I finally figured out what caused a massive dip in sales (maybe you have the same issue)

[SunshineGiftBaskets]

I have been having issues with store traffic being down around 75% the last year or so. I have tried everything to remedy the issue including changing titles, SEO, photos, etc to no avail. I would search for my items on Etsy using different devices and browsers and would not be able to find any of my items. Naturally, I thought either my Shop or all of my items somehow got de-indexed by Etsy, so I reached out to Customer Service for help. Etsy Customer Service reassured me that my store and items were indexed and that everything was fine. I knew after selling on Etsy for 10 years something has been way off and I just wasnt going to give up until I figured it out - which I finally did...

I had all of my items on Auto-Renew. There is a glitch (at least with my store - and maybe with yours) that when the time came for an item to auto renew, it de-indexed the item from Etsy instead of paying the .20 and re-issuing it onto the Etsy store. Even though everything looked right when it renewed and I was charged .20 and the item showed active on the Etsy store (IT WAS NOT!) The remedy??? I had to go and select every item in my store and de-activate them all manually. Then, I selected every item in my store and activated them all manually. As soon as I did this, they all BECAME SEARCHABLE AGAIN! Crazy!!!

I havent seen anyone mention this issue on the forums yet so I am hoping if anyone is stuggling with sales or in a similar situation, that they can check that this exact issue isnt happening to their store. If it is, I hope it helps you fix it moving forward!

[MiowandMolly]

How did you know it was deindexed if it appeared in the store?

[JJewellerySuppliesUK]

@MiowandMolly  When an item is not indexed it will appear in the store but not in search. 

[TBQSC]

"Etsy Customer Service reassured me that my store and items were indexed and that everything was fine."

If CS said you were not de-indexed, why do you think you were? 

If you ever think you are de-indexed, simply perform a search within your own shop, like a buyer does via the search box ... enter item title or a tag word, etc. ... if it is found, you are indexed!

[SunshineGiftBaskets]

Because I could not find my items on Etsy when searching for them.

[BagmakerSupply]

@SunshineGiftBaskets: "Because I could not find my items on Etsy when searching for them." You need to give up on the concept of Etsy site wide search providing the results that you expect. Even exact word matches to your title no longer ensure that you will appear.

To check if a listing is indexed you need to search within your own shop.

[MouseGarden]

I've wondered about this in relation to the app.  It hasn't been showing all items.  Someone said that an item only became visible to a customer when they renewed it.  So it did seem like maybe items needed to be refreshed?  

[SunshineGiftBaskets]

The only thing that worked for me was to de-activate and then re-activate each item.

[CalendulaHandmade]

I haven’t had this problem yet probably because I don’t auto renew. I like to let them expire and wait a week or two to renew and for that I rely on the “Expired” listings category under Listing Status. I did however notice that some of my listings, when I let them expire, disappeared altogether instead of going into the “expired” listings category. I pointed this out to Etsy and nothing came of it so now I know I have to keep a careful eye on each listing as it sits waiting to be renewed. Another glitch in the system I guess.

[LUXEOTIC]

@SunshineGiftBaskets Thank you for sharing this, just wanted to confirm that you are saying just to deactivate and then reactivate the listing and not to "renew", right? As renew will be charged with a fee and the deactivation and reactivation does not.

[SunshineGiftBaskets]

Correct

You are welcome!

Hope it helps others!!!

[CatsWhiskersCurios]

De-activating and re-activating will not prevent you from having to pay a renewal fee when the listing expires. 

[LUXEOTIC]

@SunshineGiftBaskets Thank you for your confirmation, did you deactivate and reactivate the listing immediately or there was a certain time gap between the two?

[senartlondon]

thank you for sharing

I have been having issues with my store traffic dropping by about 85% for the past year. I have tried everything to fix the problem including changing titles, SEO, photos, etc. but to no avail.

My sales are at rock bottom and I am trying to relist every day. I hope it works to me

[Elleandtribegifts]

Same. Absolutely nothing is helping. No matter what I do. 

[ReplacementHardware]

Well, this Shop is now on the 'dead' list, {I have another shop also{, which happened rather quickly so Maybe this would work to get a 'refresh' of sorts. 

Something is Definitely off, and I don't think it's Just the economy, rumors.... and such, as last year my other shop Suddenly died. Nothing worked to bring it back, until I asked for help {the Greatest people on these boards!}, and changed things big time...

Very, very strange goings on the past month or so......... I so wish my 'crystal ball' wasn't in the shop for repairs.....lol

[Former_Member]

Sad Etsy does never helps with technical issues!

[JJewellerySuppliesUK]

The way to check if your items are indexed is to do a search within your own shop.  If the items are returned in that search then they are indexed. 

[SunshineGiftBaskets]

Everyone on the forums will say this but this was not the case for me. I could search for my items and "find them" through my store search but they were not coming up on any kind of Etsy search. 

The only way I could get them to come up on Etsy search was to de-activate and then re-activate them. After doing this, like magic, I could find them all using Etsy search again.

[LUXEOTIC]

@SunshineGiftBaskets Did you deactivate and reactivate the listing at the same time or there was a time gap in between?

[BluSkyDreams]

I do not use Auto Renew on my listings and my customer still had trouble seeing my whole store of necklaces recently (twice it happened to her), I refresh my necklaces often, typically before the 4 months time in order to review, reprice or renew.  There definitely have been glitches which I nor my customer have any control over.

[ArtCreationsShop2025]

It is getting to be a real hassle on Etsy at the moment. However as I have said on my other comment on another thread. Low views/low sales are to do with the fact Etsy do not rotate items, its always the same top sellers at the top. Then there are world events, elections, threat of war or financial collapse, food and energy prices rising so people are being careful with their money. Then you have Temu who is taking all the sales as people want cheap gifts. So I don't think it will make much difference what you do to your shop, sales are going to be low. Asking CS is not going to help as they will not tell you the truth. They just say "everything is fine" as does Ebay when you ask them about their site.