Why are other Etsy sellers messaging me after opening my shop?

Hi! Yes—getting friendly messages from other Etsy sellers after you open a shop (especially if you’re promoting on social media) is pretty common. Sometimes it’s genuine networking or welcoming you, but a lot of the time it’s a “warm hello” that turns into a pitch for coaching, SEO services, marketing, “collabs,” or paid promos.

If you’re unsure, the safest, polite move is to stay friendly while keeping it non-committal and not giving them any openings to sell to you.

Here are a few easy boundary-setting replies you can copy/paste:

• Friendly but closed: “Thanks so much for reaching out! I’m heads-down learning the platform and focusing on my Etsy listings right now, but I appreciate the welcome.”
• If they start pitching: “Thanks for thinking of me, but I’m not looking for any paid services/promotions at the moment. Wishing you a great week!”
• If they ask for a call/DM off Etsy: “I prefer to keep conversations here and keep things simple while I’m getting started, but thank you!”
• If you want to allow networking only: “I’m happy to connect with other sellers, but I’m not interested in coaching or paid promos. Always open to general shop-owner tips though!”

A few practical tips:

• Don’t feel obligated to reply quickly (or at all) if it feels salesy.
• Avoid sharing numbers (revenue, conversion rate, ad spend) or anything you wouldn’t post publicly.
• If someone gets pushy or sends spammy messages, you can mark it as spam and block—no explanation needed.

If you paste one of the messages you received (remove any names), I can help you craft a reply that matches your tone and keeps the boundary clear.