Remove an Etsy Review: What Etsy Will Take Down
How to remove an Etsy review: what Etsy takes down, how to report or answer one, what buyers can edit, and what to do about review threats.
You cannot delete a buyer's review on Etsy yourself. You can report it, and Etsy removes it only if it breaks Etsy's policies: abusive language, private information, threats or extortion, spam, or a complaint about something outside your control such as a shipping carrier. A compliant negative review stays up, even if unfair.
That makes the work two decisions, in order. Does the review break a written rule? If so, report it with evidence. If not, the options are a private message, one public reply, and time, because buyers can edit for a limited window.
This guide describes Etsy policy as of the pages read for it. Where they are silent, notably on what a removal does to your rating, we say so rather than fill the gap.
- Sellers cannot delete reviews. Etsy removes a review only when it violates policy, and Etsy Support will not remove one just because the seller asks.
- Report rule-breaking reviews with the "Report this review" link. Respond to reviews that are negative but allowed.
- A public reply is allowed once, cannot be edited, and stops the buyer from editing their review, even if you delete the reply.
- Threats or extortion tied to a review are themselves against Etsy's rules. Keep the evidence, do not pay, and do not threaten back.
- Removal can take days. Do not count on a rating change that Etsy has not described.
Three numbers shape every Etsy review dispute, so they come first.
From Etsy's Seller Policy, its help page on negative reviews, and its help page on leaving a review, as read for this article.
Etsy removes a review only if it breaks a written rule
Etsy removes a review only when it violates policy. The Etsy help page on what to do if you receive a negative review names the removable kinds: private information, obscene, racist or harassing language or imagery, prohibited medical drug claims, solely advertising or spam, reviews only about things outside your control (a named shipping carrier, Etsy or a third party), and reviews that contain threats or extortion or include shilling that falsely inflates a shop's score.
The Etsy Seller Policy matches this. Reviews and responses may not contain graphic, mature or obscene language, may not concern things outside the seller's control, and may not undermine the integrity of the Reviews system. The content rules add threats, harassment, extortion, false or misleading content and private information.
Related readRemove eBay Feedback: What Qualifies and HowTwo details come up often. The third-party rule is narrow: a review that mixes a third party's actions with feedback on the item or service may not qualify. And interference is a separate ground: the Seller Policy lists purchasing from a seller solely to leave a negative review, so report such a review with the order record attached.
What Etsy says it will not remove
Etsy says it is not in a position to judge the accuracy of a buyer's statement about things like an item's quality, or how reasonable a complaint is, so a compliant negative review stays up even if you disagree. It also says it cannot judge whether a buyer received an item even when tracking seems to show delivery, so do not expect a non-delivery complaint to be removed on tracking. And Etsy Support cannot remove a review at a seller's request: the route is to report it.
An Etsy Community announcement on review updates adds that sellers can no longer hide photo or video reviews. The page shows no year, though a staff reply on it cites 2022 data, so treat it as older context and check the current help pages.
Reporting a review takes a few clicks, and the evidence decides it
The help page gives the path: Shop Manager, your shop name under Sales Channels, Reviews, find the review, Report, add any additional information and submit. On Etsy.com or the Etsy Seller app you can also select "Report this review" under it. Name the rule and quote the sentence. "This review is unfair" gives the agent nothing to apply, because Etsy says it cannot determine how reasonable a buyer's complaint is.
Related readAirbnb review removal: what qualifies and how- Read the review against the rulesMatch it to one named ground, such as private information, threats or spam.
- Open the reportFrom Shop Manager, go to Reviews, find the review and choose Report. The same option appears as "Report this review" under the review.
- State the ground and the proofCite the rule, quote the passage, and add the order details.
- Hold your replyA public response ends the buyer's ability to edit, so wait for the outcome.
The pages we read describe no appeal after a report is decided, so make the first report count. We found no source saying a repeat report on the same text changes the outcome, but a report on new facts, such as a threat that arrived afterward, is worth filing. Etsy's seller help page also says reviews removed by its employees cannot be reinstated.
The buyer controls the review for 100 days, and your reply changes that
A buyer can change a review any number of times during the 100-day review period, so the first version you see may not be the last. Etsy's help page on leaving a review says the window starts from the order's estimated delivery date (for digital items, from the download), and Etsy's page for sellers adds the delivery date itself, and that reviews cannot be edited while a case is open or on canceled transactions.
Once you respond, the buyer can no longer edit, even if you delete your response. A public reply freezes the review as it stands. If you can fix the problem, a private message may lead the buyer to raise the rating, but only while the review is still editable. The negative review help page says you can respond within 100 days of the buyer's last edit, so waiting a few days to see whether the buyer edits does not close the door.
