Why isn’t the gift message showing on an Etsy order, and what do the gift options mean?

Hi! On Etsy, an order can be marked as a gift even if the buyer didn’t type a gift message—so it’s totally normal to see “gift” on the order but have no message anywhere. When a gift message was entered, the most reliable place to see it is on the gift packing slip / packing slip you print from Etsy (it prints with the message and hides the price breakdown).

Here’s where to look (and why you might not be seeing it):

• Print the packing slip from Shop Manager (desktop is best): Go to Orders & Shipping → open the order → choose Print / Packing slip (or from the shipping label flow, print the packing slip for that order). If a gift message exists, it’s typically shown there.
• Check the order details for a “Gift message” area: Depending on Etsy’s current layout and whether you’re in the app vs desktop, the gift message may show in the order view—but it’s not always as obvious as the packing slip.
• Look for a “Note to seller” / “Buyer note” instead: Buyers sometimes accidentally type their “gift message” into the note-to-seller box (meant for customization, color choice, etc.). That note won’t always appear as a formal gift message on the packing slip, so it can look like “no gift message” even though they wrote one.
• If you have gift messages turned OFF: You may still see that the order is a gift, and Etsy may still show you what they wrote in the order details in some cases—but you’re not expected to do anything special beyond not showing prices. (This is one reason messages can feel inconsistent.)

What the gift-related options usually mean for what you include:

• “This order is a gift” (marked as gift): The main expectation is don’t include pricing (Etsy’s packing slip for gift orders automatically omits the payment breakdown). You can still include your normal branded insert unless it contains prices you wouldn’t want the recipient to see.
• Gift message (if entered): Include the message by printing the packing slip/gift receipt and putting it in the package (or writing it on a card if you prefer).
• Gift wrap (only if you offer it and they selected/paid for it): This is the one that requires extra action—wrap/package it according to what you described in your gift wrap settings.

If you tell me whether you’re using the Etsy Seller app or desktop (and whether you buy Etsy shipping labels), I can point you to the exact clicks that match your screen.