When a shopper searches on Etsy, our goal is to help them find items they want to purchase. To do this, Etsy search looks at clues from shoppers to determine whether a listing is appealing and will meet their expectations once they click. We look at how well a listing converts—how many people view it and then take an action such as favoriting or purchasing—to determine whether shoppers are interested in it. This boosts the listing’s engagement rate, a metric that measures a listing’s popularity with buyers, and placement in search results.
To put it simply: When shoppers click on and purchase a listing from search, that listing may rank higher in search results for that query.
How do we determine your listing engagement rate?
New shops and listings start with a neutral listing engagement rate. When a new listing is created, it gets a small, temporary boost in search results so Etsy search can quickly learn more about how shoppers interact with it. To determine a listing’s engagement rate, we look at things like clicks, favorites, and purchases. Etsy search looks at things like past shopper behavior to predict how likely shoppers are to purchase listings from your shop in the future. So if you sell vintage or one-of-a-kind items and are frequently creating new listings, Etsy search looks at how popular listings from your shop have been in the past to predict how popular they might be with buyers in the future.
Optimizing your listings with conversion in mind is one step you can take to improve your search ranking and your shop’s visibility. Read on for tips.
Getting clicks from search
The first step in increasing your conversion rate: getting shoppers to click on your listings in search results. Before a buyer can make a purchase, they need to see your item in search results and be motivated to take a closer look. Here are some key areas to think about when optimizing for clicks:
1. First listing photo
Your listing’s first photo, the image displayed in search results, is crucial when it comes to inspiring shoppers to click and increasing your conversion rate. A few important considerations to keep in mind:
- The first photo should clearly show the item that’s for sale and be eye-catching enough that buyers want to take a closer look.
- Choose a photo that’s high resolution, clear and well lit, and has a high resolution (The recommended size for listing images is 2000px for the shortest side of the image, and a resolution of 72PPI.)
- Avoid using collages in your first listing photo, since it can be confusing for shoppers to determine at a glance what’s for sale. It will also serve as a thumbnail and may be hard to see on smaller screens.
- Images should not have "Your text here" placeholder copy, but should reflect an example of a finished product.
- Each of your listings should include multiple high-quality photos, which are critical for buyers when deciding when to make a purchase.
Pro tip: The Etsy Search Visibility page is also available on the Etsy Seller app, making it easy to take photos on your phone and quickly make updates to your listings. You can also see all your personalized insights and recommendations directly from the app. Make sure you’re running the latest version of the app to see these new features!
For more tips on images to include in each listing read our Ultimate Guide to Product Photography.
2. Listing title
Your titles can also play a role in getting shoppers to click on your listing. Buyers tell us that clear, easy-to-scan titles help them feel more confident when browsing and choosing what to buy. Your title should make it easy for shoppers to quickly see what you’re selling and what makes it unique. Shoppers only see the first few words of your title when they’re looking at search results, so make sure you’re using that space to describe what your item is. Although it’s important to be descriptive and use relevant words and phrases, your titles should be short and easy to read.
3. Price
Shoppers also compare prices when looking at search results, so your listing price can also affect whether or not a buyer clicks on your listing. Shoppers may have a specific price point in mind before they even start their search. As you expand your inventory over time, be sure to list items across price points to reach shoppers no matter their budget. There are many ways to think about pricing. Our optional profit calculator helps you do the math to ensure the price you set for your products covers your expenses. Learn more.
4. Special offers
Running a sale or offering free shipping can also make your listings stand out from the competition in search results. You can offer free shipping by running a free shipping sale using Etsy’s sales and coupons tool. Shoppers will see your free shipping offer on the listing in search results and your listings will be included if a shopper uses the free shipping search filter.
You can also offer discounts by running a sale. If a listing is included in your sale, shoppers will see the original price, the discounted price, and the percentage off you’re offering on your listing in search results. Those listings will also be included in the “On sale” search filter.
5. Reviews
Shoppers can also see your shop’s review star average when browsing search results. Good reviews let customers know what to expect when they shop with you and help give them confidence to purchase from your shop. Star ratings of 4 or 5 help attract new buyers and keep them coming back to your shop.
For tips on encouraging and receiving positive reviews read 5 Ways to Get Great Reviews on the Seller Handbook.
Increasing your conversion rate
Once a shopper has clicked on your listing from search you have a chance to make a sale and an opportunity to increase your conversion rate and listing quality score. To create a great listing, think about all the information you look for and consider when making a purchase. Say you’re buying a sweater. You’d want to know how much it costs, what kind of material it’s made out of, and how it fits. Below are a few tips to help you give shoppers the information they need to make a purchasing decision:
1. Listing photos
Your first listing image gets you the click, but those that follow help get you the sale.
You can add up to 10 photos to a listing. Using all 10 images may increase your conversion rate because each additional image you add gives shoppers more information about your product. For example, if you’re selling art, buyers may want to see a photo of it styled in a room to get a sense of the size and style, while customers shopping for a statement ring may want to see it on a model.
Check out the 7 Essential Types of Product Photos to learn more.
2. Listing description
Your listing descriptions can also help convert views to sales. We suggest keeping your descriptions short and informative, but still engaging. For example, put essential information at the top, such as sizes, dimensions, colors, or ordering directions, and end on a note that best tells your product’s story, with your brand in mind.
Etsy search considers keywords and phrases within your listing descriptions when ranking your listings, the second phase of search ranking, within Etsy’s search algorithm.
Some tips for writing listing descriptions:
- Aim to incorporate relevant keywords in the first few sentences.
- Avoid copying your title verbatim or simply listing your top keywords. Instead, you want to craft a sentence or two that casually incorporates a few of your top keywords in a way that sounds human and written in your brand’s voice.
- Continue to include important information that will help buyers best understand your product.
3. Processing time
Shoppers on Etsy are often looking for gifts, or may need something for a special event by a certain date, so your processing times may influence a buyer’s purchase decision. Keep shoppers’ expectations in mind when setting your processing time—especially when you have ready-to-ship items in stock—and try to avoid unnecessary padding of your processing time.
You can also offer shipping upgrades so shoppers know they have options if they really need an item urgently. Learn how to set up shipping upgrades.
4. Shipping
In addition to your item price, shoppers may factor in what you charge for shipping when deciding whether to make a purchase. A shopper who loved your listing when they clicked on it from search could be turned off by expensive shipping. In fact, buyers have told us that expensive shipping is a top 10 barrier to purchase on Etsy.*
Our data also shows that shifting some of your shipping costs into your item price while keeping the total price the same can be an effective way to improve your sales. To support you, we’ve launched a new tool that lets you lower your US domestic shipping prices in bulk, and optionally adjust your item price. This helps you recover your shipping costs while keeping your prices competitive.
To help make sure that buyers see shipping prices that better meet their expectations when shopping on Etsy, and help encourage them to make purchases, starting October 1, 2024 we’ll be updating how shipping price is factored into search for US domestic listings. This means that listings with shipping prices lower than $6 will be prioritized in search. Learn more.
Return to the Ultimate Guide to Etsy Search
Return to the Ultimate Guide to Starting an Etsy Shop
Note: Etsy search is always changing and every shop is different. These are some of the current best practices we recommend and we’ll regularly update this content to keep you informed. Updated August 2025.
*Based on Etsy market research of a nationally representative survey of 6,000 US adults in Q1 '24; these findings are from a subsample of 2,052 respondents.
Words by Etsy Staff