What a buyer can do after you have replied
If a seller has responded and the buyer wants their original review removed, the buyer help page directs them to Etsy's contact page. The pages we read do not say how Etsy decides that. A buyer can also flag your response if they suspect it violates Etsy's Terms of Use, which is a reason to keep it short and factual.
Related readAvvo review removal: what lawyers can disputeYour rating after a removal is not described on the pages we could read
Etsy's help page for sellers says reviews from the past 12 months are given the most weight in your score. None of the Etsy pages we read states how a removal changes the score or the displayed review count. Promise yourself no number: after a removal, check your reviews in Shop Manager and note what changed.
Gather the evidence before you report, reply or message
Collect proof first, because a review can be edited.
- The review itself. A full screenshot with date, rating, reviewer name and any photo or video.
- The order record. Order date, tracking, and the estimated delivery date that starts the 100-day clock.
- The conversation. Every message in the order thread.
- The rule it breaks. One sentence naming the ground, in Etsy's wording.
- Any case record. Etsy's Cases Policy lets buyers open a case when an item never arrived, arrived late, arrived damaged or does not match the listing.
A review noticed the day it appears is easier to document, which is where reputation monitoring helps.
A response framework for a review that stays up
Answer for the next buyer who reads the review. Etsy gives you one reply that cannot be edited, so ask five questions first.
- Does the review break a rule? If yes, report it and wait for the outcome before replying.
- Is the complaint true? If part is, say so plainly. Etsy's seller handbook, on unhappy customers in messages, advises staying professional, avoiding accusatory language and aiming for a solution.
- Can the buyer still edit? Check the 100-day window and that you have not responded and no case is open. If a fix is realistic, message first.
- Can you fix it without conditions? Offer what you would offer any customer in the same position, with no condition about the review.
- What does the next reader need? Facts, calmly: what went wrong, what you did, how to reach you.
The reply and the private message
You can only respond to each review once, you can delete your response but not edit it, and a response that includes tracking numbers, external links or private information is removed. Draft it, then post: acknowledge the experience, correct the record without calling the buyer a liar, and say what you did.
Contacting the buyer first is allowed: the Seller Policy says you can reach out or leave a response, and the help page gives the route (Shop Manager, Orders, the mail icon). Messages may not be used to warn members away from a shop, so keep it to your own order.
Review threats and extortion: report the conduct, keep the evidence, pay nothing
A threat to post a bad review unless you give a refund, free goods or money is conduct Etsy's rules cover. The Seller Policy's content rules prohibit threats, harassment and extortion, and the negative review help page lists extortion reviews among those it removes. Etsy's Harassment Policy covers reviews and messages and describes "non-violent threats and blackmail". One limit: we found no Etsy page that sets out a dedicated process for extortion through reviews, so the general rules and reporting routes are what you have.
Related readRemove BBB complaint: what BBB will and will not do- Stop negotiating in the threadSend one neutral message that you will handle the order through the normal Etsy process, then do not bargain.
- Preserve everythingScreenshot the messages with dates, the order page, and any posted review.
- Report the review if it existsUse "Report this review" and name the ground: threats or extortion, with the message that shows the demand attached.
- Block the member and escalate if it continuesEtsy's harassment help page says to block the member, and to contact support if harassing messages continue after you have blocked them.
- Resolve any real problem on its meritsUse the order and case process, never in exchange for silence.
Do not pay, and do not answer a threat with a threat: paying rewards the tactic, and a counter-threat can breach consumer rules. If the demand involves money, safety or your personal information, that is a matter for the police or your own counsel.
The legal rules that limit what you do about a review
The US and the UK both have rules aimed at businesses that suppress or fake reviews, and they bind the seller. This is information, not legal advice; your own counsel decides.
United States: FTC rule on consumer reviews and testimonials (16 CFR Part 465). The FTC says the rule went into effect on October 21, 2024. Its press release says the rule bars businesses from using unfounded or groundless legal threats, physical threats, intimidation or certain false public accusations to stop or remove a negative review, and that the FTC can seek civil penalties against knowing violators. In the rule text (section 465.7), the false-accusation limb applies where the accusation is made knowing it is false or with reckless disregard for the truth, and the FTC's questions and answers confirm that you can threaten legal action if you have a legitimate basis. Reviews count under the rule when published on a website or platform dedicated in whole or in part to receiving and displaying them, which describes Etsy's review system. Whether a specific Etsy dispute falls inside the rule is a question for a lawyer.
