The Ultimate Guide to Shopify Etsy Integration: Sync, Import, and Sell

Multichannel selling is a great way to expand your reach and diversify your ecommerce business, and that's especially important for niche-oriented shops selling unique handmade pieces, craft supplies, and vintage goods. In this guide, we'll go over how you can integrate your Shopify Store with your Etsy Shop and vice versa, and help you find the best Shopify-Etsy integration app for your unique selling needs. We'll review exactly what it means to integrate Shopify and Etsy, understand how to set up a Shopify-Etsy sync that works for your multichannel selling needs, share expert tips on ensuring successful Shopify-Etsy integration, and everything else you need to know to ensure a seamless Shopify-Etsy sync for your multichannel ecommerce business.

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Understanding Shopify Etsy Integration

Before you begin your search for a Shopify-Etsy app to integrate your sales channels, it's important to understand exactly what it means to integrate Shopify with Etsy. Below, we'll explain exactly what integrating Shopify with Etsy entails, the benefits of setting up such an integration, and outline why multichannel Shopify-Etsy integration can be beneficial for your ecommerce business by examining the core differences between Shopify and Etsy.

What is a Shopify-Etsy Integration?

Many sellers who sell online sell on more than one sales channel. This practice of selling on multiple sales channels is known as multichannel selling, and can be done in many ways. Most sellers, however, prefer an approach known as multichannel integration, which syncs various aspects of your selling channels to ensure a more seamless multichannel selling experience. In practice, this means inventory synchronization, which adjusts stock in one channel based on changes in the other (i.e. sold unit, cancelled order, etc.) and vice versa, automatic mapping for product categories in each respective channel, and pricing synchronization with automatic adjustment to suit each sales channel.    

Benefits of Integrating Shopify and Etsy

When selling on multiple channels, managing each one of them separately can be very tedious, and will inevitably result in mistakes. It's simply not possible to ensure perfect synchronization of stock, pricing, and category mapping for products sold on multiple channels if you're selling more than a handful of items and have more than a single-digit number of orders each month. For this reason, if you wish to sell on Shopify and Etsy simultaneously, you'll want to have a simple, easy-to-use Shopify-Etsy app that enables you to integrate your Shopify and Etsy sales channels in a way that works for your selling needs. Plus, if you don't already have an Etsy Shop, a Shopify-Etsy app will also enable you to easily import products you're currently selling on Shopify into Etsy, so you can instantly list them on your newly-integrated Etsy sales channel.

Differences between Shopify and Etsy

The obvious question you may have is "what is the benefit?" – why even bother integrating Shopify with Etsy if you can simply sell on one of the two? The answer lies in the core differences between Shopify and Etsy, differences which make not only for two unique selling experiences, but also define who you're able to sell to and what you're able to sell. Shopify and Etsy are actually two entirely distinct types of sales channels: Shopify is a shopping cart platform, while Etsy is an ecommerce marketplace. The difference may seem small on the surface, but it's actually quite a big difference for online sellers.

Shopify is essentially your own store hosted on a platform that provides the framework for creating an online shop; much like renting out a retail space, but in the virtual world. This means that you can decide what and how you sell to your customers. You're not limited by marketplace policies on what you can list, and not required to accept returns (except, possibly, by your payment processing service). On the Etsy marketplace, on the other hand, your Etsy Shop is a service provided to you by Etsy governed by the agreement between you and the marketplace. This means that you're far more limited in terms of what you can list (Etsy only allows the listing of vintage items, handmade goods, or craft supplies), what the terms of your sale can be (though unlike most marketplaces, Etsy does not outright require sellers to accept returns), and even what shipping method you'll practically be able to choose when fulfilling your orders.

Each sales channel has its benefits and drawbacks, and the best way to get the best of both worlds is by integrating both sales channels with a Shopify-Etsy integration app like ExportYourStore. ExportYourStore enables you to fully integrate and sync Shopify and Etsy, and facilitates simple and seamless multichannel selling.

