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To sell on Etsy, open a shop, create listings with strong photos and accurate tags, price your items to cover materials and fees, then market the shop and ship orders promptly. Etsy is a marketplace built around handmade goods, vintage finds and craft supplies, which suits artists, makers and small business owners who want access to an existing audience rather than traffic they have to build from scratch.
Whether you're already running an eCommerce website alongside your Etsy shop or looking to create your own online store, the same groundwork applies. Wix is an all-in-one online store creator that lets Etsy sellers build a business-ready storefront of their own in minutes. Below you'll find how to sell on Etsy from setup through fulfillment, what the platform charges and how to judge whether it fits your products.
Ready to start selling online? Build a custom online store with Wix and get the tools to sell, manage and grow your business from one dashboard. Customize every detail, reach customers across channels and market your brand with built-in SEO and marketing tools.
TL;DR: how to sell on Etsy
Selling on Etsy means opening a shop on a marketplace built for handmade, vintage and craft-supply products, then listing items, pricing them to cover fees and optimizing each listing for Etsy search. Etsy charges a small listing fee plus a percentage of every sale, and sellers keep full control of what they make and how they price it. Wix eCommerce lets business owners sell products, services, bookings, courses, memberships and donations from one platform, no plugins required.
You'll learn:
How to open an Etsy shop and what setup actually costs
What makes a listing rank in Etsy search, from photos and tags to free shipping
How to price your items so Etsy's fees don't eat the margin
Which marketing channels bring shoppers to an Etsy shop
What Etsy charges per listing, per sale and per ad-driven order
Where Etsy fits alongside your own online store
How to sell on Etsy in 6 steps
01. Set up your Etsy shop
Signing up for a free, self-service Etsy shop takes only a few minutes. Create your account today and experience the freedom of starting your own business in three simple steps:
Step 1: Sign up by visiting Etsy.com and clicking on the "Sell on Etsy" option in the footer menu.
Step 2: Select "Open Your Etsy Shop" and sign up for an Etsy account. You can create a new account or sign in with your existing account if you already have one.
Step 3: Once you're signed in, click on the "Open Your Etsy Shop" button again. You'll be prompted to provide essential details for your shop, including the shop name, language and currency. Choose a unique and memorable shop name that reflects your brand or products.
02. Create high-quality listings
Regardless of the platform you use to sell your products, be it Etsy, another online marketplace or your own website, the significance of compelling product photographs cannot be overstated.
According to Etsy's customer research, 90% of shoppers said photo quality was “extremely important” or “very important” to their purchase decision.
You can add up to 10 photos for each product, plus a video. For optimal results, Etsy advises using all 10 photo slots. You’ll also want to invest in professional-looking product photos that showcase your items in the best possible light. Use natural lighting, clear backgrounds and multiple angles to give customers a clear view of your creations.
Don’t skip the video slot, since listings with a short product video tend to convert better and can earn stronger search placement, since Etsy factors engagement signals like clicks and favorites into ranking.
03. Set the right price
Finding the sweet spot in terms of pricing may take a bit of experimentation. A few tips to get you started:
Research your market: Take a look at similar products for sale on Etsy and other platforms to get an idea of the price range. Consider factors such as materials, craftsmanship and uniqueness when comparing your products. Understand your target audience and their willingness to pay for your products. Consider their demographics, preferences and the value they perceive in your offerings.
Calculate your costs: Determine all the costs involved in creating and selling your products, including materials, labor, overhead expenses, packaging, shipping and Etsy fees. Ensure that your prices cover your costs while still providing a reasonable profit margin.
Determine your pricing strategy: You can choose to price your products competitively to attract more buyers, or you can position them at a higher price point to convey exclusivity and premium quality. Experiment with different pricing strategies to find what works best for your business.
Continuously evaluate your pricing strategy based on customer feedback, market trends and your business goals. Be open to making adjustments to optimize your pricing for profitability and customer satisfaction.
04. Optimize your listings
To enhance your visibility in Etsy search results, it's important to focus on key factors that impact your listings' performance. The following factors play a significant role in determining the placement and order of items in a shopper's search results:
Listing quality: Etsy's search algorithm evaluates the performance of individual listings based on customer engagement and purchase likelihood, known as "listing quality." Factors such as the product thumbnail photo, clear titles and shopper interactions influence listing quality, as do clicks, favorites and purchases of an item. The higher your listing quality score, the greater the visibility.
Relevance of tags and titles: Ensure that your tags and titles accurately reflect the content and nature of your products. A tag is a short phrase that describes your item. When shoppers search for specific items, Etsy matches their queries with listing tags to provide relevant search results. Each tag can contain concise, descriptive phrases, such as "wooden spoon."
