If you sell on Etsy, you may be paying for ads you never set up. Etsy’s Offsite Ads program is on by default, and for some sellers it is optional while for others it is not. Here is how it works, based on Etsy’s own help article, so you can decide with real numbers.
What Offsite Ads are
Etsy advertises listings from its sellers on other sites and platforms. When a buyer clicks one of those ads and then buys from your shop within 30 days, the order counts as attributed to the ad, and Etsy charges you a fee on it. You pay nothing for clicks that do not lead to a sale.
The fees and the $10,000 line
- Shops that have never reached $10,000 USD in sales in any consecutive 365-day period pay 15% on attributed orders.
- Shops that have reached $10,000 or more in any consecutive 365-day period pay a lower 12%.
- The fee is calculated on the sale amount, and it is capped at $100 per order.
- If the buyer’s final click before purchase was on an Etsy Ad (the on-site ads you may run yourself), only the Etsy Ads fee applies, not the Offsite Ads fee.
For a quick example using Etsy’s percentages: a $10 printable bought through an attributed click would carry a $1.50 fee at 15%, or $1.20 at 12%. That is on top of Etsy’s other selling fees, which you should add up for your own shop.
Can you opt out?
Only if you have never reached the $10,000 mark. Etsy says all sellers are enrolled automatically, and sellers who have hit $10,000 in any 365-day period must stay in for the life of the shop. Etsy reviews sales monthly, so a growing shop can lose the option without much warning.
If you can opt out, the path is Shop Manager, then Settings, then Offsite Ads, then “Opt out of Offsite Ads.” The same page lets you turn it back on. Etsy’s article does not mention a fee for opting out.
A simple way to decide
- Open Shop Manager, then Marketing, then Offsite Ads, and look at revenue, fees, clicks and attributed orders.
- Compare the fees to what those orders actually earned you after your own costs, such as design time and any software.
- Check whether your digital listings are showing up in the attributed orders. Etsy’s article does not say whether digital items are included, so your dashboard is the better guide.
- Remember that low-priced downloads leave less room for a 12% or 15% fee, while bundles and higher-priced packs leave more.
There is no single right answer. Some sellers value the extra traffic, and others find the margin too thin. If you sell PLR-based products, also make sure your license allows the way you list and promote them before you spend anything on ads.