Etsy Keyword Difficulty Is an Estimate

Etsy does not hand you a keyword difficulty number. If a tool shows one, including ours, it is that tool’s model. NicheKite labels it Estimate and prints the version on the keyword screen. As of this page, that version is v2.

The inputs, and nothing else

Competition is the active listing count for the phrase, from the Etsy API when you are signed in, or a number you type into the public checker. The score uses a log of that count, scaled so 50,000 listings is the top of the competition range.

The other input is favorites divided by views, and only for listings that returned a view count. v2 weights the result 70 percent competition and 30 percent the median of those save rates. Fewer than five listings with views, and the save-rate half is dropped so a tiny sample cannot swing the score. A higher save rate raises difficulty because the listings already on the page are collecting favorites. It is not a demand bonus for you.

How our data works lists keyword difficulty under estimates for that reason. Search volume is not an input. A dash in the volume cell is a missing number, not a zero, which is the point of does Etsy show search volume?.

What Etsy actually published

Keywords 101 says search looks across the title, tags, attributes, description, first photo, reviews, and more. It also tells you to prefer specific phrases over generic ones. None of that is a 0–100 difficulty. Marketplace Insights will show you how many items are available for a term you look up inside your shop. That count is closer to our competition input than to the finished score. The walkthrough that uses the count without pretending it is a grade is how to find a low-competition niche.