How to Sell on Etsy in 5 Easy Steps: 2025 Beginner Guide

Step 1: create an Etsy shop

Create an account or sign in to an existing one before creating an Etsy Seller Account. 

• Go to Etsy.
• Click Get started.
• Sign in or register with your email, Google, Facebook, or Apple account.
• Fill in the necessary info about you and your business.
• Verify your email address.

Step 2: enter your etsy shop details

Choose your Etsy shop preferences, like language, country, and currency. You can add more shop languages later. If your Etsy store’s currency differs from your bank account’s, there may be some conversion fees.

Click Save and Continue, then enter your Etsy shop name. Choose an informative, memorable name between 4 and 20 characters.

A good Etsy shop name communicates what products you offer and reflects your brand’s style. 

Your name also influences Etsy SEO (Search Engine Optimization), so try to incorporate a focus keyword – a commonly searched word in your niche – to attract the right audience.

Try out free tools like Shopify’s Business Name Generator or Namelix. Type the focus keyword and look for inspiration. Next, search the name online to ensure no one else is using it. If it’s already taken, try a few variations.

Step 3: create your first listing

Create a listing so you have at least one item to sell. It can even be a draft if you’re not ready to sell anything yet. The first listing is free of charge, and you can easily edit or delete it later. There’s a $0.20 listing fee to add new listings or renew expired ones.

• Select a product listing category.
• Specify item type – physical or digital.
• Fill in the required production

When creating new listings:

• Make a list of keywords that describe the product in detail. Use them in your listing title, description, and tags for better Etsy search visibility.
• Upload eye-catching product photos and videos. Make sure they meet Etsy resolution requirements – 800-1000px for photos and a 100MB limit for videos.
• Set a competitive price that covers your business costs and leaves you with a profit. Create a new shipping profile to calculate the cost of shipping depending on the fulfillment method.

Click Save and Continue.

When you’re ready to create more listings or edit existing ones, go to the Shop Manager, then select Listings.

However, some details, like categories and tags, can only be added on Etsy.

Step 4: fill in your payment account

Provide bank details and documents and set up your payment options. This step is crucial to avoid having your Etsy Seller’s account blocked or suspended. 

• Select your bank’s country.
• Clarify if you’re creating an individual or incorporated business account.
• Fill in your personal data
• Add bank account info.

Click Save and Continue.

Next, upload a valid identity document (ID, passport, driver’s license, or residence permit) to verify your personal data.

Step 5: adjust billing and security

Provide billing info to pay for Etsy account fees. Add a payment card and billing address.

Click Save and Continue.

Set up two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to your account.

You can authenticate your account through SMS or the Google Authenticator app. Choose your preferred method, enter the codes sent from Etsy, and click continue to finish your setup.

Finally, click Open Your Shop to finish your account setup and see your Shop Manager dashboard.

Etsy has some sales and transaction fees you’ll want to consider when setting retail prices for your products. These include mandatory, region-specific, and other additional fees.

Setup fee

Etsy requires a one-time setup fee of $15 to open a shop. It’s displayed and charged when creating your Etsy Seller account.

Listing and renewal fee

Etsy charges a mandatory $0.20 listing fee whenever you create or renew a listing. Listings automatically renew every four months or after you sell the product, but you can switch this off to relist manually instead.

Transaction fee

Etsy takes a 6.5% transaction fee on each sale, calculated from the total product price, shipping cost, and gift wrapping charges.

Payment processing fee

Payment processing fees depend on your payment method, shop location, bank account currency, and region-specific fees like US sales tax or EU VAT.

We recommend reviewing Etsy’s Payments Policy and the full list of processing fees.

In-person selling fee ($0.20)

These fees apply when you sell products from your Etsy shop in a physical location and use a Square Card Reader to accept payments through your online Etsy storefront.

Square charges a $0.20 listing fee to sync your products and replaces the 6.5% Etsy transaction fee amount with its own payment processing fees. Visit Square’s website for a full breakdown of all their card transaction fees. 

If you use Square with Afterpay, you’ll receive the payment instantly, but Square charges a 6% + $0.30 fee.

Regulatory operating fees

Etsy has fees to compensate for regulation costs in some countries, especially Digital Services Taxes (DST). 

Regulatory operating fees include a percentage of the total product price, including Etsy shipping costs and any gift wrapping.

You’ll pay these fees if your store is based in one of these countries: 

• United Kingdom – 0.32%
• France – 0.47%
• Italy – 0.32%
• Spain – 0.40%
• Turkey – 1.1%

Currency conversion fees

If your Etsy Payments bank account is in a different currency than your listings, Etsy will charge 2.5% of the total sale amount as a currency conversion fee. 

