Etsy Production Partners 2026: Disclosure Rules

Who this is for

You use a print-on-demand service. Or a contract manufacturer. Or someone else helps produce items you sell on Etsy. You've heard you need to "disclose" this, but you're not sure what that means, where to do it, or what happens if you get it wrong.

This guide explains Etsy's production partner rules, how to set up disclosure correctly, and the mistakes that get shops suspended.

The goal

Stay compliant with Etsy's handmade and creativity standards. Properly disclose your production partners. Avoid the policy violations that lead to listing removals and account suspensions.

What is a production partner?

A production partner is a third party who helps physically produce items based on your original designs. They turn your creative work into finished products.

Examples of production partners:

• Print-on-demand services (Printify, Printful, Gooten)
• Cut-and-sew manufacturers
• Screen printers
• Engravers and laser cutters
• Jewelry casters
• Contract manufacturers producing your designs

Not production partners:

• Material suppliers (where you buy fabric, beads, clay)
• Tool providers (where you buy equipment)
• Shipping services

The distinction matters: you don't need to disclose where you buy materials. You do need to disclose who helps produce your finished products.

What doesn't qualify as a production partner

Etsy specifically excludes certain business types:

• White-label manufacturers (generic products with your branding)
• Original equipment manufacturers (OEM)
• Original design manufacturers (ODM)
• Commercial wholesalers and retailers

Working with these to source products for your Etsy shop violates marketplace policies. That's reselling, not handmade—and it can result in account suspension.

The key question: did you design it, or are you just reselling someone else's product with your label on it?

Etsy's creativity standards

Etsy classifies handmade items into three categories:

Made by a seller

Physical items you craft, alter, or assemble yourself—by hand or using tools you own. This includes items made in your home studio, workshop, or workspace.

Designed by a seller

Original designs you create that are produced or printed by a third party. This covers print-on-demand products, items manufactured to your specifications, and digital downloads.

Key requirement: The design must be yours. Purchasing a design from someone else and having it printed doesn't qualify (more on this below).

Sourced by a seller

Items that enable buyer creativity: craft supplies, party decorations, and items buyers can personalize.

What you must disclose

If you work with a production partner, Etsy requires you to:

1. Add the production partner to your Etsy account
2. Link them to every listing they help produce
3. Include them in your shop's About section
4. Accurately state where the item ships from

How to add a production partner

In Etsy's seller dashboard:

1. Go to Shop Manager → Settings → Production Partners
2. Click Add a production partner
3. Enter their details:
   • Name: The business name (e.g., "Printify")
   • Location: Where they're based
   • Public title: What buyers see (e.g., "Apparel printing partner")
   • Description: How you work with them

You can choose whether to show the partner's actual name or just a descriptive title like "Printing partner" or "Manufacturing partner."

How to word your disclosure

In the "About production partner" field, describe your working relationship. Keep it honest and straightforward.

Good examples:

"I create all designs in my home studio. [Partner name] handles printing and fulfillment, printing my original artwork on high-quality apparel."

"I design each piece; my production partner handles casting and finishing based on my 3D models and specifications."

"I hand-draw all illustrations. My printing partner produces museum-quality prints on archival paper."

What not to write:

• Vague statements that obscure the relationship
• Claims that imply you make everything yourself
• Nothing at all (omission is a violation)

Linking partners to listings

When creating or editing a listing, you'll see an option to indicate how the item is made. Select "A production partner made it" and choose the relevant partner from your list.

If you use multiple partners for different products, link each listing to the correct one.

Print-on-demand: specific rules

Print-on-demand (POD) is one of the most common production partner relationships on Etsy. Here's what applies:

Your design, their printing

You create the design. They print it on products and ship to customers. This is allowed—with proper disclosure.

The design must be yours

This is where sellers get in trouble. As of June 2025, Etsy tightened rules for items produced with computerized tools (including POD).

Allowed: Your original artwork, illustrations, photographs, or graphic designs printed on products.

Not allowed: Purchased designs, templates, or clip art that you didn't create, printed on products. Commercial-use licenses don't make these "your" designs under Etsy's policy.

If you're using designs you bought from Creative Market, Etsy, or another marketplace, those products may not qualify as handmade on Etsy—even if you paid for a commercial license.

