Do Etsy ads actually work for new sellers or is it a waste of money?

Etsy ads can work for new sellers, but the timing matters. The biggest mistake is running ads too early — before your listings are optimized. Ads amplify what's already there. If your photos are mediocre, your title has weak keywords, and your pricing is off, ads will just show your bad listing to more people and drain your budget. Our advice: wait until you have at least 10–15 well-optimized listings with good photos. Then start small — $1–2/day per listing for a high-potential item. Run it for 30 days without touching it. After 30 days, check which listings have the best click-through rate (CTR) and conversion. Put more budget there, pause the rest. Ads work best as a way to get initial traction and reviews on your best listings, not as a substitute for SEO.