Etsy Off-Site Ads:What Sellers Actually Need to Know
Etsy's off-site ads place your listings on Google, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. When someone clicks and purchases within 30 days, you pay a fee. Most sellers can't opt out—but you can maximize your return. This guide explains exactly how the program works, what it costs, and how to make off-site ads work for your shop.
📢Quick Answer: What Are Etsy Off-Site Ads?
Etsy Off-Site Ads in 60 seconds:
Etsy promotes your listings on external platforms (Google, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Bing). You don't pay unless someone clicks AND purchases within 30 days.
The fee structure:
- • 12% fee — If your shop made $10,000+ in the last 365 days (mandatory enrollment)
- • 15% fee — If your shop made less than $10,000 (optional enrollment)
✅ Can Opt Out:
Shops earning less than $10,000/year
❌ Cannot Opt Out:
Shops earning $10,000+/year (mandatory)
Key date: Launched February 2020 • Attribution window: 30 days from click to purchase
How Etsy Off-Site Ads Actually Work
The complete process from ad to sale
Etsy Selects Listings
Etsy's algorithm chooses which listings to promote on external platforms.
- • You can't select specific products for off-site ads
- • High-performing listings with strong photos and keywords are more likely to be shown
- • Selection is automatic and based on predicted performance
Ads Appear on External Platforms
Your listings are shown to potential buyers browsing the web.
- • Google Shopping and Search
- • Facebook and Instagram
- • Bing
Buyer Clicks the Ad
When a potential buyer sees your listing on an external platform, they click through to Etsy.
- • They land on your Etsy listing page
- • A 30-day attribution window begins
- • This click is tracked by Etsy
Purchase Within 30 Days
If the buyer makes a purchase from your shop within 30 days, the off-site ads fee applies.
- • Fee applies to the entire order, not just the item they clicked on
- • If they don't purchase, you pay nothing
- • Maximum fee is $100 per order
Important Attribution Rules
When you pay and when you don't
| Scenario | Fee Charged? |
|---|---|
| Click → Purchase same item within 30 days | Yes (12-15%) |
| Click → Purchase different item from your shop within 30 days | Yes (12-15%) |
| Click → No purchase | No fee |
| Click → Purchase after 30 days | No fee |
| Organic Etsy search → Purchase | No off-site fee |
| Direct link → Purchase | No off-site fee |
Off-Site Ads Fee Breakdown
What you'll actually pay
Tier 1: Mandatory (12%)
Shop revenue $10,000+ in last 365 days. Cannot opt out. Max fee: $100/order.
Tier 2: Optional (15%)
Shop revenue under $10,000 in last 365 days. Can opt out anytime. Max fee: $100/order.
Fee Calculation Examples
| Order Total | Shop Revenue Tier | Fee Rate | Off-Site Ad Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25 | $10,000+ | 12% | $3.00 |
| $50 | $10,000+ | 12% | $6.00 |
| $100 | $10,000+ | 12% | $12.00 |
| $500 | $10,000+ | 12% | $60.00 |
| $1,000 | $10,000+ | 12% | $100.00 (capped) |
| $25 | Under $10,000 | 15% | $3.75 |
| $50 | Under $10,000 | 15% | $7.50 |
| $100 | Under $10,000 | 15% | $15.00 |
Total Fee Stack Example
For a $50 order from a shop earning $10,000+
| Fee Type | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Etsy transaction fee | 6.5% | $3.25 |
| Payment processing | 3% + $0.25 | $1.75 |
| Off-site ads fee | 12% | $6.00 |
| Total fees | $11.00 |
That's 22% of the order total in fees when off-site ads are involved.
Off-Site Ads Opt-Out Rules
Who can turn off off-site ads and how
✅ You CAN opt out if:
- • Your shop earned less than $10,000 in the last 365 days
- • You haven't previously opted out and then exceeded $10,000
❌ You CANNOT opt out if:
- • Your shop earned $10,000 or more in the last 365 days
- • You're enrolled in Etsy Plus (includes off-site ads)
How to Opt Out (If Eligible)
Go to Shop Manager
Log into your Etsy seller account and access your shop dashboard.
Click Marketing
Navigate to the Marketing section in your sidebar.
Select Off-site ads
Find the Off-site ads option in the Marketing menu.
Toggle Off-site ads to "Off"
Switch the toggle to disable off-site ads for your shop.
Confirm Your Choice
Etsy will ask you to confirm. Note that opting out takes effect immediately for future sales.
⚠️ Important Opt-Out Notes
- • Opting out takes effect immediately for future sales
- • You'll still pay fees for purchases from clicks that happened before opting out (within 30-day window)
- • If you opt out but later earn $10,000+, you'll be automatically re-enrolled
- • Once re-enrolled due to $10,000+ revenue, you cannot opt out again—even if revenue drops
Are Etsy Off-Site Ads Worth It?