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How to Set Up a Shopify-Etsy Integration

Setting up a Shopify-Etsy integration with ExportYourStore is simple, fast, and easy. All you need to do is connect your Shopify and Etsy accounts to ExportYourStore, define your sync settings, and import your products to Etsy, after which you'll be able to easily sell both on Shopify and on Etsy simultaneously. ExportYourStore will enable you to determine exactly how your Shopify and Etsy stores integrate by allowing you to tailor every aspect of the integration to your specific selling needs. Keep reading to learn how you can set up a simple, seamless, and worry-free integration for your Shopify and Etsy accounts with ExportYourStore!
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Step 1: Connect Your Shopify and Etsy Accounts

After creating your free ExportYourStore trial account, you'll begin by linking both your Shopify and Etsy accounts to the ExportYourStore app. The simple setup process is done with the help of a step-by-step wizard, which guides you every step of the way and ensures that your accounts are connected to ExportYourStore and ready to be integrated.

Step 2: Import Products from Shopify to Export to Etsy

After you've linked your Shopify source store, ExportYourStore will begin importing them so they're ready to export to Etsy with a single click. Products will not be cross-listed to Etsy until you've defined your sync settings and explicitly instructed ExportYourStore to begin exporting and syncing products from Shopify to Etsy.

Step 3: Define Your Sync Settings

Your sync settings determine how products from your Shopify source store will integrate with your target Etsy Shop. Essentially, since the sync process is entirely hands-off, you need to tell ExportYourStore how you want your Shopify-Etsy integration handled by defining your sync settings. There are several types of sync settings that determine different aspects of store integration, and we'll give a short overview of each one below.

Pro Tip: Etsy requires every Etsy Shop to have a defined store policy, as well as several shop-wide settings such as language and item production specifics. With ExportYourStore, you can easily populate these required fields by setting up a Policy Profile for your Etsy Shop.

- Set Up Your Category Mapping  

When listing Shopify products on Etsy, it's important to match Shopify product categories with their corresponding Etsy product categories so that the Etsy listings created for your Shopify products are categorized correctly. If, for example, you sell unisex sweatpants for adults on Shopify in the category "Sweatpants," the best corresponding Etsy category to list them in is "Clothing > Gender-Neutral Adult Clothing > Pants." When you set up a mapping for the Shopify category to its corresponding Etsy category, you're telling ExportYourStore how you want it to categorize every Shopify product from the given category on Etsy, now and in the future.

- Adjust Product Attributes, Titles, and Descriptions with Rules

Just like you defined automatic product category mapping between your Shopify and Etsy sales channels, you can also create fully customizable rules to automatically modify item attributes and specifics when cross-listing from Shopify to Etsy. Use rules to change product titles to better optimize them for Etsy, make adjustments to sales prices to account for fee discrepancies between sales platforms, and more, to ensure that your items import from Shopify into Etsy exactly the way you want, automatically.

- Make Bulk Edits for Easier Product Management

Managing a wide array of products on one channel is difficult enough, but when you need to take another sales channel into account, it can be overwhelming. ExportYourStore's built-in bulk product edits enable you to manage your Etsy listings in bulk with simple yet powerful actions. You can edit every aspect of your listings, from titles to keywords, and even remove listings from Etsy, all with a few clicks.
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Step 4: Export Your Shopify Products to Etsy

After completing your mapping and creating your import rules, your Shopify products are ready for export to Etsy. In the screenshot above, we can see what an exported and syncing product looks like, as well as products that are ready to sync and are awaiting export. ExportYourStore will not begin exporting products to Etsy until you click on "Export" for a given product.

This is what a live listing of a product exported from Shopify to Etsy with ExportYourStore looks like on Etsy.
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Step 5: End Listings on Etsy With ExportYourStore

When you integrate your Etsy Shop with Shopify using ExportYourStore, you can easily manage your listings on Etsy directly through ExportYourStore. This means that whenever you want to end a listing on Etsy, you simply need to select that listing in the "Products" section on ExportYourStore, and click on "End Listings."
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Step 6: Manage Your Orders and Inventory

Now that your Shopify and Etsy sales channels are fully integrated, you'll be able to manage your inventory and orders from both channels directly through ExportYourStore. Integrated multichannel order management tools include CSV exports and tracking updates directly through ExportYourStore, so you don't have to hop between sales channels to manage your orders. For inventory management, ExportYourStore will automatically update your sales channels whenever an order comes in by taking down stock to reflect the change in inventory. This means a seamless inventory sync for a truly hands-off multichannel inventory management.

