It might be tempting to put multiple products into the same listing on Etsy to save on Etsy fees. But is that a good idea? Let's look at the pros and cons of placing multiple items in one listing on Etsy.
Benefits of multiple items in one listing
The biggest reason putting multiple items in one listing on Etsy helps sellers is because you lower your listing fees.
Etsy charges $0.20 for each new listing on the platform. And while for many sellers, it doesn't sound like much, it can add up for new sellers who aren't profitable yet.
How do I list multiple items on one Etsy listing?
If you decide to include multiple products in one listing, you can do that by using variations to allow buyers to select which product they want.
You'll often find sellers do this when offering different phrases or designs on the same product.
You can see this seller below using their variations to offer many different designs on a wine glass.
Drawbacks to having multiple items in one listing
Unfortunately, it's not always a good idea to include multiple products in a single listing on Etsy. Doing this can make it harder to have full product lines in your store and can also cause some confusion and decision fatigue among buyers.
What to do instead
Most Etsy sellers should not be using one listing for multiple products. So how do you list all of your products easily? Let's talk about that next.
Create multiple listings
Creating multiple listings for your products helps your shop to have full product lines and get found in Etsy searches more often. As an Etsy seller, this should be your goal because they have millions of buyers, and optimizing your shop for the traffic that is already on the platform is the easiest way to get consistent sales.
As you create more and more listings, organize them by using your shop sections. You can use up to 20 sections that will appear on the left-hand side of your shop for buyers shopping on a computer and in a drop-down menu for app buyers.
Save time by copying listings and editing as needed.
Offer Variations
You can still use variations in your shop, even if you are including multiple items in one listing on Etsy. Use variations for simple choices like size and color.
How many variations can you have on one listing?
One of the reasons that having multiple items in a single listing can confuse buyers is that you can only have 2 variations in each listing.
If you're trying to have buyers select from too many options, the listing variations can be overcrowded leading to confusion and decision fatigue.
If you're struggling to fit all of your product options into your listing with only two variations, that might be your sign to create more than one listing instead.
How to add variations to a listing
To add variations to your listings, click the Variations section at the top of your listing. This will take you to the right section of your listing quickly.
From there, click “+ Add variations.” Etsy will bring up variation options for your product depending on what category you've listed it in.
If none of those apply, you can also create your own custom variation category.
Frequently asked questions:
Does this work with digital products?
You can't currently add variations to instant download products, so you will need to create separate listings for each product or include all of your products in the listing for the buyer to download.
Can I have only one listing in my shop?
It's very hard to get found in searches on Etsy with only one listing. While there's no magic number of listings needed to get traffic, you'll want at least a page or two at minimum. Most sellers need many more than that to get traffic and sales.
My products are almost the same. Do I need to change my description?
If you're creating a lot of listings for products that aren't very different, you can keep your description mostly the same.
Because the first few sentences of your description are part of the Etsy search algorithm, you can change those to help your SEO and leave the rest of the description the same.
How can I manage inventory?
Managing inventory can be an issue when using the same raw goods and supplies in multiple listings.
You can use a paper spreadsheet to track inventory or use an automate program that integrates with your shop like Trunk or CraftyBase.
Conclusion: Is it better to have variations or separate listings on Etsy?
For most sellers, it's better to use separate listings for each product to help you get found in Etsy search more often.
To tell if buyers are looking for your specific items, enter a word into the search bar on Etsy. If keywords pop up that are very descriptive of the variation that you're listing, you will want to create a new listing instead of using variations.
Don't forget that taking advantage of the Etsy search algorithm should be your number one priority to get customers quickly from the platform.
2 Responses
Hi Sarrah
What AI you use for content writing fast to etsy.
what is the quickest way to list 1077 products, do you know anyone would do it for me ad if so how much? (the amount of work I should put into listing that amount is owewhelming, I cant even start, just learning about it could take so much time.)
yes, I have niche, yes I saw what chat gpt can do but its still too much work for one person while same time need to pay bill from a job.
I recommend doing it manually because most listings will look very similar as far as your description. I teach how to do your descriptions and your tags and titles in my membership in a way that makes it WAY less overwhelming! You should join us! You can more more about it in my free masterclass – https://sarahjwaggoner.com/freeclass/