-friendly, since they are made in small production. Many Etsy sellers reuse materials as their supplies. In another sense, when people search for eco-friendly related terms, they are looking for some specific things. This is the sense we are going for in the tags. And we're suggesting that you do not use the tag "green" even though in the common parlance of our days it can often mean eco-friendly. After all, shoppers who use "green" a search term, are looking for something with the color green.

So, what is eco-friendly? And how do you know if this — and other related terms — apply to your items? Well my friends, here's an introduction to the world of eco-friendly tags. If your item relates to any of the guidelines below, and you made it in the spirit of preserving resources and helping the Earth, then feel free to use the tag "eco friendly." Please make it clear in the listing why you have tagged it this way.

We suggest using these terms in your tags if they correctly describe your item. If not, please respect the Etsy tagging eco-system, as it were, and leave 'em be...

- Eco Friendly: Leave out the dash because it gums up the search!

- Organic: Made of products grown in a chemical free environment.

- Vegan: Contains no animal products or products made by animals, such as honey or silk. Animals weren't used or exploited in any way in the production process. Please, be cool. There are objects which obviously wouldn't be vegan in the first place — like a cotton shirt. Please find out if each of your materials are vegan, and that you understand what it means before adding this tag, as you may be surprised!

- Recycled: Uses materials that would otherwise be thrown away to create a new item.

- Upcycled: Uses non-new goods and repurposes them into a new, improved, or altered item. If your item is upcycled, you may use the tag "Recycled" as well, since this is a more popular search term, and it applies and is relevant. These terms are often used interchangeably.

- Has an eco-friendly motif, such as a recycling symbol.

- Is used for an eco-friendly purpose, such as a set of tote bags that are specifically meant to replace plastic, disposable grocery shopping bags.

- Other logical reason — please feel free to list and brainstorm other terms in the comments here!

EGCG | Trashion | EcoEtsy | Environmentally Friendly Gift Guides | Earth Tones Series

What's the Word? Etsy-centric Terms and Acronyms For Shoppers (Part 1)

2008-03-28T14:38:00-05:00

Do you ever come across a cryptic message in an item listing that looks something like this: “OOAK ACEO WITH PURCHASE, BOGO!!” and promptly think to yourself: “O-O-HOOPTIE-HOO-HA-A/C-WHAAAT?!”

Don't worry, you're not alone. There's a whole Etsy-centric language out there that sometimes baffles the most die hard Etsy shoppers.

Here are some definitions that will help you find what you are looking for:

ACEO/ATC: An acronym for a very specific form of collectible art. It stands for Art Cards Editions & Originals or Artist Trading Card, respectively. Art cards are collected and traded worldwide. Collectors appreciate both one of a kind art cards, and limited and open edition art cards. An ACEO or ATC must be exactly 2.5x3.5 the size of a traditional baseball trading card, and can be in any medium an artist can think of — from crayons to glass to metal, anything at all.

Alchemy: An Etsy site feature that allows a buyer to request a specific custom item; sellers then bid on the opportunity to make it for the buyer. You can also do a private Alchemy request directly through a seller's shop (if they've opted in to taking such requests).

Amigurumi: The Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures.

AOP: This stands for Artist's Own Pattern, meaning a store bought pattern was not used to create the item. Or AOP may refer to the pattern itself if the pattern is the item for sale).

BFSC: Built from Scratch Clothing.

BOGO: Buy one, get one. Thanks to Payless shoes, most people know this term, which is used in promotional sales.

Convo: Short for 'conversation', Etsy's messaging system.

Geekery: A top category on Etsy for kitschy, "nerdy", "techy" and gaming-related accessories.

Gocco: a small-format screen printing system.

HTF: Hard to find, maybe related to groovy vintage items or rare components. Or my car keys!

OSWOA: Original Small Work of Art, not to be confused with ACEO/ATC.

OOAK: One of a Kind. OOAK can apply to anything at all that will only be made by the artist one time.

PIF: Pay It Forward. Items listed as PIF's on Etsy are usually $0.20 - $1 and by purchasing one of these items it's expected that you will, in turn, list your own PIF.

Pounce: A way to shop on Etsy. Find other items by a seller who just made a sale or items just listed by sellers who have yet to make any sales (undiscovered).

SRA: Self-Representing Artist.

SRAJD: Self-Representing Artist Jewelry Designer.

SNS: Saturday Night Special, weekly sale run in the Promotions section of the Etsy forums.

Time Machine & Time Machine 2: A way to shop on Etsy. The time machines list items that were just listed, will be expiring soon, or just sold.

Treasury: A list made up of favorites, created by one person, and lasting up to 3 days before it expires.

That should get you started! For a complete Etsy glossary check out Etsywiki.com, a great place to get questions answered! Or do a search or post a new topic in the forums.

