MerchGuard

MerchGuard / Methodology

How we detect violations.

A transparent pipeline you can inspect — from a quick principles overview to the rules behind each policy category.

Our principles

Source-cited evidence

Every flag links back to the policy clause it came from — Etsy URL, USPTO or EUIPO record, CPSIA section. No ungrounded claims.

Transparent process

No black boxes. The pipeline below shows every step from listing input to final report; the deep-dive panels expose the rules behind each category.

Your data, your call

We surface signals; you decide. Marketplace policy enforcement is theirs — we do not promise outcomes, only better-informed action.

How a scan flows

  1. Step 1

    Listing input

    URL or form

  2. Step 2

    Rule loading

    active marketplace policies

  3. Step 3

    First-pass scan

    8 categories, structured output

  4. Step 4

    Deeper review

    borderline calls re-evaluated

  5. Step 5

    Sourced report

    every flag cites its policy

Evidence

Sources we cross-reference

  • ·USPTO TESS / TSDR
  • ·EUIPO eSearch
  • ·Etsy IP, Prohibited Items, Handmade, AI Disclosure, SEO policies
  • ·DMCA case law
  • ·CPSIA §101–104
  • ·Production-partner provider TOS

What we don't claim

  • ·We do not guarantee Etsy will not suspend your listing — final policy decisions are theirs.
  • ·Trademark hits are surfaced as candidates, matched against live records — verify before acting.
  • ·We do not store your listing content beyond the scan window unless you connect a shop for monitoring.

Deep dive

The full breakdown of what each category covers and the rules behind each pass. Tap a row to expand.

Frequently asked

How does MerchGuard decide what counts as a violation?

Each scan runs through eight independent policy categories — trademark, copyright, prohibited items, handmade/POD partner disclosure, CPSIA safety, medical claims, listing-quality, and authenticity. Every flag links back to the source policy clause (Etsy URL, USPTO record, EUIPO record, CPSIA section). We surface evidence; the marketplace decides enforcement.

Where does the trademark data come from?

USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) TESS/TSDR for US marks, and EUIPO eSearch for European marks. The dataset is refreshed daily. We cross-reference normalized listing text against live and pending records, then surface candidates with owner, status, and Nice classification — never as a final legal verdict.

Is the result a legal opinion?

No. MerchGuard is a compliance scanner, not legal counsel. We surface signals against publicly available marketplace and IP databases. For a binding legal opinion on a specific listing or trademark, consult a qualified IP attorney.

What happens to listing data I scan?

Anonymous and free-tier scans process the listing in-memory and store only the result summary (no full description text retained beyond the scan window). Connected-shop monitoring stores the listing snapshot only for the diff window required to detect changes. Full details are in the Privacy Policy and DPA.

How fast does the policy engine adapt to new Etsy rules?

We publish a Policy update log entry within 24 hours of any Etsy-published rule change (Creativity Standards revision, AI policy, fur ban, prohibited-items list update). The detection rules themselves are versioned in our policy_rules table — the changelog page lists every rule revision.

Try it

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