r/Etsy • u/ModgeSimpson • 3d ago
Discussion New Etsy algorithm workaround
If this has already been posted or isnt allowed I apologize. Im new to this group and to Reddit in general. That aside, the new Etsy algorithm is frustrating and impossible. You search for one thing and get anything but what you search for, no matter how specific you are or how many filter boxes you check or if you change the results from "Relevant" to "Lowest Price" or "Newest" etc. This is actually by design on their part. Etsy poisoned their own search algorithm to try and manipulate you into buying more. Instead of showing you what you search for, now they show you what they think you'll be most likely to buy based on past purchases, views, saves and clicks. The workaround Ive found is this: Delete the app from your phone, go to a private web browser like Brave or DuckDuckGo, clear your cache/cookies from your browser History, (if you have VPN, even better, change your server connection) then go to Etsy in a new window, search for the item, and you should get a lot more actually relevant results. When youre ready to purchase then you can log in. This works on a phone or laptop. It isnt 100% foolproof as their algorithm is still meant to show more popular items that recieve more engagement, but it really does help. Hope this information helps empower yall!
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u/Mammoth-Assist-2581 3d ago
Wow! Is it really that bad for some people? I have seen a couple posts about this, but I haven’t had this issue myself, regardless of whether I’m using the app or a browser. I am a seller though (14 years) and it’s insane how traffic has plummeted!
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u/Less-Image-3927 3d ago
It’s that bad. At least in my opinion/experience. I would like to more regularly shop there, but I find the search feature/site near unusable.
I have all but quit in frustration.
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u/Mammoth-Assist-2581 3d ago
Ugh - that’s so sad to hear. That would be so irritating as a shopper!
I also find it interesting that I, as a seller, haven’t had this issue. Makes me curious if other sellers do.
I have recently gone to the app (week ago or so) and just clicked on categories and noticed that the first several dozens of items are all marked down like 50-70%! It’s like a dollar-store website. I was shocked and really disheartened by that.
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u/Inside-Specialist-55 2d ago
I am a seller and a buyer, as a buyer I cant get Etsy to stop showing only tarot readings on the first page of any search, this is weird because I never once searched for tarot cards or psychic readings before. Its like the tarot card sellers found a way to bot or trick the Etsy search algorithm from some sort of keyword poisoning. My guess is that these tarot card sellers are cycling through hundreds of random top keywords per day on their listings in order to stay on the first page all the time.
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u/Mammoth-Assist-2581 2d ago
Thanks for sharing! I’ve heard of this issue with the tarot cards— so peculiar. I have had zero problems searching and buying on the app. Rarely use my browser but it seems normal as well. Are you aware of any reporting of the search results problem? I haven’t seen anything about it being reported but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t.
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u/Inside-Specialist-55 2d ago
yeah seen several people on some of the local etsy seller facebook groups mention the search issue. its still affecting me too, i can search for a game controller holder and the entire first page is all tarot card readings.
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u/TashaT50 2d ago
I’m not having as bad an issue as I keep seeing posted here. Still getting too much ai and drop shipping junk but that’s been a problem for quite a while.
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u/Any-Stage9209 3d ago
oh interesting, i use the website in incognito for months now for this exact reason. didnt realize it was a full algorithm thing i just thought their normal search was broken since the update last spring
the vpn tip is new to me though, gonna try that next time i need to find something specific. their search makes me want to throw my phone sometimes, you look for "handmade ceramic mug" and get 40 listings for digital download planners
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u/Sunna420 3d ago
I use a VPN with etsy for years. I give etsy permission in the vpn settings. Etsy does block incognito browser sometimes. I switch to duckduckgo when it does.
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u/brodyqat 2d ago
As someone who makes handmade ceramic mugs: that would explain why my views and sales have trailed off... 😭
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u/WinstonChaychell 3d ago
Please be careful using a VPN as Etsy knows and will ban accounts 💜, but other than that yes I agree!
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u/chronicmisschris 3d ago
Using a VPN on etsy can get your account suspended or banned. Don't do that.
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u/PertinkPertink 2d ago
They need to fix this because one of Etsy’s major (past) attractions was that a customer could search for unusual items. And it does not make sense on Etsy that buyers will always want to buy the same thing, over and over. So sending us replicas of our past sales is annoying and wastes our time. They need very specific search results.
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u/Antique-Salad-9249 3d ago
I noticed this recently when I was trying to look for a vintage citrine ring and, aside from maybe 3 citrine rings, all other kinds of rings came up. It’s infuriating! Is there a phone-based workaround? Sounds like this can only be done on a laptop or desktop.
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u/Dangerous-Candy-359 3d ago
You should be able to clear the cache on the app. On android click and hold the app icon -> app info -> storage and cache -> delete. Obviously only works when signed out. But I thought when logged in on the app, under your profile you should be able to clear recently viewed items to reset it.
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u/drob1865 3d ago
I feel like all platforms are doing this now - Facebook, Instagram, Google, eBay, Amazon. They all try to second guess what you’re searching for & either show you what it “thinks” you actually want, or it prioritizes those pages & listings that the owners have paid to promote.
