What does a seller do before their first listing goes live?

Quick answer. A new seller starts by creating a profile with a workshop name, a short bio, and an optional link, then publishes a first post describing what they're building. That first post is marked as still in progress rather than a finished item, so shoppers can follow along and signal interest before anything is ready to buy.

What does a seller need to provide to create a profile?

Setting up a seller profile is deliberately light: a display name for the workshop or stall, a short bio explaining what the person actually makes, and an optional link — a social account or a personal site — if they want to point shoppers somewhere else. There's no long application form. The idea is to get a real, identifiable profile up quickly so a seller can start showing their work.

What happens right after a profile is created?

The seller is taken straight into posting their first listing. That's a deliberate sequence: create the profile, then immediately describe the first thing you're building, rather than leaving a blank profile sitting unused. The first post asks for a title and a short story about what the seller is working on.

What does "in progress" mean on a new listing?

A brand-new post from a seller publishes with a status that flags it as still being built, not a finished, ready-to-ship product. That matters for how a shopper should read it: it's a preview of something coming, not a listing you can add to cart yet. It exists so a seller can gauge interest and start building a following before committing to a full production run.

Is there a cost to set up a storefront?

Not at this stage. Creating a profile and publishing early posts don't carry a fee. That keeps the barrier to trying the platform low for someone who's still deciding whether to build out a full storefront.

What does the launch-plan checklist actually show?

Some seller profiles carry an informational checklist that shows where a seller stands on the basics of running a small business — a business plan, a production or manufacturing partner, intellectual property protection, and a formal legal entity. It's a view-only reference, not an editable form on that page, and it exists to give shoppers a transparent read on how far along a seller's operation is, rather than presenting every new profile as equally established.

Why does any of this matter to a shopper browsing listings?

Knowing the sequence helps set expectations. A profile that's brand new, with a first post still marked as in progress, is a different thing to browse than an established seller with finished, in-stock listings. Neither is better or worse on its own — but understanding which stage a seller is at changes what a shopper should expect if they follow, mark interest, or eventually buy.

Frequently asked questions

What does a seller need to provide to create a profile? A display name (their workshop or stall name), a short bio describing what they make, and an optional link such as a social account. That's what creates the seller profile before anything goes live.

Can a seller list something for sale immediately after signing up? The first thing a new seller publishes is a post describing what they're building, marked as still in progress rather than a finished, purchasable listing. It's meant to gather interest before a product is fully ready, not to open a live sale that day.

Is there a cost to create a seller profile or publish an early listing? No — at this stage, creating a profile and posting are free; no fee is charged for either step.

What is the launch-plan checklist shoppers might see on a seller's profile? It's a view-only informational checklist showing which stages of getting a small business ready a seller has reached — things like a business plan, a manufacturing or production partner, intellectual property, and a formal legal entity. It's there for transparency, not something shoppers or sellers can edit from that page.