
Etsy Offsite Ads are a powerful tool for sellers looking to expand their reach and drive more traffic to their shops. They allow sellers to advertise on external websites and social media platforms, increasing their visibility to potential customers.
To get started with Etsy Offsite Ads, you'll need to have an active Etsy shop and a payment method linked to it. This is because Etsy will automatically deduct the ad spend from your shop's balance.
Etsy Offsite Ads can be targeted to specific audiences based on their interests, behaviors, and demographics. For example, you can target people who have shown an interest in handmade jewelry or vintage clothing.
By using Etsy Offsite Ads, you can increase your shop's visibility and drive more traffic to your listings. This can lead to more sales and revenue for your shop.
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What You Need to Know
Etsy offsite ads can be a bit tricky to understand, but here's what you need to know.
You'll be charged a commission fee if a buyer lands on your listing page through an offsite ad and makes a purchase within 30 days.
The commission fee is calculated as a percentage of the total order amount, which includes the listing price, shipping, and gift wrapping, and certain taxes where applicable. The fee will not exceed $100 USD per Attributed Order.
Here's how the fee is calculated based on your shop's sales over the past year:
Etsy pays for the initial cost of advertising your listings on various platforms, including social media, search engines, and partner sites, so you only pay when you make a sale due to a click on an advertisement for your listing.
What Are Etsy Offsite Ads
Etsy Offsite Ads are a way for Etsy to promote your listings on various platforms, including social media, search engines, and partner sites.
Etsy bears the initial costs of advertising your listings on these platforms, which can help increase your shop's visibility and drive more traffic to your store.
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If a buyer clicks on an offsite ad and lands on your listing page, that's obviously traffic from an offsite ad, and you'll be charged the commission fee if they buy from your shop within 30 days.
However, if the buyer lands on your product through an offsite ad click but buys another seller's product, you don't pay the fee.
Every subsequent purchase from that specific customer within the 30-day window of their ad click is attributed to offsite ads, and the commission fee is charged on each sale.
Etsy's advanced algorithms match your listing data, including descriptions, photos, titles, etc., with user searches or profiles on partner sites to ensure relevance.
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How They Work
Etsy fronts the bill to pay for your advertisement to be displayed on various platforms before anyone clicks on an offsite ad.
Etsy pays to have your listing advertised on over 2 million sites, including Google Display Network, Facebook & Instagram, Pinterest, Bing, and many others.

You only pay Etsy when you make a sale due to a click on an advertisement for your listing, and the payment is a maximum of 15% of the final sale price.
Etsy bears the initial costs of advertising your listings on several social media platforms, search engines, partner sites, and the Google Display Network.
Your active listings can be automatically chosen for promotion based on their performance potential across different channels.
Etsy sends comprehensive information about your listing to partner sites, which then use advanced algorithms to match user searches or profiles with your ads.
Etsy's offsite ads are promoted on various platforms, including social media, search engines, and partner sites, which can vary over time.
Here are some examples of platforms where Etsy's offsite ads are promoted:
- Google Display Network
- Facebook & Instagram
- Bing
- Buzzfeed
- Martha Stewart
- Real Simple
- MyWedding
- Better Homes and Gardens
- Lyst
- Shape
- And over 2 million other sites, like Weather.com, AOL, Zillow, etc.
Etsy Offsite Ad Fees
Etsy offsite ad fees are charged based on your annual revenue, with a standard fee of 15% for shops earning less than $10,000 USD and a reduced fee of 12% for shops earning more than $10,000 USD.
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The fee is calculated as a percentage of the total order amount, including listing price, shipping, gift wrapping, and certain taxes. The maximum fee per order is capped at $100 USD.
You'll pay a fee on every subsequent purchase from the same customer within 30 days of their ad click, even if they buy a different product.
Here's a breakdown of the fee structure:
Keep in mind that this fee is separate from other Etsy fees, such as listing fees, processing fees, and transaction fees, which are charged on the full order amount.
The offsite ad fee is calculated and settled every month, and the cost is based on the total order value.
It's essential to factor this fee into your pricing structure to ensure profitability, especially if you're just starting out with Etsy offsite ads.
Opting Out and Control
If your Etsy shop made less than $10,000 USD in the past 365 days, you can opt out of Etsy's offsite ads program.
