Suspension riskHM-4 · Etsy's Creativity Standards

Misrepresenting how or where an item was made is prohibited

What this rule means

You must describe your items accurately. That covers where an item was made, where it ships from, what it is made of, and how it was made. If a listing says one and the facts say another, Etsy can treat it as misrepresentation. The rule applies to your listing text and to your listing photos.

What Etsy says

Accurately represent your items, including any details you provide about country of origin, provenance, attributes, components or materials, in listings and listing photos.

Read Etsy's full Etsy's Creativity Standards

Why Etsy has this rule

Buyers make decisions from what a listing says. Some choose an item because it is made in a certain country, uses natural materials, or is made by hand. If those details are wrong, the buyer pays for something they did not choose. Etsy's policy states that sellers must represent items accurately, including country of origin, provenance, attributes, components, and materials. Etsy cannot inspect every item, so it relies on listing details being true and acts when they are not.

Accurate details also protect your shop. A mismatch between a listing claim and the facts can lead to disputes, bad reviews, and a policy notice that puts your whole shop at risk.

Common mistakes

Writing that an item is made in the United States when it is made, or shipped, from another country.
Leaving the shipping origin set to your home country when a production partner ships the order from somewhere else.
Describing materials as natural or organic without knowing the supplier's sourcing details.
Claiming a hand process such as hand-poured or hand-stamped when the photos show machine-perfect results.
Copying a description from a supplier and not checking that every claim in it is true.
Calling an item one of a kind when you sell many identical copies.
Using photos that show a different item, material, or finish than the buyer receives.
Leaving an old claim in place after you change suppliers, materials, or your method.

Examples

AllowedYou list the country where you actually make the item and keep the shipping origin the same.
AllowedYou write that a necklace is made from sterling silver because your supplier's invoice says so.
AllowedYour production partner ships from another country, and your listing shows that country as the origin.
AllowedYou describe your real process and back it up with photos of the work in progress.
Not allowedYou say a leather wallet is made in the United States when it arrives from an overseas factory.
Not allowedYou describe a candle as made with organic soy wax and you have no record of where the wax comes from.
Not allowedYou write hand-stamped on a set of pieces that were clearly machine cut and finished.
Not allowedYour listing ships from your home address, but your partner ships the order from a different country.

How to stay compliant

Review every listing's 'ships from' country and confirm it matches your actual shipping origin.
Update any description claiming a specific country of origin to reflect the actual country where the item was made.
Remove or correct any claim about materials, process, or provenance that you cannot substantiate with documentation.
Add process photos (in-progress shots, workspace photos) to support any handmade claims.
If using a production partner in another country, update the 'ships from' field to the production partner's country.

Effort: medium · 1-3 hours

If your suspension email cites this rule

Read the email for the exact claim that is in question. It might be a country of origin, a material, a process, or a ships-from location. Open each listing named and compare what it says with what is true. Check the listing photos as well, since the policy covers photos and text. If a claim is wrong or you cannot support it, fix it or remove it. Then look through the rest of your shop for the same wording, because a wrong claim often repeats across listings.

If you appeal, state which claim was wrong, how it happened, and what you changed. Keep the tone factual. Attach records that back up your corrected details, such as supplier invoices, shipping records, and process photos. An honest explanation of a real mistake reads better than a defense of a claim you cannot prove. Etsy makes the final call, and the outcome is not guaranteed.

Suspended over this rule?

Generate a complete, ready-to-submit Etsy appeal for this exact violation.

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Common questions

Do I have to list the country where the item was made?

If you provide a country of origin, it has to be accurate. Etsy's policy covers any origin, provenance, attribute, component, or material detail that you give in a listing or photo.

What should the ships-from location be if a production partner mails the order?

Use the location the order actually ships from. If your partner ships directly from another country, that country is the correct origin on the listing, not your home country.

Can I say a material is natural if my supplier says so?

Only if you can back it up. Keep the supplier's invoice or product details on file. If you cannot confirm the claim, leave it out or describe the material more carefully.

Do photos count as part of the description?

Yes. Etsy's policy names listing photos alongside the listing text. A photo that shows a different item, finish, or process than the buyer receives can be a problem.

How do I prove how an item was made?

Etsy does not publish a required list. Photos of your work in progress, your tools, supplier invoices, and shipping records give a clear picture of how you make and ship.