Pro tip: For the best results, use all 13 available tags per listing. When a buyer's search term is present in both the title and tags of a listing, it is considered more relevant by Etsy’s search algorithm. Additionally, words at the beginning of titles hold greater significance than words at the end.
Relevance of item attributes: Provide accurate and detailed information about your items in the Listing Details section. Choose the type of item you're listing and its categories. Then include attributes shoppers may use to search for your item such as size, color, material and other relevant specifications. This helps Etsy understand your products better and match them with relevant searches.
Customer experience: Prioritize excellent customer service, prompt shipping and positive feedback from buyers. Maintaining a good reputation and delivering a positive experience can improve your listing’s performance, as the more positive reviews you earn, the higher you’ll rank in search.
Free shipping (for U.S. sellers): Consider offering free shipping on your items, as it can be an attractive incentive for shoppers and increase your visibility. Etsy gives preference to listings that offer free shipping or shops that offer free shipping on orders over $35, particularly for sellers based in the United States.
“Free shipping is a powerful marketing tool. It builds trust and enhances customer satisfaction.” — Lisa Kammermayer, Chief Marketing Officer at SimpleSell
05. Market your shop
You need to drive traffic to your product listings to break through the competition and get your products seen by the thousands of buyers visiting Etsy every month. A few ways to attract new shoppers to your store and keep them coming back for more.
Etsy advertising
Etsy offers a few advertising programs to help you promote your products and reach a larger audience.
Etsy Ads: Promote your listings within Etsy search and relevant product listings using a pay-per-click (PPC) model. Set a budget, and Etsy will optimize ad placements for visibility and clicks. A daily budget of $3 to $5 is recommended, with 30-day testing for effective data collection.
Offsite Ads: Extend your ad visibility to selling on Instagram, Google, Facebook and Pinterest with Offsite Ads. You pay only when an ad leads to a sale. Orders attributed to ads within 30 days incur an advertising fee of 15%, or 12% if your shop earned $10,000 or more in the past 365 days, and the fee is capped at $100 per order. Shops at or above that threshold cannot opt out of Offsite Ads.
Promoted Listings: Increase visibility in Etsy search by promoting selected listings. Set a cost-per-click bid to enhance placement in relevant search results.
Social media promotion
Utilize social media platforms to showcase your products, share behind-the-scenes content and engage with your audience to encourage social commerce. Build a brand presence and drive traffic to your Etsy shop.
“Social media and eCommerce will become even more intertwined, users will flock to platforms like Instagram, TikTok and others to shop, pushing social media to evolve into primary eCommerce hubs.” — Kobi Gamliel, VP Partnerships & AI Ecosystem, Wix
Regular shop updates
Keep your shop fresh by regularly adding new products or variations. Regular updates keep customers engaged and encourage them to revisit your shop.
Collaborate with influencers
Partner with influencers or bloggers in your niche to promote your products. Their endorsements can introduce your shop to a wider audience and boost your sales.
Offer discounts and special promotions
Run occasional sales, offer discount codes or provide incentives like free shipping to attract new customers and encourage repeat purchases.
Build a multichannel sales strategy
Use Etsy to complement your multichannel retailing approach. You’ll reach a global audience and enhance brand visibility alongside your other platforms.
On Wix, AI agents acting on behalf of shoppers can browse products, check availability, compare options and complete purchases without manual navigation.
Learn about Wix’s multichannel features for managing all of your sales channel under one roof. Wix supports global and omnichannel eCommerce with multilingual storefronts, multi-currency payments, marketplace and social selling, mobile apps and integrated point-of-sale systems for online and offline sales.
Running Etsy alongside your own store also widens what you can sell.
“Wix eCommerce isn't just for stores that sell physical products. We have businesses running bookings, digital courses, donation campaigns, restaurant ordering and wholesale operations, all from the same backend. That reflects how modern businesses actually generate revenue, across multiple models at once.” — Maya Isak, eCommerce Project Marketing Manager at Wix
06. Fulfill orders
Streamline order fulfillment by maintaining efficient turnaround times. According to Etsy’s shipping guidelines:
“Prompt shipping means that you ship each item within 30 days of purchase, unless you specify otherwise in your processing time or agree to a different shipping period with the buyer through Messages.”
Set realistic expectations that allow you to meet or exceed customer expectations consistently. Create a memorable unboxing experience with branded packaging and thoughtful touches like handwritten notes or surprise bonus items. Communicate effectively by providing shipping updates, tracking information and seeking customer feedback to foster trust.
