How do I fix the “Create readiness state definition” error when importing to Etsy from AutoDS?

Hi! That message is coming from Etsy’s side, not an AutoDS setting. Etsy now requires every physical listing created via integrations/API to be tied to a Processing Profile (Etsy’s internal “readiness state definition” / readiness_state_id) that says whether the item is ready to ship or made to order, plus the processing time. If your shop doesn’t have one of these set up yet (or Etsy didn’t migrate your shop to the newer system), AutoDS can’t create the draft listing and you’ll see that exact error.

What to set up in Etsy (so AutoDS can create the listing)

• Create at least one Processing Profile by setting up a Delivery/Shipping profile with processing time

  1. In Etsy Shop Manager, go to Settings → Shipping settings (sometimes shown as Delivery profiles / Shipping profiles).
  2. Create a new profile (or edit an existing one) and make sure you set a Processing time that matches your T‑shirt workflow (POD shirts are usually “made to order”).
  3. Save it.

• Then make sure your listings are actually using a profile

  • If you already have listings, open one and go to the Shipping section and confirm a delivery/shipping profile is selected and saved.
  • After you’ve saved that profile in Etsy, try the AutoDS import again (sometimes it takes a few minutes to “stick”).

A quick practical workaround (often the fastest)

• Create one test draft listing directly in Etsy (manual “Add a listing”), fill in the Shipping section completely (including processing time), save it, and make sure it’s using the delivery/shipping profile you want.
  Once that exists, many shops stop getting the “create readiness state definition” error because Etsy has a Processing Profile created for the shop.

If you do all of the above and it still fails, it usually means AutoDS isn’t sending Etsy the new required field (the readiness_state_id) yet. In that case, the only real fix is on AutoDS’s side—reach out to AutoDS support and tell them Etsy is rejecting new physical listing creation due to missing “processing profile / readiness state” so they can enable mapping to your Etsy delivery/shipping profile (or push an integration update).