To do this, you'll need to follow a few simple steps: go to your Shop Manager, click Settings, then Offsite Ads, and finally click "Stop promoting my products" twice to confirm.
You can re-enroll anytime by visiting the Offsite Ads page and selecting Restart Offsite Ads.
If your shop made more than $10,000 USD in the past 365 days, you're required to stay enrolled in Etsy's offsite ads program, but you'll only be charged 12% instead of 15%.
To opt out, you can follow these steps:
- Go to your Shop Manager.
- Click Settings.
- Then click Offsite Ads.
- Finally, click āStop promoting my products.ā
- Confirm you want Etsy to Stop promoting my products.
- Confirm Stop promoting my products.
You can also opt out by following these steps:
- Log onto Etsy.com
- Click the Shop Manager icon on the top right
- Click āSettingsā from the left sidebar
- Click āOffsite Adsā
- Click the āStop Promoting my Productsā button
It's worth noting that if you're part of the Offsite Ads program, your listings may also appear in free product listing spaces in the Google shopping tab where no additional Offsite Ad fees apply.
Advertising Platforms and Partners
Etsy Offsite Ads allows you to reach a wider audience through various advertising platforms and partners.
Etsy has partnered with several esteemed publishing sites to feature curated shopping catalogs where your Offsite Ads listings can appear. These partners include Buzzfeed, Martha Stewart, Real Simple, MyWedding, Better Homes and Gardens, Lyst, and Shape.
To track the performance of your Offsite Ads, you can check your Offsite Ads dashboard, which provides details about orders attributed to these partners.
Advertising Platforms
Google Ads is a popular choice for businesses, with over 2 million advertisers using the platform to reach their target audience.
Google Ads offers a range of ad formats, including search ads, display ads, and shopping ads, which can be tailored to specific business needs.
The platform's auction system ensures that ads are displayed based on relevance and bid amount, making it a fair and competitive space for advertisers.
Google Ads also provides robust targeting options, including location targeting, language targeting, and audience targeting.
Google Ads can be integrated with other Google tools, such as Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, to provide a seamless user experience.
Facebook Ads is another widely used advertising platform, with over 7 million businesses using the platform to reach their target audience.
Facebook Ads offers a range of ad formats, including image ads, video ads, and carousel ads, which can be used to promote products, services, or brand awareness.
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The platform's algorithm considers factors such as ad relevance, engagement, and conversion rates to determine ad placement and ranking.
Facebook Ads also provides robust targeting options, including demographic targeting, interest targeting, and lookalike targeting.
LinkedIn Ads is a popular choice for B2B advertisers, with over 1 million businesses using the platform to reach their target audience.
LinkedIn Ads offers a range of ad formats, including sponsored content, sponsored InMail, and display ads, which can be used to promote products, services, or thought leadership.
The platform's algorithm considers factors such as ad relevance, engagement, and conversion rates to determine ad placement and ranking.
LinkedIn Ads also provides robust targeting options, including job title targeting, industry targeting, and company size targeting.
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Publishing Partners
Etsy has partnered with several esteemed publishing sites to help your Offsite Ads listings reach a wider audience.
One of these partners is Buzzfeed, a popular online platform that features curated shopping catalogs.
To track the success of your listings on these partner sites, check your Offsite Ads dashboard.
Etsy has also partnered with Martha Stewart, a well-known brand that showcases high-quality products.
In addition to these partners, Etsy has collaborated with Real Simple, a site that focuses on simplifying life and home.
You can see a list of some of Etsy's publishing partners below:
- Buzzfeed
- Martha Stewart
- Real Simple
- MyWedding
- Better Homes and Gardens
- Lyst
- Shape
Evaluating the Worth
Etsy's offsite ads aren't a one-size-fits-all solution, and their effectiveness depends on your business' profit margin. If you have a product that costs a lot to make or doesn't sell for a high price, Etsy Offsite Ads may not be worth it for you.
Some sellers have reported that offsite ads chewed up most of their profit, especially if their cheapest product is around the $35-$40 mark. It's essential to consider your pricing strategy and profit margins before investing in offsite ads.
