Etsy changes constantly, and it's easy to miss updates that affect your visibility, fees or profit. This page collects the biggest changes for sellers in one place, and explains what to do about them.
I update it regularly, so bookmark it and check back. Last updated: September 2026.
Let's get started.
The Biggest Etsy Changes In 2026 So Far
Search & Listings
- New title guidance (February 2026): Etsy now recommends short, clear, buyer-friendly titles, generally under 15 words, instead of long lists of keywords. See my Etsy SEO guide for how to write them.
- Shipping over $6 still hurts visibility: Etsy has confirmed that US domestic listings charging more than $6 for shipping may see reduced visibility in search.
- Stable listing URLs (March 2026): A listing's URL no longer changes after it's first published, which helps search engines like Google find and show your listings.
- More room to show your product: You can now add up to 20 photos (since August 2025) and two videos (since June 2026) to each listing. There's also a thumbnail preview, so you can check how your first photo will be cropped before you publish.
- Better personalisation and variations (June and September 2026): Personalisation is now called "custom options". You can charge for personalised text and reuse options across listings. You can also add a third variation, like size, colour and style.
Selling To US Buyers From Outside The US
- Delivered Duty Paid is now required (from 9 July 2026): If your shop is outside the US, you must include duties and import fees in your pricing for US buyers and ship with Delivered Duty Paid (DDP). Orders shipped without duties prepaid no longer qualify for Etsy Purchase Protection.
- Tariffs estimator (June 2026): A new tool in the listing form's price and inventory section helps you estimate tariff costs, compare shipping options and find HS codes.
If you sell internationally, recheck your US pricing now. Use the Etsy fee calculator to make sure you still profit once duties are included.
New Ways Buyers Find You
- AI shopping (March 2026): Buyers in the US can now discover, and in some cases buy, eligible Etsy items inside ChatGPT, Google's Gemini app and AI Mode, and Microsoft Copilot. Clear titles, accurate attributes and good descriptions help your listings show up there too.
- Local search (September 2026): Shoppers can now filter by where items ship from, and a "Support makers near you" option appears on desktop.
- Seller previews in search (September 2026): Search results can now show your name, shop name, time on Etsy, sales and location. This is another reason to complete your About section.
Stats, Ads & Offers
- Smarter stats: Shop stats now load faster, and new side-by-side graphs compare visits, orders, conversion rate and revenue. An AI Stats assistant (in beta) can answer questions about your shop's performance.
- More Marketplace Insights: Etsy is testing week-over-week keyword trends, saved searches, longer date ranges, price ranges and search conversion rates, plus personalised keyword suggestions for your shop.
- Etsy Ads changes: With a daily budget of $25 or more, you can now set ad strategies for individual listings (June 2026). If you advertise many listings, you can organise them into ad groups (September 2026). The Offsite Ads dashboard was also redesigned. Read my Etsy Ads guide.
- New offers and promo code controls (June 2026): "Interested shopper offers" automatically send offers to shoppers who have engaged with your listings. You can also now limit how many times a promo code can be used, which makes codes safer to share publicly.
Running Your Shop
- Shared access (September 2026): You can invite family members, partners or assistants to help manage your shop with their own accounts, without sharing your login or financial details.
- Clearer payment account (September 2026): Your payment account now separates current, pending and total balances, and keeps fees grouped with the sale they came from.
- Purchase Protection (June 2026): Coverage now goes up to $250 USD for eligible orders, with more human review for complex cases.
- Listing appeals: If you believe a listing was removed by mistake, you can appeal. By the end of 2026, all sellers will be able to appeal in most policy areas.
- Review ratings (March 2026): Your rating now reflects your full review history, with more weight on recent reviews.
- EU packaging and EPR rules: If you sell to buyers in the EU, new packaging and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules may apply to you. Read Etsy's update.
- Creator Collective: Etsy now has a second program, alongside Share & Save, that lets you earn from bringing shoppers to Etsy. The two are built for different goals, so compare them in Etsy's guide.
Changes From 2024–2025 That Still Matter
- The $6 US shipping threshold (October 2024): Etsy prioritises US listings with domestic shipping of $6 or less, and has a bulk tool to help you move part of your shipping cost into your item price. Read the full update.
- New shop setup fee and identity checks (2024): In many countries, new shops pay a one-time setup fee and must verify their identity. Etsy may also hold some of a new shop's early payouts in reserve.
- Creativity Standards (2024): Every item is labelled as made, designed, handpicked or sourced by the seller. Read my breakdown.
- Search Visibility page (2024): This page in Shop Manager shows which of your listings may have reduced visibility, and why. Check it regularly.
- Share & Save (2024): When a buyer purchases through your own Share & Save link, you get money back on your fees. Here's how it works.
- Discounted bundles (2024): You can offer up to three listings together at a discount under Marketing → Sales and discounts. Read more about bundles.
- Gift Mode (2024): Etsy's gift-finding feature is a great source of product ideas. Here's how to use it.
