Learning how to duplicate an Etsy listing is super easy and quick. But once the listing is duplicated... now what? Are you going to use it as a template? Do you want two identical products listed simultaneously? If so, why? Does Etsy even allow that?
There are lots of questions and information about duplicate Etsy listings, and I've got it all covered for you below!
Don't need all that information? No worries!
Skip to the step-by-step instructions (3rd section below) on how to duplicate a listing on Etsy.
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What is a duplicate listing on Etsy?
A duplicate listing on Etsy simply means that you want to take an existing listing and create a duplicate of that listing. If you publish that duplicated listing as-is (meaning, nothing changed from the original), then you have two identical listings or duplicate listings.
If you make a carbon copy of a listing, but then you change something on the listing (e.g., product color, product design, etc.), then that's not a duplicate listing because they're no longer identical products.
Why would I duplicate an Etsy listing?
There are really only two reasons why you would want to learn how to duplicate an Etsy listing:
Saving Time on Similar Items: If you're selling products that are similar but have slight variations (like color, size, or design), duplicating a listing allows you to create a new listing quickly without having to enter all the information from scratch.
Items That Match Different Categories: You might have a single product that matches multiple categories. For example, a funny, long-sleeve shirt that's music-themed. Well, if you have three categories: Funny T-shirts, Long-Sleeve T-shirts, and Music-Themed T-shirts... you might want to have that product listed under all three categories in your Etsy store.
I'll cover both of these reasons in this article.
First, I'll walk you through how to duplicate an Etsy listing for a quicker product listing process.
Then, I'll cover why you might want to create an identical duplicate product listing on Etsy, what Etsy's policy on duplicate listings is, as well as why it might not make sense to ever create an identical duplicate listing in Etsy with one important exception.
5 simple Steps to Duplicate an Etsy Listing
Duplicating (or copying) a listing on Etsy is super simple. Here are the quick and easy steps to make a carbon copy of an existing listing in your Etsy seller store:
Once you have published the copied listing, it will be live in your Etsy store and will show up in search results on Etsy, Google Shopping, and elsewhere soon after for Etsy shoppers to purchase.
Download the Free PDF Guide: How to Duplicate an Etsy Listing:
The guide on how to duplicate an Etsy listing is also available as a PDF if you'd prefer to have an actual file version of the instructions listed above. You can download it here:
Good Reasons to Create an Identical Listing on Etsy
I personally use the duplicate listing function specifically to create new listings quicker in my shop manager.
I sell many of the same products, just with different designs. Thus, they largely belong in the same categories, are made by me in the same place, and use the same materials, dimensions, colors, etc.
So it just makes sense to click "copy" and then change the title, product images, Etsy product videos, and optimize the listing description for SEO purposes while essentially keeping everything else in the listing the same.
It saves me a lot of time when creating multiple listings to not have to select all of the various options every time I list a new product on my Etsy store.
But there are other reasons why people may do it, too. In fact, there's one potentially really good reason why you might want to have two identical listings in your Etsy store...
Shop Organization and Design
The only other really solid reason why you might want to create two identical listings is that, currently, Etsy only allows you to put your products into individual "sections" or "categories" in your shop.
So if you sell shirts, and you have a category titled "Long-Sleeve Shirts" and a section titled "Funny Shirts," but you have a long-sleeve shirt with funny designs on it... well, you have to pick which section you want the product to show up in because it cannot show up in both.
But, if you create an identical listing of that shirt... Now, you can put one of those listings in the long-sleeve shirt section and the other in the comedy section. And if it's music-themed, well, you can put a listing in that category too!
Problem solved.
Just keep in mind that creating identical duplicate listings may confuse some shoppers, especially if you switch up the photos, use a slightly different title, etc.
So, proceed with caution and be mindful of the issues that it could create, such as a buyer purchasing both shirt listings thinking that each one was different, only to receive two identical products; yes, that happens.
When a Duplicate Etsy Listing Is a Bad Idea
Creating a duplicate listing on Etsy is a bad idea if:
Against Etsy's Policies: Etsy's policies discourage duplicate or very similar listings because they can negatively impact the customer experience. This practice might be seen as an attempt to manipulate search results or spam the platform (unless the reason is one of the ones we discussed in the paragraphs above).
Search Engine Penalties: Duplicate listings can lead to penalties in Etsy’s search algorithm, which prioritizes unique and quality listings. Having duplicates might decrease your products' visibility in search results.
Customer Confusion: Having multiple listings for the same item can confuse potential customers. This confusion can lead to a decrease in customer trust and potentially lower sales.
Increased Competition with Yourself: By listing duplicates, you're essentially competing with yourself. This can split your views and favorites between listings, which might weaken the performance of each individual listing.
Risk of Reviews Being Spread Thin: Customer reviews are a vital part of building trust on Etsy. If you have duplicate listings, reviews might be spread across these listings, reducing the impact they could have if concentrated on a single listing.
Potential for Policy Violation Penalties: Repeated violations of Etsy’s policies, such as creating duplicate listings, can lead to penalties, including having listings removed or your shop being suspended.
Management and Inventory Challenges: Managing multiple listings for the same item can be more challenging and lead to inventory discrepancies or errors.
Does Etsy allow duplicate listings in the same shop?
Yes, Etsy allows duplicate listings in the same shop as long as you have enough of the product and are able to meet all of the shipping and handling requirements as detailed in the listing.
If you only have one item and create two listings for it - that's not acceptable and violates Etsy's listing policies.
Conclusion
Etsy created the "copy listing" feature for a reason, mainly because there are a ton of sellers like me who use it as a "template" to create new listings of similar products without having to waste a ton of time setting all of the options up for each new listing from scratch.
However, Etsy does not have a specific policy against duplicate listings where the products are identical - as long as they're listed in the same store. The most legitimate reason for doing so is to place the same product in two different categories in your store.
But any other reason for creating an exact carbon copy of an existing listing in your store is probably not going to do what you may think it is. So, it's probably not worth the time or effort.
If you want to learn how to give your Etsy listings the best chance to show up at the top of search results as often as possible, then be sure to take our Content SEO courses on topics such as Keyword Research, Etsy Listing Optimization, etc.
At the very least, make sure you're using a keyword research and Etsy rank tracking tool such as EtsyHunt. That alone will put you well ahead of the competition.
See you at the top!