Suspension riskSP-8 · Seller Policy

Sellers must accurately represent their identity and shop location

What this rule means

Etsy expects the details you give about yourself and your items to be true. Your listings must accurately represent your items, including country of origin, provenance, attributes, components, and materials, and you must provide accurate information to Etsy. Who you are and where you operate belongs on that list.

What Etsy says

Provide honest, accurate information to Etsy and in your About section. 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 Seller Policy

Why Etsy has this rule

Buyers choose a shop partly because of its story: a small studio, a local maker, a country of origin. If those details are false, the buyer paid for something that was never there. Etsy also needs correct information about each seller for payments and legal notices.

Etsy's policy says sellers must accurately represent their items, including country of origin, provenance, attributes, components, and materials, and must provide accurate information to Etsy. The rule protects buyers from false claims and keeps the marketplace honest about who is selling.

Common mistakes

Setting your shop location to a country where you do not operate.
Calling yourself a small local studio in your About section when orders ship from a large overseas supplier.
Claiming 'made in the USA' or 'local artisan' on a product made elsewhere.
Using a stock photo or someone else's picture as the shop owner.
Using an address from a forwarding service as if it were your workshop.
Leaving old shop details in place after you moved or changed your production.
Giving Etsy registration details that do not match your real information.

Examples

AllowedYour shop location matches where you actually work or ship from.
AllowedYour About section honestly describes how and where your products are made.
AllowedYou update your listings when you move production to a partner in another country.
AllowedYou use a real photo of yourself or your team, or none at all.
Not allowedYou write 'handmade in my home studio' about an item a factory produces.
Not allowedYou list 'made in the USA' on a product that ships from overseas.
Not allowedYou give Etsy a registration address that is not yours.

How to stay compliant

Verify that your registered shop location in Etsy's Account Settings matches where you actually operate from.
Update your About section and any listing descriptions to accurately describe who you are and where your products are made or shipped from.
If you use a fulfillment service, update the 'ships from' location on all listings to the fulfillment service's country, not your home country.
Remove any 'local artisan' or 'made in [country]' claims from listings or your About section if they do not accurately describe your situation.

Effort: low · 30-60 minutes

If your suspension email cites this rule

Read the email for the detail Etsy questions. It may be your shop location, your About section, a claim about where an item is made, or the information you gave Etsy. Then compare each claim against the facts. Where do you live? Where is the item made? Where does it ship from? Write the real answers down before you touch anything.

If a statement is wrong, correct it everywhere it appears: your About section, listing text, photos, and account settings. In your appeal, say what was inaccurate, why it happened, and what you changed. If your details are accurate, gather proof such as a utility bill, production records, or shipping receipts. Do not exaggerate in your appeal. Do not promise a result. Etsy makes the final decision.

Suspended over this rule?

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

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Common questions

Does my shop location have to be where I live?

It should reflect where you truly operate from. Etsy's policy requires accurate information, so keep your registered details and your listings consistent with the facts.

Can I say my items are handmade locally if a partner makes them?

Only if it is true. Claims about origin and provenance must be accurate, and Etsy's Creativity Standards apply to how items are made.

What if I use a fulfillment service in another country?

Say so in your listings. Set 'ships from' to the service's country and remove claims that suggest local production if they no longer apply.

Do I need to show my face in my About section?

No. You can leave your photo out. What you cannot do is present a false picture, such as a stock image posing as the owner.

Can I use a mail-forwarding address for my shop?

Be careful. Etsy's Seller Policy requires honest, accurate information, and an accurate account of where an item is dispatched from. Do not describe a forwarding address as your workshop. If you are unsure how to register your details, ask Etsy Support.