Quick answer
To open an Etsy shop, visit Etsy.com/sell
Interested in selling on Etsy? Welcome!
This guide helps you through the first steps of opening your shop, shares tips on how to get a strong start, and provides resources for further guidance along the way.
What can I sell on Etsy?
Etsy is a place for items made by a seller, designed by a seller, handpicked by a seller, or sourced by a seller.
Before you start an Etsy shop:
- Review Etsy’s Creative Standards to see what can be sold on Etsy
- Review our Prohibited Items Policy to check if you can sell your items on Etsy
- Ensure that you're in a location where Etsy Payments is available
- Review our seller policies
- Learn about fees for selling on Etsy
Items made by a seller are physical items fully handcrafted by you, or produced by you without the assistance of a production partner or third party. This includes handcrafted, hand assembled and items produced using computerized tools. This includes things like spun pottery, knitted scarves or embroidered clothing.
Items designed by a seller are original designs that are either offered as a digital download, or are produced or printed onto a physical item by a third party. This includes things like digital downloads, or where a production partner is used in the creation of the final product such as a book designed and illustrated by a seller but printed and bound by a production partner.
Read more about working with production partners on Etsy.
Items handpicked by a seller are items that are personally selected and curated for sale by a seller. This could include vintage items that are at least 20 years old, items from nature or certain collections of items.
This could include items such as a dress from the 1950’s, rocks, geodes or a “new baby” themed gift box containing an assortment of items personally selected and arranged by you, the seller.
Items sourced by a seller are items that enable a buyer’s creativity like craft supplies, party decorations or personalized items with buyers’ unique text or image.
Craft and party supplies include items that are tools, ingredients, or materials whose primary purpose is to create an item or throw a special occasion. Personalized items include items such as initials engraved on a necklace, or a custom logo embossed on a journal.
Even if your products are handmade, vintage, or craft supplies, you may not be able to sell them on Etsy if they’re in a prohibited category. Make sure you review and understand our policies before listing items. Prohibited items include tobacco, drugs or drug paraphernalia, weapons, hazardous materials, and others. Items that use the intellectual property of someone else, even if you designed or created the item, aren’t allowed either.
You must also follow local laws in your area. There may be certain things in your area that can’t be sold or shipped.
Currently, you can only open an Etsy shop in a country where Etsy Payments is available. Etsy can only offer payment services in certain countries at this time. We are working to support additional countries in the future.
Stay tuned to the Site Updates section of our Seller Handbook for updates.
Create your shop
Before you create your shop, sign in or create an Etsy account. You’ll use this account to run your shop and to buy from other makers on Etsy. After creating your account, add your profile picture and bio to let other people in the Etsy community know who you are.
You need to complete the first step of opening your shop on a desktop web browser. Once your shop is open, you can manage your shop on the Etsy Seller app.
- To open an Etsy shop, visit Etsy.com/sell and select Get started.
- Answer a few questions about where you've resided, your business experience, and if you'd like to receive additional selling resources.
- Select your shop language, country, and currency, then select Save and continue.
- Choose your shop name, then select Save and continue.
Etsy doesn’t require sellers to have a business license to sell on Etsy.
However, when selling on Etsy you're required to follow any laws that apply to you as a small business selling online. If you have any questions regarding which laws apply to you, please contact a qualified professional.
Select your shop’s language, country, currency, and time commitment:
- Shop language: The shop language you choose is the default language you use to describe your items. Be sure that the language you choose is also one you feel comfortable communicating with buyers in. You won't be able to change it later, but if you’d like to add translations in other languages, you will be able to enroll in other languages after opening your shop.
- Shop country: Be sure to select the correct country for your shop.
- Shop currency: Choose the currency you will use to price your listings. Currency conversion fees may apply if your bank's currency is different from your shop currency.
Choose a memorable name that reflects your style. Shop names must meet the following requirements:
- 4-20 characters in length
- No spaces or special characters
- No profanity
- Not already in use by an existing Etsy member
- Does not infringe on another's trademark
If the shop name you entered is in use, you will see suggestions for other shop names that are still available. Your shop name will be held for you while you open your shop.
After you open your shop, you can change your shop name from Info & Appearance under the Shop Name tab.
Add product listings to your shop. You don’t have to add all your listings yet!
Verify your identity
You need to verify your identity before setting up your storefront. Etsy partners with third-party company Persona to run identity and fraud-prevention checks.
In order to verify your identity, you’ll need to provide a photo of your government ID and a clear selfie. During the onboarding process, Persona will compare your ID photo to your selfie to make sure they match.
