A draft is a holding state, not a live listing
Listsy uses Etsy's draft workflow so production and publication stay separate. The system can create a new draft or refresh an existing draft that is still in draft state. It does not activate the listing.
Etsy's API treats activation as a separate state change. Listsy leaves that decision alone. You can inspect the listing inside Etsy, correct anything that needs judgment, and publish only when you are satisfied.
Upload begins only after the required gates pass
A missing file or rejected image should stop before Etsy receives a partial draft. Listsy's preflight reads the current artifacts and rejects the upload when a required seller selection or QA record is missing.
| Preflight item | Required evidence | Why it blocks |
|---|---|---|
| Final PNG | File checks, visual review, and a complete set of proof views | The product file is the basis for every later asset |
| Buyer ZIP | Extracted package QA passed | The uploaded download must contain the checked PNG and README |
| Listing images | Set-level QA passed and the image count matches the run | The draft should not receive missing or rejected media |
| Listing copy | Copy validation passed | Format and quantity claims must agree with the package |
| Optional video | QA-accepted video and video QA when enabled | An enabled add-on cannot be silently omitted |
The draft is assembled in a defined order
Listsy handles the upload in separate steps. If an image or file fails, you can see which part stopped and retry the missing step without publishing anything.
- 01
Create the draft listing
Send the listing fields with the Etsy connection and retain the returned listing identity and draft state.
- 02
Upload the listing images
Attach the QA-accepted image set in consecutive rank order.
- 03
Upload the buyer ZIP
Attach the package that passed extracted-file QA and the 20 MB limit check.
- 04
Upload the optional video
Add the QA-accepted video only when the run includes the video add-on.
- 05
Read the listing back
Fetch the Etsy draft snapshot and compare the returned state and media counts with the run.
Verification is intentionally narrow
A verified draft in Listsy means the Etsy snapshot returned the expected listing ID, the listing remained in draft state, the URL belongs to that listing, and the image, file, and optional video counts match.
It does not mean every field is identical to the local record. It also does not mean the listing satisfies every Etsy policy or can be published without a final review.
| Read-back fact | What Listsy confirms | What remains manual |
|---|---|---|
| Listing identity | Returned ID matches the draft Listsy created or refreshed | Confirm the shop and product context in Etsy |
| State | Returned state is draft | Choose whether and when to publish |
| Images | Count matches the seller-selected request from 1 to 20 | Review order, crop, alt text, and accurate representation |
| Buyer file | Expected file count is present | Open the attachment display and confirm the buyer-facing filename |
| Copy | Not part of the current read-back equality check | Review title, description, tags, category, attributes, and price |
Refreshing a draft protects the existing media first
An existing listing can be refreshed only while it is still a draft and the current production artifacts have passed their gates. Listsy uploads replacement images and the new buyer ZIP before removing the old versions.
If a new upload fails, the safe order avoids deleting the old media first. The final snapshot still has to pass the same state and count checks after the refresh.
- Confirm the target listing is still a draft.
- Upload replacement images before deleting old images.
- Upload the replacement ZIP before deleting the old file.
- Keep the old media when the replacement upload fails.
- Run read-back verification after the refresh.
Questions worth answering
Sources checked
Policy and marketplace details can change. These are the pages used for this review. Check Etsy directly before making a listing decision.