What To Focus On In 2026
Show Your Process With Simple Videos
Yes, cinematic, high-production videos are great, but in 2026, overly polished content can sometimes hurt a handmade Etsy shop like yours because it looks too commercial - or worse, fake.
Buyers are craving raw, personable behind-the-scene into your studio and creative process. A simple 15-second clip filmed on your phone, with natural window lighting, is often more effective than a professional shot video.
Don't try to be 100% perfect. If you have some scraps of paper, some tangled yarn or unfinished design, leave them in the shot to show the handmade-ness of your shop (but just make sure it's not cluttered which could distract from your product). If they see hands working, they know it's not a drop-shipped item from a factory. In 2026, showing how it is made is just as important as the item itself.
Since June 2026, you can add two videos to each listing, so use one for the finished product and one for how it's made.
Bring External Traffic To Your Shop
While SEO is important, relying 100% on Etsy's algorithm is a risky game for new shops. The reality is that the Etsy search algorithm could be unpredictable.
The fastest way to rank on Etsy in 2026 is to bring your own targeted traffic to Etsy. The algorithm sees that external traffic as a vote of confidence and rewards you with higher search placement.
You need to pay attention to what's getting engagement in your niche on platforms like TikTok or Instagram. It doesn't mean you have to dance, but to analyse and take elements from trending content that fits with your brand.
Focus On Texture And Imperfection
Because so much of our world is now digital and AI-generated, one of the biggest trends for 2026 is to focus on things that AI cannot easily replicate. We are seeing a shift toward items that look undeniably physical.
We spend 10+ hours a day staring at screens. As a result, shoppers are craving physical objects with intense texture that they can almost feel through the screen.
Think chunky tufted rugs, 3D puff print clothing, raw-edge paper stationery, or heavy impasto paintings. You can't feel texture through a phone, but you can see it. High-texture items photograph beautifully and promise a sensory experience that digital art or prints simply cannot provide.
This ties into the trend of organic shapes. The vibe for 2026 is hand-drawn, asymmetrical and imperfection. This imperfection is the ultimate "proof of human".
Offer An "Affordable Luxury" Option
When budgets are tight, shoppers still treat themselves to small, special things. Economists call this the "lipstick effect". Look at your product range and consider adding a smaller, lower-priced item that still feels special, like a mini candle in beautiful packaging. The goal isn't to be cheap. It's to give budget-conscious shoppers an easy way to say yes.
Let Your Customers Tell You What To Make Next
Go through the last 12 months of your reviews and messages, and look for patterns. If shoppers keep asking for a colour, size or variation you don't offer, that's your next product. If customers keep praising the same feature, highlight it more in your photos and descriptions, using their exact words.
Don't Chase "Gold Mine" Niches
Be wary of videos promising easy products that make $10k a month. Those niches are usually extremely competitive, and new shops end up competing with listings that already have thousands of reviews. Instead, find what makes your products different. Reading competitors' 2–4 star reviews is one of the best ways to find gaps you can fill. Here's how to find your niche.
Build Something Outside Etsy
Etsy's rules and algorithm change often, as this page shows. An email list, and eventually your own website, give you a way to reach customers that no algorithm change can take away. Etsy is still a great place to find new customers, so keep it at the heart of your business, just not as the only part.
Three Quick Wins For Your Shop This Year
Add Video To Your Listings
Video helps shoppers understand your product, which can lead to more sales, and sales help your ranking. Film a clip that answers showcases your product. Hold the item in your hand to show scale. Move it under a light to show the texture or sparkle. If the item is wearable, show it on a real person moving around. You don't need music or voiceovers (in fact, most buyers watch on mute) so focus entirely on the visual details that a static photo can't capture.
Update Your About Page
For years, the "About" section was an afterthought. Now, it is one of the main ways to prove you are not a bot. Etsy gives you photos and a video slots in this section, so use every single one of them to show your handmade-ness.
First, upload a 15-second video of your workspace and process. It doesn't need to be a montage. A simple pan across your desk showing your tools and materials, together with another clip of an important part of your creative process would be enough.
Next, look at the "Shop Members" section. Make sure you have a real photo of your face uploaded here, not just a logo or a flower. Finally, in your story, write two sentences about how you make your items (e.g., "I hand-mix every batch of resin in my garage studio"). These specific details are what skeptical buyers are looking for.
This matters even more now that Etsy shows seller previews, including your name, shop and location, directly in search results.
Start An Email List
In 2026, it's a good idea to start moving buyers off Etsy and onto your list, if you haven't done that already.
Create a simple "lead magnet" - an immediate incentive for them to sign up. The most effective one is usually a "VIP" discount code for customers who sign up to your list.
Once you have that, place the sign-up link in two important spots: your "Message to Buyers" (the automated note they receive after purchasing) and inside the order you ship to your customers. Print a simple card with a QR code that leads to the sign-up page and drop it into every package you ship.
Remember that Etsy doesn't allow you to add buyers to your list without their permission, so always invite them to sign up rather than adding them yourself. Here's my email marketing guide.
