How to close your Etsy shop (or account) — and reopen it later
Etsy has three different “goodbye” options, and they’re easy to mix up: closing your shop, closing your account, and permanently deleting your account. Pick the one you actually want — and consider whether vacation mode is enough.
Just need a break? Use vacation mode
If you’ll be back, Etsy suggests vacation mode instead of closing — especially if you have open orders. Your listings are hidden from search, but your shop and orders stay intact. See Etsy vacation mode.
Option 1: close your shop
Your Etsy account becomes buyer-only with no visible shop. You can still see your past orders, and you can reopen the shop at any time.
Before you can close it:
- pay any outstanding balance;
- resolve any open cases.
Then go to Shop Manager → Settings → Options → Close shop.
If you close with open orders anyway, you can still access the orders and message the buyers, but your shop won’t be visible to them. Finish those orders — see cancelling an Etsy order if you can’t fulfil one.
To reopen, use the link in the closure confirmation email, on a desktop browser — it doesn’t work in a mobile browser or the Etsy Seller app. If your account went overdue in the meantime, pay the balance first.
Option 2: close your Etsy account
This closes the whole account, done from your account settings. Sellers may need to pay their balance first. If you don’t see the Close account button, you probably have an amount due or an open case — settle those and the button appears.
Closing your account doesn’t free up your email address, username or shop name for a new account. You can reopen it later from Etsy’s Reopen your account page, using the closed account’s email.
Option 3: permanently delete your account
This can’t be undone, and a deleted account can’t be reopened. Before deleting, Etsy asks sellers to make sure there’s no amount due in the payment account and all orders are fulfilled. Keep any records you need — sales and tax documents — before you delete; see Etsy 1099-K.
Closing your account doesn’t free your shop name. For the naming rules, see Etsy shop name rules.