Etsy Messages weird

[MyPorchPrints]

My Etsy messages are being weird. It is showing old messages when somebody makes a recent purchase.

So if somebody messaged me in May and they just purchased something today, their Etsy message bumps to the top. It's very confusing! I can't tell which messages are current and which are old.

New messages are getting bumped down to the bottom. I get dozens of messages every day. This is very difficult to sort through.

Is anyone else experiencing this?

[HouseofWhisperingFir]

Yes, I received a message from Etsy this morning on repeat customer's old message thread (from Aug 2024) that their newest order shipped last week (Sept 2025) had been delivered and I could view tracking!  WTH?

Things are really screwy.

[CanningCrafts]

I've experienced old messages popping to the top, but they are marked as read. Etsy added tracking info to these convos when the order was delivered. So I guess it's a test they are doing where they are sending tracking/delivery updates within the message system? But I've only had this happen a couple of times.

Are you messages BOLD like they were never opened?

[ButterflyFeetDigital]

I had this happen too, maybe a month or so ago. The message was not current, had been replied to - no reason for it to come up to the top. 

[GroundZeroCreations]

It sounds like Etsy had a problem and they had to roll back history or even reload old history due to something being damaged. I hope buyers didn't get a copy of these old messages. Etsy should really have a way for sellers to sort messages by date!

[timelapse]

I would like to roll back history for a few reasons!

[ThePeddlersShed]

Yes, Etsy is now putting shipping info directly into messages...so when you ship an item out, it puts a link in the message that says "order shipped - view tracking" and then also when it is delivered it puts another update "order delivered - view tracking". Not sure if it will send a notification on the customers end that they have a new message, but it doesn't populate as a new message on the sellers end...it just jumps the message to the top since there was "activity" on that message. 

[LythaStudios]

I sell supplies and I have a LOT of repeat buyers.  My Inbox is pretty much useless now with old messages from previous buyers being bumped to the top when they place an order, when their order is delivered, etc.    I can easily see missing real messages with this new "feature" - it is going to hurt customer service, not help it.

[MyPorchPrints]

YES! @admin why has Etsy changed how messages work? I have old messages from years ago popping up. And I sell digitals, so it's non-stop. I keep replying to customers only to find the message is an old one. Then I MISS the new messages which are bumped down. 

[timelapse]

Yep, and I tried to message a seller with a simple question yesterday, and instead of starting a new thread when I hit contact seller, it brought up an old thread we had messaged on a while back to keep continuing it. I am not wanting to continue an old conversation, Etsy!!!

[NanaLetha]

@timelapse  I had the same thing happen in reverse. A seller contacted me about something I just bought from them. Etsy attached it to a 5 year old message I had sent to them!

[timelapse]

This is stupid, nuts, screwy, etc..........

[TBQSC]

You can delete all old messages ... there is no need to keep them because the full conversation stays within the orders anyway.

[ChillwolfArt]

@TBQSC  I always delete my Messages after 1 year, before I open Shop for the current Season.

[ChillwolfArt]

@TBQSC  (Don't know why the Forum is hanging up on me. I have to re-type my Reply).

I delete Messages after 1 year, before I reopen Shop for the Season.

[NanaLetha]

@TBQSC  I had deleted the old message 

[Marbrykers]

Yes, Etsy is messing things up AGAIN! I received 3 orders today after an extremely slow month. I sent my email to my customers and received a real strange reply from one. It showed they sent it on their IPad. Nothing but a LOT of wasted space and no reply to my actual question. Etsy, is again, doing Very Strange things to our shops! I do not like them messing things up!

[CreativeSpiritGlass]

When o when o when will Etsy get its act together???

[HouseofWhisperingFir]

How long is a piece of string???

[timelapse]

I have given up hoping!

[timelapse]

Just had an old message thread pop up wanting new feedback on customer service for a shop I just bought from again. What a flipping mess they have created!!! Come on Etsy, quit screwing with stuff and fix things that need fixed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BoutiqueMonogram]

Yes, this has happened a few times over the last couple of weeks. It looks to be sending an inconsistent shipping update through the messaging system which is wrongly marking it as a new message on our dashboard.  I can only view the shipping message on a desktop, the mobile version is only showing the customer message as if it is new.