Auto Replies (Quick Responses)

Etsy tracks how quickly you respond to customer messages — and it matters more than you might think.

If you want to qualify for things like the Star Seller badge, Etsy expects you to respond to messages within 24 hours.

But here’s the good news:

👉 You don’t have to be online 24/7 to make that happen.

That’s where Auto Replies come in.

Auto replies are messages Etsy automatically sends to customers when you’re unavailable.

They help you:

• Stay responsive even when you’re offline
• Meet Etsy’s response time expectations
• Set clear communication boundaries

👉 Think of this as your “out of office” message.

Why This Matters #

If you don’t respond to messages within 24 hours:

• It can affect your Star Seller eligibility
• Customers may feel ignored
• You may lose potential sales

Using auto replies helps protect you from all of that — especially if you’re not glued to your phone.

Etsy gives you two types of auto replies:

1. Temporary Auto Reply #

This is for when you’re away for a short period of time.

👉 Examples:

• A few hours
• A day or two
• A weekend

Where to find it: #

1. Go to Shop Manager
2. Click Messages
3. Look in the upper right corner
4. Click the “Reply References” dropdown
5. Select Temporary Auto Reply

What it does: #

• Automatically replies to anyone who messages you
• Lets them know you’re temporarily unavailable

Example Message: #

“Thank you for reaching out to [Your Company Name]. You’ve reached me outside of my normal hours, but I’ll try to respond as soon as I’m back. In the meantime, be sure to read my full item descriptions and shop policies, where you’ll find answers to lots of common questions. Thanks!”

2. Weekly Auto Reply #

This is for setting your regular business hours.

👉 Etsy will automatically send your auto reply:

• Outside of your set working hours
• During times you’re not available

What it does: #

• Runs automatically every week
• Helps you maintain boundaries
• Keeps your response rate protected

👉 This is the one most sellers should set up.

You should set this up if:

• You don’t check Etsy messages constantly
• You have set working hours
• You want to avoid missing the 24-hour response window

👉 Even if you’re active daily, this is still a smart safety net.

Keep it simple and helpful.

Your message should:

• Acknowledge the customer
• Let them know you’ll respond soon
• Point them to helpful info (like listings or policies)

👉 You don’t need to over-explain.

You can also reduce messages by guiding customers upfront.

You might lightly reference:

• Checking the listing description
• Reviewing shop policies

This helps cut down on questions like:

• “Where is my file?”
• “What do I do next?”

1. Not setting this up #

This can hurt your response rate.

2. Overwriting it too often #

Set it once properly, especially the weekly version.

3. Making it too long #

Keep it short and easy to read.

4. Sounding cold or robotic #

A simple, friendly tone works best.

Before moving on:

✔ Temporary auto reply set (if needed)
✔ Weekly auto reply configured
✔ Message is clear and friendly
✔ Mentions response timing