Production partner

If anyone other than you helps make your products, Etsy requires you to declare them as a production partner. The declaration goes in shop settings and shows up on your shop “About” page so buyers know who’s involved in production.

What counts as a production partner

• A print-on-demand vendor (Printful, Printify, Gooten).
• A laser-cut shop you send files to.
• A kiln operator who fires your ceramics.
• A factory that produces your design at scale.
• A graphic designer is not a production partner. Tools and services that don’t physically produce the item don’t count.

Why this exists

Etsy is a handmade/vintage/supply marketplace. The production partner disclosure is part of how Etsy maintains transparency about how items are actually made - without forcing every shop to be a one-person operation.

Consequences of skipping the disclosure

• Shop deactivation if Etsy discovers undisclosed production partners (especially via buyer complaint or trademark report).
• Loss of buyer trust if it becomes obvious you didn’t make the item alone.

What to write

• The partner’s role (“They print my designs onto t-shirts”).
• Where they’re located (city, country).
• What you do vs. what they do.

This is a one-time setup unless you change partners.