The meeting covered recent and significant changes to Etsy’s services policies, with particular focus on what is now allowed or prohibited for sellers.
Key updates include clarification on digital services, spell-related items, modification services, curated lists, and stricter rules for add-ons like shipping upgrades and donations.
Attendees discussed the direct impact on various seller categories and raised ongoing questions about implementation and compliance.
No decisions required immediate organizational action, but monitoring policy updates and communicating with Etsy for clarifications were suggested.
Action Items
Monitor Etsy’s policy pages for any further updates or clarifications.
Sellers: Review current shop listings for compliance with the newest Etsy policies, especially regarding add-ons, spell supplies, and curated lists.
Sellers: Remove or modify any listings offering prohibited add-ons (e.g., express delivery, gift cards, referral codes).
Sellers (especially those working with crystals/spells): Reassess sourcing and listing practices to ensure items comply with seller-sourced definitions.
Provide feedback or report to the group if any clarification is received directly from Etsy on ambiguous policy points.
Etsy Policy Changes Overview
Etsy has made quiet but significant changes to their services policy and several related policies, affecting thousands of sellers.
Updates include clarification of what digital creative services are allowed (e.g., custom writing, design, video editing, music production), with delivery to buyers permitted via email or Etsy messages.
Modification services to buyer-owned items (e.g., tailoring, jewelry alteration, photo retouching) are now explicitly allowed, provided all other Etsy policies are followed.
Spell Supplies and Craft Items
Spell-related items (herbs, crystals, spell books) can only be sold if they fit another qualifying category (e.g., vintage, handpicked from nature by the seller).
Resold commercial spellwork items (such as garden center stones) are no longer acceptable as seller-sourced craft supplies.
Sellers may curate boxes as gifts but cannot promise metaphysical or magical outcomes.
Curated Lists & Prohibitions
Certain curated lists remain prohibited, specifically those involving personal data, wholesale/vendor contacts, AI prompts, and lists for illegal or policy-infringing activities.
Generative AI prompts cannot be sold; the focus is on buyers creating their own.
No metaphysical services or spellcasting (now expanded to include attunement, binding, activation, and similar techniques).
Other Prohibited Services and Listings
Professional personal services (therapy, coaching, tutoring), access codes or memberships (e.g., Netflix, Xbox, Adobe), virtual gaming assets, social media engagement services (followers, reviews), and similar offerings are clearly not allowed.
Listings for transferring money, collecting tips, donations, express or expedited shipping add-ons, digital-only charitable donations, gift cards, and referral codes are now prohibited.
Communication and Transparency Concerns
Many of these changes were not communicated in Etsy’s official newsletter, which focused instead on unrelated transparency topics.
Sellers are encouraged to remain vigilant regarding policy changes and to report or share insights if Etsy provides further clarification.
Decisions
Monitor Etsy's evolving policies and advise sellers to comply proactively — Given the frequency and scale of recent changes, the group agreed to regularly review Etsy’s official resources and update shop practices promptly.
Open Questions / Follow-Ups
How should sellers proceed with private listings for shipping upgrades or variations now that add-ons are prohibited—will Etsy clarify permissible methods?
Can sellers receive direct confirmation from Etsy on specific ambiguous points, such as the handling of curated items or potential loopholes in the seller-sourced definition?
Will Etsy introduce official alternative solutions for requested shipping upgrades or tips?