Double check your "Etsy Search Visibility"

[CryzalisMasksUK]

I Just noticed a warning banner on my shop regarding "Etsy Search Visibility", you may want to double check your "Etsy Search Visibility"

I have never had anything less than blue ticks across the board since they brought it in. So I clicked on the banner to see what could be affecting it.

Seems it was my titles, for some unknown reason, each affected one had a "Colon" after the first few words of the title instead of the comma. I would never use : in my titles and suddenly it has appeared on over 16 of my listings? Which then affected my shop in the search visibility section.

Thanks Etsy!

[SugarTaffySoap]

@CryzalisMasksUK  Welcome to AI. Did you read the August 22, 2025 Seller Handbook article on new titles?

[CryzalisMasksUK]

no, too busy. But will be working on my Etsy shop sometime this week

[OneEyeCatStudio]

And here's a whole discussion  about it ...

https://community.etsy.com/t5/Managing-Your-Shop/Etsy-s-New-AI-TITLE-Tool/m-p/148983747

[Chrysalism]

Interesting- the handbook article has an example image showing a bunch of example titles with colons like 
"Hand Painted Flour Sack Napkins: Denim Blue Painterly Stripes"

As per usual- Etsy's left hand doesn't know what the right is doing.

Also a bit concerning that OP didn't add the colon or use the tool- is it auto-editing titles?

[luxcrafter]

I wonder if the AI is forming the title so the most important (to it) words are up front, and the colon is the approximate break point for a long title when shown under a listing on search. 

Normally this was about 32 or so characters, under the old search image format, and the OPs initial string has the colon at character 32. 

Perhaps this is to show what would be visible as a search result or under a listing image? As in for the OP,

Hand Painted Flour Sack Napkins

[ChillwolfArt]

Oh boy, Thank You for the Heads Up! Do you have that new Title Tool, and did you use it? Or it automatically put the colon in without you having the tool? That's not good, and I'm glad you noticed.
(I don't have this tool. There is one thing Etsy keeps bugging me about on Search Visibility, "get shipping under $6.00"). 

[CryzalisMasksUK]

No I did not use any tool, it just appeared today 

[ChillwolfArt]

Good thing you noticed. Aliens:)

[CryzalisMasksUK]

have not got time for aliens on a good day, wish they just leave me alone. There are only so many days in the week

[CBanningAccessories]

This is the first time Etsy is using these suggestions. It's an AI thing. It seems redundant to list the materials used and how it is made in the title, but I thought, why not try it with a few of my lower-selling scarves and see if their relevance improves. I saved my old titles in an email in case I want to revert to them.
I'm curious to see how these suggested titles will work with existing tags. And, yes, putting a colon in a title was a non-starter, as I recall.

[TBQSC]

"It seems redundant to list the materials used and how it is made in the title"

According to Etsy's new search visibility rules, titles need to be short & simple now ... anything else, including the mention of gifting - how it's made - materials - etc., is a no-no and is to be saved for use within the description - tags - attributes - etc. 

If the new AI tool is putting that extra stuff in the title, then it seems both Etsy & AI have differing opinions on Search Visibility!  It's no wonder why Etsy sellers are more confused than a chameleon in a bag full of Skittles!

[SewJoyfulandBlessed]

more confused than a chameleon in a bag full of Skittles!

Haha!! I'm going to have to remember that one!

[PlatypusDream]

Google doesn't like non-standard characters in the title. 

I guess this is Etsy reflecting that preference, finally.

[MouseGarden]

That's her point, she never used colons, and Etsy is sticking them into her titles.  

Then punishing her for doing it!  Except they did, apparently.

[PlatypusDream]

@MouseGarden 

W in the actual F.

Way to go, AI!

[WoolandWhimsyCompany]

I am so confused by this banner I also received today.  I clicked into where you can change to the recommended titles and the "save" space is grayed out and no where to save the changes.  Anyone have this problem or am I missing something?

[GlitteramaCrafts]

When I looked at the suggestions for new titles on mine earlier, the first few I looked at had colons in them.  I don't use colons and I don't want them in my titles. 

Now I'm frightened to go back in and have a closer look because the original button (if I remember correctly) to look at the suggestions  had 'view listings' on it but now it has 'update titles'.  If I hit update titles, will it automatically update my titles to the ones they are suggesting?  I really don't want to make the mistake and changing all of my titles as I have hundreds of items for sale. 

Can anyone confirm that it's okay to hit that Update Titles button please.

[TBQSC]

I believe hitting that button would in fact update your titles to the new AI version, but I don't really know for sure as my shop has not gotten the new AI tool yet.

[GlitteramaCrafts]

@TBQSC  Thank you so much for that.  I'm going to steer well clear.

I didn't have time to check it out for more than 30 seconds earlier so I was going to go back to have a more in-depth look.

I'm not going anywhere near it now.  Thanks!

[Adorabilities]

@GlitteramaCrafts 

That's what it looked like to me. Even if you just wanted to change one of the titles, it will save all of them as the new AI titles. And nearly all of my listings are on the list. So no way -- backing out too, and hoping just looking at it didn't do anything. (Still haunted by people being signed up for pattern just by looking at the prompt...)

[GlitteramaCrafts]

@Adorabilities  When I hesitated to hit that button it flashed through my mind about times when I'd seen people in the forums saying that they had only wanted to 'look' at something and Etsy had pulled them into something or other without them realising....that stopped me in my tracks. 

I just hope more people have that slight hesitation as well.

[ThePaintedCellarCo]

@GlitteramaCrafts   Yes, if you click on that button, your listings will all be what AI with a colon, feels they should be. I did click on it, am changing the 20 listing titles that were changed back to the way I want them to be. I don't want a colon!! 

[ChillwolfArt]

Why the devil is the stuck on stoopid A.I. throwing in COLONS of all things (rhetorical Q). Makes no sense at all.

ETA: In this Thread, last page, pennyemporium stated the A.I. Tool stuck a colon in her suggested Title as well. And yet, Etsy has recommended commas.
https://community.etsy.com/t5/Managing-Your-Shop/New-Etsy-SEO-Article-about-Shorter-Titles-nothing-n...

[ThePaintedCellarCo]

@ChillwolfArt   It will shorten all your listings, will use a colon after a few words. Ask me how I know!! Because I clicked on the change and save button! Putting the 20 that were changed back the way I want them!