Etsy Seller Guide

Why Does My Etsy AppHave a 1 On It?

That red notification badge means you have unread activity - a message, order, review, or alert that needs your attention. Here's what it could mean and how to manage it.

New MessageNew OrderReview ReceivedShop UpdateListing IssueEtsy Announcement

View Notification Types Fix Stuck Badge

🔔Quick Answer: What Does the Badge Mean?

The number on your Etsy app icon shows unread notifications:

New message from a buyer (most common)
New order that needs processing
New review on your shop
Listing alert (deactivated, policy issue, sold out)
Etsy update or announcement

To clear it: Open the app → tap the bell icon → view all notifications → each one you tap will mark as read.

Types of Etsy Notifications

Understanding what each notification type means and how urgently to respond

💬

Messages

High

New buyer inquiries or conversation replies

Respond within 24 hours for Star Seller status

📦

Orders

High

New purchases, shipping reminders, tracking updates

Ship on time and update tracking promptly

⭐

Reviews

Medium

New ratings and reviews from buyers

Thank positive reviews, address negative ones professionally

⚠️

Listing Alerts

Critical

Deactivated listings, policy issues, sold out items

Fix immediately to avoid account issues

📊

Shop Updates

Low

Star Seller status, performance metrics, milestones

Review periodically to track shop health

📢

Etsy Announcements

Medium

Platform updates, new features, policy changes

Stay informed about changes affecting your shop

How to Clear a Stuck Notification Badge

Follow these steps if your notification badge won't go away

🔔

Open All Notifications

Tap the bell icon and scroll through ALL notifications, tapping each one to mark as read.

💬

Check Messages Tab

Open the Messages section and read any unread conversations. Open each thread completely.

🔄

Pull to Refresh

Pull down on the notifications screen to force a refresh and sync with Etsy servers.

❌

Force Close App

Swipe up on the app to fully close it, then reopen to reset the notification state.

🧹

Clear App Cache

Go to phone Settings > Apps > Etsy > Storage > Clear Cache (won't delete login).

🔐

Log Out & Back In

Sign out of your Etsy account and sign back in to reset notification sync.

📲

Reinstall App

If nothing works, delete and reinstall the Etsy app. You'll need to log in again.

💡Still Having Issues?

If none of these steps work, the issue may be on Etsy's end. Wait a few hours and try again. You can also contact Etsy Support for help with persistent notification bugs. Check the Etsy Status Page to see if there are known issues.

Best Practices for Managing Notifications

Stay on top of your Etsy shop with these notification management tips

📱

Check Notifications Daily

Make checking Etsy notifications part of your morning routine. Delayed responses hurt Star Seller status.

🔔

Enable Push Notifications

Turn on push notifications for orders and messages so you never miss time-sensitive items.

🛍️

Use the Seller App

Install Etsy Seller app for seller-specific notifications. The main app is buyer-focused.

📋

Set Notification Priorities

Focus on messages, orders, and listing alerts first. Marketing notifications can wait.

⏰

Respond Within 24 Hours

Quick message responses are required for Star Seller. Set up saved replies for common questions.

⚙️

Review Settings Regularly

Etsy updates notification options periodically. Check settings quarterly to optimize.

Customizing Your Notification Settings

✅Keep These ON

• New orders and purchases
• Messages from buyers
• Listing deactivation alerts
• Policy violation warnings
• Review notifications
• Shipping deadline reminders

❌Safe to Turn OFF

• Marketing and promotion tips
• Etsy newsletter updates
• Favorites notifications (if too frequent)
• Milestone celebrations
• Holiday selling reminders
• Seller education content

⚙️How to Access Notification Settings

Open the Etsy Seller app
Tap your profile icon (bottom right)
Select Settings
Tap Notifications
Toggle individual notification types on/off
Choose delivery method (push, email, or both)

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about Etsy app notifications.

