Shopify and Etsy attract different buyers. Shopify gives you a branded storefront for customers who already know you. Etsy puts you in front of millions of buyers actively searching for handmade, vintage, and unique items who have never heard of you.
Running both makes sense. Keeping them in sync manually does not.
The Shopify-Etsy sync problem
Etsy and Shopify use completely different data models. Etsy has "listings" with Etsy-specific fields like materials, who_made, when_made, and shipping profiles. Shopify has products with variants, metafields, and collections. Nothing maps cleanly between them.
This is why simple CSV imports fail. And it's why a sync tool needs to understand both platforms natively, not just treat them as identical.
What to sync and what not to sync
Not everything should be identical across platforms. Your Etsy titles should include the kinds of phrases Etsy shoppers search for ("handmade ceramic mug", "vintage brass candlestick"). Your Shopify titles can be cleaner and more brand-focused.
What you absolutely should sync in real time:
- Stock quantity — a sale on either platform updates both
- The decision to delist — if you pull a product, pull it everywhere
- Price changes when you want consistency (optional — you can also price differently per platform)
Connecting Shopify and Etsy in SoldSync
In the Connections tab, connect Shopify first (it's the source of truth for most sellers). Then connect Etsy — you'll be redirected to Etsy to authorise access to your shop. The app requests read and write access to listings and transactions.
Once connected, both catalogues load into the unified inventory view. Products that exist on both platforms and have similar titles are automatically matched and grouped in the Synchronized section.
Etsy-specific fields in the edit panel
When you open an Etsy listing in SoldSync, you'll see fields that don't appear for Shopify or eBay listings:
- Who made it — You, a member of your shop, or someone else
- When was it made — Made to order, 2020–2025, Before 2000, etc.
- Materials — What the item is made from (helps with Etsy search)
- Processing time — How long before you ship (min/max days)
- Personalisation — Whether buyers can add custom text or instructions
These fields matter for Etsy SEO. Listings with complete materials and tags rank higher in Etsy search. The listing health score in SoldSync will flag any Etsy listing that's missing these fields.
Handling Etsy's quantity model
Etsy handles quantity differently from Shopify. For made-to-order items, many sellers set a high quantity on Etsy (e.g. 999) to signal unlimited availability. For physical inventory, the actual count should match.
SoldSync syncs the actual quantity by default. If you sell made-to-order on Etsy but physical stock on Shopify, you can manage the Etsy quantity separately in the edit panel without affecting the Shopify count.
Price differences between platforms
Etsy charges listing fees ($0.20/listing) plus transaction fees (6.5%) plus payment processing. Your Etsy price should account for this. Most sellers charge 10–15% more on Etsy than Shopify to maintain the same net margin.
SoldSync tracks prices per platform independently and highlights when they're out of sync — letting you decide whether the difference is intentional or accidental.