Etsy Shop Sections and Listing Photos: A Practical Guide

By Syed M. Tahir · Published · 5 min read

Two parts of an Etsy shop are easy to overlook once the first listings are live: how the shop is organised, and how complete each listing's photos are. Shop sections help a visitor who likes one item find others. Good photos answer the questions a buyer cannot ask in a shop. Both are free to improve, and both can be done in an afternoon. This guide covers the rules Etsy publishes and a practical way to plan each one.

Part 1: Shop sections

What shop sections are

Shop sections are groups of listings that appear as links on your shop page, so shoppers can browse by type, collection, occasion or any other grouping that makes sense. According to Etsy's Help Center:

  • You can create up to 20 custom sections, in addition to the default "All items" section every shop has.
  • A section name can be up to 24 characters.
  • Each listing can be in only one custom section.
  • Sections with no listings do not appear on your public shop page.

You create and manage sections from Shop Manager, under Listings, and you can move several listings into a section at once using the editing options on the listings page.

How to choose your sections

Think about how a shopper who has just landed on your shop would want to narrow things down. The most useful groupings usually follow one of these patterns:

  • Product type: "Tote bags", "Crossbody bags", "Wallets". This is the clearest choice for most shops.
  • Collection or material: "Cowhide collection", "Linen range", useful when buyers choose by look.
  • Occasion or recipient: "Wedding gifts", "Gifts for him", helpful in gift-heavy shops. Because a listing can only sit in one section, use these carefully so you do not hide items from their main product section.
  • Price or size: occasionally useful, such as "Mini sizes", but often less intuitive than type.

Naming tips

  • Use plain words a buyer would recognise. "Crossbody bags" is better than a collection name only you know.
  • Stay within 24 characters, and keep names short enough to read at a glance.
  • Be consistent: either all plural nouns ("Totes", "Wallets") or all descriptive phrases, not a mix.
  • Avoid sections with only one item, unless it is a temporary or seasonal group.

Ordering and upkeep

Put your most popular or most representative section first, because visitors scan from the top. Review sections each season. Add a seasonal section before a busy period if you have enough relevant items, and remove or merge sections that have shrunk to one or two listings. Every time you create a new listing, choose its section in the listing settings, so the shop stays organised as it grows.

Part 2: Listing photos and videos

Etsy's published requirements

Etsy's Help Center states that each listing can have up to 20 photos and up to 2 videos of 5 to 15 seconds each. For image size, Etsy recommends listing photos that are at least 2000 pixels wide and tall, and says the first photo should be at least 635 pixels wide and tall to avoid showing up lower in searches. The first photo should be landscape or square, so that the cropped thumbnail keeps the main subject in view, and its shape sets the shape of the photos that follow. Etsy also notes that very large files may fail to upload on slow connections. Check the current figures in the Help Center, as they can change.

Plan the photo set like a conversation

Instead of uploading whatever photos you have, list the questions a buyer would ask in a shop and give each one a photo:

  1. What is it? A clear main photo of the whole item, well lit, on an uncluttered background or in a simple setting. This becomes your thumbnail in search results.
  2. How big is it? A photo with a person, a hand or a familiar object for scale, or a photo with a ruler or measurements overlaid.
  3. What is it made of? Close-ups of texture, stitching, finish and hardware.
  4. What is inside / underneath / behind? Interiors, backs, bases and labels.
  5. How is it used or worn? A lifestyle photo showing it in real use.
  6. What are the options? All colours or variations side by side, clearly labelled.
  7. What arrives? Packaging or gift wrap, if you offer it and it matters to buyers.
  8. What can I personalise? Examples of engraving, fonts or custom options.

A short video is a good way to show movement, drape, size in the hand or how a mechanism works. Keep it simple and steady. A few seconds of the item being handled is often enough.

Lighting and consistency

  • Use soft, even light. Daylight from a window, with direct sun diffused by a thin curtain, works well for most small products.
  • Keep colours true. Check photos on a second screen. If colours look off, adjust white balance rather than saturation.
  • Keep a consistent style across the shop. Similar backgrounds and angles for the main photos make the shop look cohesive in grids and search results.
  • Fill the frame. Thumbnails are small, so the item should take up most of the main photo.
  • Show only what is included, or say clearly in the description that props are not part of the purchase.

Do not forget alt text

Each listing photo can have its own alt text, a short description used by screen readers and search engines. Our guide on alt text for product photos explains how to write it, with examples for each type of photo.

A one-afternoon improvement plan

  1. List your current sections and the number of listings in each. Merge or rename where needed, within the 24-character limit.
  2. Move every listing into the most logical section.
  3. Pick your five most-viewed listings in your shop stats.
  4. For each, compare its photos with the question list above and note what is missing, usually scale and detail shots.
  5. Take the missing photos in one session with the same light and background.
  6. Upload them, add alt text, and check the main photo crop in search results on a phone.

While you are editing those listings, it is a good moment to check titles and tags with our title and tag checker and your descriptions using our guide to writing product descriptions.

Sources

This guide is general information for sellers and is not financial, tax or legal advice. Marketplace rules and fees change, so always confirm in your own seller account. DailyToolLab is not affiliated with Etsy Inc., Shopify Inc. or eBay Inc.