If you have ever tried to blog about your own Etsy shop, or favorites you heart on Etsy, you’ve probably used the “Etsy Mini” feature. And if you’re like me, it hasn’t been ideal.
Etsy Mini gives you code to copy and paste onto your own site featuring your shop items or your favorites. However, you have only two options: javascript or flash:
This is great for your website or myspace, but not great for your subscribers who catch up on your blog using RSS/Feed Readers. My Google Reader only displays HTML code, so any post with an Etsy Mini in it looks like a big blank in my reader.
Copy this code for the javascript version (for use on personal websites and blogs)
Copy this code for the Flash version (for use on myspace and social networking sites)
Another less-than-ideal feature is that whenever you update your store or favorites, all of your Etsy Minis update too— that’s great in a sidebar, but going back through your old posts, all of the things you talk about don’t make any sense now.
There is also no easy way to save lists of searches and show them on your website. All of your options (screenshot, copy+pasting the html) either lose the hyperlinks or look poorly copied.
So (after searching Google and such for hours) I figured out a way to get the layout and links of an Etsy Mini, but in HTML format that looks good on your website AND your reader! And it’s really simple, too!
Go ahead and make your Etsy Mini, with the layout you want.
+ Hover your arrow inside the gray outline box (doing it outside that box won’t give you the right info)
+ Click on View Source
+ A new window will open with all kinds of HTML mumbo jumbo
+ All YOU need to do is Copy the code in between the <body> </body> tags, that start and end with <table> </table>
<body onload=”autoIframe()” style=”width:380px;”>
<table class=”big_n_tall” style=”vertical-align:top;”>
…
<a onclick=”parent.location=’http://jannypie.etsy.com?ref=em’; return false;” href=”http://jannypie.etsy.com?ref=em”>jannypie</a></td>
</tr></table></td></tr>
</table>
</body>
+ You might notice there are a few <table> tags, that’s okay- you want them all. So just go from <body> to </body> and you’ll get it right
+ Then paste that into your blog post (in the HTML editor area) and you’re done!
Now you can feature your favorites and your shop in a nice layout, that works on your website and in your subscriber’s Reader!
If you found this post helpful, feel free to share it and help other Etsy sellers spread the Mini love!
Thanks for reading!
