The current nightmare of shops whose default language is not English

[TheSausage]

The current nightmare of shops whose default language is not English

I am currently in the process of saving all my translations that I had made over the years, of all my items, because these will disappear in less than a month, when Etsy activates the new listing form.

That means saving over 4000 jewelry items (counting drafts, and inactive) listings in one shop, and over 1000 + 500 + 500 + 200, in my other shops.

Because Etsy has not addressed the translation issue in listings.

So it's a nightmare because

• the time is way too short to save all my items translations, and Etsy should provide a tool to batch save listings data. Currently, they have one, you can claim a csv document to download the data of your CURRENTLY ACTIVE listings, but nothing for the rest of the listings.
• I'm French. But, I want to sell internationally on Etsy. For selling in France, I have my own website so why would I want to sell on etsy and pay high fees there ? I am okay to pay high fees for selling internationally. But Etsy is reducing and shrinking me, first by localizing my shop, and secondly by forcing me to have my listings in French. There is no window to add tags in English, which means that I will only appear in the French search, and in the French gift mode.
• If I change my default language to English, which I would like to do (but I have to ask Etsy, I cannot do it myself. They do it) what will happen when my default is in english and all my listings too, and I am localized to France ? Customers will turn to a French shop.
• I have almost no French customers on Etsy, so why would I be forced into being a French seller (even though that is what I am) . I am and always will have international customers.
• What about all of my work to appear in gift mode, a few months previously when it was launched, it didn't exist in French so I tuned all of my listings to appear in the US gift mode. But with the new listing form, overnight all my work will be wiped out, because my English tags will disappear.
• Currently, my solution is to save my translations on my website, and also to save the English translation in the French listing (in the same window), so that I still have the text of both. But like I said earlier, tags have disappeared, and the titles in English will disappear too.

So ... I just want to say that over the past few years, there has been a constant at Etsy with the tweaking and changing things, and it's the destruction of all my work. It's a never ending process. I wish the techies would understand how long it takes to write just ONE listing. How much hard work it takes, if all of your listings are different.

Please work on introducing a way for foreign non-US shops, to have at least one window where they translate, one title that they translate, and one place to add tags. Thank you.

PS : needless to say I won't have time to reply to this post !! but thank you if you have empathy

[Adorabilities]

Did you see today's updated announcement?

https://community.etsy.com/t5/Announcements/Updated-5-23-The-old-listing-form-retires-June-25/td-p/1...

[TheSausage]

Has something changed since yesterday? What's changed ? When I click on updated listing form, it takes me to my shop !! 

[TheSausage]

I managed to see the update !!! Hurray !!! Adding translations !!!!!! Ok I wish I had seen this earlier. Thank you @Adorabilities 

[PrintStore25]

Same with me. My default language is German. Cannot find the option for translation. Where did you find it?

[LynnsLittleShop]

It is coming, per the new announcement.

Updated 5/23: The old listing form retires June 25 - Welcome to the Etsy Community

[TheSausage]

It doesn't change anything if they add the translation only after the 25, when they have switched to the new form. Because then all past translations will have been lost. It's great that they add it to the new form for new listings, but what about our old , already translated listings ? 

[dyeing2meetU]

I agree with you, we have been alerting Etsy many times to include the crucial manual translation in the new format for months now, whilst using the old format. They did not listen and decide to force new format

Even though, it is now said manual translation will be included, there is no security as to when and how and we need to prepare.

--> As a reminder for those (like me) who did not yet know this: it is possible to download active listings description, title, tags, variation, price, .... IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES via: setting / options / download / Download data  https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/me/download

You need to change the language at the bottom of the page and your data will be in the language you choose. The CSV file is quite well organized and, as always, needs a bit of formatting but it is a useful tool

[SteffisCatsAndHats]

dyeing2meetU, you made my day, just downloaded everything.

Nevertheless, I still cannot see any possibility to add several languages. Do you?

[dyeing2meetU]

@SteffisCatsAndHats  Happy if something was helpful Steffi!
Regarding languages, whilst on the main page, select the language option at the bottom of the screen (I am on desktop): where you chose currency / region / languages and then go to https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/me/download 
the download will be in the language you selected and were able to view your shop.

To my surprise, I was able to download all data in many languages (even languages that were neither default nor manually translated).

You can contact me if it is not clear as it is so important to download now that we can, as unfortunately the new format is still not allowing us to see the manual translations we painstakingly made.