Learn more about how your information is used.
Set up your payment and billing details
To get paid on Etsy, you need to connect your bank account to your Etsy shop so that you can receive payments. You’ll also need to add a debit or credit card to your account to pay your bills from Etsy.
How to connect your bank account:
- From the How you’ll get paid page, fill out your personal information.
- At the bottom of the page, select the country where your bank is located under Where is your bank located?
The steps to set up payments can vary depending on your location.
US sellers add bank details by using a third party service provided by Plaid. Plaid allows you to verify your bank details with them to help ensure you get your deposits. Learn about Plaid’s security measures.
Under Your bank information choose Connect your bank with Plaid and follow the steps to add and verify your bank details. Learn more about updating your bank details. When you use Plaid to verify your bank account details, you agree to Plaid’s terms, including Plaid’s Privacy Policy.
Sellers in Australia must have a residential address on file with their Australian bank. This address must be used for Etsy Payments. We are unable to accept a PO box as a residential address.
You can update your address in Shop Manager.
You can sign up for Etsy Payments with a Payoneer Payment Account.
- Select Connect with Payoneer. You’ll be prompted to sign in to your Payoneer Payment Account or create a Payoneer Payment Account if you don’t have one yet.
- Choose Save and continue.
- Under Your bank information, enter your bank account details.
- Select Save and continue.
- Add a credit or debit card. (Shops based in Germany, Austria, or the Netherlands don’t need to add a credit or debit card.)
You must verify your bank details to help ensure you’ll receive funds from your sales smoothly and securely. Learn how to verify your bank details.
You can add a prepaid card to your account from the billing setup page if you already added a credit or debit card to your account. A non- reloadable prepaid card can’t be your only or primary payment card, but you can always pay your bill manually with a non-reloadable prepaid card.
If you are trying to add a reloadable prepaid card to your account but it is not working, please try adding another card instead.
Once you’ve opened your shop, you’ll be charged a one-time shop set-up fee of $15 USD. This fee helps us invest in support for new sellers, as well as enhanced security checks to protect our marketplace.
If you onboard using Payoneer, the fee will be in USD and is non-refundable. Taxes may apply.
A confirmation of this transaction will be sent to the email you registered when opening up your shop, and your payment will be reflected in your Payment account. Learn more about the Etsy shop set-up fee.
Turn on two-factor authentication
As a security measure, we require you to set up two-factor authentication. When you sign in from an unrecognized browser or device, we’ll send you a verification code to enter before accessing your account. You can receive this verification code through:
- An authenticator app on your Android or iOS device (Recommended)
- An SMS
- A phone call
Learn more about two-factor authentication.
If you are having issues inputting your phone number for two-factor authentication, please use an authenticator app instead.
Once this is finished, select Open your shop. Congratulations! You’re now ready to begin setting up your shop!
Set up your storefront
Once you’ve signed up to sell on Etsy, there are a few steps you need to take to complete your shop setup and prepare to start selling items. Like any online business, you should think through how you’re going to manage your shop. Consider things like production time, policies, and your plan for shipping.
- Banner and shop logo: Upload clear photos that represent the style of your brand and make a strong first impression on shoppers. Learn how to upload a shop banner and logo.
- Shop announcement: Share a brief welcome message with shoppers.
- About section: Upload videos or photos and share the story behind your products, how your business came to be, and what your vision is for your brand. Learn how to craft a great About section.
- Shop members: Introduce any other members of your team or people you collaborate with.
- Shop policies: Outline all your policies for shipping, returns, exchanges, payments, custom items, or any other guidelines that are important for shoppers to know before they make a purchase.
- Shipping profiles: Decide how much you want to charge for shipping, if you’ll offer free shipping, and set up shipping profiles that help shoppers know what they’ll pay for shipping.
For US sellers, as you finish your shop setup, consider purchasing USPS Shipping Labels on Etsy. You can save up to 30% than the USPS retail rates you would pay at the post office or elsewhere online. Read more about purchasing USPS Shipping Labels on Etsy.
Add more listings to your shop
Once you’ve completed all your shop sections, you are ready to start adding products to your Etsy shop. When you add a product to your Etsy shop, we call this a listing. Learn how to list an item.
When listing your items, keep in mind the best practices for listings, taking into account:
- Using your titles and tags to optimize for Etsy search
- Take high quality listing photos
- Add attributes to help shoppers find your items
- Describe your items in a way that captures shoppers’ interest
- Set accurate processing times to give shoppers an idea of when they’ll receive the item
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Consider how you'll set your shipping prices or offering free shipping
Marketing, branding, and promotion
A marketing strategy is key to the success of your Etsy shop. Marketing will help new customers find your products, lets you keep existing customers up to date with the latest with your shop, and can lead to an overall rise in sales.
