Etsy does not detect "collages" very well

[#1]

I use a consistent pattern for my listings for coins which place the front and back (what us coin nerds call the "obverse" and "reverse") side by side on photos. Since Etsy has gone all square in their image formats, I use black bars at the top and bottom of the image to stretch this to something that is at minimum presentable.

In the new view today for customer service standards, Etsy identified 45 of my listings as "collages". For example:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1708636616/1933-lincoln-wheat-cent-higher-grade

is a "collage", but 400+ other listings using the same format were not detected as collages.

I also have a bestseller listing which is tagged as a "collage" which is concerning.

I legitimately have some "collage" type photos for supplies which I can individually photograph and list, but even amongst those collages, not all of them are detected.

I'm hoping Etsy can dive into this. Using text on images has never been banned from my knowledge, though I know it can affect offsite ads due to Google policies. I like to keep this format because it's useful for my store in identifying small features on a coin which dictate importance which are quickly represented as text on the image.

[PieceByNumberQuilts]

It would be interesting to know how Etsy defines "collage".  Is it any image with superimposed text?  None of my 5 flagged "collages" did (except for the very discreet watermarks which are on all my images).  Or is it when there are multiples of the same item are included in the one image?  Or other considerations I'm not thinking of?  The bots missed a bunch of other listings which I'd formatted in exactly the same way, so I don't understand.

I  digitally revised one of the flagged collages to make it look like all four quilt blocks (which previously had been four squares on a white background) are actually sewn together into one little quilt - Etsy seemed to like that OK.  

But seeing OP's collage of the 2 sides of the penny makes me wonder if this strategy will be successful, since it really looks like there could be two different pennies in that one image.  What is it that makes it a collage in the eyes of Etsy's bots - the text?

[ZehOriginalArt]

I noticed this on one of my listings of a set of two prints. Since it is both prints together, I must show it as two, but Etsy bots are classifying it as a collage. Can't really do a thing about it other than not offer the prints as a set. Another set of prints was not flagged as a collage. Go figure.

[cindylouwho2]

Note that Etsy has been applying the image quality criteria for quite some time, so if your items are selling well, you have nothing to worry about. 

[YouLookAmazing]

Cindylou, I'm hating Etsy more and more every year, but am sticking around because I still know how to make money here. But whenever I take a look at the Seller Forums, I know to always stop at your posts for a voice of reason. And you just calmed me! 

[cindylouwho2]

@YouLookAmazing whew, that makes me feel good! I was worried that no one was listening.

I just got the investor email for this blog post: https://www.etsy.com/news/evolving-search-and-discovery-to-bring-buyers-the-best-of-etsy which explains that Etsy has been using these criteria for a while this year, and even had data on them. "Since we started incorporating these attributes into search, we’ve seen an increase in the number of 4 and 5 star reviews sitewide, while also seeing a decline in the rate at which buyers request refunds – both of which indicate shoppers are happier with their experiences on Etsy. 1"

[GoodNiteGracie]

CindyLou,

This comment makes me curious. I normally sell quite a few Yarn Bowls and always show all 4 sides in the 1st photo (collage). Over the past month or so, I haven't sold any (which is odd). I've changed a few 1st pictures now to just one view and made the collage the 2nd picture. I will see if this makes a difference.

I wish they wouldn't screw around with things that have been working just fine!

TY for this info.

Gracie

[TheBlackLotusVintage]

This whole thing has made me sick! I had 177 detected collages- and the rest of the 300+ items are totally fine even though they have the same type of photos! I have gone in and "fixed" all but 75 of them this evening and basically butchered all the hard work I have put into having a cohesive, pleasant looking shop. I sell one of a kind vintage clothing and having a front/back, or a front/detail/label preview image is imperative! Such as this one- if I only have a single front image who is going to be interested w/o seeing that back? I am livid! https://theblacklotusvintage.etsy.com/listing/1757929004

[Adorabilities]

I think your "collage" photos look great, and I wouldn't be changing them. Especially if that means you exchange them with a photo in portrait mode, which Etsy doesn't advise either.

[GlassyFields]

took a look at the photo in the link you sent ... yeah ... that looks great to me.

I have collage photos ... and show a 4-16 items in a grid ... I think most of those got flagged.

I changed the ones that had 0 visits (some had 70+ visits in the last 3 months ... I didn't want to touch those). And this morning they show up as needing a more specific category. Starting to feel like wack-a-mole.

[weekendjewelry1]

BlackLotus, I think your photos are great! Clean, uncluttered, definitely not "collage" pics. And they show the items for sale clearly enough to makie me want to click through and see more.  Isn't that the point of the first pic?  

You should be proud of those! (Also you've got some fabulous items - just a quick look makes me want to dress up, and I never do that!)

