On the 26th of March 2018. Etsy sent out an email to members of its popular affiliate scheme, detailing a rather significant change to the program’s rules.

Many people have joined the Etsy affiliate scheme and regularly post Etsy sellers’ items to Pinterest.  This can earn the pinner affiliate commission, but was also valuable promotion for the Etsy sellers they featured.

The letter from Etsy includes the statement:

Moving forward Etsy Affiliate links will no longer be supported on some social media platforms including but not limited to Facebook, Pinterest and Tumblr. 

The Etsy affiliate policy (https://www.etsy.com/legal/affiliates)  on the Etsy website, has now been changed and says…

Affiliate links are prohibited on some social sharing sites, such as Facebook, Pinterest, and Tumblr.

Etsy sellers have been expressing surprise at this change because they were unaware that Pinterest actually do not allow affiliate links.

Certainly Pinterest didn’t allow such links in the past.  But in May 2016, they changed the rule and announced “Affiliate links are now allowed on Pinterest!”  This announcement is still live on Pinterest – https://business.pinterest.com/en/blog/affiliate-links-are-now-allowed-on-pinterest

Amazon Associates, the affiliate scheme for Amazon, also are saying Pinterest does indeed allow their affiliate links – https://amazon-affiliate.eu/en/affiliate-links-allowed-pinterest/

I could not find any evidence that Pinterest have reversed their decision and no longer allow Etsy affiliate links.

So where has Etsy got this from?

28th March – I contacted Etsy and asked if they could please provide me with the source that Pinterest no longer accepts affliliate links. On the same day I have also contacted Pinterest to ask them to clarify the situation from their end.

I am sure there are many Etsy sellers (and indeed, Pinterest affiliate pinners) who are concerned about this significant change.

Stay tuned, I will update this as soon as I have more information.

Update – 30 March 2018

Pinterest have emailed me back and confirmed that “We allow affiliate links on both organic and Promoted Pins.”   So no change at their end.

Now I am waiting to hear why Etsy have said otherwise…

Update – 3 April 2018

Etsy have now replied to me and say that nothing has actually changed.  “we have actually never been able to partner with solely social media sites and have always required a valid blog or website URL to join our affiliate program.”  and that Pinterest, being social media, falls in to this catagory.    They also say “Pinterest still accepts affiliate links in general, however our program does not.

So Pinterest itself DOES accept affiliate links.  But Etsy affiliate links are prohbiited (by Etsy) on social media sites, including Pinterest.

Update – 25 June 2018

Etsy have again made a change to the Etsy Affilliate Policy.  They are now allowing affiliate links on Facebook once more:

Affiliates may only post affiliate links on social media feeds they operate in line with their website URL, such as Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. Affiliate links are prohibited on some social sharing sites, such as Pinterest and Tumblr.

Note that Facebook was one of the three sites that were prohibited in the previous changes.

If you know anything more about this story, please let me know in the comments, or email me at deborah@tinteddy.com.

For more about using Pinterest, check out Pinterest for Craft Sellers (Podcast and full transcript)

Check out Social Media for Craft Sellers 101 – listen to the podcast or read the full transcript.

 

 

Etsy Affiliate Scheme Changes – Pinterest Affiliate Links Not Allowed?

5 thoughts on “Etsy Affiliate Scheme Changes – Pinterest Affiliate Links Not Allowed?

  • 28 March, 2018 at 6:34 pm
    Permalink

    Yes came as a shock to me too, nothing from Pinterest saying we can’t. I too got the email today 🙁

    Reply
  • 28 October, 2018 at 5:30 pm
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    How do you correct pictures with Etsy links in Pinterest?

    Reply
    • 29 October, 2018 at 10:53 am
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      If you click on the little pencil icon on the pin in question, it will allow you to change the description or the link attached.

      Reply
  • 26 October, 2020 at 2:04 am
    Permalink

    On the 26th of March 2018. Etsy sent out an email to members of its popular affiliate scheme, detailing a rather significant change to the program’s rules.

    Reply

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