Did Etsy Change Their Algorithm? The REAL Reason Listings Won’t Sell in 2025…

About this video

Jahraus breaks down Etsy’s reorganized creativity standards and enforcement crackdown, quoting Etsy directly. Listings must match the seller’s actual role in one of four categories: Made by a seller (handmade or altered, e.g. with a Cricut or 3D printer), Designed by a seller (original designs, including AI-generated, possibly printed by partners), Sourced by a seller (supplies and templates for buyers to use creatively), and Handpicked by a seller (vintage or curated collections). She cites Etsy’s figures: 22% more listings removed, 1.5 times more sellers suspended, 3.5 million scam accounts banned, and a claimed 70% improvement in enforcement precision, with LLM-based detection scaling enforcement. Her tactical checklist: categorize every listing correctly (e.g. a card you design that a print-on-demand partner prints is ‘designed by’); complete the About section with workspace/process photos because Etsy uses it in policy reviews; make the first photo or video a real photo of the physical item rather than a mock-up; strip risky keywords — brand names, celebrities and media references, including phrases like ‘inspired by Stanley’ or ‘inspired by Chanel’ — from titles, tags AND descriptions; do not relist flagged items until the issue is resolved, ideally getting Etsy chat approval on record, since Etsy keeps a record of IP violations; and obscure thumbnails and tag mature content, noting even swimwear or festival costumes can count. She warns repeat infringement can mean loss of privileges and closure of all shops a seller operates, with Etsy cross-referencing data such as tax ID. Positives she notes: a new listing appeals process, Etsy’s revised Ultimate Guide to Etsy Policy/handbook, and coming in-app notifications and enhanced account security.

Key takeaways

• Assign each listing to the correct creativity category — made by, designed by, sourced by, or handpicked by — because a mismatch risks removal
• Make the first image a real product photo (mock-ups later), and complete the About section with workspace and process photos for policy reviews
• Remove brand, celebrity and media references — including ‘inspired by’ phrasing — from titles, tags and descriptions, not just titles
• Never relist a flagged item until the violation is resolved; Etsy tracks IP violations and repeat reports can close all of a seller’s shops
• Obscure and tag mature content, including items like swimwear or festival costumes that may be classified as mature

Episode details: published June 12, 2025 · 5:17 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Dylan Jahraus’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

← Previous: EASIEST Way To Design Top Etsy Products | Kittl Step-By-Step Tutorial · Next: I Found 3 PERFECT Trends to Sell on Etsy (Best Products in 2025) →

All Dylan Jahraus videos · Dylan Jahraus profile · Dylan Jahraus on YouTube