[TheBlackLotusVintage]

you are very sweet, Thank you! This is all so frustrating!

[JustMeToo]

Only one of my sets of 2 1/2 inch charm packs of 100 is being called a collage.  I have others (exactly the same) that weren't mentioned.  It's really too bad they never test their new "great" ideas before launching them.  There are always problems.

[GlassyFields]

Same thing here ... I have quite a few listings where I show a collage with the items available. Etsy's announcement said that they might not show up well in searches. I started going through the flagged listings and many of them had many views and sales. I did update some with 0 or 1 views as kind of a test. 

I had read some time ago that Google didn't like listings with collages but I was kind of trying to avoid the Off Site ad fees anyway so making my images less desirable to Google didn't bother me. Maybe it does bother Etsy though.

[hjmArtGallery]

i have many sets of prints for sale and only one set is marked as a collage??? Collage of what? Something is really wrong with their tools. 

[CoraPearlDesign]

@hjmArtGallery wholeheartedly agree - i sell sets of gift tags and only 1 was marked as a collage , i did think exactly the same as you '' collage of what ? ''  it's absolutely ridiculous ! I am not going in to change photos of something that sells well either. 

[hjmArtGallery]

I am not changing anything either. 

[AnnaleasFinest]

I have 2 collages and indeed, the sides are being cut off, and I will cull one item altogether, and the other is fixed with a less than stellar photo.

@BisonNumismatics 

the listing you gave with the Lincoln coin will benefit from a new "layout".

I would show front side and backside smaller, so they both appear in the square thumbnail, OR, just the front.

[AmoreTreasure]

Well like a dope I went through and modified 100+ listings to move the collage photo to the second spot.  THEN I realized that they had flagged half or less of the listings that actually have collage photos as the first photo.  Wondering if anyone has cracked the code for why some collages are recognized as collages and some are not?

[retrospectrovintage]

Today I also discovered that more than 100 of my listings are considered as having collages for thumbnails and therefore might have limited visibility. I sell vintage clothing and accessories, and for many items use a combo of two pics of the same item with one being more of a closeup. Not sure what to think about this novelty, should I change all of the thumbnails, or just ignore the exclamation marks saying that there are issues. And, as many of you stated, not all of my "collages" have this issue, just some appear to be picked out.

[BeehausVintage]

Same. It's ridiculous because they're clothes. Y'know, that are intended to be placed on human beings, a famously bipedal species of mammal. Therefore, clothes need to be shot in portrait format. If they need to be displayed in a 1:1 box, the options are: (a) tons of negative space and a barely visible garment, (b) a cropped picture that cuts out half the garment, or (c) a so-called collage.

I'm really not sure whether Etsy just treats vintage sellers as an afterthought or is actively trying to push us off the platform. My partner works at DearGolden--a trailblazer here back in the day--and they've almost totally abandoned Etsy and run almost everything out of their own website now. Wish I could afford to do the same. 

Also, sveika!

[AmoreTreasure]

Can anyone point me to where Etsy says that having a collage as the first photo negatively impacts search placement?  I've just spent a ridiculous amount of time on Etsy chat and they keep telling me that it is "just a suggestion" based on market research and will not say whether or not a collage in the first position of search is actually taken into account by the search algorithm.  (I get it, the people that answer chat often don't know what they're talking about. Thus the question if Etsy actually says anywhere that search placement is impacted.)

[PsychedelicPinup]

 @AmoreTreasure  if you have the new '' Search visibility'' in your shop it says ''factors that risk lowering visibility''  and one of the boxes is ''replace photo collage''. So Etsy themselves are implying that using collage is lowering visibility but they haven't specifically said what they consider collage, if Etsy themselves are lowering those items or they just think buyers don't like those listings. As usual its all very vague.

[AmoreTreasure]

@PsychedelicPinupI saw the "factors that risk lowering visibility'' blurb on the new "Etsy Search Visibility" screen.  I'm not seeing anywhere else though that collage as first photos is used as a factor in search placement in Etsy help and the guy on Etsy chat seemed to be pushing that it was "just a suggestion".  Etsy really needs to clarify this!  (And fix the bot that can't seem to identify first photo collages at all accurately.)

 

[cindylouwho2]

@AmoreTreasure "Can anyone point me to where Etsy says that having a collage as the first photo negatively impacts search placement?" I doubt it is baked into the algorithm (but I will get around to testing it eventually). 

I suspect it is more of a conversion rate issue. People want a large clear image they can see on mobile, where about 2/3 of sales now take place. Actual collages may get fewer clicks. 

[GlassyFields]

@BisonNumismatics

I took a look at the photo you provided a link to ... wow ... lots of visits. I'd leave it alone.

Not sure why this didn't nest correctly. Sigh.