How to set up Etsy Ads
This guide walks through getting your shop ready for Etsy Ads: the waiting period, where ads live in Shop Manager, how charges reach your Payment account, and how Offsite Ads enrollment works.
Etsy does not use a separate ad account. Etsy Ads lives inside Shop Manager and is tied to your shop, your listings, and your Payment account. Setting up means checking eligibility, understanding billing, and making a decision about Offsite Ads before you spend anything.
There are two programs. Etsy Ads promotes your listings on Etsy, and you pay per click from a daily budget you set. Offsite Ads promotes your listings on other sites such as Google, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Bing. Etsy pays the upfront ad cost there and charges you a fee only when an attributed sale happens.
Check the waiting period
New shops cannot start Etsy Ads right away. Etsy applies a 15-day waiting period after you open your shop, and the Etsy Ads dashboard shows a countdown until you can begin.
Use that time to get listings ready. Ads show the same photos, title, and price shoppers see in search, so weak listings get more exposure, not better results.
Find Etsy Ads in Shop Manager
On Etsy.com, open Shop Manager, then Marketing, then Etsy Ads. In the Etsy Seller app, go to More, then Marketing, then Etsy Ads.
This dashboard is where you set your budget, choose advertised listings, create ad groups, and read results. There is no separate ads login, so anyone who can work in your Shop Manager can change your ads.
Understand where ads appear
Etsy Ads appear in Etsy search, on category pages, and on market pages, on both the website and the app. Ads only show to shoppers in countries you ship to.
Placement is decided by auction. Etsy weighs listing quality, meaning how likely shoppers are to click, alongside the bid, and checks how closely your title and tags match what the shopper searched.
Review how ad charges are billed
You pay per click. Etsy totals each day’s clicks and adds the charge to your Payment account the next day, so clicks on September 30 appear on October 1. Spend also shows under Spend on the Etsy Ads page.
To review charges, go to Shop Manager, then Finances, then Payment account, and open your monthly statements from the Activity summary.
Watch outAn unpaid amount due can lower your maximum daily ad budget, so keep your Payment account current.
Know your maximum daily budget
Every seller starts with a maximum daily budget of $25. Etsy recalculates it weekly based on your ad spend over the last 7 days and your payment history. Consistently using your full budget can raise it, and days with no spend do not lower it.
This limit matters later, because some Etsy Ads options, such as per-listing strategies, depend on your budget level.
Decide on Offsite Ads
Every shop is enrolled in Offsite Ads automatically. If your shop has never made $10,000 or more in a 365-day period, participation is optional and the fee on attributed orders is 15%. Once a shop reaches $10,000, participation is required for the life of the shop and the fee drops to 12%.
Either way, the fee on any single order is capped at $100.
TipShops below the threshold can opt out under Shop Manager, Settings, Offsite Ads, and can turn it back on from the same page.
Check listings against advertising policy
Advertised listings must follow Etsy’s Advertising and Marketing Policy. Before turning ads on, review your listings for anything that may not qualify.
Then tighten titles, tags, and photos on your best sellers. When a campaign starts, all current listings are advertised by default, so your strongest listings should be ready to carry the first weeks of spend.
Confirm you are ready to launch
Open the Etsy Ads dashboard. Once the waiting period has passed, you will see the option to Get started. Hold off until you have chosen a daily budget you can sustain for 30 days and know which listings you want to promote. The next guide covers the launch itself.
Before you move on
- Your shop is past the 15-day waiting period
- You can open Etsy Ads in Shop Manager or the Seller app
- Your Payment account has no amount due
- You know your current maximum daily budget
- You have made a deliberate choice about Offsite Ads, if you are allowed to opt out
Official resources
- How to set up and manage an Etsy Ads campaign
- How Etsy's Offsite Ads work
- Etsy Fees and Payments Policy
- Etsy Advertising and Marketing Policy
Ad platforms update their tools often. This guide was last reviewed against the official documentation above in October 2026. If your screen looks different, the official help pages have the latest steps.
At a glance
- Level
- Beginner
- Time
- About 20 minutes
- What you need
- An open Etsy shop with active listings
- Access to Shop Manager on Etsy.com or the Etsy Seller app
- A Payment account in good standing, with no amount due
- Your shop's total sales for the last 365 days, for Offsite Ads
Rather have it done for you?
Active Digital Marketing builds and manages Etsy Ads for businesses doing $25,000+ a month in revenue.
Apply to work with usOr get an ad account auditWhere DIY setups go wrong
The most common problems with self-built Etsy Ads setups, and what they cost.
Not realizing you are in Offsite Ads
Every shop is enrolled automatically, so some sellers first notice Offsite Ads as a 12% or 15% fee on an order. Check the setting and the Offsite Ads dashboard early.
Letting an amount due build up
An unpaid balance can reduce your maximum daily ad budget, which limits what you can run until it is paid.
Advertising listings before they are ready
Ads add views, not quality. Listings with weak photos or vague titles collect paid clicks that do not turn into orders.
Assuming the $10,000 threshold resets
Once a shop reaches $10,000 in a 365-day period, Offsite Ads is required for the life of the shop, even if sales later drop.
What this guide doesn't cover
Turning on Etsy Ads takes a few clicks. Getting a return from it depends on which listings you promote, how you use search term data, and how ad costs fit your margins once Etsy’s other fees are counted.
For brands selling on Etsy alongside other channels, ADM looks at Etsy Ads and Offsite Ads as part of the full marketing mix rather than in isolation.
- Listing selection by margin and conversion rate
- Search term review to improve titles and tags
- Ad group structure for clean tests
- Offsite Ads fee impact on contribution margin
- Budget planning around seasonal demand
Common questions
Do I need a separate account for Etsy Ads?
No. Etsy Ads runs inside your shop's Shop Manager and bills to your shop's Payment account.
Why can't I start Etsy Ads yet?
New shops have a 15-day waiting period after opening. The Etsy Ads dashboard shows a countdown until you can start.
Can I opt out of Offsite Ads?
Only if your shop has never made $10,000 or more in a 365-day period. After that, participation is required and the fee is 12%.
Are Etsy Ads and Offsite Ads the same thing?
No. Etsy Ads promotes listings on Etsy and charges per click from your daily budget. Offsite Ads promotes listings on other sites and charges a fee only on attributed orders.
Keep learning
How to Start an Etsy Ads Campaign
Launch Etsy Ads step by step: set a starting budget, choose listings, organize ad groups, pick strategies, and read your first 30 days of ad stats.
Read the guideHow to Set an Etsy Ads Budget
How Etsy Ads budgets work: the $1 minimum, your maximum daily budget, how Etsy bids for you, how charges post, and what Offsite Ads fees cost.
Read the guideHow to Create a Meta Ad Account
Set up a Meta business portfolio, create an ad account, add a payment method, and give your team the right access, step by step.
Read the guideHow to Create a Google Ads Account
Step-by-step: sign up for Google Ads without a forced campaign, set billing and time zone, add users, and complete advertiser verification.
Read the guideHow to Create a TikTok Ads Manager Account
Set up TikTok Ads Manager step by step: sign-up, business details, payment method, account approval, Business Center, and team access.
Read the guideRather have it built right the first time?
If your business does $25,000+ a month in revenue, apply and Mitch will review your accounts personally. Earlier than that? An ad account audit gives you a senior-level fix list you can work through yourself.