We removed some of your listings that don’t follow Etsy's Creativity Standards

[cygnusjewels]

Etsy has now removed 2 of my listing in the last couple of days saying they don't follow the creative standards. Both listings are on Etsy since more than 5 years, images are all made by me and everything is handmade from scratch by hand and sold. This is definitely an error and nothing is explained as why they have been removed. On Etsy email it says "removed by Etsy’s automated systems".

I have wrote to Etsy directly and hopefully they will check and put the listings live again, one of them was also a best seller. So frustrating that the system just decides to take down listings that have been live and sold multiple times in the last years.

[DesertChains]

Check whether images are being used on other sites.

[cygnusjewels]

Thank you! How can I see it?

[BagmakerSupply]

@cygnusjewels: "Both listings are on Etsy since more than 5 years ..." False positives aside, Etsy let a lot of violations slide for a very long time, and now the rules have changed and it is clear that Etsy has stepped up enforcement of the rules.

"... everything is handmade from scratch ..." 'Violated Etsy's Creativity Standards' can encompass much more than just if it is handmade. For example, is it handmade by you or do you have helpers. If the latter they need to be listed in your about section. Are you using mock-ups which do not comply? And so on ...

To do a reverse image search, almost every browser search engine has an option to search by image, and there are some dedicated apps available, too.

[cygnusjewels]

It is handmade by me one person only, in my home with my hands and tools. I pack up and send it myself from the post office.

No mock-up, I sell silver hoop earrings made with silver wire, hand shaped, polished and all by me. 

[BagmakerSupply]

@cygnusjewels: I meant it more as a rhetorical question about the extent of what Creativity Standards covers.

For all we know the bot does not like the use of the royal 'we' and 'us' in your about section.

The bottom line is that unless it something obvious like selling ivory or that your pictures have been found on a Chinese wholesale site it is almost impossible to guess why a particular listing was deactivated. Since Etsy is now also factoring descriptions in search, they along with titles, tags, and materials (and possibly even alt tags if you are using them) are all probably being checked. And the bots are also "reading" images. Plus we do not know what combination of possibly multiple factors constitute the trigger that flagged your listing.

And it is unlikely that Etsy would tell you the exact reason, presuming that someone actually knows.

[cygnusjewels]

Ok I have found all my images on other websites like temu. So what do I do, just need to accept that they can take away all my listings? 

[BagmakerSupply]

@cygnusjewels: At the very least you need to file the equivalent of DMCA take downs with each site. The way laws are written, it is the responsibility of the Intellectual Property (IP) owner to protect their property. Keep copies of everything.

If Etsy deactivates a listing for that reason, you have proof that you are defending your IP.

How much weight that will carry in your attempt to reactivate your listing appears to vary - it seems to be like the lottery, you can't win if you don't buy a ticket and buying a ticket does not guarantee you will win. But not buying a ticket does guarantee that you will not win.

[cygnusjewels]

Thank you for your help, I am checking all images and taking down from the listings all the ones I can find on other sites to avoid Etsy deactivating more products and possibly suspend the account. So crazy. 

Its gonna be a lot of work but will send them proof of everything and insist as much as possible.. 

[FabioMcMustache · Accepted solution]

Hello! We're sorry to hear you're experiencing issues with your listings. We've forwarded your concerns to a specialist team. Thank you! 

Please know we handle support inquiries privately per our Community Policy – we’re closing this thread, so you can get the support you need from us directly.