For those with healthy profit margins, offsite ads can be a valuable tool. One seller reported bringing in nearly $11,000 in orders through offsite ads, with fees of just $1,320. This translates to a 235% return on investment, making offsite ads a worthwhile investment for them.
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Evaluating the Worth

Etsy Offsite Ads aren't a one-size-fits-all solution - their effectiveness depends on your business' profit margin. If you're selling at a loss, after Etsy collects all its fees, Offsite Ads are not worth it.
Some sellers have reported that Offsite Ads chewed up most of their profit, especially if their cheapest product is under $35-$40. This is because Etsy takes a commission on each sale, which can eat into your profit margin.
To make Offsite Ads work for you, you need a healthy profit margin that leaves you in the green after Etsy has taken all its fees. This can be a challenge, especially for sellers with low-priced products or high production costs.
One seller reported that they made nearly $11,000 in orders from Offsite Ads, with fees totaling just $1,320. After accounting for additional Etsy fees, their total profit was $8,470, a 235% return on investment.
However, not all sellers have had success with Offsite Ads. Some have reported that the fees are too high, especially for those earning under $10,000 per year. In fact, some sellers have gone as far as to say that mandatory Offsite Ads for those earning over $10,000 per year are "absolutely horrendous."
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To get the most out of Offsite Ads, you need to optimize your listing and focus on Etsy SEO. This means doing thorough keyword research, improving your product photos, descriptions, and shipping services. By squeezing as much as you can out of what you control, you can then experiment with Offsite Ads and see if they work for your business.
Which Are Better?
Etsy onsite ads are a better option if you're looking to drive more sales and traffic to your Etsy shop, as they allow you to target customers who are already browsing your shop.
Onsite ads are more cost-effective, with a lower cost-per-click compared to offsite ads.
Offsite ads, on the other hand, are better suited for reaching a wider audience and increasing brand awareness.
Offsite ads allow you to target customers who are not yet aware of your shop, which can lead to more sales and revenue over time.
Ultimately, the choice between Etsy onsite and offsite ads depends on your specific business goals and marketing strategy.
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Order Attribution and Tracking
Etsy Offsite Ads attribute an order to an ad if a buyer clicks through the ad and makes a purchase within 30 days of that click. This is known as Etsy's 30-day attribution window.
If a customer clicks an ad and makes multiple separate purchases from your shop within 30 days, each order will be subject to an Offsite Ad fee.
You won't be charged an Offsite Ad fee if a buyer clicks an ad but doesn't make a purchase within the 30-day window.
To see the buyer journey behind the ad, view the Offsite Ad statistics in your Etsy Shop Manager. From there, you can select a date range and see the total amount of clicks, total sales from ads, listing name, platforms where ads were placed, and sale dates.
Here's what you can expect to see in the Offsite Ad statistics:
If offsite ad fees appear higher than expected, you can check your orders to verify that the costs match correctly to purchases credited to ads.
Best Practices and Guidelines
To succeed with Etsy offsite ads, you need to follow eCommerce strategies best practices. Any success on an eCommerce platform requires this.
You should adhere to the guidelines set by advertising platforms like Google, Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram, which have strict promotion policies.
Before starting offsite ads, remove any products that might infringe upon Etsy's policies to ensure they can be promoted on these platforms.
Etsy offsite ads require optimization of your products' listings, just like any other eCommerce strategy.
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Conclusion and Takeaways
Leveraging Etsy's Offsite Ads can be a powerful strategy to expand your reach and boost sales as an Etsy seller. By understanding the nuances of this service, you can harness its potential effectively for your shop.
Etsy Ads are a range of advertising tools that are used to enhance the visibility of Etsy product listings, drive traffic to them and increase sales. There are two types of Etsy Ads: onsite ads and offsite ads.
Onsite ads charge per click, while offsite ads take a commission only on successful sales, making them cost-effective depending on your product and goals. This means you only pay when you make a sale.
Etsy calculates your total revenue by converting your sales to USD based on the exchange rates at the time of each sale. You won't pay more than $100 per sale, and this commission fee is paid on top of the usual transaction fee, listing fee, and Etsy Payment fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I turn off site ads on Etsy?
To turn off site ads on Etsy, go to Manage advertised listings and toggle the Ad on/off button under the listing you want to pause. This will remove the listing from your Etsy Ads campaign.
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