Etsy SEO: 🚨 MAJOR ALGORITHM CHANGE 🚨 (effective Oct. 1, 2025)

About this video

Kate Hayes explains Etsy’s new Search Visibility page and the algorithm changes taking effect October 1. The page gives listing-by-listing suggestions across three areas: shop, listings and customer service. For the shop, the only concrete requirement she identifies is a professional shop icon, with cohesive, trustworthy branding as her own inference. For listings, Etsy wants multiple high-quality photos using as many of the 10 slots as possible; the thumbnail should be at least 2,000 pixels on its shortest side at a minimum 72 PPI, well lit, clearly showing what is for sale, and never a generic ‘your text here’ placeholder. Sellers should generally use their own photos of the finished product, with exceptions: for personalised items the first image must show a real finished example (computer-generated mockups are allowed only in later images), and for production-partner items a mockup is allowed only when an original design is printed on a base item such as a t-shirt or mug, not for a uniquely manufactured item. The headline change is that US domestic listings with shipping under $6 get priority placement in search, because Etsy’s research shows buyers drop off above $6; this excludes digital listings, non-US destinations and sellers, listings over $35 under a free-shipping guarantee, and calculated shipping, and Etsy is adding a bulk-edit tool to fold shipping into item prices. Sellers must also complete a return policy (stating one is required, accepting returns is not) and weave researched keywords naturally into the first sentences of descriptions rather than copying the title; demonstrating with Sales Samurai, she notes ‘funny mom mug’ gets over 16,000 estimated monthly Etsy searches while the reordered ‘mom mug funny’ is searched more. On customer service, she cites four- and five-star reviews and conversion, replying to each initial message within 48 hours, and a case rate that counts only cases where a refund was taken from the seller; on-time shipping and tracking do not directly affect visibility but affect reviews.

Key takeaways

• Use Etsy’s Search Visibility page for listing-by-listing fixes across shop, listings and customer service
• From October 1, US domestic listings with shipping under $6 receive priority placement; digital, international, over-$35 free-shipping-guarantee and calculated-shipping listings are excluded
• Thumbnails must be at least 2,000 pixels on the shortest side, well lit and show a real finished product — no ‘your text here’ placeholder as the main image
• Mockups are allowed as a main image only for original designs printed on base items via a production partner; personalised items need a real finished example first
• Reply to every initial buyer message within 48 hours and keep refund-from-your-account cases low, as customer service feeds search visibility

Episode details: published September 24, 2024 · 14:43 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Kate Hayes’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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