Feeling inspired to sell digital products on Etsy, but not quite sure what to create?
Here’s the good news and the bad news.
The good news? There are so many possibilities. From planners to templates to digital art and beyond, there’s no shortage of product types to choose from, and they’re all great in their own way.
The bad news? Because there are so many options, it can get overwhelming fast, leaving you feeling stuck before you even begin.
Here’s what I’ve found helpful:
Start with YOU! I’m talking about your strengths, your skills, and the tools you already love using.
Let’s walk through a few simple ways to discover that digital product idea that feels aligned with YOU and is also useful to your target customers
Zoom In On YOU
Before you begin brainstorming different kinds of digital products, let’s zoom in on you.
The best Etsy digital product ideas usually come from the sweet spot between:
- What you love
- What you’re good at
- What people want or need
Here are a few prompts to get your ideas flowing:
What are you naturally good at?
(Design, writing, organizing, planning, teaching…)What do people always ask your help with?
(“Can you make me a logo?”, “Do you have a system for meal planning?”, “Can you teach me how to crochet that baby blanket you made?”, “How do you organize your finances?”)What do you enjoy doing for hours without getting bored?
For me, I realized it was creating layouts. I could spend hours designing, totally in the zone, and not even notice the time flying by!What’s your background or work experience?
(Former teacher, graphic designer, admin assistant, fitness coach…)What hobbies or interests do you have that others might not?
(Knitting, gardening, cooking, cosplay, comic books, board games…)What problems have you solved for yourself that others might want help with?
During the pandemic, I created printable signs for my family members to hang on their doors whenever they’re a on a Zoom meeting or online class. I sold these signs on Etsy and people are still buying them from my shop and finding them useful today!
The things that feel normal to you might be exactly what someone else is looking for.
Start with What Comes Naturally
Once you’ve done some brainstorming, start making a list of digital products that match your strengths and feel easy or fun to create.
A great way to narrow things down is to think about the format you enjoy working in. Here are a few examples:
Printable planners or trackers
Editable templates (invitations, resumes, labels, signs)
Workbooks or guides
Digital art or graphics
Patterns or instructions (sewing, crochet, crafts)
Video tutorials or mini-courses
Audio meditations or affirmations
Business tools (spreadsheets, checklists, slide decks)
You don’t have to be an expert. See which product idea feels doable. That’s often the best place to begin.
Think About the Tools You Already Know
Another great starting point is to look at the tools or software you already enjoy using. Your skills can lead you to digital product ideas that feel natural for you to create.
Ask yourself:
Are you skilled at Photoshop? Perhaps you can create design templates, wall art, or mockups.
Love designing in Canva? Try social media templates, business cards, or ebooks.
Comfortable with PowerPoint or Keynote? Create slide decks, webinar presentations, or teaching tools.
Know your way around Excel or Google Sheets? Think budgeting tools, habit trackers, or business planners.
Handy with Procreate or Illustrator? Consider digital stickers, clip art, or custom illustrations.
It’s easier to build momentum when you choose to create a product you’re already skilled at—and that product is more likely to be excellently made!
Let Etsy’s Supported File Types Inspire You
Still not sure what to create? Etsy accepts certain file types for digital product listings. Perhaps these different file types can guide your brainstorming.
Look through the list below and see if it reveals any possible digital product ideas you haven’t thought of before.
Here’s a breakdown of popular digital products based on Etsy-supported file types:
.PDF (Most Popular and Versatile)
Perfect for printable and read-only documents such as…
Planners, journals, and trackers
Workbooks and checklists
Coloring pages
Resume templates
Event signs and invitations
DIY instructions or sewing patterns
Activity sheets and homeschool printables
Printable wall art
.JPEG / .JPG / .PNG / .BMP / .GIF
Best for high-quality graphics and visual content such as…
Clip art and design elements
Printable art and photography
Greeting cards
Social media templates
Logo and branding kits
Scrapbooking kits
Stickers (for Cricut or print-and-cut)
.ePUB / .mobi / .iBook
Great for digital reading material such as…
eBooks (fiction, nonfiction, how-to guides)
Self-publishing tools or author resources
Digital planners in eBook format
Recipe books or craft instruction books
.DOC / .RTF / .TXT
Ideal for editable, text-based digital products such as…
Resumes and cover letters
Contracts or client intake forms
Coaching or consulting templates
Lesson plans and teaching materials
Budgeting templates
.MP3 / .MPEG / .MOV
Perfect for audio and video-based digital products such as…
Guided meditations or affirmations
Music tracks or sound effects for creators
Audiobooks or audio lessons
Video tutorials or creative classes
Stock video clips
.ZIP (Multi-File Delivery)
Great for bundles or products with multiple files such as…
Printable packs (e.g., planner pages + stickers)
Canva or Photoshop template kits
Fonts, icons, or design asset packs
Course materials (PDFs, audio, video)
Clip art or digital paper collections
.STL (3D Printing Files)
Perfect for makers and 3D printing hobbyists such as…
3D printable files for tools, toys, and home decor
Jewelry molds or accessories
Cosplay props or miniatures
Start Simple: Make One Problem-Solving Product First
Here’s my best advice if you’re overwhelmed:
Just start with one simple product.
Pick one simple digital product idea that:
-
Fits your skills and strengths
-
Feels fun and natural for you to make
-
Works with the tools you already enjoy using
- Solves a problem or meets a need for your ideal customer
Pick one and build momentum.
When I first got into digital products, I decided to start with creating blog templates. I enjoy web design, I could charge more for a template, and people bought them. But not long after, I realized they didn’t light me up the way I thought they would, mostly because they weren’t so simple to begin with, took a long time to finish and required a good amount of customer support. Other digital product creators probably wouldn’t mind that, but the experience taught me something important about myself during that stage of my new-mom life: I preferred running a shop that’s more passive, with simpler products that are still valuable but don’t require as much hands-on help from me. That realization led me to the kind of printables and templates I offer in my shop today.
If you’re an overthinker like me, take this to heart:
Pick one product. Create it. List it. Learn from it.
You’ll grow your skills, gain clarity, and get insight into what you want and what your customers want, all from that one starting point.
And who knows? That one little idea might take off…
Or it might lead you to the idea that changes everything for you.
You’ll never know unless you take the first step.