- Make sure you’re optimizing your shop for Etsy search. Make sure to add your location so that your shop can be found in local searches.
- Link your shop to your social media accounts so you can easily craft posts about your business.
- Learn how investing in advertising can help build your brand and get your listings in front of buyers.
- Consider offering discounts to incentivize shoppers to buy with sales and coupons.
- Find a local craft fair or market where you can sell your goods.
- Join the Etsy community and teams where you can network with sellers and shoppers.
Check out these topic deep dives to learn more:
Start selling
On Etsy, we take pride in our sellers offering buyers a great experience. Read tips for offering great customer service. If you provide consistent, excellent customer service, you may become a Star Seller.
- Make sure you follow customer service best practices so you’re qualified for Etsy Purchase Protection for sellers.
- Sign up for each of our seller email lists so you don’t miss out on tips and important information.
- Learn what to do when you make your first sale.
- Read about Etsy’s Review system and how to get 5-star reviews.
- Manage your shop on the go using the Etsy Seller app.
- Take a break from your shop when needed.
Grow your business on Etsy
To take your shop to the next level, review our essential guides to get started with:
- Ultimate Guide to Starting an Etsy Shop
- Shipping
- Marketing
- Listing photos
- Customer service
- Etsy search
- Etsy fees
- Your storefront
We also have plenty of other resources to help you learn more about selling on Etsy:
- Explore the Seller Handbook for in-depth guides on everything you need to run a successful business on Etsy.
- Listen to the Etsy Success podcast.
- Watch our videos on YouTube.
- Connect with our community of talented and knowledgeable sellers in the Etsy Community.
- Enroll in an Etsy U class to learn from experienced sellers.
Welcome to selling on Etsy!
Here are the answers to some common questions when getting started on Etsy.
If you’d like a step-by-step guide to getting started, read our Beginner’s Guide to Selling on Etsy.
To start opening your Etsy shop:
- Click Sell on Etsy on Etsy.com.
- Click Open your Etsy shop.
- Select your shop language, country, and currency, then click Save and continue.
- Choose your shop name, then click Save and continue.
You’ll now have a draft shop. Before your open shop, you must create your item listings, choose your payment methods, and set up billing.
After you add your billing info, you’ll see a button to publish your shop.
Once your shop is open, you can customize the look of your shop with a logo and shop banners.
Everything listed for sale on Etsy must be made or designed by a seller, handpicked by a seller, or a sourced by a seller. Items sold on Etsy must also follow our Prohibited Items Policy.
Items made by a seller
Items made by a seller are physical items fully handcrafted by you, or produced by you without the assistance of a production partner or third party. This includes handcrafted, hand assembled and items produced using computerized tools. This includes things like spun pottery, knitted scarves or embroidered clothing.
Items designed by a seller
Items designed by a seller are original designs that are either offered as a digital download, or are produced or printed onto a physical item by a third party. This includes things like digital downloads, or where a production partner is used in the creation of the final product such as a book designed and illustrated by a seller but printed and bound by a production partner.
Read more about working with production partners on Etsy.
Items handpicked by a seller
Items handpicked by a seller are items that are personally selected and curated for sale by a seller. This could include vintage items that are at least 20 years old, items from nature or certain collections of items.
This could include items such as a dress from the 1950’s, rocks, geodes or a “new baby” themed gift box containing an assortment of items personally selected and arranged by you, the seller.
Items sourced by a seller
Items sourced by a seller are items that enable a buyer’s creativity like craft supplies, party decorations or personalized items with buyers’ unique text or image.
Craft and party supplies include items that are tools, ingredients, or materials whose primary purpose is to create an item or throw a special occasion. Personalized items include items such as initials engraved on a necklace, or a custom logo embossed on a journal.
One of the most common issues encountered when opening a shop on Etsy is using an outdated or incompatible browser.
Here are some browsers that work well with Etsy:
If you closed your Etsy shop, you can reopen it. All your information will be exactly as you left it.
If your shop was suspended, you may have received an email from Etsy letting you know. Respond directly to that email and request that your shop be reopened. If you can't find that email, let us know.
When someone searches for an item on Etsy.com, Etsy’s search algorithm looks for the most relevant matches. You control the most important factors in Etsy search placement when you create listings in your shop:
- Tag and title relevancy
- Item attribute relevancy
- Listing quality
- Customer & market experience
- For US shoppers: Free shipping