Free Black Friday Checklist for Etsy & Shopify Sellers (32 steps)

Starting late? If it's already mid-November, skip to Prep and do just three things today: pick your offer, schedule your launch and last-chance emails, and test your discount code. Or get a free 7-day plan for exactly where you are.

Start now 4+ weeks out

Pick ONE headline offerSitewide %, spend-and-save tiers, buy-2-get-1, gift-with-purchase, or free shipping. One clear offer beats five confusing ones.
Check the offer is profitable at your real costsPrice − materials − packaging − platform fees − shipping you cover. If a 25% discount leaves you with half your normal profit, you need roughly double the orders just to break even.
Choose 4 hero productsYour 3 best sellers plus 1 gift-friendly item under $30. Most sale-weekend revenue comes from a handful of listings.
Order supplies and packaging nowMaterials, boxes, mailers, tape, labels, thank-you cards. Supplier and carrier delays start mid-November.
Turn on an "early access" sign-upA free form (Kit, Mailchimp, Flodesk, Shopify Forms) offering early access to your sale. Link it in your shop announcement, bio, and order inserts.

Prep by Nov 13

Refresh hero listing photosAdd a lifestyle shot, a scale shot (in hand or on a person), and a gift-wrapped shot to every hero product.
Rewrite titles and tags for gift shoppersLead with phrases people search in November: "gift for her," "stocking stuffer," "gift for mom," "teacher gift." On Etsy, use all 13 tags.
Build a gift guideA collection, section, or shelf with 3 to 4 groups: Under $25, Under $50, For Her, For Him.
Decide and post your holiday shipping cutoffsCheck USPS, UPS, and FedEx published holiday deadlines, add your processing time, and post your own "order by" date in your announcement, FAQ, and listings.
Write and schedule your sale emailsAt minimum: teaser, early access, launch, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, last chance, thank-you. Send test emails to yourself.
Start Pinterest pins for your gift guidePins take weeks to gain traction, so early November is the time.
Batch-film 3 to 5 short videosMaking-of, packing orders, product close-ups. Imperfect and real beats polished.

Want the emails and posts already written?

Sold Out Weekend includes 10 ready-to-send emails, 30 social captions, 25 AI prompts, a Nov 1 to Dec 1 calendar, and a profit calculator with Etsy and Shopify fees built in.

Get the kit for $19

Launch week Nov 23 to 26

Create the sale with the right start and end timesEtsy: Shop Manager → Marketing → Sales and discounts. Shopify: Discounts → Create discount. Your shop's time zone may not be ET, so convert: most US shoppers expect 11:59 p.m. ET.
Test the coupon on desktop AND mobileDo a real checkout, then cancel or refund it. Codes that don't work are the most common sale-weekend disaster.
Click every link in every email and postEspecially the buttons. Broken links quietly kill sales.
Update inventory: no hero item at 0 stockIf something sells out, have a backup listing ready to feature.
Update processing times and shipping profilesBe honest about holiday volume. Under-promise, over-deliver.
Update your banner, shop announcement, and link-in-bioOne line, one offer, one deadline.
Schedule social posts through Dec 1Use Meta Business Suite, Pinterest's scheduler, or TikTok's scheduler so sale weekend is for packing, not posting.
Stock your packing stationBoxes, mailers, tape, labels, printer ink, thank-you cards.
Save customer service replies as templatesShipping times, "where's my order," code not working, gift notes. Saves hours over the weekend.

Sale weekend Nov 27 to 30

Check orders and messages 3 times a dayReply within a few hours. Fast answers convert browsers into buyers.
Post at least once a day on your main platformReply to every comment: it boosts reach and builds trust.
Watch stock and mark sold-out items fastRestock or point people to a similar item.
Send the evening reminder emails (Fri and Mon)Send them to non-buyers only, if your email tool can segment.
Lean into Small Business Saturday (Nov 28)Tell your story: who makes it, where, and why. It's the day shoppers actively choose small shops.
Ship in the order received and send tracking promptlyFast shipping earns reviews, and reviews earn December sales.

After the sale Dec 1 to 7

Turn off the sale and remove sale bannersLeaving an expired offer up confuses shoppers and erodes trust.
Send a thank-you emailThank buyers and non-buyers alike. Giving Tuesday (Dec 1) is a natural moment.
Write down your resultsOrders, revenue, average order value, best seller, best-performing email and post. Future you will thank you next November.
Ask buyers for reviews about 7 days after deliveryA short, friendly message with a direct link.
Plan a December push to your ship-by dateGift guides, last-minute gifts, gift cards, and "order by" reminders.

The #1 mistake: picking a discount without doing the math. A 25% discount on a $40 item can cut your profit per order by about 40% once fees are counted. Run your numbers before you announce anything.

Feel free to share this page with other sellers. Not affiliated with Etsy, Shopify, USPS, UPS, or FedEx.

The Black Friday launch checklist for small shops.

Start now 4+ weeks out

Prep by Nov 13

Want the emails and posts already written?

Launch week Nov 23 to 26

Sale weekend Nov 27 to 30

After the sale Dec 1 to 7