Etsy guide
Etsy temporary vs permanent suspension: how to tell, and what to do next
By the GetBackMyShop editorial team · Sources checked
Short answer
Read Etsy's email. Etsy says a permanent suspension email includes “permanently suspended” in both the subject line and the body. A temporary suspension usually comes with instructions for a fixable issue (such as an overdue bill, missing tax or bank details, or identity verification) and several lift automatically once the issue is resolved. Only permanent suspensions go through Etsy's Appeals Center, and Etsy gives 6 months from the suspension date to appeal.
What this guide covers
This guide is for Etsy sellers whose account or shop has been suspended. It does not cover a single listing being removed while the account stays active (Etsy handles that through its own listing appeal, explained briefly at the end) or disputes with buyers.
The two types side by side
| Temporary suspension | Permanent suspension | |
|---|---|---|
| How you find out | An email from Etsy explaining the problem and how to resolve it; sellers may also see a banner in Shop Manager. | An email with “permanently suspended” in the subject line and body. |
| Typical causes | Overdue bill, missing taxpayer ID (US sellers past a sales threshold), missing bank account, unfinished bank or identity verification, repeat policy issues. | Etsy does not list every cause. Sellers are asked to review Prohibited Items, Creativity Standards and Intellectual Property policies before appealing. |
| How it is resolved | By fixing the issue named in the email. Several of these reinstate automatically once fixed. | Through the Appeals Center, after resolving the issues that led to the suspension. |
| Time limit | Follow the instructions and any deadline in the email. | 6 months from the day the account was suspended. |
| After a decision | Not applicable | Etsy says a decision can take up to two weeks, and an unsuccessful appeal is final. |
Etsy also notes that funds in your Etsy Payment account may be reserved while an account is suspended. Reinstatement and the release of funds are separate questions.
Source: help.etsy.comWhat to check before you do anything
- Find every email from Etsy about the suspension, including in spam and junk folders, and read the subject line.
- Check Shop Manager for a banner on your dashboard.
- Write down the suspension date. If it is permanent, count 6 months forward. That is the end of your appeal window.
- For a temporary suspension, identify the single thing the email asks you to fix (a bill, a tax ID, a bank account, verification) and do that first.
- For a permanent suspension, close open cases and pay any outstanding balance, as Etsy asks sellers to do before appealing.
- Go through your listings against the Prohibited Items, Creativity Standards (handmade) and Intellectual Property policies, and note what you changed.
If it is permanent: what Etsy asks for in an appeal
Etsy's appeal article describes a short form in the Appeals Center: you sign in to the suspended account, choose the reason for your appeal, describe what you have done to address the issues, explain how your practices will change, attach any supporting documents and submit.
Etsy asks sellers to be transparent and forthright about what caused the suspension, because the appeal is described as the final opportunity to reopen the shop. In practice that means specific facts, dates and changes, not general promises.
Common mistakes
- Writing an appeal for a temporary suspension instead of fixing the issue Etsy's email names.
- Submitting a permanent-suspension appeal before open cases and balances are resolved.
- Missing the 6-month window because the suspension email was in a spam folder.
- Describing what you intend to do rather than what you have already changed.
- Mixing a removed-listing dispute into an account appeal, or the other way round.
- Opening a new shop while suspended. We don't help with this, and it can undermine any appeal.
Official support and appeal routes
- Temporary suspension
Follow the steps in Etsy's email and the reinstatement article.
- Permanent suspension
Appeal through the Appeals Center within 6 months of the suspension date.
- Removed listing (account still active)
Use “View & appeal” on the Policy violations page in Shop Manager; each listing is appealed individually, generally within 6 months of removal.
Need help with your own Etsy case?
We help Etsy sellers whose account or shop has been suspended work out which kind of suspension they have and what Etsy is actually asking for. For permanent suspensions, we help you prepare a factual appeal for Etsy's Appeals Center; for temporary ones, we help you find and resolve the open issue. Etsy makes every reinstatement decision.
Etsy suspension appeal supportOfficial sources
- How to Reinstate Your Suspended AccountEtsy Help Center
- How to File an Appeal for a Permanently Suspended AccountEtsy Help Center
- How Do I Submit an Appeal for a Listing Removed by Etsy?Etsy Help Center
Sources checked on: . Platforms update their help pages; check the current version before you act.