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UPDATED 8/29 - Updates Coming to Etsy Teams – What You Need to Know
Hi there! My name is Abby. I work on Etsy’s Community Team. Our team is here to support our sellers, connect with one another, and thrive on Etsy.
Speaking of connection—let’s talk about Teams. Etsy Teams are spaces where sellers come together to share, support, and grow—both online and off. But we’ve heard from many of you that the current Teams experience can be hard to navigate and doesn’t meet your needs. That’s why, starting in September, we’re introducing a new interface and rolling out updates to make it easier to find, join, and engage with vibrant, supportive Teams. These changes are shaped by feedback from seller community leaders around the world.
What’s new and evolving
We'll be introducing a reimagined Teams experience—designed to be more collaborative, and user-friendly. Whether you're joining a local community, diving into a specific category, or connecting around shared goals, the new Teams space will make it easier to find the right group and engage in meaningful ways.
Here’s what you can expect:
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Smarter navigation to help you discover active, supportive Teams by location, category, or topic.
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Richer ways to engage, with the ability to share images, videos, and links in posts, plus more ways to interact with content.
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Built-in tools for connection and education, from hosting and attending virtual events to organizing in-person meetups.
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Enhanced tools for Team Captains to manage their Teams and communicate more efficiently with members.
In September, we’ll be introducing a few updates to our existing Teams Policies to support a stronger Teams’ experience. As part of this update, Team Captains will be asked to sign an agreement to follow the revised guidelines. Here’s what’s changing:
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Naming your Team for visibility: To help sellers find and join relevant communities, all Teams should follow a clear and searchable naming format. Team names should reflect the Team’s focus (e.g., location, category, or shared topic) and include specific keywords sellers might search for. Some examples include Photography for New Sellers, California Ceramicists, or Women Jewelry Designers. Team names are subject to final approval by Etsy.
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Choosing your Team’s Focus Areas: As part of the relaunch, we’re asking all Teams to identify their primary focus areas to help sellers discover communities that match their interests. Your Team may align with more than one area—and that’s great! For example, New York City Vintage Sellers could fall under both location-based and category-based Teams. The updated focus areas are:
- Location-Based Teams for sellers within a specific geographic area (city, state, region, country). This helps facilitate sharing local information as well as in person connections and events.
- Category-Based Teams for sellers within a specific product category (e.g., jewelry, ceramics, vintage). This allows for specialized discussions and advice related to that category.
- Topic-Based Teams for specific selling-related topics or seller traits that unites a group (e.g., marketing enthusiast, shipping pros, senior sellers). This encourages focused discussions and learning around that particular skill or topic.
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Staying Active and Connected: Teams are expected to post at least twice per month and grow to at least 10 members within the first 3 months of relaunch. These participation guidelines are meant to keep teams active and valuable to members—not to penalize. If a Team isn’t meeting these standards, we’ll send a clear notice and work with the Team Captain to resolve the issue or consider deactivation.
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Changes to Promotional Threads: We’re winding down promotional activities, including but not limited to “favorite-for-favorite” threads and “buy from the shop above you” games. These practices do not improve your search placement. Moving forward, sellers can still share listings in Teams—but only in the context of feedback or educational discussions.
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Next Steps for Team Captains: all existing and prospective Etsy Team Captains will need to apply to establish a team. Read on to learn more about the process.
Action for Team Captains: Application Required
To improve the experience in the new interface and ensure Team Captains follow updated guidelines, we will be deactivating existing Teams by September 1. Captains who wish to continue to run their Team will need to submit an application for consideration.
The new team space will be available in September, and we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to get access earlier. Please submit your application here if:
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You’re an active Team Captain who wants to continue leading your Team
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You’re an inactive Team Captain who wants to restart your Team
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You lead a Team on another platform and want to bring it to the new interface
What happens if you don't apply before your Team is deactivated? Don’t worry–you can submit your application any time to start a Team. We’ll continue to review applications on an ongoing and rolling basis. Once you submit the application someone from Etsy will contact the Team Captain directly to advise of any next steps.
We’re committed to building the best possible experience. If you have thoughts or suggestions, please share them using our feedback form.
Thank you for everything you do to strengthen the Etsy community. We're excited to take this next step with you!
– Abby
Community & Advocacy | Etsy
Admin
AbbyLovesArt
Hi everyone! We’re so excited about the new Etsy Teams experience, which will start rolling out very soon.
Today our team is sharing details around our new Community Hub launch happening in October, and the revamped Teams experience that will be a part of it. See the update here.
A huge thank you to all the Captains who’ve already applied and shared feedback. This new space is designed to make it easier than ever to find, join, and participate in vibrant, supportive Teams—and we can’t wait to see the incredible connections and collaborations it will inspire!
Teams have been a part of the fabric at Etsy for years, and they would not be possible without your contributions. Peer to peer learning and connection is so special, we can’t wait to welcome your Teams to the new Community Hub!
AbbyLovesArt
Hi everyone!
Abby here - I want to share an update regarding timing for the upcoming changes to Etsy Teams.
As I mentioned earlier this month, we’re thrilled to be investing in a new interface for Etsy Teams, and will soon roll out updates to make it easier to find, join, and engage with vibrant, supportive Teams.
We understand September is soon, and hear your feedback around needing more time to prep. We’re happy to share that we are extending the application for Captains to indicate that they’d like to bring their Team to the new interface.
As a reminder, Captains who wish to continue to run their Team will need to submit an application for consideration. Please submit your application here if:
With this in mind, the new Team’s experience will roll out in October–this means the current Team experience will remain available until then. We hope this shift allows Captains more time to prep, setting the stage for an even more vibrant Teams community!
A heartfelt thank you to all the Captains who have already submitted their applications! If you’d like to continue leading your Team and haven’t applied yet, please submit an application here.
We can’t wait to share this refreshed Teams experience with you and see the incredible connections and collaborations it will spark.