How do I politely respond to Etsy buyers asking about shipping before the ship-by date?

Hi! A really polite way to handle this is to thank them for checking in, reassure them their order is on schedule, and then point to the Etsy ship-by date/processing time while giving a specific “I expect to ship on or by ___” date.

Here are a few ready-to-copy replies you can paste into Etsy Messages and tweak:

Option 1 (short + friendly)
“Hi [Name]! Thanks so much for your order—just a quick update: your item is made to order and is currently in progress. Your order is still within the processing window shown at checkout, and Etsy lists the ship-by date as [Ship-by Date]. I’m on track to ship it on/before that date, and you’ll get an automatic notification as soon as it’s on the way.”

Option 2 (adds reassurance + what happens next)
“Hi [Name], thanks for reaching out! Your order is being handmade now and everything is on schedule. The processing time for this listing is [X–Y weeks], and your ship-by date is [Ship-by Date]. Once it ships, Etsy will email you the tracking/confirmation right away. If anything changes, I’ll message you immediately—but as of today we’re right on track.”

Option 3 (if they need it by a certain date)
“Hi [Name]! Totally understand wanting to know the timeline. Your order is still within the stated processing time, and the current ship-by date is [Ship-by Date]. If you’re hoping to have it by a specific date, tell me the date you need it by and I’ll confirm whether it’s doable (or discuss upgrade options if available).”

A couple quick tips to keep it professional (and reduce repeat messages):

• Use an exact date (ship-by date) rather than “1–3 weeks” alone—buyers calm down when they see a concrete day.
• End with a simple next step (“You’ll get an automatic notification when it ships”) so they don’t feel like they need to follow up again.

If you want, paste one of your recent buyer messages here (remove any personal info) and I’ll tailor a version that matches your shop’s tone.