“For an online store, where the customer experience is paramount, optimizing order management not only improves customer satisfaction but can also reduce operational costs and increase sales.” — Alfredo García Herrera, VP of Partnerships LATAM at Skydropx
Additional tips for successful selling on Etsy
Encourage customer feedback and reviews: Encourage customers to leave feedback and reviews for your shop. Positive reviews build trust and credibility, attracting more customers to your products.
Adapt and improve: Listen to customer feedback and adapt accordingly. Commit to continuously improving your products, customer service and shop experience to meet the evolving needs and preferences of your target audience.
Continue learning: Stay informed about the latest trends, techniques and best practices for selling on Etsy. Join seller communities, forums and attend webinars to learn from experienced sellers.
Is Etsy right for you? 4 considerations
To determine if Etsy is worth your while when starting a business, consider factors such as your target audience, product type, profit margins and more. A few things to weigh before you learn how to start selling on Etsy.
01. Audience
Etsy has 5.6 million active sellers and 86.5 million active buyers, with about 74% of its sales volume coming from U.S. buyers, mostly individuals seeking unique, handmade and vintage products. Before you tackle how to sell on Etsy, consider how well your target audience aligns with the shoppers attracted to the platform.
While Etsy does not typically disclose the specific demographics or values of its buyers, you can observe general trends that Etsy buyers gravitate toward through social interactions and shopper feedback:
Sustainability: Many buyers come to Etsy looking for secondhand, vintage or small-batch alternatives to mass production.
Unique products: Buyers come to Etsy to find unique or one-of-a-kind items they cannot find at major retailers.
Supporting small businesses: Buyers turn to Etsy to support small, independent entrepreneurs and directly contribute to their success.
Connecting with sellers: Etsy shoppers are looking for a more personal connection to the artists and shop owners they buy from.
02. Top product categories
Etsy is a specialized marketplace dedicated to handmade goods, vintage products and arts and crafts supplies. Its online marketplace is great for artists, shop owners, woodworkers, jewelry makers and various creators to showcase their unique creations to a vast audience of potential buyers.
eBay and Amazon offer a wide range of products, but Etsy stands out as a destination where customers can discover one-of-a-kind treasures, customizable items, unique goods and niche products often unavailable elsewhere.
In understanding how to sell things on Etsy, you should consider the platform’s top-level product categories. Some of the top-selling categories on Etsy include:
Craft supplies and tools: Paint, papers, crochet and knitting patterns, yarn, string, cord, wire, tool sets, beads, etc.
Paper and party supplies: Handcrafted greeting cards and invitations, stickers, journals, printable planner pages, gift wrap, stationery, etc.
Home and living: Home decor, bedding, pillows, blankets, throws, cleaning supplies, window treatments, rugs, furniture, candles, etc.
Jewelry: Necklaces, rings, bracelets, personalized jewelry, body jewelry, pins, hair accessories, earrings, jewelry boxes, watches, etc.
Weddings: Dresses, accessories, veils, suits, decorations, cake toppers, centerpieces, baskets and boxes, gifts, invitations, etc.
Accessories: Baby accessories, costume accessories, belts, gloves, hats, mittens, hair accessories, keychains, scarves, wraps, sunglasses, etc.
Adding print-on-demand products is one way Etsy sellers expand a catalog without holding stock.
“Wix and Printful take the heavy lifting out of launching a print on demand business. You can go from idea to online in a matter of hours using built-in tools for design, fulfillment, marketing and growth. It’s a full solution for anyone serious about turning their creativity into a real business.” — Rebecca Tomasis, Head of Organic Growth Marketing at Wix
Creating and selling custom products has never been easier. With Wix’s on demand printing, powered by Printful, you can design and launch personalized apparel, accessories, home goods and more, made to suit any style, niche or need. No extra tools, no complex setup. Just pick a product, upload your design and start selling, all from your Wix dashboard. With seamless Printful integration, you get a streamlined way to build, brand and sell, without ever leaving Wix.
03. Seller requirements
Etsy's seller requirements are more relaxed than some online marketplaces, making it reasonably easy to set up shop. However, reviewing Etsy's Seller Policy will help to ensure that you meet all the requirements and that there are no surprises. The main provisions cover how to become a seller on Etsy:
Must sell one of three accepted product categories: Handmade items (physical or digital products that are created by the seller, with no reselling of handcrafted items made by someone else); vintage items (products that are at least 20 years old); or craft supplies (tools, ingredients or materials designed for use in crafts, DIY projects or a special occasion).
Must provide accurate product representation: All items posted for sale must be accurately represented using your own descriptions, photos and videos. Stock photos and images taken from other websites are not allowed.
All products must meet quality standards: Your items should be well-crafted, accurately described and represented by clear and appealing photographs.
