SellPolish reviews one digital-download listing on Etsy or Gumroad and sends a PDF with what to change and the replacement copy, ready to paste. It costs $19, arrives within 24 hours (weekends included), and comes with a 14-day full refund.
Why digital listings need different fixes
Most Etsy SEO services focus on titles and tags. For digital downloads, that's only part of the problem.
- The first image does most of the selling. Shoppers need to see at a glance what file they get, how many pages, and what it looks like in use. Etsy recommends a horizontal or square first photo, at least 2000 px on each side, with a minimum of 635 px on each side "to avoid showing up lower in searches" (Etsy Help: images).
- "Is it digital?" has to be obvious. Etsy's own handbook notes that saying in your titles and tags that an item is a digital download helps avoid confused buyers (Etsy Seller Handbook: selling digital downloads).
- Specs build trust. File type, page count, size, and which app it works with (Canva, GoodNotes, Notion, a PDF reader) answer the questions buyers would otherwise leave to ask.
- Pricing is relative. Digital buyers compare you with nearby listings in seconds, so your price, bundle framing and "was" prices need to hold up when they check.
- Disclosure rules apply. On Etsy, if an item is made with AI, sellers must say so in the listing description (Etsy Seller Handbook: AI creations).
What's in your PDF
- Diagnosis: what's holding the listing back, ranked, with the exact element named.
- A new title plus alternates: a recommended title and two alternatives.
- A paste-ready description: what it is, what's included, file and app details, how to use it, and an FAQ.
- 3 cover ideas: concepts for your first image or cover, designed to stay readable at thumbnail size.
- 13 tags: distinct multi-word search phrases.
- Pricing vs comps: your price next to similar listings that are selling, with a recommendation marked as an estimate.
- Quick wins: the changes worth making first, in under an hour.
- A before/after table: a one-page summary.
You apply the changes yourself. SellPolish never needs shop access or your login.
Etsy vs Gumroad: what we optimize on each
The PDF has the same eight parts on both platforms. What we focus on differs because the platforms work differently.
| Etsy | Gumroad | |
|---|---|---|
| Where buyers come from | Etsy search and browsing are big traffic sources (your Stats show "Etsy search" separately, including the search terms shoppers used) (Etsy Help: Stats) | Mostly traffic you bring yourself. Discover only recommends products that meet Gumroad's eligibility rules (Gumroad Help: Discover) |
| Title | Up to 140 characters; Etsy suggests under 15 words, clear and not repetitive (Etsy Help: create a listing) | Your headline on the page and in shares, so it should say exactly what the product is |
| Tags | Up to 13 tags, each up to 20 characters; Etsy advises using all 13 and multi-word phrases (Etsy Seller Handbook: Keywords 101) | Tags are set on the Share tab and help matching in Discover (Gumroad Help) |
| Images | First photo landscape or square; check the square, portrait and landscape crops with Etsy's thumbnail tool (Etsy Help) | Covers at least 1280 × 720 px, up to 8 covers, plus an optional square thumbnail of at least 600 × 600 px (Gumroad Help) |
| Other fields | Category, attributes, and up to 5 digital files (Etsy Help) | Summary and additional-details fields shown below the buy button (Gumroad Help: adding a product) |
| Description focus | Clear details buyers need, plus natural keywords | Long-form sales copy: hook, contents, proof, FAQ, refund line |
Example makeover (anonymised)
We've published three anonymised sample makeovers, including one for an Etsy digital download: a couples budget spreadsheet that already showed up on page one of Etsy search but had only a couple of reviews. Its diagnosis found that the title, the cover and shoppers' searches used three different names for the product, that the description led with what the sheet couldn't do, and that it only mentioned its 50/50 split in the gallery, while the Bestseller-badged listings in the same search led with bill-splitting features. The rewrite used one name everywhere (the buyers' own search phrase), opened with the question the sheet answers, and stated the 50/50 split up front. Read the Etsy sample (PDF).
The table below comes from our Gumroad sample, an AI prompt bundle. (Prompt bundles can't be sold on Etsy, which prohibits AI prompt bundles.) The same checks apply to any Etsy digital listing:
| Problem found | What we changed | The same check on Etsy |
|---|---|---|
| Three different prompt counts and two category counts on one page | One number, used in the title, cover and description | Page count, number of templates and sizes match across title, images and description |
| A "was" price and a separate "total value" that disagreed | One real, checkable "if bought separately" figure | Sale and bundle framing that holds up when buyers compare |
| One busy cover, no inside previews, no format details | A clean main cover plus 3–4 inside-page and spec images | Inside-page previews and a "what you get" spec image |
| An all-caps tagline title of about 140 characters | About 95 characters, leading with the terms buyers search for | A clear title of under 15 words that leads with what the item is |
| Premium price with zero reviews | A lower launch price, raised as reviews arrive (marked as an estimate) | Price checked against comps with similar review counts |
See the full before/after on the Gumroad listing makeover page.
Price and delivery
- $19 per listing: one order covers one listing on either Etsy or Gumroad
- PDF delivered within 24 hours, weekends included
- No shop access: you apply the changes yourself
- 14-day full refund, plus 1 free revision within 7 days. Email hello@sellpolish.com within 14 days for a refund, or within 7 days of delivery for a revision.
Bundles for several listings and a monthly plan are coming soon. For now, every order is a single listing.
Free alternatives worth knowing about
If you'd rather do it yourself, start here:
- Etsy's Keywords 101 and tags guide.
- Etsy's community Shop Optimization group, which runs free live listing critiques for selected listings.
- r/Etsy allows shop feedback requests on "Feedback Fridays" (rules).
- Our free guide: Etsy digital downloads getting views but no sales.
A paid makeover makes sense when you want one specific listing reviewed against its competitors, with finished copy, by tomorrow.
FAQ
What does digital download listing optimization include?
For one Etsy or Gumroad listing: a diagnosis, a new title plus alternates, a paste-ready description, 3 cover ideas, 13 tags, pricing vs comparable listings, quick wins and a before/after table, delivered as a PDF.
How many tags can an Etsy listing have?
Up to 13, each up to 20 characters. Etsy recommends using all 13, as multi-word phrases (source).
What size should my Etsy listing photos be?
Etsy recommends at least 2000 px on each side. The first photo should be at least 635 px wide and tall, and landscape or square (source).
Do I need to disclose AI on Etsy?
Yes. Etsy requires sellers to disclose in the listing description if an item was created with AI (source).
Can you guarantee more sales or better rankings?
No. Etsy search weighs many signals, and Gumroad depends heavily on your own traffic. The makeover fixes what's within your control on the listing.
How much is it?
$19 per listing, on either Etsy or Gumroad, with the PDF delivered within 24 hours, weekends included.
What's your refund policy?
A 14-day full refund, plus 1 free revision if you ask within 7 days of delivery.
Do you need access to my Etsy shop?
No. You send the listing URL and apply the changes yourself.
Ready for a fresh pair of eyes?
One listing, one PDF, within 24 hours (weekends included). $19, no shop login, 14-day full refund. The first 20 orders also get a second-opinion pass on one more listing title.
Get my makeover · $19