United Kingdom: Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. Schedule 20, paragraph 13, on consumer reviews, lists among the commercial practices always considered unfair: submitting or commissioning a fake consumer review or one that conceals it was incentivised, and publishing reviews or review information in a misleading way, which includes removing negative reviews from publication while publishing positive ones. The rules bind traders. The CMA said on 7 April 2025 that the new regime was in force, with fines of up to 10 percent of global turnover.
Related readHealthgrades review removal: what the policies allowFor a seller, the effect is similar in both places: do not post or buy positive reviews to offset a bad one, do not threaten a reviewer with action you cannot back up, and do not accuse the buyer in public of something you cannot prove. Other countries differ.
Which route fits which review
This table is our comparison, not an Etsy list.
| Situation | Route | What it can change | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Review breaks a named rule | Report with evidence | Etsy may remove it for good | Weak evidence, no change |
| Fair complaint, buyer reachable, within 100 days | Private message, fix, then wait | Buyer may edit the rating | Buyer may not edit |
| Fair complaint, no contact possible | One calm public reply | Shows your conduct to future buyers | Locks the review as it is |
| Factual error in a review that follows the rules | Public reply with the correcting fact | Corrects the record, not the rating | Sounds defensive |
| Threat or demand tied to a review | Report review and conduct, preserve evidence | Review may be removed, Etsy investigates conduct | Paying or threatening back |
| Buyer who bought only to leave a negative review | Report as interference | Review may be removed | Needs order proof |
A realistic timeline from the review to a settled rating
Expect days for a report decision and weeks for the whole matter, because the buyer's edit window outlasts it. The Etsy Community announcement says reported reviews that violate policy are removed within 7 to 10 business days, most sooner, and a staff reply says agents typically review reports within 24 hours. The page shows no year, so treat both as what Etsy has said, not a promise. The table below is our own working timeline, not an Etsy schedule.
| When | What happens | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Day 0 | Review appears | Screenshot, pull the order record, do not reply |
| Day 1 | You decide the route | Match to a rule; message the buyer if a fix is realistic |
| Days 1 to 2 | Report filed if a rule is broken | Submit with ground, quote and proof |
| Usually within 2 weeks | Etsy decides the report | Check Shop Manager for the outcome |
| Within 100 days of delivery | Buyer can still edit if you have not replied and no case is open | Resolve the order; do not pressure the buyer |
| After the window or a decision | Review is settled | Post one calm reply if it stays; note the rating |
In most files the report is decided in the first two weeks, the private resolution plays out over the next few, and the public reply comes last.
What to do next if a review is hurting your shop now
Start with the screenshot and the order record, then decide: report it if it breaks a named rule, message the buyer if the complaint is fair and the review is still editable, and reply once only when the review is settled. A pattern, such as several suspicious reviews or threats, is a bigger job than one report.
Do not reply, pay or negotiate yet. Capture the review, the order thread and any demand, then have Reputation Partners read the file with you. A private audit shows which reviews break a rule, which only need a reply, and which threats to document.
Questions people ask
Can I delete a bad review on Etsy myself?
No. Sellers cannot delete buyer reviews. Etsy removes a review only if it violates its policies, and Etsy Support will not remove one at a seller's request. You can report a rule-breaking review, post one public response, or message the buyer privately.
Related readZillow agent review removal: what agents can doCan a buyer remove or change their review?
A buyer can edit the star rating, photo and text any number of times within 100 days of the estimated delivery date, unless you have responded or a case is open. After a seller response, the buyer help page tells them to contact Etsy if they want the original review removed.
Does responding to a review hurt me?
It has one cost: once you respond, the buyer can no longer edit their review, even if you delete your reply. Otherwise a reply shows future buyers how you handle problems. Respond after any private fix has had its chance, and keep it short and factual.
Will Etsy remove a review that says my item never arrived?
Do not count on it. The negative review help page says Etsy cannot judge whether a buyer received an item even if tracking seems to indicate it was delivered. Message the buyer, check the carrier record, and reply with the facts if the review stays.
Can I ask the buyer to take the review down?
You can contact the buyer about an unfavorable review, and the Seller Policy allows it. Offer a real solution without attaching conditions about the review. In the US, the FTC rule bars unfounded legal threats, physical threats and intimidation aimed at removing a review.
What if the review is from someone who never bought from me?
The Seller Policy treats purchasing solely to leave a negative review as interference, and the negative review help page also lists shilling that falsely inflates a shop's score. If you can show the purchase was made only to leave a negative review, report it as interference with the order record attached.
Does a removed review change my star rating?
The Etsy pages we read do not say. They state that your score is a recency-weighted average of your ratings and that removed reviews cannot be reinstated, but not how a removal changes the displayed score or count. After a removal, check Shop Manager and record what changed.