The "1" (or any number) on your Etsy app is a notification badge indicating you have unread notifications. This could mean: a new message from a buyer, a new order, a review on your shop, a listing that needs attention, an Etsy announcement, or a promotional notification. Open the app and check your notifications tab to see what requires your attention.

Etsy app notifications include: 1) Messages - buyer inquiries and conversations, 2) Orders - new purchases, shipping updates needed, 3) Reviews - new ratings from buyers, 4) Listing alerts - issues with listings (policy violations, expired, sold out), 5) Shop updates - star seller status, performance metrics, 6) Etsy announcements - platform updates and features, 7) Marketing alerts - promoted listings performance, offers.

To clear the notification badge: 1) Open the Etsy Seller app, 2) Tap the bell icon (notifications) in the bottom menu, 3) View each notification by tapping on it, 4) For messages, open and read them, 5) The badge will clear once all notifications are viewed. If the badge persists, try: pulling down to refresh, logging out and back in, or clearing the app cache.

If your notification badge won't clear, try these fixes: 1) Make sure you've viewed ALL notifications (scroll down completely), 2) Check both the buyer and seller app if you have both, 3) Open any unread messages in conversations, 4) Check your email for linked notifications, 5) Force close the app and reopen, 6) Clear app cache (Settings > Apps > Etsy > Clear Cache), 7) Log out and log back in, 8) Reinstall the app if issues persist.

A red dot on Etsy indicates unread activity requiring your attention. Red dots appear on: the app icon (overall notifications), the messages tab (unread conversations), the orders tab (new orders or actions needed), your shop dashboard (alerts or issues). The dot is Etsy's way of drawing your attention to time-sensitive items that may affect your shop performance or buyer experience.

To manage Etsy notifications: 1) Open Etsy app > tap your account icon, 2) Go to Settings > Notifications, 3) Toggle on/off different notification types (messages, orders, reviews, marketing), 4) Choose between push notifications, email, or both, 5) Set quiet hours to avoid notifications during certain times. Note: Some critical notifications (orders, policy issues) cannot be disabled.

Duplicate or persistent notifications can occur due to: 1) Syncing issues between devices if you use multiple phones/tablets, 2) Not fully loading a notification before closing, 3) App cache issues, 4) Etsy server delays, 5) Using both buyer and seller apps. Try: reading each notification completely, refreshing the notifications tab, clearing cache, or reinstalling if the problem persists.

Critical notifications for sellers include: 1) New orders - respond within 24 hours, 2) Buyer messages - fast responses improve Star Seller status, 3) Listing deactivation notices - fix issues immediately to avoid account problems, 4) Policy violation warnings - address within deadline or risk suspension, 5) Review responses - especially negative reviews, 6) Intellectual property claims - require immediate action.

For Star Seller status and good buyer experience: Messages - respond within 24 hours (Etsy tracks this), Orders - acknowledge within 24 hours, ship on time, Reviews - respond to negative reviews within 48 hours while issue is fresh, Listing issues - fix within 24 hours to avoid deactivation, Policy violations - address immediately as these have strict deadlines.

You can turn off most marketing and promotional notifications, but Etsy requires certain notifications remain enabled for sellers: new orders, critical messages, policy violations, and account security alerts. This ensures you don't miss buyer communications or important shop issues. You can customize how you receive these (push, email, or both) but cannot disable them entirely.

If you're not actively selling but still get notifications, you may receive: 1) Favorites alerts - people favoriting old listings, 2) Account security updates, 3) Etsy platform announcements, 4) Holiday promotion reminders, 5) "Come back to sell" marketing. To stop these: put your shop on vacation mode, disable marketing notifications, or close your shop if not planning to return.

The main Etsy app is primarily for buyers (shopping, favorites, purchases), while Etsy Seller app is for shop management (orders, messages, listings, stats). Sellers should use both: Etsy Seller app for managing your business, main Etsy app for seeing buyer experience and buying supplies. Notifications may differ between apps - keep Seller app installed for complete seller notifications.

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