All interactions with customers must be kept professional: You must respond promptly to buyer inquiries and communicate professionally with your customers.
Refer to Etsy's official website or contact the company’s support team for the most up-to-date information.
04. Cost of selling on Etsy
Opening an Etsy shop is low-cost, though new sellers may be charged a one-time shop set-up fee, typically between $15 and $29 depending on location. Etsy shows the exact amount before you finish opening your shop. However, there is a cost to selling on Etsy that includes various fees. Etsy charges a $0.20 listing fee per item, which automatically renews every four months unless the item is sold or you opt out. The platform also deducts a 6.5% transaction fee from the total order amount, including shipping and gift wrap charges.
Payment processing fees vary by country. In the U.S., this fee is 3% + $0.25 per transaction. Sellers offering international shipping should consider import taxes and customs duties imposed by the destination country, which are typically the buyer's responsibility. VAT-registered sellers may also be required to charge VAT on their items.
If your shop’s listing currency differs from your payment account currency, Etsy also applies a 2.5% currency conversion fee, which is deducted from your earnings.
Additional fees are applicable if sellers choose to use Etsy's advertising services.
Pros and cons of selling on Etsy
Every platform has its challenges and benefits. Below, we look at what makes Etsy a great choice and what challenges you may face as an Etsy seller.
Pros of selling on Etsy
Easy setup and maintenance: Learning how to sell on Etsy as a beginner is simple. You don't need technical skills to set up an account. Of course, adding product details with high-quality photos takes time, but the process is relatively straightforward. Once everything is set up, an Etsy shop is easy to maintain.
Trusted reputation: Etsy has been around since 2005 and is a trusted marketplace for handcrafted, vintage and unique items. It offers instant exposure to a global customer base, providing reach you may not have otherwise.
Seller support tools: Etsy provides a variety of tools and resources to help you manage your shop efficiently and effectively, such as a mobile app, listing and shop manager, ads, coupons, shipping labels and more.
Relatively low-risk: Getting started on Etsy requires very little upfront investment, making it an excellent place to test new products.
Large customer base: Etsy gives sellers access to an established global audience already searching for handmade and vintage goods.
Cons of selling on Etsy
Limited customer loyalty and branding: Building brand loyalty on Etsy can be challenging, considering many customers aren’t searching for specific sellers on Etsy. Customization options for your storefront are also limited.
High concentration of competitors: Etsy's online marketplace attracts many sellers offering similar products, intensifying competition based on pricing and shipping speed.
Etsy has full control: As with any third-party marketplace, Etsy holds the keys to the kingdom and can implement changes to pricing, structure and seller requirements as needed. It’s best not to become over-reliant on the platform and to explore Etsy alternatives in case your sales or selling privileges are impacted at any point.
Limited seller communication: Etsy holds restrictions for seller-customer communication to prevent unsolicited requests or promotions. You cannot encourage shopping outside of Etsy, and therefore are limited in how you’re able to promote your brand or engage customers.
How to sell on Etsy FAQ
Do you need a business license to sell on Etsy?
Etsy does not require a business license to open a shop, but your local government might. Whether you need one depends on where you live, what you sell and how much you earn, so check your city, state or national requirements before you start. Many hobby sellers begin without one and register later as sales grow.
How long does it take to get your first sale on Etsy?
Most new Etsy shops wait weeks rather than days for a first sale, because Etsy search favors listings with a track record of clicks, favorites and purchases. New shops shorten that window by listing a full catalog rather than one or two items, using all 13 tags and filling every photo slot. Sharing listings outside Etsy also helps, since early outside traffic sends engagement signals back into Etsy search.
Can you sell print-on-demand products on Etsy?
Yes, you can sell print-on-demand products on Etsy as long as the design is yours and you declare the production partner that prints it. Etsy treats these as handmade items under its seller policy because the seller creates the design, not the blank product. Reselling someone else's finished goods is not allowed.
Can you sell digital downloads on Etsy?
Yes, digital downloads are one of Etsy's accepted product types and they deliver automatically once a buyer pays. Printables, templates, patterns and digital art all qualify, and because there is no packing or shipping, the same listing can sell repeatedly with no added cost per order. You still pay the same listing and transaction fees as a physical item.
Is Etsy better than having your own online store?
Etsy and your own store solve different problems, so most established sellers run both. Etsy brings existing buyer traffic but limits branding, customer relationships and how much you can control the storefront. Your own store gives you the customer list, the design freedom and no per-sale marketplace cut, but you have to generate the traffic yourself. Wix eCommerce lets business owners sell products, services, bookings, courses, memberships and donations from one platform, no plugins required.