Analyzing the ROI for different seller types
Arguments FOR off-site ads:
- • Exposure to buyers who wouldn't find you on Etsy
- • No upfront cost—pay only for completed sales
- • 12-15% is comparable to other marketplace advertising
- • Etsy handles all ad creation and targeting
- • Can bring in high-value customers
Arguments AGAINST off-site ads:
- • 12-15% on top of existing Etsy fees is significant
- • No control over which listings are promoted
- • Can't set budgets or adjust targeting
- • Attribution window is long (30 days)
- • Some sales may have happened anyway
Profit Margin Impact
| Original Margin | After 12% Fee | After 15% Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 70% | 58% | 55% |
| 60% | 48% | 45% |
| 50% | 38% | 35% |
| 40% | 28% | 25% |
| 30% | 18% | 15% |
| 20% | 8% | 5% |
If your margins are already thin, off-site ad fees can make sales unprofitable.
How to Get the Most from Off-Site Ads
Since you're enrolled, optimize for success
📸 Optimize Listing Photos
- • White or clean background — Stands out in Google Shopping grids
- • Product fills the frame — Easy to see at small sizes
- • High resolution — Crisp at all display sizes
- • No text overlays — Google Shopping may reject text-heavy images
- • Show the actual product — Lifestyle photos can confuse in ad contexts
✏️ Optimize Titles for External Search
- • Specific product type — "Sterling Silver Ring" not just "Ring"
- • Key materials — "14K Gold," "Genuine Leather"
- • Use case — "Wedding Gift," "Birthday Present"
- • Size/dimension — "8x10 Print," "Large Canvas"
💰 Price Strategically
- • Calculate your minimum viable price including off-site fees
- • Price items to maintain healthy margins after ALL fees
- • Consider off-site ads as part of your overall cost structure
⭐ Offer Excellent Service
- • Ship promptly—they found you through a professional-looking ad
- • Package well—first impressions matter
- • Communicate proactively—updates build trust
- • Request reviews—strong reviews help future ad performance
How to Track Off-Site Ads Results
Understanding your dashboard
Where to Find Off-Site Ads Data
- Go to Shop Manager
- Click Marketing
- Select Off-site ads
- Review your performance metrics
Orders from off-site ads
Total orders attributed to off-site ad clicks
Revenue from off-site ads
Total sales from off-site attributed orders
Off-site ads fees
Total fees charged for attributed sales
What's a Good ROAS?
Calculate ROAS: Revenue ÷ Fees = ROAS (Example: $500 revenue ÷ $60 fees = 8.3x ROAS)
| ROAS | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| Below 3x | Concerning—fees eating most of the margin |
| 3-5x | Acceptable for low-margin products |
| 5-8x | Good performance |
| 8-10x | Strong performance |
| 10x+ | Excellent—off-site ads driving profitable sales |
⚠️ Tracking Limitations
What Etsy doesn't tell you:
- • Which specific platforms drove clicks
- • Which listings were shown most often
- • Click-through rates on your ads
- • How you compare to competitors
- • Why certain listings are selected
Off-Site Ads by the Numbers
Off-Site Ads in Context
How they compare to other advertising options
Off-Site Ads vs. Etsy Ads (On-Site)
| Factor | Off-Site Ads | Etsy Ads (On-Site) |
|---|---|---|
| Where ads show | Google, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. | Within Etsy search results |
| Payment model | % of sale (12-15%) | Cost per click (you set budget) |
| When you pay | Only on completed sales | Every click, regardless of purchase |
| Control | None | Set daily budget, pause anytime |
| Opt-out | Only if under $10,000/year | Yes, fully optional |
| Risk | Low (no sale = no fee) | Higher (clicks don't guarantee sales) |
Use Etsy Ads (on-site) when:
- • You want control over spending
- • You're targeting Etsy-specific buyers
- • You want to boost visibility for new listings
Rely on Off-Site Ads when:
- • You want to reach external search traffic
- • You prefer pay-for-performance
- • Your listings convert well from external traffic
Off-Site Ads Best Practices
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌Don't Do This
- •Don't ignore the fee structure when pricing — 12-15% is significant
- •Don't assume all off-site sales are incremental — Some buyers might have found you anyway
- •Don't use text-heavy primary images — They perform poorly in ad formats
- •Don't neglect other marketing — Off-site ads shouldn't be your only strategy
- •Don't expect to control the program — You can't choose listings or platforms
- •Don't forget the 30-day window — Purchases long after a click still incur fees
- •Don't underestimate total fee stack — Transaction + processing + off-site = 20%+ of sale
- •Don't make pricing decisions based on off-site ads alone — They're one factor among many
✅Do This Instead
- •Build off-site ad fees into your pricing — They're a cost of doing business on Etsy if you're above the threshold
- •Optimize your primary listing photos — That's what shows in external ads
- •Track your performance monthly — Know which listings generate off-site sales
- •Focus on high-margin products — They absorb the fee better
- •Maintain excellent service — External buyers may be new to Etsy
- •Price competitively — Your ads compete against other sellers' listings
- •Diversify your sales channels — Don't rely solely on Etsy if fees concern you
- •Use descriptive titles — External search users need clear product descriptions
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything sellers ask about off-site ads.
Etsy's off-site ads program terms may change. Information in this guide reflects policies as of 2026. Always verify current terms in your Etsy Shop Manager. Fee calculations are examples only—actual fees depend on your specific order totals and shop tier. This guide is for informational purposes and does not constitute financial or business advice.
Make Every Sale Count—Including Off-Site Ads
InsightAgent helps you research keywords that perform well in external search, analyze competitor pricing, and optimize your listings for maximum conversion—whether traffic comes from Etsy search or off-site ads.