Our seller verification process is being redesigned to make things easier – both for applicants and for our member verification volunteers! Our new application will be integrated into the new community website we’re building, which will be open to all by May 2024!
We’ll still require behind-the-scenes or work-in-progress photos, but the setup on our new community site will negate the need for an active seller verification. Feel free to read the info posted below to get an idea of the process, but know that the Active Seller Verification photo is no longer required!
We are temporarily removing the ability to apply for seller member, so we can update the instructions, and get member verification set up on the new site. If you’re a member of this site, we will email you to invite you to come join the new site soon!
Thank you for your patience!
Verification Instructions
We verify each new member of the Indie Sellers Guild to be sure they are a true independent seller. We require one active seller verification photo and 1-3 behind the scenes photos for each seller.
Our criteria changes a bit depending on the category you wish to apply for, so please review the information in the category that pertains to you.
Click here to watch a video of the seller application process. The forms are slightly different in the video from the form we use today, but the information needed for the application is the same.
Behind The Scenes Photos
We all know that resellers are a huge problem on platforms like Etsy, and we promise to our supporters and followers that the Indie Sellers Guild Member Directory is 100% indie sellers, and 0% resellers.
So we can keep this promise on an all-volunteer team, we require at least one work-in-progress (WIP) photo. This way, our volunteers can verify applications even for techniques that they are not familiar with.
Sharing all three WIP photos will speed the application process.
If you produce physical products or art, please include a behind-the-scenes shot of one of your items in an unfinished state. Examples:
A work-in-progress photo is the surest type to submit, but in many cases, a photo of your workspace or your crafting supplies can also qualify – particularly if producing your items requires a machine and/or supplies that are recognizable to most people, but most people do not have.
Don’t be embarrassed over clutter in your workspace, we all have that in common. Creativity and chaos go hand in hand!
Please send a screenshot of your design software (Photoshop, Power Point etc) with a work-in progress open, or a screenshot of your design software with a finished work showing layers, comments, etc. Examples:
Our handmade category also includes designers who have partners produce their items. If this is you, feel free to submit the mockups that you send to production partners to have your items produced.
If you produce your designs with design software (Photoshop, PowerPoint etc), please submit a screenshot of your design software with a finished work showing layers, comments, etc.
Please submit at least one behind-the-scenes photo of your inventory. Only one photo is required, but you may submit up to three, and additional photos may speed your application’s approval. We will reach out to you for more information if we need it. Examples:
Please submit a screenshot of an order from a manufacturer/supplier (you can block out the company name) if you purchase wholesale. Or you can submit a picture of your inventory, and how you ship your items. Sharing all three photos may speed your application’s approval.
If you are not sure what to submit, you can contact us at [email protected] for clarification.
Active Seller Verification Photo
Sellers in all categories, please share a recent order screenshot, a review, or a screenshot of your store or payment processor backend showing order stats. This screenshot should show:
- Your business name
- Proof that you’ve made a sale within the last 365 days.
If there is private customer data in your screenshot, please black out this information to preserve your customer’s privacy.
To take a screenshot of a portion of your screen on a windows computer, press windows button-shift-S.
To take a screenshot of a portion of your screen on a mac, press shift-command-4.
Iphone screenshot instructions vary by the model, find them here.
Android screenshot instructions also vary, find them here.
If you are an active seller but mostly sell in person or for cash, please reach out to [email protected] and describe where and how you are conducting most of your sales. We’ll get back to you about other forms of verification.
File type for all images must be JPG, PNG, or TIF. If your photos are too large to upload, you can resize them via this online tool.
Online Store Link
Our verified seller directory is a list of our member’s stores (sometimes on Etsy, sometimes elsewhere), and we cross-promote them and invite our supporters to shop with our members. Although we can verify your active seller status with in-person sales, we do require a shoppable online store of some kind to become a verified seller member.
Feel free to link an Etsy shop, a store at your own domain, a store at a free service like Kofi or Square, or a store at an Etsy alternative marketplace. If you’re an artist or maker who does all of your work by commission, a portfolio website is fine, as long as it contains a contact form (or contact information) so customers can request a commission. If you’re an Etsy seller whose shop is on vacation (or you plan to go on vacation soon), please wait until you’re back to apply.
Thank you so much for reading these instructions! Correctly-submitted applications are the key to shorter wait times for our members and a much easier job for our verification volunteers.