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[#1]

For some time, we’ve heard from our community that our categories could be clearer. Previously, categorization was based on many different concepts, including what an item is, who it is for, and what it is made of. That made it tricky for sellers to pick the right categories for items – and for buyers to find them.

Over the past year, we’ve been working with Etsy buyers and sellers to better understand how searching for products on Etsy can be improved. Based on their feedback, we have updated our listing categories to ensure there is a logical place for every unique item on the site. The new categories take effect today. You can check out the new categories by searching for an item, adding a new listing or editing an existing listing.

To go over these changes and what they mean for your shop, we will be hosting an Online Lab on Wednesday, February 25 at 11 a.m. (ET). We’ll also be answering your questions during the workshop.

In the meantime, we encourage you to check out the category changes and learn more about them in this Forums thread http://etsy.me/1Aivcfz and FAQ http://etsy.me/FAQ3280.

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Subject: Exploring the New Listing Categories
When: Wednesday, February 25 @ 11 a.m. (ET)
Where: http://etsy.me/labs225
Who: Etsy Admin, and YOU!

To Participate: For those of you who get a chance to take a look at these new categories, let us know if you have any questions, thoughts, or advice that you’d like to share. We will be highlighting as many comments as time allows during the live session on Wednesday.

When posting, keep in mind that this team is dedicated to sharing small business advice in a supportive environment. Please do not share social media links, Treasuries, new item listings, calls for entries or submissions in team discussions, unless you are sharing or asking for small business advice. Thank you!
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There are no sign ups or automatic reminders for this session so please be sure to set your own reminder. If you are unable to attend, we will be posting an archived version of the video in this thread the day after the live session. Please note that if you would like to participate in the live chat, it is only available during the live session.

[FoxandRavenJewelry]

Hi-- the new categories are an improvement but I'm still seeing some issues in the jewelry categorization.
First. the "beaded" category in jewelry seemed designed for beaders, with no real way to distinguish gemstone strands from glass beadwork-- that seems an important difference to me (and I noticed, since I have some of both, that when my items were provisionally put into categories, my gemstone strand necklaces & bracelets were left uncategorized while my seed bead pieces were put under "beaded," so it does look like there is simply a missing category). I'd like to see gemstone strand as a category (or just single strand, as opposed to the multi-strand option that is there).

Similarly, I have several waterfall (or cascade or fringe) style necklaces-- they don't quite fit under "bib" (that's something rather different), but there is no category for them (even though there are other very specific categories, like "tassel")-- this seems like an oversight. Major types shouldn't be left without a suitable category. Can we add one for this?

Finally, it would be nice to have the option of clicking 2 categories for those items that cross over and fit more than one (not uncommon-- for instance, a multi-strand piece with a pendant).

Thanks!

[FoxandRavenJewelry]

Oh, and one other thing that just caught my attention-- the move to keep the categories just about style is great, but the "crystal" category in necklaces seems contrary to this-- this is a material, not a style.

[FreshRetroGallery]

Thanks, I look forward to exploring the changes and learning more with your lab and links in this post.

[Former_Member]

Is that 8am PST?

[FoxandRavenJewelry]

OH, and a BUG-- I have 5 items that the new listing manager shows as "no section"-- but when I look at them each and every one has been assigned a section. So I guess they are currently invisible. How do I fix this?

[Former_Member]

1.) Please bring back the Paintings/Abstract section.
Few of my customers have ever found me under "acrylics". They look for abstracts. But now, my product are dumped in the acrylic category instead.

2.) Please solve the ongoing print vs original problem with categories. Not all buyers are savy to the fact that canvas prints called giclees are not original art. More importantly, these cheaper print items unfairly take primary positions on the painting category pages and bump original art to later pages.

Right now, 7,571 results with the word "giclee" and 138 results with the word (misspelled) "glicee" still file their print items under painting, instead of under the clear category: "print/giclee". Please notify those shop owners that they cannot sell glicee prints in the painting category. (Hand textured glicee prints, however, are a gray area between print and original, and could probably go under the painting category, since they do at least have some handmade element to them.) Thank you.

[Former_Member]

Thank you for sharing I can't wait to learn more in the Etsy lab.

[Former_Member]

I don't see anything referencing glass; stained glass; fused glass; sun catchers. Basically my whole shop.

[CherryPrairie]

Bathroom hand towels are completely missing.
.
Bath towels (which are much larger than hand towels) are here:
Home and Living > bathroom > bath towels > hooded towels

Washcloths (are in a different category) here:
Bath and Beauty > bath accessories > washcloths

Why not bathroom towels (which would encompass all sizes) instead of bath towels (which are only the larger towel)??

We need somewhere to put vintage embroidered bathroom hand towels. (These aren't kitchen towels or tea towels. They are guest towels sets specifically for the bathroom) .

[Former_Member]

Our handcrafted Packaging (boxes and bags) and Labels don't seem to have a good location. They tend to get buried in the category and we're just not getting found. When Etsy people find us, they are relieved and excited since our prices are really affordable and all our packaging is hand-crafted and from natural organic plant fiber or recycled (compostable and biodegradeable). A top-level category for Packaging would be awesome...

