Browsing in categories gone?

[BlackStoneware]

Hi, I noticed that I can not search for something in particular category any more. For example - if I am looking for a pottery bowl in "serving bowls" I can not find that category, only available is Home favorites / Kitchen & Dining and that is all. It is the same if using Mozzila or Chroma.

Any suggestion? 

[BlackStoneware]

anyone?

[Vintorious]

Are you using the "categories" menu at the top left? I had no problem drilling down to the "bowls" category.

[BlackStoneware]

Hi, I do not see those categories any more I do not know what to do, I am soooo unhappy!

[MeerkatsManor · Accepted solution]

I just learned yesterday where it was moved to. Very top of page on the left, three bars right next to "etsy." I can't imagine how long it will take everyone to discover this.

[BlackStoneware]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! mistery is gone!

[ElizabethRosenArt]

I see where categories are- but I can no longer search within a category. For instance, if I am shopping for handmade beads, I can no longer drill it down to craft supplies/jewelry making. I now have to wade through EVERYTHING that has handmade beads to find what I am looking for. x5 amount of effort. This is SO BAD and time consuming. 

[antiqueprintstore]

me too! i need to search within the category - this is ridiculous! i really REALLY hope they adjust this.

[JMOldeVintage]

I'll add a few cautionary notes here. If you use the Categories link that is now to the left of the search bar on Etsy's home page, use it and then continue clicking on any photo links that come up to narrow down your search. Though this may or may not get you where you want to go.

If there are no further photo links or they don't offer what you want, Do Not type anything into the search bar. Doing this will take you off into another dimension. Instead, go to the "Filters" link. Even though you have not typed a single word into the search bar, the Filters should now be active. Now whether the filters are just the basic "physical/digital/all", "free shipping", "price" etal. or they are more expansive depends on your search term. 

Personally I have only found this new way to search "break-even" for only my (usual) most generic search term. I can still get down to "vintage gardening tool". But the minute I decide to use a more specific term - "seed sower", "hedge shears", "sprayer", etc. - I can't narrow down to "gardening tools" in the filters & would need to wade thru seed packets, seed beads, pinking shears, hair trimmers, faucets, jewelry..... I don't have the energy. 

[JDTotesnDolls]

I never bother with categories as that is only for browsing which is not optimum when searching for something in particular.  I only use the textbox.  I will filter then if needed. 

If using categories to limit you may lose items that are perfect but not listed in that category.  That is why to me categories are only for browsing and the textbox for searching for an item.  

[JMOldeVintage]

@JDTotesnDolls  - Well, using the text box is what I used to do. I could then filter the results down to "Gardening Tools" whether I'd entered my generic search term or more specific ones like I mentioned above.

If you're up to a challenge, enter "vintage seed sower" into the text box. My 292 results can only be pared down to 287 by opting to check off "physical items". The option to use the other filters that normally would drill me down to "gardening tools" is no longer there.

Those 287 results include way too many books, seed beads, Precious Moments figurines, seed packets, etc. I only want to see the tools - real seed sowers. 

And the sower search term gives low results. Some are over 800+, others 500+. Maybe some buyers have all the patience in the world to browse thru the irrelevant or actually "not what you want to see results". I don't & since there is now no way for me to filter down to the rusty stuff I'm interested in, my browsing here greatly reduced. 

[pHBalancedPainting]

If sellers can't navigate the categories, customers can't either.   I've said it before, it's very clear that staff at Etsy aren't using their own applications and site as the issues with navigation would be immediately apparent and critical to address for the future of the platform