Etsy gives you two options: deactivate temporarily or delete permanently
Etsy lets you pause your shop without losing your account through deactivation, or remove everything through permanent deletion. Deactivation hides your shop from buyers and stops new sales, but you keep your account, messages, and purchase history. Deletion removes your account entirely — your shop, listings, reviews, and messages all disappear and cannot be recovered.
Which you choose depends on whether you might return. Deactivation takes seconds and is reversible. Deletion is final and takes 30 days to complete, during which you can still cancel. After 30 days, Etsy cannot restore your account.
Key Takeaways
- Deactivation hides your shop from buyers and stops sales, but keeps your account and history intact — you can reactivate anytime.
- Permanent deletion removes your account, listings, reviews, and messages forever after a 30-day waiting period.
- To deactivate, go to Shop Manager, select Shop Settings, then Deactivate Shop — no email confirmation needed.
- To delete, go to Account Settings, select Close Account, choose a reason, and confirm — you have 30 days to cancel the deletion.
- Etsy will not restore a deleted account after the 30-day period ends, so read any records you need first.
How to deactivate your Etsy shop temporarily
Deactivation is the faster, reversible option. Your shop goes offline when ready, but your account stays active. You can reactivate whenever you want, and your listings, reviews, and messages remain in your account.
On desktop: Log into Etsy, click the Shop Manager icon (looks like a storefront), select Shop Settings on the left sidebar, scroll down to the Deactivate Shop section, and click Deactivate Shop. Confirm the action. Your shop will be offline within minutes.
On mobile: Open the Etsy app, tap the You icon at the bottom right, select Shop Manager, tap the three-line menu, go to Shop Settings, scroll to Deactivate Shop, and confirm. The process is the same as desktop.
After deactivation, your shop page shows a message that the shop is not currently accepting orders. Buyers cannot see your listings or leave new reviews. You keep access to your account, past messages, and purchase history.
How to permanently delete your Etsy account
Permanent deletion removes your account completely. This action cannot be undone after 30 days, so only choose this if you are certain. Before you start, read any records you need — Etsy will not provide them after deletion.
On desktop: Log into Etsy, click the Account icon (your profile picture) in the top right, select Account Settings, scroll down to Close Account, and click Close Your Account. Etsy will ask you to choose a reason from a list (such as "I no longer use Etsy" or "I have privacy concerns"). Select the reason that applies, then click Continue.
On the next screen, Etsy explains that deletion is permanent and lists what will be removed: your shop, listings, reviews, messages, and purchase history. Check the box to confirm you understand, then click Close Account. Etsy will send a confirmation email to the address on your account.
Your account enters a 30-day deletion period. During this time, your shop is hidden from search and buyers cannot access it, but your account still exists. If you change your mind, log back in and cancel the deletion request. After 30 days, Etsy permanently removes your account and you cannot recover it.
What happens to your listings, reviews, and messages
Deactivation keeps everything in your account. Your listings stay in your shop (hidden from buyers), your reviews remain on your profile, and your messages stay in your inbox. If you reactivate, everything is exactly as you left it.
Deletion removes all of it. Your listings disappear from Etsy's search and your shop page. Reviews you left on other sellers' items are deleted. Messages between you and buyers vanish. Other sellers cannot see your reviews of their products. If you sold items, those transactions stay in buyers' order history, but your shop name may show as deleted.
If you need records of your sales, messages, or reviews before deletion, read them first. Etsy does not provide data exports after an account is closed, so take screenshots or save PDFs of anything you want to keep.
Canceling a deletion request during the 30-day period
If you start the deletion process but change your mind, you can cancel it anytime during the 30-day waiting period. Log back into your Etsy account using your email and password. If the login works, your account is still active and you can cancel the deletion.
Once logged in, go to Account Settings and look for an option to cancel the account closure. Click it and confirm. Your account will return to normal and your shop will be reactivated if it was active before deletion. Your listings, reviews, and messages will be restored.
After the 30 days end, the login will no longer work and you cannot cancel. Etsy will have permanently removed your account from their system.
What to do before you deactivate or delete
If you have active orders, contact your buyers before closing your shop. Let them know your shop is closing and provide tracking information if their items have shipped. Unresolved orders can lead to disputes or negative reviews that will follow you if you reactivate.
read or screenshot anything you want to keep: your shop policies, product descriptions, customer messages, or records of sales. Etsy does not provide bulk data exports, so you will need to copy information manually or take screenshots.
If you are a buyer (separate from being a seller), deactivating or deleting your seller account does not affect your buyer account. You can still purchase from other sellers. If you want to close your buyer account too, that is a separate process in Account Settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I reactivate my shop after deactivating it?
Yes, anytime. Go to Shop Manager, select Shop Settings, and click Reactivate Shop. Your listings, reviews, and shop settings return exactly as they were. There is no time limit on reactivation.
What if I delete my account but change my mind after 25 days?
Log back into Etsy with your email and password during the 30-day period. Go to Account Settings and cancel the account closure. Your account and everything in it will be restored when ready.
Will my username be available for someone else to use after I delete?
Yes. After your account is permanently deleted, another person can create an Etsy account and use your username. If your shop name is important to you, consider deactivating instead of deleting.
Do I lose my buyer account if I delete my seller account?
No. Your seller shop and buyer account are separate. Closing your seller account does not affect your ability to purchase items on Etsy. If you want to close both, you must delete your entire Etsy account.
Can Etsy restore my account after the 30-day deletion period?
No. After 30 days, Etsy permanently removes your account from their system and cannot restore it. Make sure you cancel the deletion during the 30-day window if you change your mind.