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Tips for Successful Shopify Etsy Integration

Every sales channel comes with its own unique benefits, and with its own unique challenges. You can't sell on Etsy the same way you sell on Shopify, because each sales channel works differently in terms of listing requirements, target audience, fees, and more. This means that you cannot simply cross-list products as they are from Shopify to Etsy and expect them to perform well; you must ensure that the integration you set up takes the differences between the two sales channels into account so that your products have a fighting chance of succeeding on Etsy. In this section, we’ll go over some essential tips for setting up a successful Shopify-Etsy integration, so that your Shopify products have the best possible start on the Etsy marketplace.

1. Optimize Your Product Listings for Etsy

If you've been selling online for any amount of time, you know the importance of creating optimized product listings. Optimized for the channel they're listed on, optimized for that channel's search engine, and optimized for buyer conversion. Every sales channel has its own unique characteristics, meaning that product listing optimization on that channel will require an equally unique, channel-specific approach.

When setting up your Shopify-Etsy integration, you'll want to set up rules and automations within ExportYourStore that can optimize products for listing on Etsy. You can create a pricing adjustment to account for Etsy's higher fees, but you can also create a rule to change your long product titles from Shopify to comply with Etsy's 140-character listing title limit. Automatable adjustments like these can be used to ensure that your listings are optimized for Etsy, so that they have the best possible chance of ranking in searches and converting on the marketplace.

2. Keep Track of Your Inventory

By far the most important aspect of integrating Shopify with Etsy (or any other sales platform) is ensuring that your inventory is synchronized between the platforms. The reason for this is simple – you need to ensure that you're selling what you actually have in stock, and not oversell by selling the same unit twice. Doing this manually is far from practical, especially if you sell more than a handful of products or have any significant volume of monthly sales.

When you use ExportYourStore for your Shopify-Etsy integration, your inventory is automatically synced between your two sales platforms. No need for any special setup; as soon as your sales channels are linked via ExportYourStore, your inventory is automatically monitored, tracked, and synced, so you never have to worry about overselling.

3. Utilize Etsy's Marketing Tools

Etsy has a small yet powerful selection of marketing tools available for sellers, and the sooner you learn how to use them, the better your results on Etsy will be. One of the most significant marketing tools you'll have at your disposal are Etsy Ads, which encompass both on- and off-site promotion of your Etsy listings. They're a paid form of advertising, based either on a CPC or commission model. Additionally, you'll have an array of promotional tools for your Shop on Etsy. These include targeted offers to interested buyers, and sales on select listings or across your entire Etsy Shop. Keep in mind that promotional and marketing tools do have a bit of a learning curve, and it may take you some time to get the results you want. The most important thing is to continuously monitor and optimize your Etsy Ads and other promotional strategies, and learn both from past flops and successes to create a tailored yet ever-evolving marketing strategy that suits your selling goals.

4. Price Your Products Competitively

Even on a handmade-oriented marketplace like Etsy, buyers still want a good deal on their purchases. While Etsy shoppers are still happier to pay a premium for a well-made, unique piece than the average online shopper, they'll still do a bit of shopping around before buying, which is why it's so important to conduct thorough market research and ensure that your prices are in line with the demands of the market.

If you need to, use ExportYourStore to automatically adjust pricing when cross-listing products from Shopify to Etsy to ensure that they're competitively priced on their new marketplace. This way, every time a new product is created on Shopify and imports to Etsy, it will instantly be priced according to your needs on Etsy.

