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Suspension riskPI-13 · Prohibited Items Policy

Toxic substances and hazardous chemical ingredients are prohibited or restricted

What this rule means

Etsy prohibits hazardous materials and devices, and its page lists toxic substances, such as poisons, as an example. It also says some ingredients are hazardous in certain contexts. If you sell a product that kills pests or is a regulated chemical, check it against this rule and the law where you sell. Everyday craft and cleaning products need a careful check of their ingredients.

What Etsy says

Due to the potential harm caused by hazardous materials and devices, as well as complex legal and delivery regulations surrounding such materials, hazardous materials and devices are prohibited on Etsy. Some ingredients are considered hazardous when found in certain contexts.
Read Etsy's full Prohibited Items Policy

Why Etsy has this rule

Pesticides and regulated chemicals can harm people, pets, and the environment when they are misused or shipped badly. Many are controlled by law, and some need a registration or a license before anyone may sell them. The rules differ by place, and carriers add their own limits.

Etsy's policy states that, because of the potential harm and the complex legal and delivery rules, hazardous materials and devices are prohibited. It lists toxic substances, such as poisons, as an example, and it says some ingredients are hazardous in certain contexts. Etsy cannot review every ingredient list, so it asks you to know what is in the products you make and sell.

Common mistakes

  • Selling a spray, powder, or liquid that is described as killing insects, weeds, mold, or other pests.
  • Listing a bottle of a pure chemical compound as a craft or science product.
  • Using a government pesticide registration number in a listing and assuming that makes the product allowed.
  • Making a homemade pest repellent and describing it as able to kill or control pests.
  • Selling a cleaning or craft product without checking whether any ingredient is regulated.
  • Ignoring carrier rules, even though many regulated chemicals are restricted by carriers on top of Etsy's rules.
  • Reselling a product from a supplier and assuming the supplier checked the rules for you.

Examples

  • AllowedYou sell a handmade planter or a garden marker with no chemical product included.
  • AllowedYou sell soap with a plain ingredient list, after you check that no ingredient is regulated.
  • AllowedYou sell a gardening guide that explains how to care for plants.
  • AllowedYou sell a craft supply and add safety information after checking the ingredients against the rules.
  • Not allowedYou sell a bottle of insecticide, herbicide, or fungicide.
  • Not allowedYou sell a product described as a pesticide, with a registration number in the listing.
  • Not allowedYou sell a chemical compound that is under regulatory controls.

How to stay compliant

  1. Delist any product that is a pesticide, herbicide, insecticide, or regulated chemical compound.
  2. If you sell cleaning or craft products, verify that chemical ingredients do not fall under EPA registration requirements.
  3. Review shipping carrier restrictions — many regulated chemicals are also subject to carrier-level prohibitions beyond Etsy's marketplace rules.

Effort: medium · 30-60 minutes

If your suspension email cites this rule

Read the email and find the listing it names. Read the title, tags, and description for words that describe killing or controlling pests, or that name a chemical compound. Then look at the ingredients of the product itself. A listing can be flagged because of its wording, even when the product is mild.

If the product is a pesticide or a regulated chemical, remove it and look for related listings. If it is a craft or cleaning product, check each ingredient against the rules that apply and rewrite the listing to describe only what the product is. Check your shipping settings too. When you reply, name the product and say what you changed. Etsy makes the final decision, and you should not expect a particular result.

Suspended over this rule?

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

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Common questions

What counts as a pesticide?

Etsy's page does not use the word pesticide. It lists toxic substances, such as poisons, as prohibited. A product described as killing or controlling pests can fall under that rule or under the law where you sell.

Can I sell homemade bug spray?

Be cautious. A product that is described as killing or controlling pests can be treated as a pesticide. Check the rules where you live and read Etsy's policy page before you list.

Can I sell cleaning products on Etsy?

Some can be sold. Etsy's page says some ingredients are hazardous in certain contexts, and it points to its Seller Handbook articles on cleaning supplies and cosmetics. Check each ingredient and any carrier limits.

Does having a registration number make my product allowed?

Not necessarily. Etsy's page prohibits hazardous materials, including toxic substances, and lists no exception for registered products. Ask Etsy Support about a specific product.

Why does my carrier matter?

Many regulated chemicals are restricted by carriers beyond Etsy's rules. A product that Etsy allows can still be refused for shipping, so check your carrier's list.

Related prohibited items policy rules