If you sell items internationally, consider setting up a payment gateway like Google Pay or Apple Pay to decrease currency conversion costs.

Etsy plus and pattern subscriptions

Subscribe to Etsy Plus or Pattern for these benefits: 

• Etsy Plus ($10 per month) – Advanced store personalization options and discounts on advertising.
• Pattern ($15 per month) – Webhosting tools to create a website with a custom domain through Tucows and connect it with your Etsy storefront.

Advertising and promotional fees

There are two types of Etsy advertising fees:

• Onsite ad fees – $1-25 per day to promote listings in Etsy search results. Etsy Plus members get added discounts and Etsy Ads credits.  
• Offsite ad fees – 15% fee for shops with annual revenue of less than $10,000 (can opt out) or a 12% fee when exceeding $10,000 (can’t opt out).

Delivery fees

Etsy sellers can purchase shipping labels with a discount depending on the local carrier:

• Australia Post
• Canada Post
• FedEx
• Global Postal Shipping
• Royal Mail
• Shiprocket
• UPS
• USPS
• Yakit

Etsy adds delivery fees to the label prices. Costs vary by origin/destination, package measurements and weight, shipping and gift wrap options, insurance, and delivery confirmations via signature.

Apparel

The apparel category on Etsy is packed with popular products like hoodies, tees, crop tops, dresses, and more, making it a go-to for stylish finds. The competition is fierce, but if you create custom t-shirts with a unique twist and market them correctly, your shop will still shine and attract fans who love your one-of-a-kind designs.

When learning how to sell on Etsy, identify your target audience and which products appeal to them. Possible items include swimwear, sportswear, footwear, and pajamas.

Hop on seasonal trends to stay ahead of the competition.

Accessories

Accessories are a huge product category that includes phone cases, totes and bags, hats, children’s and baby items, kitchen, pet, car, tech, travel, and stationery products, and much more. Customize these items with designs and phrases that appeal to your target audience.

Downloadables & printables

Selling digital products on Etsy is a convenient way to generate passive income for those with a creative eye or a knack for planning. It’s currently one of the most popular categories in Etsy search results.

Offer digital planners, packs of Chat GPT or Midjourney prompts, designs for print-on-demand products, SVG files, templates for Photoshop or Canva, knitting patterns, eBooks, woodworking plans, or digital guides on anything else you’re passionate about.

Vintage items & art

Etsy is the top online marketplace for selling art, handmade goods, craft supplies, and vintage items. You can even sell your art using print-on-demand. 

Look for posters, canvases, journals, notebooks, or even magnets and stickers. These are some of the top-selling Etsy products that appeal to like-minded creatives.

Home decor

The home decor category includes best-selling items like candles, mugs, pillows, rugs, wall decor, vases, picture frames, and more.

Chapter 4

12 tips for selling on Etsy

Once you’ve decided what to sell, it’s time to fine-tune and promote your Etsy store. 

You need an effective marketing strategy and long-term business plan to stand out from other sellers and attract customers.

Why Printify?

• 900+ customizable products – Apparel, accessories, home decor, and more.
• Minimal upfront investment – No minimum order requirements, no holding inventory.
• Sustainable production – Local print providers and eco-friendly production.
• Seamless integration – Connect your Printfy account and Etsy store in seconds.
• 24/7 Merchant Support – Contact us via chat or email for fast assistance.

Sell on Etsy with Printify

To create a Printify account, head to our website and click Start Selling.

With a free account, you can open up to five stores and access our full Product Catalog of 900+ items. Upgrade to Printify Premium ($24.99 monthly billed annually) for up to ten stores and a 20% discount on our products.

Learning how to sell on Etsy?
Let Printify handle production, inventory, and shipping.

Start selling

Integrate with Etsy

• Log in to Printify, then click My Stores.
• Select Add a new store on the left menu, and choose Etsy.
• Sign in to your Etsy account in the popup window, then Authorize Printify to connect.

Choose and design a product

Open the Printify Catalog and choose a product category. Use filters to narrow your search.

• Click on a product to see more details and find out which Print Providers offer it.
• Choose a Print Provider or use Printify Choice, when available, to let Printify use the closest Print Provider to your customers.
• Select Start Designing to go to the Product Creator.

Upload a design, use our AI Image Generator or Shutterstock integration, or create graphics and text from scratch with our free design tools.

Preview the product on realistic mockups. Once you’re happy with it, click Save Product.

Add a title and description, choose a shipping method, and set a price. Select which info you want to sync with your Etsy listings, then click Publish.

Etsy FAQ