5. Provide Excellent Customer Service

This is the golden rule of online selling, and particularly on marketplaces. Unlike Shopify, Etsy is a marketplace, meaning that you're bound by marketplace policies and rules on how you interact with your customers and what kind of service you provide them. Marketplace rules need to be seen as a minimum requirement, however; you should aim to provide 5-star customer service to every customer. Exceptional customer service means good feedback, and a highly-rated Etsy Shop enjoys a variety of perks: it sells more, ranks more highly in buyer searches, and enjoys the ranking of Star Seller, complete with a Star Seller badge to let buyers know they can buy with confidence.

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Final Thoughts & Key Takeaways: Why ExportYourStore is the Best Option for Shopify Etsy Integration

A successful Shopify-Etsy sync requires an all-in-one approach for a fully integrated multichannel selling experience. When you choose ExportYourStore as your Shopify-Etsy app, you'll be able to seamlessly integrate between the two sales channels with automatic inventory synchronization, custom rules for everything from pricing adjustments to listing optimization, an integrated dashboard for monitoring your performance on both Shopify and Etsy, and even a consolidated orders interface to help you more easily manage your multichannel orders.

Selling on Shopify and Etsy simultaneously is a worthwhile endeavor, but it does require some foresight and planning. In addition to choosing the best Shopify-Etsy integration app for your needs, you'll need to take a beat to learn the ins and outs of selling on Etsy. From understanding what sells best on Etsy to how you should go about creating your Etsy listings, your selling experience on Etsy will be much easier and far more successful if you take the time to research the platform and understand what sets it apart from selling on Shopify.

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FAQs for Shopify-Etsy Integration

If you still have questions on what's the best way to go about integrating Shopify and Etsy, or if you're still not sure whether a multichannel Shopify-Etsy integration is the right choice for your Shopify store, we've put together a short list of the most frequently asked questions Shopify sellers ask when considering integrating their Shopify store with an Etsy Shop. Keep reading to get a brief overview of the differences between Etsy and Shopify, how to import products from Shopify to Etsy, and more.

Q: What is the difference between Shopify and Etsy?

Shopify and Etsy are two distinct types of ecommerce sales channels; Shopify is a shopping cart platform, while Etsy is a marketplace. This distinction matters because it affects everything from how you fulfill your orders to how you price your items, what you sell to how you handle returns. For many sellers who sell through Shopify, Etsy can be an ideal choice for growing their ecommerce business. It offers a structured selling solution, gives buyers an added sense of security when purchasing, and can be used as a springboard to establish your brand's reputation. Think of it this way – a buyer may initially find and purchase from you on Etsy, but once they've had a good experience, they'll likely opt to purchase directly from your Shopify store in the future.

Q: How do I connect my Shopify and Etsy accounts?

The best way to connect your Shopify and Etsy accounts is by using a Shopify-Etsy integration app like ExportYourStore. When you use ExportYourStore to link and sync your Shopify store and Etsy Shop, you'll enjoy automatic inventory synchronization, custom integration automations that help you determine exactly how your sales channels connect, a smart multichannel dashboard for monitoring your performance, and even a consolidated multichannel order management interface to help you more easily view, manage, and fulfill your orders from both Etsy and Shopify.  

Q: Can I import my existing Shopify products to Etsy?

You can easily import your products from Shopify into Etsy with ExportYourStore – all you need to do is connect your accounts, define your category mapping, click "Export," and watch the magic happen! You can import Shopify products as-is and in one go, or select individual products for export with the help of filters and searches. Furthermore, you'll be able to determine exactly how your Shopify products import into Etsy with fully customizable rules, making your Shopify and Etsy integration perfectly tailored to your selling needs.

Q: How often should I sync my Etsy and Shopify stores?

Your Etsy and Shopify sales channels should be continuously synced, so that you're always able to offer your customers the most up-to-date stock, price, and product information. The best way to do this is with a Shopify-Etsy integration app like ExportYourStore, which monitors and syncs inventory, pricing, and product data across all your sales channels continuously and automatically. With synchronization fully handled by ExportYourStore, you can always be sure that Shopify, Etsy, and all your other linked sales channels are always synced.