How to Tell If Your Etsy Shop Is Indexed
Starting your Etsy journey can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. As a new shop owner, you’ve put your heart and soul into crafting unique products, setting up your store, and perfecting your listings — only to find that your shop isn’t getting the visibility it deserves.
In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of checking whether your Etsy shop is indexed and provide essential tips to help you optimize your shop's presence.
What Is Etsy Indexing?
Etsy indexing is the process of search engines, like Google or Etsy's internal search, discovering and storing information from your shop's listings and pages in their database.
When your shop is indexed, it means your products show up in relevant search results when potential buyers look for items you offer.
In contrast, if your shop or listings are not indexed, they won’t be visible to shoppers, meaning you won’t be able to land any sales. That said, having not-indexed listings is rare, and there are more likely reasons that a listing wouldn’t show up in search results.
Why Is Being Indexed Crucial for Your Etsy Shop?
Being indexed determines your Etsy shop’s visibility. When someone searches for a product that you sell, indexing means your shop will pop up in those search results.
Imagine opening a beautiful brick-and-mortar store on a street that’s blocked off. No matter how appealing your products are, you won't make many sales if people can't find you in the first place. The same principle applies to your Etsy shop.
How to Tell If Your Etsy Shop Is Indexed
If your Etsy shop and listings can be found in Google and Etsy’s search results, it’s indexed in Etsy’s system. To check, simply search for your shop’s name or for an exact listing title either on Google or Etsy’s internal search.
If your products don’t appear in search results, your listings may not be indexed.
Use Google’s site: search operator
A straightforward method to check if your Etsy shop is indexed is using the "site:" search operator on Google. Simply type the following into Google's search bar: "site:etsy.com/shop/YourShopName" (replace "YourShopName" with your actual shop name, without spaces).
If Google returns results with your shop's listings and pages, congratulations! Your shop is indexed.
Verify with Etsy internal search
Another way to check indexing is to use Etsy's internal search. Head to your shop’s homepage, then search for a listing in your shop’s search bar (not the general Etsy search bar).
Etsy’s internal search bar
If the product appear in the search results, it means Etsy has indexed your shop and listings.
Why Are My Listings Not Showing Up in Etsy Search?
If your listings aren’t appearing in Etsy’s general search bar, it may not necessarily be an indexing issue. Instead, you may have a problem with Etsy limiting your shop’s visibility due to:
Policy violations (e.g., reselling products)
Too many cases against your shop
Too many open orders
An outstanding balance
If Etsy has indeed limited your account by temporarily putting it on forced vacation mode, you’ll see a banner in your seller dashboard that explains their reasoning and next steps. You may be able to request a reinstatement of your account or submit an appeal after handling the issue. Learn more about forced vacation mode here.
What Should I Do if My Shop or Listings Are Not Indexed by Etsy?
If you’ve confirmed that your listings aren’t due to the issues listed above, it’s likely that there is a technical indexing issue. To get your shop and listings indexed, you’ll need to contact Etsy directly using the help page at Submit a request – Etsy Help.
3 Ways to Improve Visibility on Etsy
If your Etsy shop is indexed, but you’re still not getting sales, don't worry! There are steps you can take to improve your shop's visibility and increase the chances of making sales:
Optimize your listing titles and descriptions
Use relevant keywords that accurately describe your products in your listing titles and descriptions. This helps search engines understand what you're selling and match your listings to relevant searches.
Focus on tags and categories
Etsy provides tags and categories for each listing. Use them wisely to specify your products further and enhance your chances of appearing in targeted searches.
Utilize social media marketing
Promote your Etsy shop on social media platforms and through other marketing channels, like Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest.
Want ideas on what to post on social media? Let us create a custom 3-month social media calendar for you!
👉 Next up: curious about how to find your Etsy shop's URL and make the most of it for marketing? Learn more here.
How to Tell If Your Etsy Shop Is Indexed: Common Questions
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If your shop and products still appear in search, this means that your lower traffic is not due to indexing issues. Instead, it’s likely that you were receiving more views because you received the temporary boost that Etsy provides new shops with.
Now that you’re no longer receiving the boost, consider finding ways to improve your titles, descriptions, tags, and product images.
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Beyond the causes listed above, another reason your listings may not appear in Etsy search for a friend is because they’re residing in a country that you don’t ship to. Your listings will only show up for the countries you ship to.
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Each listing you create has a Listing Quality Score, which is partially dependent on sales and reviews. A listing with a ton of sales and positive reviews will rank higher than a listing with zero sales — even if they have identical tags, titles, and descriptions.
So, be patient, and take the time to identify opportunities to optimize your listing!
