How Does Etsy Star Seller Work?
As an Etsy shop owner, you’ve probably realized by now that while passion and craftsmanship are essential for creating top-notch products, they’re not enough to land sales.
One way to stand out in the vast Etsy marketplace? With those nifty “Star Seller” badges that appear next to your listings in search. If you’ve ever wondered, "How does Etsy Star Seller work?" and “Is Etsy Star Seller worth it?”, you’ve come to the right place — in this guide, we’ll unravel the mystery behind Etsy’s Star Seller criteria.
What is Etsy Star Seller?
Introduced by the platform in 2021, the Etsy Star Seller system rewards sellers who offer top-notch customer service.
While Etsy says Star Seller doesn’t help you with your search rankings directly, being a Star Seller can significantly boost your shop's credibility and visibility. Having the shiny Star Seller badge signals to potential customers that yours is a shop worth trusting, encouraging them to explore your products and hit the “checkout” button when something catches their eye — which, over time, will push your products higher up in search.
How Does Etsy Star Seller Work?
Earning the Etsy Star Seller badge involves meeting specific criteria within the last three months. You must:
Reply to at least 95% of first-time customer messages within 24 hours
Have at least a 4.8 review rating average
Ship at least 95% of orders on time with tracking
Make at least ten orders
Earn at least US$300/£200/€250/CA$350/AU$350 in sales
Read on to learn more about each criterion.
Prompt response rate
Maintaining a high response rate and minimizing the time you take to respond to messages shows your dedication to excellent communication with shoppers — which is why Etsy Star Sellers must reply to 95% of first-time messages within 24 hours.
In other words, if you’re eyeing the Star Seller badge, you can relax once you respond to a customer’s first message. That said, effective and efficient communication is integral to resolving issues, clarifying product details, and fostering a connection between sellers and their customers.
High review rating
Positive reviews are an integral part of Etsy's Star Seller assessment. Delivering products that meet or exceed customer expectations and resolving any issues with professionalism can lead to higher customer satisfaction and, consequently, more favorable reviews.
Before Etsy revamped the Star Seller system in 2022, sellers needed 95% of their reviews to be 5-star, which meant they were “dinged” for 4-star reviews. Realizing that this hurt sellers — plenty of happy customers leave 4-star reviews! — today, you only need a 4.8 review rating average over three months to meet this criterion.
Shipping with tracking
Timely order processing and shipping demonstrates your Etsy store’s commitment to efficiency and reliability — and shoppers love it when their goodies arrive quickly.
Meeting this requirement is easy when you purchase shipping labels directly from Etsy, plus you get a discount too.
Minimum orders and sales reached
Consistently generating sales by offering attractive products and excellent customer service is essential for those hoping to become Star Sellers.
Given that Star Sellers need to reach a minimum number of orders and sales amount, stores that sell one-of-a-kind, higher-priced items must pay close attention to how many orders they receive in the three months.
4 Tips for Achieving Etsy Star Seller Status
Becoming an Etsy Star Seller requires consistent effort and dedication. Here are some tips to set you on the path to success:
Prioritize Customer Satisfaction
It’s not just about responding to messages on time or shipping orders quickly — brainstorm ways to go the extra mile, whether by adding a small gift to every order or showing your appreciation by offering a discount code.
Additionally, it’s vital to set customer expectations early on. For example, accurate photos ensure shoppers aren’t disappointed when the product they receive is smaller than they imagined. Similarly, clearly communicating that a product is a digital download within product descriptions and photos means shoppers are less likely to ask, “Where’s my order?!”
Happy customers are the foundation of any successful business: they return for more, tell their friends and family about your store, and leave five-star reviews.
Offer High-Quality Products
Quality speaks for itself, and when shoppers are coming to Etsy in search of unique, handmade items, you’ll want to craft products with care and attention to detail.
Delivering items that delight your customers will lead to positive reviews and increased sales.
Optimize Shop Policies
Ensure your shop policies are clear and transparent — you don’t want shoppers to feel blindsided when they wish to return an item, for example.
While setting your processing time as 1-2 days can be tempting, you want to be realistic. Keep your processing time accurate by factoring in unexpected delays (e.g., an explosion of orders or a supply chain issue) and proactively communicate any potential delays with your customers.
Use Etsy’s Auto-Reply Feature
Worried about the Star Seller requirement of replying to customer messages within 24 hours? This can be a challenging criterion, especially if you’re busy juggling childcare, your day job, and your other responsibilities.
Luckily, because Etsy only considers how long you take to respond to a customer’s first message, having an auto-reply can be useful if you can't respond to customers promptly (e.g., on weekends).
To set up your auto-reply, simply:
Open your Seller dashboard
Click on Messages > Auto-Reply
Toggle the button from Off to On
Write your message (e.g., “Thanks for reaching out! I’m currently away from my desk, but I’ll get back to you within the next two days.”)
Set the duration for your auto-reply
Your Star Seller Badge Awaits
Becoming an Etsy Star Seller is a journey that requires dedication, hard work, and a passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences. By knowing how Star Seller works and focusing on providing high-quality products, outstanding service, and adhering to Etsy's guidelines, you can increase your chances of earning the prestigious Star Seller badge.
Looking to improve your customer interactions and response times? Our Saved Replies Service can help you manage customer queries more efficiently, a key factor in becoming a Star Seller.
How Does Etsy Star Seller Work: Common Questions
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To keep costs low, Etsy sellers frequently ship small and cheap items through first-class mail with a stamp rather than opt for a pricier option with tracking.
In this case, it might not be worth offering tracking, especially if doing so will require spiking your prices — there’s no point in getting the Star Seller badge if your prices are no longer competitive in your niche and can’t land sales.
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Yes, Etsy takes weekends into consideration when reviewing your response rates.
That said, if you’re more of a device-free person on the weekends, consider setting up an auto-reply that informs customers you’ll get back to them first thing on Monday — it’ll satisfy the Star Seller requirements and set customer expectations.
