Shop Policy Starter
A free PDF with the two shop policies every handmade seller needs first — a Shipping policy and a Returns & Exchanges policy — each in a short and a detailed version, with a note on where it goes on Etsy and Shopify, plus a few buyer FAQs. Every shop-specific detail is a fill-in-the-blank. Plain English, not legal advice. It is the lite cut of the 8-policy Maker's Shop Policies & FAQ Pack.
A free, ungated PDF for the low-glamour copy most makers either skip or paste badly: your shop policies. It gives you the two that every operating shop needs first — a Shipping policy and a Returns & Exchanges policy — each written twice: a short version for a listing FAQ or your announcement bar, and a detailed version for your Policies page that covers the common edge cases (delays, lost packages, international duties, what can and cannot be returned). Every shop-specific detail is a highlighted [bracketed] blank — your shop name, your processing time, your carrier, your return window — so you fill them in, search for a leftover "[", and paste. Each policy tells you exactly where it goes on Etsy and Shopify and ends with a "make it yours" note on the one decision only you can make. It is rounded out with a handful of the buyer FAQs (ship time, tracking, damaged orders, cancellations) so you can answer questions before they are asked. It is plain English, not legalese — and honest that it is a clear starting point, not legal advice. It is the lite cut of the paid Maker's Shop Policies & FAQ Pack — all 8 core policies (short + detailed), a 50+ question FAQ bank with a section for your craft, 3 About-the-shop blurbs, and 8 shop-announcement templates, in copy-paste text, editable Word, and print-ready PDF.
- A complete Shipping policy — when orders ship, your carrier and tracking, delays, wrong addresses, and international duties — in a short version and a detailed version
- A complete Returns & Exchanges policy — your window, who pays return shipping, the condition rules, and exactly which items cannot be returned — short and detailed
- A "where it goes" note on each policy that points to the exact spot on Etsy (Shop policies) and Shopify (Settings → Policies), so setup is copy, paste, done
- Every fill-in-the-blank field highlighted ([Shop Name], [Carrier], [X–X Business Days], [Return Window]) plus a "make it yours" tip on the one decision only you can make
- A few of the buyer FAQs every shop fields — ship time, tracking, a damaged order, a cancellation — ready to paste onto your listings and FAQ page
- Plain English, not legalese — and honest that it is a clear starting point, not legal advice (it flags where to check your local rules and your platform's policies)
- A clear upgrade path: this is the free cut of the 8-policy Maker's Shop Policies & FAQ Pack, available on the Ardent Workshop storefront
These policies are a clear, plain-English starting point you make your own — replace every [bracketed] blank with your real details. They are not legal, tax, or compliance advice: you are responsible for the rules that apply where you and your buyers live, and for your selling platform's own policies (Etsy, Shopify, etc.), which can override what your shop page says.
The copy most shops skip — or paste badly
Clear shop policies are the quiet work that makes a handmade business feel trustworthy before a sale and fair after one. They win the sale (a buyer who can see exactly how and when you ship is a buyer who checks out), they save you time (every question answered on the page is a message you never have to type), and they reduce disputes (clear terms up front leave less to argue about). Yet most makers either skip them or paste a confusing wall of legalese copied from a shop that sells something else entirely.
This starter fixes the two that matter most — shipping and returns — in plain, warm English you can set up in a few minutes. Fill in your details and paste them onto your shop today.
Short version and detailed version — use both
Each policy comes in two lengths because they are for different spots. The short version is two to four sentences for where space is tight: a listing FAQ, your announcement bar, or a quick reply to a buyer. The detailed version is the full policy for your shop's Policies page — the place a careful buyer (or a buyer with a problem) goes to read the fine print, so it covers the edge cases you do not want to improvise later.
Paste the detailed versions on your formal Policies pages once; sprinkle the short versions where buyers actually browse.
Plain English, not legal advice
These policies are written to be read, not endured — clear, fair, and human. They are a strong starting point you make your own, not legal, tax, or compliance advice. You are responsible for the rules that apply where you and your buyers live, and for your selling platform's own policies (Etsy and Shopify have buyer-protection programs that can override what your shop page says).
Fill in every [bracketed] blank with your real details, set an honest processing time you can actually beat, and you have a shop that reads as buttoned-up and trustworthy.
Want the full version?
This free starter is two policies and a few FAQs. The full Maker's Shop Policies & FAQ Pack is the whole shop: all 8 core policies (shipping, processing time, returns, damaged or missing orders, custom orders, cancellations, care & allergens, and privacy) each in a short and a detailed version, a 50+ question buyer-FAQ bank with a section for your craft (candles, soap, jewelry, ceramics, baked goods, leather, textiles, digital), 3 About-the-shop blurbs in three voices, and 8 shop-announcement templates — plus a Start Here guide showing exactly where each piece goes on Etsy and Shopify. In three formats (copy-paste text, editable Word, and print-ready PDF), and evergreen so it works any year. Available on the Ardent Workshop storefront.