[Former_Member]

I realize that change happens everywhere and it is intended to help us, but these new limited categories are not helpful to my shop. The only place to list my items is under Home Decor with the ultimate options Stockings or Ornaments - I can't list Halloween under Stockings or Ornaments....I would like to have the categories Miniatures and Holidays/Seasonal back. Please.

[SEWINGtheABCs]

I would really like to search for pillowcases and not see a thousand pillowcase dresses. If i am looking for those I would search for those you know. Also I noticed at the bottom of the search they listed shops with pillowcases as well, but only if the name pillowcase is in the shop name. If you sell a lot of pillowcases, why wouldn't your shop come up on the list. Where would you be able to list that? I have a shop section Pillowcases and Pillows.

[KinkyGoodsByMandee]

I am also unhappy with some of the new categories. My shop carries adult themed products for alternative lifestyles and there is ABSOLUTELY no where to categorize most of them.

I have some beautiful brocade restraints that I have listed under "wedding lingerie" but other implements such as paddles/floggers don't make sense in the lingerie section be it wedding or general clothing.

My suggestion since the goal of this change was to get most products under some sort of an umbrella would be to add an "Adult" section or "Alternative Lifestyles" section with subcategories such as: "Fetish", , "Implements", "Clothing" with subsets such as:"Leather", "PVC/Vinyl", "Lingerie".

An example of how I just listed a flogger was: Accessories --> Costume Accessories --> Costume Weapons.

To me that is not an acceptable representation of my item, but it's unfortunately what I have to work with.

Looking forward to a few more categories being added to accommodate all of us who have items (adult or not) that no longer have a designated main category.

[Former_Member]

I took a look at the new categories. I was disappointed to find that Taxidermy only has one category, home and furnishings. I think a lot of people collect Taxidermy and it should be able to be listed under arts and collectables as well.

[MistyLaneJewelry]

I have reviewed the categories with the new revisions. There are some gaps where certain products have no category that works. Is this a done deal or is there a possibility that changes will be possible at some point?

[Former_Member]

Hey there, I'm glad you are doing this. Question: Online Lab on Wednesday, February 25 at 11 a.m.be recorded. That day is my 37 anniversary and I won't be able to attend but I want to see the results?
Kate (who doesn't look like a flamingo with a mustache)

[ZamarutJewel]

The categories have made life so much easier and i am noticing a sudden increase in views because up until now,the items were not so clearly categorized. I also feel that when people type something in search engines they are specific about what they want to purchase.Just like,if i am looking for a stone ring or a bangle bracelet,that's what i will type in the search engine and not just rings or bracelets.
Good job Etsy!!

[Former_Member]

Hi :) Yes, the new categories seem to be helping out and I expect over the next few weeks I will get up to speed on all of them.

In my line of work I do need a section that isn't Aromatherapy or Food to be able to correctly categorise Essence Therapy (I suppose people who offer Homeopathics will have the same need).

These things aren't aromatic and they aren't food or bath 'stuffs' ;) so they'll need a separate listing perhaps under 'Home & Living' as a Well-being and Remedies heading?

I have a Shop Section called Aromatherapy & Remedies to be able to categorise the Bach Flower Essences and other blends of essences, but a Well-being heading in Home & Living would be better than being under 'Bath & Beauty'...For the moment I've just stuck them under Home & Living - .. Spirituality & Religion...which kinda irks me a bit, but I'll leave them there for a while and see what happens.

Most of the time customers find out I do essences and are thrilled, but say it was difficult to find out that I made & sold them.

Thanks for all the work so far and looking forward to more changes for the better :)

[Former_Member]

Is there anything afoot to get sub headings on our Shop Sections too?
Like 'Mother & Baby' then - Bath - Remedies - Aromatherapy etc?
or 'Mens' - Shaving - Bath/Shower - Skincare

[Former_Member]

I think this is a big improvement and I can't wait to see how it will improve even more over time. :)

I noticed in my other shop that I have had for 5 years, that it is important to take a look at each listing to see so that everything looks correct in the categories and how it is placed since it happens automatically.

[SimplyMarvelousMary]

I must say that the antiques, vintage and collectible sections are really really hard to find !!!! Where do post cards go? or paper items? I have at least 60 of them on that were under 1910 and then nothing..........

Antique and vintage items and dealers really need more help with these. Not a fuddy duddy :) not willing to change but this is very challenging
Thank you!

[nauli]

We just started to adjust the categories of our products and are not very happy about the changes.
Photo Albums go to either wedding (like before) or "Craft Supplies & Tools" which is non sense for most of our albums. As not all our photo albums are meant to be wedding albums, but they can be baby albums, family albums, travel albums, yes, just photo albums, we think, they'd get totally lost in search if someone really goes via the categories.

[nowvintage]

The categories looked like a big improvement. But so far not at all the result. I have gone from 2-4 sales a day to two since the change..sales just dropped!
what do you think is happening?

[nowvintage]

that would be two in what five days?

[nowvintage]

Now I see why!!! I just went to search for dress, and on the side bar there was no search for VINTAGE!!!!
I may as well start looking for a platform that is not trying to get rid of their vintage market right now.