Etsy are testing the placement of search filters which they believe will increase the visibility of filtering options on desktop search results pages.
If you’re in a test group, you’ll notice that Etsy have moved existing filters from the left hand side of search results pages to the top of the pages. In addition to making filtering options more visible, this change gives Etsy space for an additional column of listings on search results pages… that sounds like good news as more listings get to be nearer the top of search results.
On my laptop, I now see four columns of search results and with the sidebar banished, Etsy has become a little more colourful and interesting.
Now for the not so good news (well it is good news but it may involve some work for you if you sell on Etsy), the marketplace is also in the process of improving category specific filtering options. Etsy will update you as new listing attributes and filters become available but then it’s down to you to edit your products to take full advantage.
Etsy appear to be running a whole raft of search changes at the moment – another is adding verified purchase messaging to reviews to let buyers know that reviews are made by Etsy buyers who purchased those particular items. They are also testing displaying estimated transit times to buyers at checkout.
It might be annoying to see so many changes coming thick and fast, but as always when a marketplace makes changes, they only profit when you get sales. Whilst changes which involve additional work by you are a pain point, hopefully in the longer term they will be fruitful in terms of sales.