How to Add a Listing on Etsy

I’m a self-taught artist who loves sharing tips and tutorials for painting with watercolor and gouache, and using the Procreate app on the iPad.

Adding your first product on Etsy? Read these easy tips for how to add a listing to Etsy.

Get more Etsy tips here.

painted background with text: How to add a listing on Etsy

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So you’ve set up your Etsy shop. Now what?

It’s time to create your first listing!

It can be a little intimidating to create your first listing, so I’m going to walk you through each section of the listing.

Most of these tips are for creating digital download listings. I’ve never dealt with shipping a physical product, so I do not know that section.

One more thing:

Don’t let perfection keep you from hitting that publish button. Make the product, create the listing images, and get that product listed.

It can be edited and tweaked over time. I just installed the Grammarly extension and was appalled at how bad my grammar and spelling were on listings that have been around for years.

Despite the misspellings, those items have sold so many times!

You might also be interested in this post on setting up an Etsy shop.

Tips for Creating a Listing on Etsy

When I create a new listing, I use a few hacks to speed up the process.

First, I upload the images. As they upload, I scroll down and choose “digital product.” This allows me to upload the files, too.

Then I add in the easy details, like the “About this Listing” section, the category if it’s a product I’ve created before, the price, and the quantity.

The other parts require more thought, so I added those last. The last part of the description is always the same, so I copy and paste that information into the description. Information can be changed or added as needed.

Images

Images on Etsy are so important!

When creating images, remember the style you want for your shop. Keep the photos clean and simple with a focus on the product. Try to keep a similar feel and color scheme for your entire shop.

If you’re creating digital products, make sure that the images are as beautiful as possible. You can use mockups or create the images yourself.

You can include ten images. Your images need to be 2000px in long size. Your thumbnail should be square, so I make my images 2000 x 2000 pixels to save time.

Get tips for resizing photos for Etsy here.

Make sure that you can read any text on the thumbnail since it gets cropped a little.

If you’re creating digital downloads, it can be difficult to create that many images. I always try to include one with a close-up of the details.

Some of the slots can be filled with text-based information about the product. Use mockups where applicable.

Use a font that is easy to read and has good contrast. Not everyone can read those pretty cursive script fonts.

I always include one image that states that this is a digital product. Not everyone reads the title or description.

Other photos can ask them to follow you on social media or offer coupon codes. You can also show the customers other products that they might like, but be very clear that they are not included in the listing.

If you frequently receive questions about a product, add an image with the information. Most people look at the photos but don’t read the description.

Video

Video is a newer addition to Etsy. I haven’t utilized it yet, but I plan on experimenting with them soon.

Videos show up as your 2nd photo when customers view your product.

Videos are silent, so text overlay needs to be used to convey your product details.

Listing Details

Title

The title needs to describe the product using words that they would search for.

For instance, if you create an art print named “Gracie”, no one is going to search for that. Instead, describe the art print.

You can include several keywords. Separate them with a comma for best results. Get more keyword and SEO tips here.

If you have multiple listings for similar products, vary the words and word order.

About this Listing

Attributes

Attributes depend on the category that you chose. They allow you to add more keywords to your listing, but they aren’t always applicable to digital listings.

Fill out what you can, but don’t worry about the rest.

If you find a category that won’t let you publish the product without an attribute, it’s not the correct category. Choose a different one instead.

Renewal Options

After three months, you have to renew the listing for another $0.20. You can set it to automatically renew or manually renew.

Personally, I want my shop to run independently as much as possible, so I set mine to automatic.

If you’re worried about fees adding up, I’ve never had to pay them out of my pocket. They’ve always been deducted from sales.

Type

Description

This part takes the longest to write. The first sentence needs to contain the most important keyword.

The next few sentences also have a few keywords. I discuss what it can be used for and why I created it.

After that, I added all the details about what is included in the download.

Then, I add brief printing instructions or use instructions.

Finally, I add license considerations (is it for personal or commercial use?) and a copyright blurb.

Everything you create is automatically copyrighted anyway, but I always add it anyway.

Production Partners

This only applies if you’re using Print on Demand. If so, you must add the business you use for Print on Demand.

Section

This is how you organize your shop. Try to think of keywords that people search for. Keep them simple but clear.

Keep in mind that terms change over time. When I first started my Etsy shop, clip art was a term used. Etsy still uses it, but most people call it graphics or illustrations now.

Materials

There is no way to use all of these tags for a digital product. I typically put the file type (PDF) and “digital download.”

Inventory and Pricing

Price

Pricing could be a post in itself. You don’t want to be the cheapest, but you don’t want to be the most expensive. Try to find a happy spot in the middle.

Look at the prices of other people selling similar products and base your product on that.

If you want to sell it for more, ensure you’ve included many extra features and emphasize those in your photos and description.

Quantity

For a digital product, it doesn’t matter what you put here. You can put 5 or 999. You do not get charged for all those until it sells and must be re-listed.

SKU

This is only important if you keep track of your inventory by SKU. I don’t see a need to use an SKU system with digital products.

Digital Files

This is where you upload your files. Etsy allows you to include up to 5 files, but each file can only be 20 MB. That can feel tiny.

Zipping files doesn’t make them that much smaller. PDFs can be made smaller by turning off the ability to edit in Adobe Illustrator (if created in AI.)

You can break your items into separate files if possible to get around this.

Alternatively, you can upload a PDF with a file link to a Dropbox or Google Drive file. When you upload the file to Dropbox or Google Drive, change the sharing restriction to “anyone with the link.”

How to Add a Listing on Etsy