Suspension riskHM-1 · Etsy's Creativity Standards
Items must be made or designed by the seller
What Etsy says
Items sold in the Handmade category must be made or designed by you, the seller. Etsy defines four qualifying categories: Made by a seller, Designed by a seller, Sourced by a seller, and Handpicked by a seller.Read Etsy's full Etsy's Creativity Standards
How to stay compliant
- Audit every listing in your shop and identify any item you did not make, design, or meaningfully transform.
- Deactivate or permanently delete listings for items you purchased finished and resold without adding your own design or craft.
- For items made with a production partner's assistance, add a production-partner disclosure to those specific listings via Shop Manager > Listings > Edit.
- Update listing descriptions to clearly describe your role in making or designing the item — include your materials, process, or design story.
- If you use computerized tools (laser cutter, 3D printer, Cricut), confirm the design file is your own original work, not a purchased or downloaded template.
Effort: medium · 2-6 hours
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Related etsy's creativity standards rules
- Mass-produced goods are prohibited in the Handmade categorySuspension risk
- Production partners must be disclosed on all applicable listingsWarning
- Misrepresenting how or where an item was made is prohibitedSuspension risk
- Computerized-tool items must use the seller's original design, not purchased templatesSuspension risk
- Switching a shop from handmade to dropship without re-disclosure is prohibitedSuspension risk
- Vintage items must be listed as 'Handpicked by a seller', not as handmadeWarning
- Sourced items are limited to craft supplies and buyer-customized goods; generic resold consumer products are prohibitedSuspension risk
- Listing-level Creativity Standards appealListing deactivation