Written 24 September 2026
Lots of Etsy sellers already make their listing graphics in Canva, so it's the obvious place to try a listing video too. It can do the job, and the free plan is enough. This guide follows Canva's own help pages step by step. It then covers the Etsy rules your video has to meet, and when a dedicated tool is quicker.
Before you start: the Etsy rules
Keep these in mind while you build it. They are set out with Etsy's sources in Etsy listing video requirements.
- 5 to 15 seconds. Etsy's help pages disagree about the minimum (one says 3 seconds, one says 5), so aim for 5 to 15.
- No sound. Etsy removes the audio.
- At least 500px, ideally 1080px, and under 100 MB.
- Aspect ratio between 2:1 and 1:2. Square (1080 x 1080) is the safe choice.
Step 1: start a video design at the right size
From the Canva homepage, choose Video and pick a video design type. Square is the safest shape for Etsy, so use a custom size of 1080 x 1080. Canva says you can edit a custom-sized design as a video, whatever its size.
Step 2: add your photos or mockups to the timeline
Upload your images and add them to the main track of the timeline. Canva plays the clips in that track one after another, with no gaps, so the order on the timeline is the order of the video. Three or four images is plenty for 15 seconds.
Step 3: set how long each image shows
In Canva's current timeline, you set timing by dragging the edges of each clip. Keep the total under 15 seconds. Three to four seconds per image is a good starting point.
Step 4: add movement
A still slideshow doesn't catch the eye on a listing page. The movement is what makes a shopper stop. Select an image and choose Animate. You can use one of Canva's preset animations for photos. Or choose Create an Animation: drag the photo to draw its path, then pick a movement style and speed. Canva says each animation can be at most 10 seconds long. Some animations are Canva Pro only and have a Pro icon.
Keep the movement small and slow. A big zoom looks dramatic while you edit it, but frantic at full speed.
Step 5: choose transitions
Select a clip in the track, choose Add transition, then set its length and direction. A short fade suits most products.
Step 6: download the MP4
Choose Share, then Download, and pick MP4 Video. Canva Free downloads MP4s at up to 1920 x 1080, and Canva Pro at up to 3840 x 2160. For Etsy, 1080 is enough.
Then go to Shop Manager on Etsy, open the listing, go to Photo and video, and upload the file.
What is free and what isn't
- Free: making the video, any animation without a Pro icon, and MP4 download at up to 1080p.
- Watermarked: premium elements, such as some stock photos, graphics and templates, carry a criss-cross watermark until you pay for them. Your own uploaded mockups don't.
- Pro only: some animations and transitions, background remover, resize, and Magic Animate. Canva lists Pro at US$180 a year for one person.
Where Canva is slower for this job
The move that makes a still image look filmed is a slow push-in or drift from one exact framing to another. For example, start on the whole print and end on the texture of the paper. Canva's help pages describe preset animations and a drawn path. They don't describe a way to set exactly where a move starts and where it ends.
Mockup to Video is built around exactly that. For each image you draw a green box for the first frame and a red box for the last, and the camera moves between them. It also:
- keeps the total length inside Etsy's 5 to 15 seconds for you
- warns you when a zoom goes further than your image stays sharp
- checks the finished file against Etsy's rules before you download it
- makes the video in your browser, so your artwork is never uploaded
If you already design everything in Canva and want text or graphics in the video, stay in Canva. If you just want your mockups to move, try the tool. The step-by-step guide shows the whole process in about a minute.
Sources
Canva Help Center pages on creating and editing videos, animating designs, downloading as a video, and premium elements, plus canva.com/pricing. All were read on 23 September 2026. Canva changes its editor often. If a button has moved, its help centre will have the current name.
Two videos a day are free, with no watermark and no card. If something gets in your way, email me at hello@mockuptovideo.com.