Seller Handbook

As 2022 draws to a close, we’re taking time to reflect on some of the many milestones the Etsy community has achieved together throughout the year. This year, we built tools to help your business grow, advocated for creative entrepreneurs with policymakers around the globe, and continued our carbon-neutral commitment for every delivery made.

Let’s take a look at some of this year’s highlights:

Tools to help your business grow

Earlier this year we let you know that we’d be committing to bringing you tools that give you more flexibility to run your business on your terms. Here are some of the tools and resources we developed this year, based on input from the seller community:

Etsy Seller app

Managing your shop is now easier than ever with the Etsy Seller app, launched in July. Offering a streamlined mobile experience that’s packed with the features you use most, the Etsy Seller app makes it simple to manage your shop efficiently, from anywhere. We built it based on feedback that came straight from you, our seller community. Download now.

Explore

With Explore you can reach even more shoppers on Etsy and connect with them more meaningfully by giving them a look into your brand, products, and process. Explore lets you create and share unique video content through the Etsy Seller app which is then shared with buyers in a feed in the Etsy shopping app. Check out Tips for Creating Engaging Explore Content.

Etsy’s Purchase Protection programme

In August, we launched the Etsy Purchase Protection programme. With Purchase Protection, you’ll keep your earnings for qualifying orders up to 250 USD if packages arrive damaged* or don’t arrive. When you add tracking or use a postage label purchased on Etsy and dispatch on time, your orders may qualify for Etsy Purchase Protection (additional criteria apply) and you’re also boosting your Star Seller on-time dispatch stat. Learn more.

*For the first instance per calendar year.

Account security and increased support for sellers

When you run an online business, securing your account and the information within it is crucial. That’s why we have teams and processes working year-round to help prevent fraud and keep your account secure.

This year we’ve also expanded real-time support channels for sellers with at least one sale, so you can live chat with one of our agents 24/7 – making it easier for you to get the help you need when you need it most. Visit the Etsy Help Centre to get started.

Updates to the Star Seller programme

It’s been a little over a year since Star Seller was introduced, and we’ve made lots of updates and improvements based on feedback from sellers like you. A few of the highlights from 2022 include:

• Adding individual badges for smooth dispatch, speedy replies, and rave reviews so you can show off your customer service—even if you’re not a Star Seller yet.
• We made it easier to stay on top of your messages by updating the Messages experience so that messages from the same buyer are combined into a single thread.
• We changed the ratings criteria from 95% five star reviews to a 4.8 ratings average so that 4 star reviews count more positively toward your Star Seller eligibility.
• We added a new option to our auto-reply feature to give you more flexibility. With recurring auto-reply, you'll be able to set a weekly schedule to send auto-replies when you're offline (like on the weekend).

Learn more about the updates and upcoming improvements here.

Listing-specific return policies

You can now set different return policies for each listing in your shop instead of just one return policy for your entire shop. This means you can make it clearer to buyers which items from your shop, if any, can be returned. As always, accepting returns is entirely optional and based on your individual business needs. Learn more.

Attracting buyers to the marketplace

Investing in television

We invested millions in brand and TV advertising this year, including robust Christmas marketing highlighting the special connection between sellers and buyers worldwide. Three new campaigns in the US, UK, and Germany spotlight beautifully-crafted items available for all budgets, for all kinds of people, and a variety of giftable moments. A few of our favourite TV spots are viewable on YouTube:

• To the Travellers (US and UK)
• To The New Parents (US and UK)
• From Me (Germany)
• A Misunderstanding (Germany)

Star-studded Creator Collabs

Creator Collabs connect Etsy shop owners with celebrities and brands like interior designer Amber Lewis and influencer Aimee Song to co-create exclusive, limited edition items together. These collaborations are featured prominently across Etsy’s marketing channels and attract press attention from print, online, and broadcast journalists, boosting Etsy’s reach and helping to bring customers to the site. Explore the collaborations.

A focus on sustainability

We continued our carbon neutral commitment, offsetting 100% of carbon emissions from delivery and packaging for every delivery. And we’re not stopping there – we’ve also committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2030.

This year we launched sustainability attributes, new optional listing attributes that allow you to indicate if your items are made from environmentally conscious materials or are designed to be reusable to reduce waste. Learn more.

Looking for affordable and more sustainable packaging options to set your shop apart? EcoEnclose and Etsy are partnering to offer Etsy sellers packaging made from 100% recycled materials or certified responsibly sourced paper. Shop here.

Support and advocacy for microbusinesses

This year, Etsy continued its commitment to support creators from economically disenfranchised heritage craft making communities through the launch of the Afghan Refugees Collective and the Indigenous Artisans Collective.

We also offered our support to sellers impacted by the conflict in Ukraine, and shared a shoppable roundup of items from sellers in Ukraine as a way to help directly support small business owners in the region.

Etsy’s Advocacy team worked with sellers and policymakers around the world to ensure a voice for small business owners in public policy. Some highlights from this year’s advocacy initiatives:

• Supporting reform efforts to provide the United States Post Office (USPS) with the funds needed to provide strong and affordable postage options for sellers.
• Fighting for sellers’ privacy rights by negotiating strong privacy protections in a bill called the INFORM Consumers Act. Our team will continue working with policymakers to pass a federal INFORM law to extend these privacy protections across all 50 states.
• Advocating for reforms to the new IRS 1099-K reporting requirements for US sellers. Want to join us in making your voice heard? Click here to send a letter to Congress in support of 1099-K reform.
• You’ve also told us how important enhancing access to affordable child care and caregiving leave is to growing your microbusiness. Etsy’s Advocacy team has been actively engaging with policymakers in Washington DC to share how the seller community would benefit from better access to affordable child care or paid caregiving leave.
• On January 20, 2022, the European Parliament voted to reject the most harmful amendments included in the Digital Services Act (DSA), thanks to direct action from the seller community. EU policymakers also heard directly from European sellers this year to ensure these harmful proposals are not reintroduced in future legislation, including the EU’s General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR). Explore their seller stories.

Engaging education and community resources

In September, we launched Etsy Up to provide sellers with insights and inspiration to prepare for the best-ever festive season. 80K sellers RSVPd and 100K sellers viewed the event. Missed Etsy Up? There’s still tons to discover. You can watch the recordings here, and stay tuned for Etsy Up 2023!

This year we also redesigned the Seller Handbook, an educational resource for sellers at every stage of their business. Built based on seller feedback, the new design makes it easier to find the education and inspiration you need to thrive. Plus, the new saved articles feature makes it easy to revisit articles on your own schedule.

A look back at 2022’s top trends

Trends tell the story of a year. Here were some of the biggest themes we saw emerge in 2022:

• Mood-boosting hues: Buyers didn’t shy away from bold and bright palettes this year and incorporated playful pops of colour in their decor, clothing, and accessories.
• Natural influences: A deep love of nature remained strong this year, with an emphasis on organic shapes, rustic materials, and botanical prints.
• Comforting curves: Shoppers were eyeing small and large pieces featuring rounded arcs and wavy, undulating lines this year.
• ‘90s and Y2K nostalgia: These later decades ran the show in 2022 when it comes to style inspiration, influencing clothing and accessories especially among Gen Z shoppers.

For a peek at next year’s trends, check out our Early 2023 Marketplace Insights report.

What was your biggest milestone as a seller this year? Share your favourite memory with and get inspired by the seller community over in the Forums!