List on Etsy: Common errors and how to fix them

Today we will highlight the most common errors when sending new products from Shopify to Etsy. The article will show the tips to resolve the errors and issues. This guide assumes that you have already set up a Selling List and sent the items to Etsy. Here is a quick overview of how to send the items:

1. Connect an Etsy account to Salestio.
2. Configure a Creation Profile.
3. Create a Selling List and add products to it.
4. Select the Selling List or products inside of it and click “Send to Etsy”.

To learn more and follow step-by-step instructions, please check out the complete guide to setting up the app.

To identify the error, look for the items with a yellow Error status in the Selling List. Salestio keeps a log of recent events with all items, so you can check it and find out what the error is:

Etsy category not found

In some cases, when the Creation profile is misconfigured, you may receive the error below:

Etsy category not found for product, please adjust Creation Profile

This error means that the corresponding mapping or Creation Profile is not found. Follow the steps below to make sure that the profiles are configured correctly:

1. Note the Product Type, Collection, and Shopify category on the product in question. Check the mapping in the Creation Profile and make sure that the Conditions section corresponds to the attributes of this Shopify product. Remember to save the mapping and the Creation Profile after making changes.

2. Check Selling List settings. Make sure that product creation is enabled and the correct Creation Profile is selected. Save the Selling List after making changes.

3. Send the product to Etsy again.

Check more tips in a related article: Solving ‘Category Not Found’ Error on Etsy and eBay

Item can’t be sold on Etsy

Trying to send some items may result in the following error:

Oh dear, you cannot sell this item on Etsy

This error means that the item does not qualify for sale on Etsy based on the attributes “Who made it”, “When made it” and “What is it”.

To make sure that the products can be sold on Etsy, please check if the products fall under the following categories and pick the appropriate attributes in the Creation Profile:

• Handmade Items (stuff done by yourself or somebody in your company).
• Craft Supplies, components, materials, or tools that people may use to make their creations.
• Vintage Goods (20 years old or more).

If your store sells new products, “Finished products” have to be made by you or a member of your shop. Products made by another company have to be marked as “A supply or tool to make things”.

For vintage goods over 20 years old, you can mark it as a “Finished product” and “Made by another company or person”.

More examples and an in-depth explanation on help.etsy.com: What Can I Sell on Etsy?

After verifying that the products can be sold on Etsy and editing the Creation Profile, try sending the items again.

No stock in the store or too much stock

When trying to send a sold-out item, the following error will appear:

Quantity cannot be empty, at least one variant of the product must have stock

To resolve this, edit the product quantity in the store to add more stock. After adding more stock, try sending the item again.

Conversely, a different error appears when the stock is too high:

Quantity cannot be greater than 999

Etsy does not support quantities over 999 for any product. This limitation counts the total quantity of all variations of the same product. For example, if a product has 2 variations with 600 stock each, the total quantity will be 1200, and the product will not be accepted. To resolve this, you can limit this number through the Global Profile in Salestio:

1. Go to Salestio > Profiles > Global Profiles.
2. Pick the currently active profile.
3. Change the QTY mode to “Not more than”.
4. Set a quantity limit in the “Item QTY Value” field (below 999).
5. Save changes and send the product again.

Lost connection to Etsy

When the connection to an Etsy account is expired, the following error might appear:

Invalid Etsy token

To resolve this, reconnect the Etsy account in Salestio:

1. Go to Salestio > Etsy > Accounts.
2. Select the affected account (will be marked with an “Expired” badge).
3. Click “Connect to Etsy Account” and follow the instructions on etsy.com in the new tab.
4. After the account is connected, send the item to Etsy again.

Mismatched variations

If an Etsy item has different variation names than the ones in the store, the following error will appear during updates:

Missing name in the variation specifics or variation specifics set

An issue like this might appear for items that are already listed on Etsy, and variations were changed in the store. This can also appear after connecting store items with existing Etsy listings.

To resolve this error, use the “Update” action instead of “Update QTY& Price”. This action will update the variation themes and labels on Etsy to match them with the store.

The Update action will only work if the variation structure is the same. For example, if Shopify has Size/Color, while Etsy only has Size, then it will be required to relist the item. To do this, remove it from Etsy manually, and send the item from the Selling List (“Send to Etsy” action).

We’ve explored common errors that can appear when using Salestio to sync a store to Etsy. You can quickly resolve the mentioned errors by referencing this article.

If you need further help with the app, you can reach out to Salestio support: support@salest.io