OMG ETSY!!! Fix the frickin' thumbnail adjustment!! PLEASE!!!!

[SewlyButtons]

You would think after YEARS of not working correctly there might be at least one coder who could FIX the frickin' thumbnail.

Just when I think it can't get worse.... it gets WORSE. Now, there's a red circle with a diagonal slash through it when I try to click on "apply" for my thumbnail adjustment.  The definition of that red circle with a slash is:
A red circle with a diagonal line through it universally signifies "no" or "prohibited," meaning that a specific action is not allowed or is forbidden

Seriously? Prohibited?  Not allowed???  Forbidden??? 

BUT...   maybe someone is working on it??  In frustration I saved my listing as a draft. Just now opened it back up to edit and the thumbnail has been adjusted. So yes, I clicked on "done". Could NOT click on "apply" as apparently that was a big no-no. The listing did NOT reflect my adjustment which is why I saved it as a draft. Then when I reopened it... lo and behold... the thumbnail had been adjusted.

So is this going to be the new process... or the "fix"???  MORE clicks to get a thumbnail adjusted???

[PlatypusDream]

Yeah, I just saw my item in search results while looking for something else. 

I adjusted the photo on that listing MONTHS ago, and now it's not zoomed in search. Now something I thought was fine involves more f@#$ing around and taking photos.

Grrrrr!

[SewlyButtons]

@PlatypusDream 
Laugh... Cry... or have a DRINK!
** sigh **

[timelapse]

@SewlyButtons - Hey, it hasn't worked for years...why start now?! 

It's Friday night, so I say wine and chocolate would make for a good fix!

[SewlyButtons]

@timelapse 
Wine and chocolate sounds good... with a scotch on the rocks chaser!

[timelapse]

@SewlyButtons - oh yeah...one of my favs too!

[PrairiePrimitives]

@PlatypusDream Last I heard (in 2024?) from Lawrence was that we shouldn't use the thumbnail adjustment tool. So I haven't been using it. 

@FancyTogs Is it still broken?

[FancyTogs]

@PrairiePrimitives 

They changed the thumbnail adjustment tool from 5:4 to square about 6 months ago, but they also introduced new problems.

There have been big problems with the zoom area positioning jumping around randomly, and then the edit not saving.

Now this problem (red circle).

It is unfit for purpose.

Lawrence (Clare's other half)

[PrairiePrimitives]

@FancyTogs If the thumbnail looks ok in the thumbnail preview as it was uploaded (not using the "Adjust Thumbnail" tool), is it ok for Etsy's purposes? 

[FancyTogs]

@PrairiePrimitives 

" If the thumbnail looks ok in the thumbnail preview as it was uploaded (not using the "Adjust Thumbnail" tool), is it ok for Etsy's purposes? "

In theory yes, but I have learnt that Etsy can make a mess of anything, so I can't guarantee it.

Lawrence

[PrairiePrimitives]

@FancyTogs Thanks Lawrence! 

[clotheslinesvintage]

Oh, lord! It’s a monumental waste of time. In general uploading photos and creating listings on this platform takes double the time, effort and energy.

[TheVelvetPrincess]

Cookies might help. Listing used to be so easy. It was one thing that worked great. sigh. Yeah cookies.

[timelapse]

@TheVelvetPrincess - I'll take snickerdoodles, please....

[SewlyButtons]

@TheVelvetPrincess 
@timelapse 
I don't have any cookies... so settling for some chocolates instead.
Yum!!

[PrairiePrimitives]

@timelapse I had a snickerdoodle yesterday! Hadn't had one in years. It was yummy. LOL! 

[artbyjulesmadden]

I'm having the same issue and it's frustrating the heck out of me

[TastefulArtisan]

Probably the absolute worst thing about selling is taking photos. And when Etsy flips the script it becomes even more tedious. I've never used Etsy crop tool because it sucks. I use Photoshop.

Square but 2000px on the short side. Huh? A square has 4 equal sides. Math wasn't my best subject but even I know square is, well, a square.

Then you see a 4:3 ratio, don't crop to square. Again, a head scratcher. How can it be both? 

I simply said fluff it and am updating as I go. I had done new items at square now I'm doing them 4:3.

I'm sure in 3-6 months it'll change again.

Interestingly, my older items that are neither SEO correct or have the photo "suggestions" are selling just fine, which is why I've never updated them. Newer stuff is moving slower.

I've considered just going back to the way I used to list and see what happens. Keywords in the title, repeated and/or single words in the tags... lol

Sigh

[PrairiePrimitives]

@TastefulArtisan The short side on my images is, more often than not, the height. I refuse to make my images stupid high (with lots of background above my item) just so they'll be square or nearly square. I do ensure they're at least 2000 px wide. My images look ok to me and I haven't heard any complaints from shoppers that my images are wonky, so I guess they're ok. (My sales are about the same as they have been for the last 10 years, which I also use to gauge whether anything is wonky in my shop.)

[NancyQstudio]

This is very frustrating for us. But it's worse for Etsy.  Their platform is often problematic for users (both sellers and shoppers).  This reflects poorly on them at a time when they need to do better.  I've stopped worrying about all the things Etsy does wrong because I can't control it.  Nor do they seem to care about it.  While I still feel Etsy is a worthwhile site to sell on, it's no longer wise for me to invest heavily in it. 

[PrairiePrimitives]

@NancyQstudio The site is probably still built on the original code. Times (and code!) have changed considerably in 20 years ... and my best guess is that they don't know how to fix it (at least not without taking the site down for a week or two), so they put bandaids on here and there. 

[SewlyButtons]

So here is my IDIOTIC workaround solution to the thumbnail.  I am going to upload TWO copies of the image I would like to use for a thumbnail. One of them I will make my primary image (1 of 10)... and I will use the etsy CROP to "zoom" in on that image to create the thumbnail I want. FAR faster than endless frustrating insane futzing with something that etsy either can't fix... or just plain doesn't give a rodents behind about...

There! Do I feel better? No.  But I have a path forward.

[swatchoclock]

@SewlyButtons OMG, why did I not think of that. You just saved my life for now. It sucks BIG time to have to use a workaround but as long as it works, it works. 

THANKS!

[SewlyButtons]

@swatchoclock 

You're welcome!!!
We should have a new forum category:
Workarounds!!!

Or maybe just setup a Reddit group for etsy workarounds!

[NancyQstudio]

I've been doing this for a long time on Etsy.  Not for this reason..(so I'm thrilled it works for this too!)....But because Etsy's site is a main target for theft.  Regardless of this fact, Etsy requires a larger sized photos which encourages theft.  During my frustration with this issue I found making larger photos with smaller images in the middle helped.  I crop them all using Etsy's cropping tool.  Etsy seems to require work arounds for many reasons.  I've found it's a harder account to work with due to a plethroa of reasons.  This is just one of them.