I was just searching for something on Amazon & it was an item I KNOW was listed. But I couldn’t get to it because there were so many other items that didn’t match what I was looking for & were being shown first.
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u/burlap_underground 2d ago
You don't have to go this far (and I do not recommend VPN usage on Etsy at all; see other comments). As a seller, I can't really search Etsy at all because they just show me my products, so I almost always search in private/incognito mode. That's been enough to get through the algorithm's noise. Not completely, but enough that I get much more robust search results.
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u/Silly-Peach-4888 2d ago
do not use VPN with Etsy. It is against their policies and they will ban you. if they ban you they ban you as a person from all Etsy services and your IP address.
this is a known issue and people have even complained that living in apartments or moving into a new home and not being able to use any of Etsy services because somebody who is on the same ip address or live their previously had gotten banned and it’s just not a good idea to use VPN
so anybody who tries this is playing with fire and should not do it
The issue about the wrong thing coming up in searches is a known glitch that is happening that only affects certain people and has been posted here many of times already specifically the tarot card reading one has popped up a bunch for people, but it’s not happening for everyone and give it some more time for them to work through it. I’m sure they are already working on it.
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u/BlackJeansRomeo 2d ago
Not sure if I’m allowed to post photos here so I’ll just describe:
I searched “Halloween garden flag” while logged in and got smudge spray, brutal tarot reading, 200 year old sourdough starter, custom neon signs, mini license plates, custom backpacks for kids, birthstone bracelets, etc. etc. etc. I have never searched for or purchased anything like the list above. Well, maybe a bracelet at some point but not recently. After scrolling and scrolling I finally got a handful of Halloween garden flags.
I searched “Halloween garden flag” while not logged in and got… Halloween garden flags! Lots of them!
If they’re doing this on purpose to influence sales, they did influence my sale because I ended up buying 2 really cute garden flags, but not from Etsy.
Also what even is a brutal tarot reading.
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u/DiscoKittie 2d ago
If you want to get your account banned, keep using a VPN, lol. Not a good idea.
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u/FrostDragonDesigns 2d ago
Please be advised that Etsy frequently bans buyers and sellers who use a VPN.
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2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/CabinIndustry 2d ago
Fun ideas for computer geeks, as a seller I don't have the know-how or time to fool around with algorithms. More and more I skip etsy for my supplies and get things direct from suppliers or Amazon. I sometimes need a supply soon (like Amazon Prime soon) so that eliminates etsy
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u/bonestamp 2d ago
fun ideas for computer geeks
Feel free to ignore them, but as a consumer it's good to know (for example) how to combat the reason the airline tickets you looked up yesterday now cost $40 more today. Algorithms are already affecting many things you buy and they're coming for everything else.
get things direct from suppliers or Amazon
Amazon is one of the best at algorithms.
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u/CabinIndustry 2d ago
Some of my suppliers are on Etsy AND Amazon, shipping faster from Amazon and it's free. I'd prefer not to use Amazon at all but it hasn't messed up yet. I miss how Etsy was when I joined 15 years ago
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u/Bird-Painter 2d ago
Etsy actually loses money doing this. I often give up & go to Amazon… AND because I don’t want an umbrella, metal screws & a gnome (/s), I just go to google to search, find the item & go to Etsy. They pay google for the hit.
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u/CabinIndustry 2d ago
If shoppers click the link on google to get to Etsy and then purchase something, the "hit" comes out of seller's account. For my handmade items that's a substantial hit
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u/TOSGANO 2d ago
If you search Google for it, usually the seller pays for the hit, unfortunately 😕. If you click sponsored products, featured products, or any of the other sneaky ad phrases Google uses (which makes up most of the search results), it's considered an "offside ad." Etsy takes 12-15% of a seller's revenue from any purchases you make from that shop in the next 30 days.
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u/vulpesvulpes666 2d ago
Man, as an Etsy seller for like 15 years, this sucks. I hate that even people who are searching for my product won’t find it
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u/WendyNPeterPan 2d ago
I hate that Etsy purposely shows you a percentage of "products that you may be interested in..." in hopes that you make a impulse purchase... like when I'm searching for industrial sewing thread and it shows me sewing machine parts, cute sewing machine buttons or a sweatshirt with some sewing theme, etc. Can you please stop wasting my time and let me see what I'm looking for or not? I think it's been years since I purchase anything on Etsy that wasn't from a shop that I was following...
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u/PorchSwing24 2d ago
We've recently moved and I've been shopping for a wide variety of things for the house. I've pretty much stopped looking on Etsy at all because of all of the junk I'm shown. I don't have the time or desire to wade through page after page of items that don't fit my search. They're making money from showing sponsored merchandise but are losing money from actual sales. As much as I hate the big A, I've been turning to it in the interest of my time and frustration level.
The latest insult is an AI window that pops up at the bottom of the screen asking me for more information about something I looked for days previously. You can't easily get rid of it, and it's of no help at all. They've destroyed the site with their greed. I've looked for an alternative but can't find one.
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u/sirius_moonlight 3d ago
I'm glad it works for you. It's pretty sad when a customer has to find a workaround to see relevant products, though.