Are Etsy Ads Worth It for Print on Demand Sellers?

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Etsy ads can feel like a golden ticket to more eyeballs on your shop—but are Etsy ads worth it? The short answer?

It depends.

What Are Etsy Ads?

Etsy Ads are Etsy’s in-house advertising service, designed to give your listings a boost in visibility on the platform.

These ads operate on a simple pay-to-play model with a few nuances.

Essentially, it’s Etsy’s way of saying, “We’ll show your products to a bigger audience—but you’ve got to pay us for the favor.”

So how exactly do Etsy Ads work, and why are they such a hot topic among sellers? Let me break it down for you.

Onsite Etsy Ads Explained

Onsite Etsy Ads promote your listings directly within the Etsy platform. These ads run on a pay-per-click (PPC) system.

Every click costs you money, regardless of whether the visitor makes a purchase.

Some key details about onsite Etsy Ads:

Daily Budget Control: You set a daily ad spend cap, which means you can run low-budget campaigns to test out results.
Potential Return: If you’re selling high-margin products, the visibility boost can drive serious sales. But for print-on-demand items, where the profit margins are tight, the profit might not always justify PPC costs.

What are Offsite Etsy Ads?

Offsite Etsy Ads, as the name suggests, promote your listings outside of Etsy.

They could pop up on websites, blogs, or even social media platforms. Here’s the twist—this isn’t optional. Well, not for everyone.

Sellers with total shop revenue over $10,000 in the past year are by default, enrolled in offsite ads and must pay a 12% commission for any sales resulting from clicks on those ads.

For sellers under that threshold, the commission ticks higher to 15%, but they can opt-out.

Why opt-in? Because offsite ads beam your products to potential buyers scrolling through external sites. For shops looking to expand their reach beyond Etsy’s built-in audience, this could be worth the investment.

They have been much more profitable and effective than Etsy Ads. At one point, I was getting at least one daily sale from offsite ads. And, they were for products that did not sell that well normally.

Whenever I’m surprised by something that sells, I will go to the offsite ads section, and typically, that is what sold the product.

It was someone who wasn’t actively searching on Etsy!

Here is more information about Etsy’s offsite ads from the Etsy website.

Organic First, Then Etsy Ads

Don’t waste your time with Etsy Ads if you are new and without sales. You first want to validate that your items are worth buying.

You can only really do that with an organic sale. People will still see your items if you have good SEO (doesn’t need to be great), with a great, in demand design on a compelling product mockup.

Think about it. You don’t want to put a product that no one wants in front of more people who aren’t going to buy it!

Most people think that more eyes on their products will get them sold. Not true. You have to have to validate first.

I only use Etsy Ads on items that have already sold organically in my store.

To learn more about growing your shop organically, check out my beginner’s guide to Etsy Print-on-Demand.

When Are Etsy Ads Worth It?

Etsy ads can seem like an exciting tool, but whether they’re worth it often depends on how strategically you’re using them.

They aren’t a “set it and forget it” type of thing—you’ve got to take a more intentional approach.

Let me break this down with specific examples of when Etsy ads might be worth the investment.

Using Etsy Ads to Collect Keyword Data

Ever feel like you’re throwing darts in the dark when it comes to finding the right keywords for your listings? That’s where Etsy ads shine.

Think of them as your shortcut to uncovering the exact terms your target audience is searching for.

Here’s how you do it: when you run an Etsy ad, the platform provides data on the keywords bringing visitors to your shop. This is a goldmine for refining your SEO efforts. For example:

If you notice that your listing gets clicks for a keyword you hadn’t considered, you can add that into your product tags and titles.
Conversely, if your ad is wasting money on irrelevant searches, you can exclude those keywords.

This is especially useful for new Etsy sellers or products. You’re essentially paying for market research—figuring out what resonates with potential buyers without spending weeks testing things out manually.

Pro tip? Pair this data with optimized product listings.

Whether you’re planning to use Etsy Offsite Ads to grow your customer reach or simply testing the waters, understanding their role and costs is key to making savvy business decisions.

Don’t just get caught up in potential traffic—keep a laser focus on profitability.

Tips for Maximizing ROI with Etsy Ads

Investing in Etsy Ads can be a smart move to grow your shop’s visibility, but without the right strategy, you could end up wasting money.

A well-thought-out approach can turn this cost into an investment that multiplies your income. Let me walk you through some actionable tips to optimize your return on investment (ROI) with Etsy Ads.

Start Small and Monitor Performance

When it comes to advertising, jumping in with a big spend right away is like buying a Ferrari before you learn how to drive—it’s risky! Start small, especially if you’re new to Etsy Ads.

Set a modest daily budget, even as low as $1 or $2, and let the data guide your next steps.

And, again only on items that have already sold organically.

Here’s why starting small is smart:

Low Risk, High Learning: A smaller budget minimizes the sting of missteps as you test the waters.
Data Goldmine: Running ads lets you see which keywords and listings generate clicks and sales. This insight helps you fine-tune future campaigns.
Easy Adjustments: You can scale up gradually based on performance metrics, rather than guessing what works.

Conclusion

Whether Etsy Ads are worth it boils down to your unique goals and strategy. If you’re looking to boost visibility or gather valuable keyword data, they can be a great tool—when used thoughtfully. But throwing money at ads without a clear plan? That’s a quick way to burn through your budget.

Focus on high-quality product listings, know your profit margins, and monitor ad performance religiously.

Remember, Etsy Ads won’t magically save a poorly optimized listing, but they can amplify one that’s already a hit.

Ultimately, Etsy Ads are a tool—not a guarantee—and you’ve got to wield them wisely.

The Best SEO and Design Tools for an Etsy Shop:

These are the only tools I use for my shop!

Canva: Canva is the most amazing tool. It is user friendly, and always improving! The tools that Canva has have evolved so much since I first started using it in 2022–for the better. I use it almost everyday. I use it to create designs, to edit AI designs, and to create product mockups.

Midjourney: Midjourney is an AI image tool that blows my mind every time I use it. It takes some time to get the prompts down. Once you play with it, you will get better at creating images and art to include on your print on demand products.

E-Hunt: E -Hunt is fantastic for competitor research and some light keyword research. My favorite aspect of E-Hunt is the Chrome extension that allows you to see the sales amount for an individual item on Etsy. Check out this article to see an example.

eRank: eRank is an SEO data tool that also allows you to search the competition and will also give you key words for your Etsy listing. It is also a low cost tool that will help you find low competition and highly searched niches.

Printify: Printify is a print-on-demand (POD) service that allows individuals and businesses to create and sell custom-designed products without needing to manage inventory or handle fulfillment. I put my designs on products offered by Printify. When an item sells, Printify prints and ships to my customer.