Why Is Etsy Ad Spend Different From ProfitTree’s Spend Amount?
It’s common to notice differences between the ad spend shown in Etsy and the ad spend displayed in ProfitTree. This difference is expected and comes down to when ad spend is recorded.
How Etsy Reports Ad Spend
Etsy’s Ads dashboard shows real-time ad spend, meaning:
Spend is shown when an ad click occurs
Charges may appear before they are officially billed
Totals can change throughout the day
This view reflects incurred spend, not finalized charges.
How ProfitTree Reports Ad Spend
ProfitTree shows ad spend based on when Etsy bills the charge to your account ledger.
ProfitTree pulls data directly from your Etsy payment account ledger
This ledger reflects the actual amount charged to your account
Billed data is final and does not change retroactively
This ensures ProfitTree reports only confirmed, billable ad spend.
Why These Numbers Don’t Always Match
There is often a delay between:
When an ad click happens, and
When Etsy records the charge in your ledger
Because Etsy does not provide precise timing details for this delay through their API, ProfitTree does not attempt to estimate or display real-time spend.
Showing billed data avoids inaccuracies caused by time zone differences, pending charges, or partial billing cycles.
How to Compare ProfitTree and Etsy Accurately
To compare ad spend accurately:
Go to your Etsy Payment Account ledger
Review ad-related line items
Compare those values to ProfitTree’s ad spend totals
Both sources are using the same billed data.
Important Notes
Differences between Etsy’s Ads dashboard and ProfitTree do not indicate missing data
ProfitTree reflects what was actually charged, not what was estimated
This approach ensures consistent and reliable reporting
Summary
Etsy shows ad spend when it happens. ProfitTree shows ad spend when it is billed. Because these timestamps differ, the totals may not always match—but ProfitTree always reflects the final, charged amount recorded in your Etsy ledger.