Etsy shop announcement: where it shows, how long, and examples

What the Etsy shop announcement is and where it shows

The shop announcement is a free text box on your Etsy shop homepage. It appears under the listings on your shop homepage. Etsy describes it as the place to alert shoppers to important information like a sale or if you are away on vacation.

Your featured listings sit directly above it: Etsy's appearance settings let you show 4 featured listings, which appear just above your shop announcement. A shopper reaches the announcement after scrolling past your items.

That placement shapes what belongs in it. The announcement is read by people who are already on your shop page and looking at your items, so it works best for time-sensitive notes that apply to the whole shop: a sale, a holiday shipping cutoff, a restock date or a short break. Item details belong in the listing itself.

The announcement only exists once the shop is live: you can't add an announcement until you open your shop. If you are still setting up, write it after the shop opens.

How long an Etsy shop announcement can be

Etsy's help article on the shop announcement does not state a character limit. Its only guidance on length is to keep the announcement short and sweet, and to move detailed information to your About section, public profile, shop policies, and item descriptions.

Short works better for a practical reason. The announcement is below your listings, so a reader has already scrolled and is deciding whether to buy. A few short lines that answer "can I get this in time" or "is there a sale" are read. A long block about your story is better placed in the About section, where shoppers go to read it.

A simple test: if a line will still be true next season, it probably belongs in your shop policies or About section. If it has an end date, it belongs in the announcement.

How to add or edit your shop announcement

You can change the announcement on Etsy.com or in the Etsy Seller app. Both save to the same place on your shop homepage.

1. On Etsy.com, open the shop editor

   Go to Shop Manager, the pencil icon next to your shop name under Sales Channels, then the Announcement section.

2. Add or edit the text

   Select Add a shop announcement, or Edit if one already exists, type your announcement and choose Save.

3. In the Etsy Seller app

   Go to More, then Shop settings, Shop appearance and Shop announcement, add your announcement and choose Save.

4. Date it if your shop is not in English

   For shops in another language, the date may not update if your shop's language is not English, so you can add the date to the first line. Buyers then know whether the note is current.

5. Translate it if you sell abroad

   If you translate your shop by hand, the shop announcement is one of the shop texts Etsy encourages you to translate, alongside your tagline and message to buyers.

What sellers use the shop announcement for

Etsy's help articles name some of these uses directly; the others are common seller practice. Each one is a short, dated note that applies to the whole shop.

• Sales and promo codes. Etsy says you can share codes in Messages, in your shop announcement, on social media, or anywhere else you interact with customers. A code in the announcement reaches shoppers who are already browsing.
• Shipping cutoffs. Before holidays, a line with the last order date for on-time delivery answers a question buyers often ask.
• Restocks and new drops. A note that a sold-out item comes back on a set date, or that a new collection goes live, gives a reason to return.
• Breaks and delays. In an emergency, Etsy suggests you update your shop announcement to let everyone know you're taking a break.
• Local pickup. If you offer pickup as well as shipping, Etsy says to clearly mention in your shop announcement, listings, and/or shop policies FAQ that items are available for pickup.
• Custom order windows. If you take custom orders only at certain times, the announcement can say when the window opens and closes.

One use is not allowed. Etsy states that your shop announcement and auto-reply should not be used to direct buyers to purchase from your personal website, and links this to its Off-Platform Transactions policy. Keep links and offers inside Etsy.

Etsy announcement examples

These are written examples for a fictional candle shop, not copied from real shops. Replace the dates, product names and codes with your own, and remove each note once it no longer applies.

Each example puts the useful fact first: the date, the code or the change. Shoppers skim, so the first line should answer their question on its own.

Shop announcement and Vacation Mode

Vacation Mode has its own announcement. When it is on, a Vacation Announcement appears as a Note from the shop owner at the top of your homepage, replacing your shop announcement.

In Vacation Mode, listings are hidden and visitors see your Vacation Announcement, About section, past reviews and any Star Seller badges, so the Vacation Announcement is the main thing a visitor reads. Say when you are back and whether open orders still ship. Etsy also adds its own option: buyers see the option to get an email from Etsy when your shop reopens, and you can't hide it.

If you stay open during a slow period instead, keep selling and use the normal shop announcement to say that processing takes longer. Update the processing time on your listings too, so they match what the announcement says.

How to write a shop announcement buyers read

The announcement does not replace other places buyers look. Shipping times belong in each listing's processing time, returns belong in shop policies and your story belongs in the About section. The announcement points to what is changing right now.

• Lead with the date or the offer. "Last order date for the holidays: Friday" is read; "Hello and welcome to my little shop" is skipped.
• Keep one topic per announcement. If you have a sale and a shipping cutoff, put the one with the nearer date first.
• Remove it when it expires. An announcement for a sale that ended or a break that is over makes the whole shop look unattended.
• Match your listings and policies. If the announcement says orders ship later than usual, the processing time on each listing should say the same.
• Keep buyers on Etsy. Promo codes and notes about your Etsy listings fit the announcement; directing buyers to buy on your own website does not.

Where Nation fits

Questions about the Etsy shop announcement