Etsy Product Creator

Etsy Product Creator — Full Pipeline

Creates premium digital products for Etsy: a PDF with real images, a 2000x2000 thumbnail, 5 preview images, and complete listing data. The pipeline is sequential — each step gates the next.

Pipeline (MUST follow in order)

1. RESEARCH    -> validate niche, keywords, competition (web search)
2. CONTENT     -> write the actual content (valuable, actionable, not filler)
3. IMAGES      -> collect real screenshots, generate diagrams/charts
4. PDF         -> write generate_pdf.py (ReportLab), include images, verify
5. THUMBNAIL   -> 2000x2000px JPEG with PIL (title, price, branding)
6. PREVIEWS    -> 5 preview images showing content/pages
7. LISTING     -> product JSON with title, description, price, tags
8. PUBLISH     -> create the listing as DRAFT first; publish only when verified

Product Quality Standards (TOP 1%)

PDF Requirements

• Minimum 15 pages for paid products
• Must include real images — screenshots, diagrams, charts (not text-only)
• ReportLab preferred — pixel-perfect, no CSS rendering surprises
• Must have cover page — dark gradient background, title, subtitle
• Must have Table of Contents
• Content must be genuinely useful — real actionable knowledge, not filler
• Must include generate_pdf.py — reusable script, not inline generation
• Must pass verification — no overlapping elements, correct page count

Image Requirements

• Thumbnail: 2000x2000px JPEG, professional design with title + price + branding
• Preview images: 5 minimum, 2000x2000px or 1280x720px:
  1. Cover mockup (show the PDF cover in a frame)
  2. Content preview (a page from inside the PDF)
  3. Feature highlights (bullet points with icons)
  4. What's included (list of pages/sections)
  5. CTA / benefits summary

Listing Requirements

• Title: 140 chars max, SEO-optimized with keywords
• Description: 5000+ chars with sections, benefits, FAQ, guarantee
• Tags: 13 tags maximum, long-tail keywords — use all 13
• Price: set as a decimal (4.99, not 499) — price is set at creation and cannot be patched later
• State: always create as DRAFT first; publish only when verified

Content Guidelines (What makes a product VALUABLE)

Good content (buyers feel they got value)

• Step-by-step tutorials with real screenshots
• Templates they can actually use (not just descriptions)
• Checklists and worksheets that solve a real problem
• Data/charts that provide insight
• Real examples, not hypothetical scenarios
• Tool comparisons with pros/cons
• Actionable advice, not vague platitudes

Bad content (buyers feel cheated)

• Generic advice ("be productive!" without how)
• Filler text to pad page count
• No images, just walls of text
• Repeated content across pages
• Structure without substance

Directory Structure (per product)

{product-name}/
  generate_pdf.py        # Reusable PDF generation script
  product.pdf            # The final PDF
  thumbnail.jpg          # 2000x2000px listing thumbnail
  preview-1.jpg          # Cover mockup
  preview-2.jpg          # Content preview
  preview-3.jpg          # Features
  preview-4.jpg          # What's included
  preview-5.jpg          # CTA/benefits
  images/                # Images used in the PDF
    screenshot-1.png     # Real tool screenshots
    diagram-1.png        # PIL-generated diagrams
    chart-1.png          # Matplotlib charts
  product.json           # Listing data (title, desc, price, tags)

Image Sources for PDFs

For tool/software products (n8n, Notion, Make.com, etc.)

1. Download real screenshots from GitHub repos
2. Take browser screenshots of the actual tool UI
3. Create PIL diagrams showing workflows/processes
4. Generate Matplotlib charts showing data/benefits

For planner/tracker products

1. Create PIL mockups showing the planner pages
2. Generate sample filled-in pages (not just empty templates)
3. Create comparison charts (before/after, with/without)

For educational/guide products

1. Download relevant images from official sources
2. Create infographics with PIL
3. Generate data charts with Matplotlib
4. Include real screenshots of tools mentioned

Etsy-Specific Notes

• Publishing a listing costs $0.20 — only publish when the product is final
• Use draft mode to review before publishing
• Images must be JPEG for upload compatibility
• Digital files: max 5 files, 20MB each
• Digital Prints taxonomy (ID 2078) is a good default category

Dependencies

Python 3.8+ with reportlab, pillow, matplotlib. A browser automation tool (optional, for real screenshots). No API keys required for the PDF/ image stages; the publish stage needs your own Etsy API credentials.