Why isn’t the Etsy gift message showing up in the order details?

Question

I sell physical items on Etsy and just received an order marked as a gift, but I can’t find the buyer’s gift message anywhere in the order details or packing slip. I’m also seeing a few gift-related options on the order page that I don’t recognize.

Where is the gift message supposed to appear, and what do the gift settings/options on an Etsy order actually mean?

Çağla Çağlar · Answer

Hi! On Etsy, a buyer’s **gift message only shows up if they typed it in the “gift options” during checkout**—and when it exists, it’s meant to appear on the **packing slip (the gift-style packing slip that hides prices)**. If you’re not seeing any message in the order details *or* on the printed packing slip, most of the time it means the buyer marked it as a gift but **didn’t actually enter a gift message** (or they put the message somewhere else, like “note to seller”).

Here’s what to check (in the same order I’d check it):

1) **Print the Packing Slip (not the Order Receipt)**
- Go to your **Shop Manager → Orders → open the order → More actions → Print → Packing slip**.
- The packing slip is the one that’s designed for the recipient. For **gift orders**, it typically **hides the price breakdown**, and if a gift message exists it should print there.
- If you’re printing an **order receipt** instead, that’s more for your records and may not display gift info the same way.

2) **Look for “Note from buyer” / “Note to seller”**
Sometimes buyers accidentally type “Happy birthday!” in the **note to seller** box (meant for customization or shipping instructions), not the gift message field. That note will show on the order, but it won’t behave like an official gift message.

3) **Know the difference between “Marked as gift” vs. “Gift message”**
On Etsy, these are separate:
- **Marked as gift:** Mostly affects what prints (ex: price info is omitted on the packing slip). It does *not* guarantee there’s a message.
- **Gift message:** Only appears if the buyer entered it in the gift message field during checkout.

About those gift-related settings/options you’re seeing on the order page—here’s what they usually mean:

- **Marked as gift:** Etsy flags the order as a gift; packing slip is formatted for gifting (price hidden).
- **Gift message (if present):** A short message the buyer typed for the recipient; intended to appear on the packing slip.
- **“From” / include buyer’s name:** Some gift messages include who it’s from (buyer can choose to include their name).
- **Gift wrap:** This is separate from “marked as gift.” Gift wrap is something you can choose to offer (often for an added fee). If you don’t offer it, buyers can still mark an order as a gift.
- **Digital gift teaser (buyer-side feature):** Buyers may see options related to sending a “teaser” email to the recipient. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll see a printable message unless they also added one in the checkout gift message field.

If you want, paste the exact wording of the gift options you’re seeing (just the labels, no personal info), and I’ll tell you what each one corresponds to in the current Etsy order flow.