Get the full Shop Policies & FAQ Pack (opens in new tab)The shop behind the policies
A processing-time promise is only as good as your grip on your queue, and a damaged-package fix is easier when you can find the order in seconds. Clear policies set expectations; keeping them is about actually knowing your shop — what is in stock, what is ordered, and where each order is. Ardent Seller keeps your stock, orders, and customers in one place, so the promises on your shop page are easy to keep. Start free — no credit card required.
Customers & orders
Every order tied to a customer, so when a buyer asks "where is my order?" you can find it in seconds and answer the way your shipping policy promises.
Stock on hand
See what you can actually sell before you set a processing time or run a sale, so your shop-page promises match what you can really deliver.
Products & variants
Every product, scent, and price in one catalog — the details a care, returns, or custom-order policy refers to, ready to reference instead of hunt for.
Frequently asked questions
Is this really free?
Yes — the starter is a free PDF download with no email required. It is the lite cut of the paid Maker's Shop Policies & FAQ Pack, which has all 8 core policies (short + detailed), a 50+ question FAQ bank, 3 About-the-shop blurbs, and 8 shop-announcement templates, in copy-paste text, editable Word, and print-ready PDF.
What exactly is in the free starter?
Two complete shop policies — Shipping and Returns & Exchanges — each in a short version and a detailed version, with a note on where it goes on Etsy and Shopify and a "make it yours" tip, plus a handful of the buyer FAQs every shop fields (ship time, tracking, a damaged order, a cancellation).
Is this legal advice?
No. It is clear, plain-English guidance to help you communicate with customers, not legal, tax, or compliance advice. You are responsible for the rules where you and your buyers live and for your selling platform's own policies, which can override your shop page. The starter flags where to double-check.
Will it work for my shop and platform?
Yes. The shipping and returns policies work for any handmade shop, and each one tells you exactly where it goes on Etsy (Shop policies) and Shopify (Settings → Policies). The copy-paste text drops straight into those fields.
Does it expire or is it tied to a year?
It never expires. It is evergreen — every shop-specific number (your processing time, return window, fees) is a fill-in-the-blank you set, so the same policies work any year.
Related resources
Customer Service Response Starter
Ten ready-to-send responses for the hardest customer-service messages — the lost package, the allergic reaction, the refund outside the window, the low-ball haggler — each written in three voices (firm, warm-firm, conciliatory) so you can match the moment.
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Ten ready-to-send emails for a handmade shop — restock, order shipped, review request, lost package, refund, wholesale pitch, a public reply to a bad review, Black Friday — each with three subject lines, a preheader, and a fill-in-the-blank body.
Legal Documents Every Maker Should Have
A free checklist of the 10 legal documents a handmade business should have — bill of sale, custom-order contract, returns and shipping policies, terms, privacy policy, photo release, wholesale and consignment agreements, contractor agreement — with what each is, when you need it, and a box to check it off.
Craft Seller Startup Checklist
36 things to set up before — and after — your first sale. Inventory, pricing, and the legal essentials in one place.
Maker's Newsletter Starter
Your first month of newsletters, written for you — the welcome email that greets every new subscriber, plus a balanced four-week starter (a studio story, a useful tip, a product spotlight, and one subscriber-only offer). Each with three subject lines, a preheader, and a fill-in-the-blank body. Evergreen.
From the blog
Articles that dig deeper into the topics this tool covers.
Handmade Shop Policies Template: A Clause-by-Clause Teardown of the Wording That Prevents Disputes
Many makers copy a competitor's policy page and find it says nothing useful the first time a customer demands a refund on a personalized order. This is a teardown of the three policies that actually get tested — shipping, returns, and custom orders — clause by clause, with the wording that heads off an argument and the phrases that start one.
How to Take Preorders for Handmade Products Without Breaking the 30-Day Rule
A preorder, a waitlist, and a backorder look like three ways to sell something you have not made yet. Federal law treats only two of them as promises. Here is which one to run, the clock you start when you take the money, and exactly what you owe the day you know you will be late.
How Much Deposit to Charge for Custom Orders (and the Terms That Let You Keep It)
Most makers pick a deposit percentage because someone in a Facebook group said 50%. The percentage is the easy part. What actually decides how much money you keep when a custom order falls apart is what your terms said before the buyer paid — and two separate rulebooks, one from your state and one from the card networks, both have opinions.
How to Ship Pottery So It Arrives in One Piece (and What to Do When It Doesn't)
Double-boxing, three inches of cushioning, and the rattle test — then the part nobody writes about: filing the claim. Carrier deadlines, what USPS will and will not pay a potter for, and the five minutes at pack time that decide whether you get reimbursed or eat the loss.