Role
Product Designer
Type
Conceptual Project
Duration
6 weeks
Platforms
Desktop
Etsy currently doesn't provide a bulk creation tool for listings, despite it being one of the most highly requested features from sellers. This project is my approach at a more productivity and efficiency-focused feature while balancing real user pain points, the existing ecosystem, and real business concerns for Etsy.
TL;DR
PROBLEM
Adding listings is a manual workflow but Etsy has no bulk creation tool, by design.
Bulk creation could risk users spamming low-quality listings, though 3rd party tools and user feedback proved a real demand for it.
SOLUTION
A template system that preserves intentional friction.
By allowing only certain attributes to be pre-filled, the templates act as a reference point to reduce manual data inputs, while requiring users to create unique listings.
PROBLEM
Etsy does not offer sellers a bulk creation tool for listings.
The seller community's feedback and third-party tools both point to real demand for a bulk creation feature. Why hasn't Etsy developed this feature?
Etsy's core identity is a marketplace for unique handcrafted products.
Lots of sellers expressed frustration in the lack of a bulk creation tool.
It's a feature that Etsy appears to have intentionally left out, since an easy bulk creation tool risks encouraging dropshipping and slop listings, which are against Etsy's core identity as a marketplace for unique, handcrafted goods.
BUSINESS IMPACT
A well-designed bulk creation tool can scale transaction fees.
Risk: marketplace flooded with slop listings
Low-effort, repetitive listings causes buyer churn, and listing fee monetization will likely not be sustainable.
Opportunity: more meaningful products, more transactions
Less seller friction → more quality listings → more transactions to scale fee revenue
How to protect the marketplace while giving users real efficiency?
Bulk creation tool has the potential to drive listing fees.
WORKAROUNDS
Etsy recommends duplicating existing listings.
By duplicating a listing, users can use the copy as a pre-filled template.
Current flow of duplicating a listing and its edit form.
PAIN POINT
The real pain point: re-entering the same information, over and over.
Based on personal experience and some more research online, I found out that the real pain point of creating listings comes from re-entering the shared information (listing attributes) across listings repeatedly.
The current workaround of duplicating existing listings makes the pain point more manageable, but it's still missing bulk creation since only one copy is allowed at a time.
Edit form and attributes (hover).
Including intentional friction to slow users down to make sure each listing is unique.
By allowing certain attributes across listings to be edited at the same time, this could effectively make the process more efficient.
But this could also be a crucial step to include some intentional friction to slow down users and make sure that each listing is unique in some ways.
Key decision: Which attributes should be shared across listings vs. stay individual?
Sorting the attributes into 2 categories: Shared and Individual.
I first looked at Shopify and Depop to see which attributes are allowed to be edited across listings on other platforms.
Most logistical attributes (shop policy, shipping policy, price) are shared, while attributes that describe a product (title, photos, tags) are kept individual.
Based on this finding, I sorted all the attributes in Etsy's edit form into 2 categories: Shared and Individual.
My first key decision was to determine which attributes should be batch edited.
EXPLORATION
Solution 1.0 - Bulk edit shared attributes frist.
The first solution that I explored was to allow bulk creation and have users fill out the shared attributes first, then go listing by listing to fill in the remaining unique attributes.
This is an improvement to the existing workaround, but there is no reference point to return to. Once listings are done, there's no way to go back and see what the shared attributes were.
Solves the biggest pain point
Removes the repetitive workflow and allows multiple listings to be created at once.
No reference point to return to
Shared attributes are set once, any new listing still means starting from scratch.
Solution 1.0 allows users to edit all shared attributes at once first.
Solution 1.0 is a one-and-done process and lacks a reference point.
Solution 2.0 - Reusable templates.
To solve the new pain point I identified, I explored a flow with templates that store shared attributes for reuse. This solves the gap created in Solution 1.0, but at the cost of bulk creation itself.
Re-entering shared information is the most time-consuming part of the process, which is why I'd prioritize it over bulk creation if forced to choose. But I didn't think that tradeoff was necessary, so I explored further to find a way to solve both at once.
A reference point that can be reused in the future
Reusable templates provide flexibility for shops that sell different types of products.
Bulk creation is missing
Removes the friction in entering information but still requires users to go through listings one by one.
Shared attributes are saved in templates.
Templates act as a reference point for users to reuse.
Solution 2.1 - A more robust template hub.
Based on Solution 2.0, I then explored a more robust Template Hub that makes the parent-child relationship between a template and its listings more explicit.
Users can add or remove listings under a template, and when a change is made to the template, it gives the flexibility to push that change to selected listings.
However, while this approach is very ambitious in offering flexibility, it interferes with Etsy's existing Bulk Edit and Sections feature and creates too much unnecessary complexity.
Clear parent-child relationship
A template hub can cover every pain point discovered: bulk create, shared attributes, permanent reference point.
Unnecessary complexity
Creates too much complexity/edge cases, and interferes with existing ecosystem.
Template hub: extra functionality beyond storing shared attributes.
Pushing changes to selective listings provides flexibility but also creates complexity.
FINAL SOLUTION
Utilizing the existing bulk edit tool on the dashboard.
Etsy currently requires certain attributes to be filled out first before a listing can be saved. I assumed this was to preserve listing quality.
By loosening this constraint, it allows users to save listings as drafts and return to the dashboard, where Etsy's existing bulk edit tool can be used – which already has good guardrails restricting which attributes can be bulk edited.
The constraint should instead be set before publishing. This still acts as intentional friction, making sure users fill out individual attributes before a listing goes live.
2nd key decision: save as drafts first.
Letting users save listings without having to fill out the edit form.
Allowing users to save as drafts first provides flexibility while preserving intentional friction.
Solution 3.0 - Template to draft.
The final solution explores how to scale down Solution 2.1 to keep the feature simple. By allowing listings to be saved as drafts, share attributes can be bulk edited on the dashboard rather than in the edit form.
This solves the three major pain points I identified: bulk creation, shared attributes, and a permanent reference point, while being the most well-integrated to the existing ecosystem.
All 3 major pain points are covered
Solves all 3 pain points: bulk creation, shared attributes, permanent reference point.
Works well with existing ecosystem
Exsiting edit features with good guardrails can be used on listing drafts.
Tradeoff: no visible relationship between listing and template.
The relationship between a listing and its template is disconnected once the listing is created with this approach. But I realized this relationship is irrelevant in most cases. Etsy's Section feature also already acts as an organizing tool to group listings, the complexity is simply not worth being too fixated on.
Tradeoff: no clear parent-child relationship
Once a listing is created there's no clear way to tell which template it comes from.
Creating multiple listings will have them saved as drafts on the dashboard first.
New listings made under a template will also be saved as drafts first.
REFLECTION
Deciding what to step back from.
I was being too ambitious when exploring solutions and wanted to cover as many pain points as possible. A common piece of feedback I received was to scale back to avoid complexity and better fit into what the product already offers.
Designing for "intentional friction."
Making sure not to slow users down too much while preserving listing quality was a challenge for me. If the timeline were extended I'd want to explore more ways other than restricting certain attributes.
