My Etsy shop was suspended — what to do first

Etsy suspends shops through automated policy signals first and human review second. The email you received names a policy family (handmade, prohibited items, intellectual property, identity verification, payment risk) but not the specific listing or event that triggered it. Sellers lose weeks because they reply emotionally to the generic wording instead of identifying which listings, orders, or account links produced the signal. The fastest recoveries start with an accurate diagnosis of the trigger, not with an apology.

• The exact suspension email or Shop Manager banner text, copied in full
• Government-issued photo ID matching the shop owner name on file
• Proof of address issued in the last 90 days (utility bill or bank statement)
• Supplier invoices or production evidence for the listings that were flagged
• Photos of your workspace, tools, or work-in-progress items for handmade claims
• Screenshots of the affected listings before they were removed

1. 1

   Hour 0-1: capture everything before it disappears

   Screenshot the suspension email, the Shop Manager banner, your listing pages, order history, and payment account balance. Suspended shops lose front-end access to some of this data, and you cannot cite evidence you can no longer see.

2. 2

   Hour 1-3: identify the policy family and the likely trigger

   Match the wording of the notice to one policy family. Then list every event in the last 90 days that could have produced it: a new supplier, a bulk listing upload, a buyer complaint, a rights-owner report, a new device or address, or another shop you have access to.

3. 3

   Hour 3-6: do not create a second shop or a second appeal

   Opening a new shop while suspended usually creates a linked-account violation on top of the original one. Sending three short appeals splits your case across reviewers. One shop, one appeal thread.

4. 4

   Hour 6-24: write a Plan of Action, not a complaint

   Etsy reviewers look for three things: the root cause stated plainly, the immediate action you already took, and the preventive controls that stop it repeating. Facts, dates, and document references — no emotion, no promises about outcomes.

5. 5

   After sending: wait, then follow up once

   Give the review team time before following up. A duplicate appeal restarts the queue. If the first appeal is denied, escalate with new evidence rather than repeating the same text.