Seller How-to: Making Category Suggestions

2008-03-25T22:30:00-05:00

Dear Sellers:

As many of you are aware, we are in the process of improving the Category system. This is a long-term project that we are very excited about!

We get many suggestions for subcategories and sub-subcategories. Almost all of these will be in the new system. Keep making these suggestions, as we are saving them to be implemented later!

As our engineers work on the new systems, we are currently and constantly adding new subcategories and sub-subcategories to the site. In my estimation, we immediately add over 50% of the unique ideas proposed into the current category system! Last week, for example, we added about 29 new sub and sub-subcategories. So keep 'em coming!

So, what determines whether we will add a new subcategory or sub-subcategory — now, versus later? And, if you have an idea for a new subcategory or sub-subcategory, what is the best way to suggest it to us? Here are some pointers and tips:

How to suggest a new sub or sub-subcategory on Etsy:

1. Start using the name of your proposed subcategory or sub-subcategory as a tag, and encourage others to do the same.

When we are deciding whether to add to the current category system, we will search for the word under the proposed Category. If there are items "tagged" with this word, it greatly increases the chances that it will be added. If the sub or sub-subcategory is added, these items will automatically be in it!

2. Got an idea for a subcategory or sub-subcategory? Let us know!

Etsians make category suggestions in various ways — all of them are great! Some like to post in the ideas section of the Forums. Make the title something like "Category suggestion: how about "XYZ"?". If an admin doesn't reply, please convo HeyMichelle (that's me!), and I'll take a look. Feel free to convo me directly as well.

Other ways that people suggest categories are by e-mailing Community or Support. These are just fine, although it may take a bit longer for me to see the suggestion, since they are just going to forward the email to me!

Many suggestions we get are good, but for various reasons, we are unable to add them at this time.

Reasons we might not add a suggested category, subcategory or sub-subcategory:

1. There's a better chance of us adding to a short list than a really long list.

Does the place where you would like us to add a sub or sub-subcategory have a long list underneath it? This makes it more difficult to add subs underneath it. If there is nothing, or a really short list, it's almost a shoo-in. Don't let a long list intimidate you, though! If your idea is a good candidate for the current system, we will try to find a way to accommodate it!

2. We are not currently adding "styles" to the category system.

Examples of styles are "Primitive," "Kawaii" and "Cottage." These are currently very useful for shopping, and will be included in the new category system. However, adding them now will lead to mistagging, and will make it more difficult to find items in these styles. A suggestion for those who are making items in a style: create or join an Etsy Team with others who are working in that style. At the bottom of your item descriptions, describe the style in one sentence, and encorage shoppers to search for the style to find similar items. This will spread the word about the style and help with cross-promotion!

3. We are not going to add new top-level categories that are not *types* of items.

New top-level categories in the current system are very rare indeed! We're not currently considering new top-level categories for methods, art forms, materials, styles, or any other type of category other than "What is it?" types. Please continue to suggest these, though, as they may be excellent candidates for sub and sub-subcategories, and are useful for designing the new category system.

4. Technical difficulties

Certain things that would make a fabulous subcategory for the current system can't be added now for technical reasons. An example of this is Art Dolls. We are working on implementing fixes for these types of problems, and we apologize for the inconvenience.

Well, that's all for now! Thank you so much for your category suggestions — we very much appreciate it, and we look forward to hearing more!

Team Tip: Team Tags!

2008-03-10T09:07:00-05:00

Does your Team use a Team tag in item listings to identify your items as being created by an Etsy Team member? Perhaps you should! Team Tags can be useful for a variety of reasons. By agreeing upon and using a consistent tag among your Team members, it becomes easy to tell buyers how to search on Etsy for items in your Team members' shops. Then on your blog or website, you can provide the link to the search results. You can also publish the Team tag on promotional materials you make for your Team.

But how does a Team decide upon a tag to use? Your Team Tag should include the word "team" in it, whether at the beginning, middle or end of the tag. The tag, ideally, is a word that isn't commonly used for other means of tagging — for example, the New England Street Team, or NEST, realized that "nest" isn't a useful tag for their Team because many items on Etsy are tagged "nest," and rightfully so, because they're object that are bird nests! Currently, the Team is using the term "nesty." Using the tag "NewEnglandTeam" might be a better tag, because it's highly unlikely that anyone who isn't on their Team would be interested in using that tag for items.

Please refrain from tagging your items with tags of Teams that you are not a member of. Mistagging is confusing to Team members and to buyers. Perhaps inquire about joining the Team if you find you'd like to tag your items with a Team's tag. If a tag includes the word "team," it's a Team tag. Teams work very hard! Be respectful of the work Etsy Teams do, and don't tag your items with Team tags unless you're a member of that Team.

For more Team Tips, please check the Teams Resource page. Also, we discuss the Team Tips, news and ideas in the Etsy Teams email list! Keep up the great work, Etsy Teams!