AI-generated designs

If your design was created using AI tools (like DALL-E, Midjourney, or similar), you must disclose this in your listing description. Select "Designed by a seller" and note the AI involvement.

You can no longer simply select "I made it" if the primary visual was machine-generated.

Common mistakes that get shops suspended

Not disclosing at all

The most common violation. Sellers use POD services but never add them as production partners. Etsy's enforcement catches this through buyer reports, pattern detection, and shipping data inconsistencies.

Fix: Add your production partner before you publish listings. Not after you get caught.

Claiming "I made it" for POD products

When setting up a listing, selecting "I made it" when a third party produces the physical item is a violation—even if you designed it.

Fix: Select "A production partner made it" for any item physically produced by someone else.

Using non-qualifying partners

Sourcing finished products from AliExpress, Alibaba, or wholesale suppliers and listing them as handmade is prohibited. These are resale items, not production partner relationships.

Fix: If you didn't design it, you can't sell it as handmade on Etsy. Consider the vintage or supplies categories instead, or find a different platform.

Misrepresenting ship-from location

If your production partner ships directly to customers, your listing must reflect where the item actually ships from—not your home address.

Fix: Update your shipping profile to show accurate origin locations.

Using purchased designs as "your" designs

Buying an SVG file and having it laser-cut, or purchasing clip art and having it printed on mugs, doesn't qualify as "designed by a seller" under Etsy's current policy.

Fix: Create original designs. If you want to sell products with others' designs, ensure you have proper licensing and understand that these may not qualify as handmade on Etsy.

What happens when you violate these rules

Etsy's enforcement can include:

• Listing removal: Individual listings taken down
• Warning: Account flagged with notice to fix violations
• Selling privileges suspended: Temporary inability to sell
• Account termination: Permanent ban from the platform

Etsy uses a mix of automated detection, buyer reports, and manual review. Even if you've been operating without proper disclosure for a while, that doesn't mean you're safe—it means you haven't been caught yet.

Production partner checklist

Before you publish listings involving production partners:

• Production partner is added in Shop Manager → Settings
• Partner is linked to all relevant listings
• "A production partner made it" is selected (not "I made it")
• Shop About section includes production partner information
• Ship-from location accurately reflects where items ship from
• Designs are original (not purchased templates or clip art)
• AI-generated content is disclosed in listing descriptions
• Partner is a qualifying type (not white-label, OEM, ODM, or wholesaler)

FAQ

Do I need to name my production partner publicly?

Not necessarily. You can use a descriptive title like "Printing partner" or "Manufacturing partner" instead of the company name. The disclosure must exist, but you control how specific it is.

What if I use multiple production partners?

Add each one to your account and link the correct partner to each listing. A listing for a printed t-shirt links to your apparel printer; a listing for an engraved item links to your engraver.

Do I need to disclose material suppliers?

No. Buying beads, fabric, clay, or other raw materials doesn't require disclosure. Only production assistance (turning materials into finished products) requires disclosure.

Can I switch production partners later?

Yes. Update your Shop Manager settings and re-link affected listings to the new partner. Keep your disclosure accurate to your current process.

What about production partners outside the US?

Location doesn't affect whether disclosure is required—it's required regardless. But you must accurately state where items ship from, which may affect buyer expectations and shipping times.

My POD service handles everything after I upload a design. Is that a production partner?

Yes. If a third party produces and ships the physical item, they're a production partner, even if your only involvement is uploading art and approving mockups.

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Production partner disclosure isn't optional—it's required. Add your partners, link them to listings, and be honest about how your products are made. The sellers who get suspended are usually the ones who thought they could skip this step.

For related compliance topics, see our guides on Etsy listing compliance and listing photos (which covers mockup rules for POD products).

Need help writing compliant listings for your production partner products? ListingForge handles it automatically.

Sources

• Working with Production Partners on Etsy – Etsy Help
• Etsy's Creativity Standards – Etsy Policy
• Seller Policy – Etsy
• 4 Policy Best Practices When Listing Items on Etsy – Etsy Seller Handbook
• How Etsy Is Protecting Creativity and Self-Expression – Etsy Seller Handbook
• Etsy's Production Partner Policy: Growing Small Businesses – Etsy Seller Handbook
• What should I know about Etsy's Creative Standards policy? – Printify