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Etsy API Essential Guide

Aug 8, 20246 minute read

What type of API does Etsy provide?

Based on the search results, Etsy uses a RESTful API. The Etsy API provides a simple RESTful interface with lightweight JSON-formatted responses. It uses standard HTTP calls and can be accessed using any web programming language. The API is accessed under the 'openapi' subdomain and requires HTTPS.

A sample unauthenticated request to the Etsy API would look like this:

GET https://openapi.etsy.com/v2/listings/active?api_key={YOUR_API_KEY}

Best practices include using HTTPS for all API requests, including an API key in your requests, using OAuth authentication for write access and accessing private user data, and being aware of the standard HTTP status codes used by the API to indicate success or failure of calls.

It's worth noting that Etsy is transitioning from Open API v2 to Open API v3. As of September 29, 2022, all new apps are only permitted to use Open API v3, and v2 will be deprecated on April 3, 2023.

Does the Etsy API have webhooks?

Based on the search results provided, it appears that the official Etsy API does not have native webhook support. The official Etsy API documentation does not mention webhooks, and the API uses a RESTful calling style with standard HTTP calls. There is also a discussion in an Etsy API Google Group about whether to use webhooks or polling for order updates, suggesting that webhooks are not natively supported.

While the official Etsy API doesn't seem to support webhooks, developers typically use polling methods to retrieve updates from the API. This involves making periodic API calls to check for changes or new data, comparing the retrieved data with previously stored data to detect changes, and implementing appropriate error handling and rate limiting to comply with Etsy's API usage guidelines.

The Etsy API does offer a wide range of endpoints for accessing various types of data, including listings, orders, shop information, user data, categories and attributes, and tags and favorites. To stay updated on any changes or new features in the Etsy API, it's recommended to regularly check their official documentation and developer resources.

Rate Limits and other limitations

Here are the key points about the API Rate Limits for the Etsy API:

Rate Limits for Public Authentication

  • 10,000 requests per 24-hour period
  • Limit of 10 queries per second
  • Uses a progressive rate limit structure with 12 two-hour blocks over 24 hours

Rate Limits for OAuth Authentication

  • Same limits as public authentication (10,000 per day, 10 per second) but applied per OAuth access token

Rate Limit Headers

Every API response includes rate limit headers:

X-RateLimit-Limit: 10000
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 9924

Or more detailed headers:

X-Limit-Per-Second: 10
X-Remaining-This-Second: 9
X-Limit-Per-Day: 10000
X-Remaining-Today: 9998

These headers show the total limits and remaining calls for the second and day

Key Points

  • Rate limits are calculated by summing requests per two-hour block over the past 24 hours
  • If you hit a rate limit, you'll only need to wait at most two hours to get more allowed requests
  • You can contact [email protected] if your application needs more than the allotted number of calls
  • Using caching can help minimize API calls
  • A 429 response code is returned when a rate limit is reached
  • Rate limits are subject to change without notice

Recent Changes

  • In 2023, Etsy changed to a model where applications have a single rate limit based on number of users, rather than per-user limits
  • This change was intended to not reduce total allowable calls and help applications with high-usage minority users

The rate limits are the same between API v2 and v3 if using the same API key. Developers should monitor their usage via the rate limit headers and implement appropriate throttling or caching as needed to stay within the limits.

Latest API Version

Based on the search results, here are the key points about the most recent version of the Etsy API:

  1. The most recent version of the Etsy API is v3 [3][5].

  2. API v2 has been deprecated and is no longer supported [3].

  3. To use the Etsy API v3:

    • Requests should be made to URLs with the prefix https://api.etsy.com/v3/application/ [5].

    • Every request must include an x-api-key header with your Etsy App API Key as the value [5].

    • Authentication is done via OAuth 2.0 only [5].

  4. Key changes in v3 compared to v2:

    • Field-level visibility is no longer supported. Permission scopes are now at the endpoint-level instead of field-level [5].

    • Endpoints either require OAuth 2.0 credentials with specific scopes along with an Etsy App API Key, or only an Etsy App API Key [5].

  5. Developers using v2 need to update their applications to use v3 [3].

  6. Etsy provides documentation on migrating from v2 to v3, including a summary of changes, retired resources, and FAQs [5].

In summary, the most recent version of the Etsy API is v3, which introduces significant changes in authentication, request structure, and permission scopes compared to the deprecated v2. Developers should refer to Etsy's migration documentation to update their applications accordingly.

How to get a Etsy developer account and API Keys?

Here's how to get a developer account for Etsy to create an API integration:

Step 1: Create an Etsy account

If you don't already have one, go to the Etsy Developers Community website and create a new account or log in with an existing one.

Step 2: Set up two-factor authentication

Before creating your first application, Etsy requires setting up two-factor authentication for security purposes. You can choose between using Google Authenticator or SMS/phone call verification.

Step 3: Create an application

  1. After setting up 2FA, you can create your first application.
  2. Fill out the form describing your prospective application.
  3. Complete the CAPTCHA and click "Read Terms and Create App".
  4. Read through the Etsy API Terms and Conditions.
  5. Agree to the terms and click "Create App".

Step 4: Get your API credentials

After creating the app, you'll receive your API key and secret. Keep these credentials secure and don't share them with third parties.

What can you do with the Etsy API?

Based on the information provided in the search results, here is a list of data models you can interact with using the Etsy API, along with what is possible for each:

  1. Listing

    • Create, read, update, and delete listings
    • Manage listing inventory
    • Update listing images
    • Work with listing translations
  2. Shop

    • Retrieve shop information
    • Manage shop sections
    • Update shop about pages
    • Handle shop translations
  3. User

    • Access user profiles
    • Manage user addresses
    • Work with favorite users
  4. Transaction

    • Retrieve transaction details
    • Manage order fulfillment
  5. Receipt

    • Access receipt information
    • Manage receipt shipments
  6. Payment

    • Retrieve payment information
    • Handle payment adjustments
    • Work with payment templates
  7. Cart

    • Manage shopping carts
    • Add/remove cart listings
  8. Coupon

    • Create and manage shop coupons
  9. ShippingInfo

    • Manage shipping information
    • Work with shipping templates and upgrades
  10. Treasury

    • Access treasury lists and items
  11. Team

    • Retrieve team information
  12. Taxonomy

    • Work with Etsy's category taxonomy
    • Access taxonomy properties and values
  13. Country and Region

    • Retrieve country and region information
  14. Ledger

    • Access shop financial ledger entries
  15. BillCharge and BillPayment

    • Manage billing information
  16. ForumPost

    • Access forum post data
  17. FavoriteUser

    • Manage favorite user relationships
  18. Image

    • Work with listing and shop images
  19. StructuredPolicies

    • Manage shop policies

While this list covers many of the main data models, it's important to note that the specific operations and level of access may vary depending on the API version and the permissions granted to your application. Always refer to the most up-to-date Etsy API documentation for detailed information on available endpoints and operations for each data model.