Etsy app approved in Developer Portal, but OAuth says “application not recognized” and openapi-ping returns 403

[HCanArslan]

Confirmation

• I confirm this post does NOT contain sensitive data for my account.

Question / discussion

Hi,

I’m having an issue where my Etsy API application appears as Approved in the Etsy Developer Portal, but Etsy’s API/OAuth backend does not seem to recognize the app correctly.

Current Status

• Developer Portal status: Approved
• API keystring: Matches the approved app exactly
• Shared secret: From the same approved app
• OAuth callback URI:

/api/etsy/oauth/callback

• Requested scopes: Read-only

shops_r listings_r transactions_r

• OAuth flow: Authorization Code + PKCE
• PKCE method:

S256

---

1. OAuth Authorization Problem

The generated Etsy authorization URL appears structurally correct.

However, when Etsy opens the authorization page, it displays:

The application that is requesting authorization to use your Etsy account is not recognized.

The request successfully reaches Etsy, so the failure occurs before Etsy redirects back to my callback URL.

Authorization Request Parameters

response_type=code
client_id=<API_KEYSTRING>
redirect_uri=/api/etsy/oauth/callback
scope=shops_r listings_r transactions_r
code_challenge=<PKCE_CODE_CHALLENGE>
code_challenge_method=S256

The application therefore never reaches the OAuth callback stage because Etsy rejects the application itself during authorization.

---

2. API Diagnostic Test

I also tested Etsy's Open API ping endpoint directly:

GET https://openapi.etsy.com/v3/application/openapi-ping

Using:

x-api-key: <API_KEYSTRING>:<SHARED_SECRET>

The response is consistently:

HTTP 403

I get the same result from:

• The production application
• A direct server-side diagnostic request

So the problem does not appear to be specific to the frontend, browser, OAuth redirect handling, or application routing.

---

3. Important Account History

There is one piece of account history that may be relevant.

The Etsy seller account associated with this developer account had previously been suspended because of an unpaid seller balance.

After I:

1. Paid the full outstanding balance
2. Had the seller account restored to good standing

the existing API application request was then automatically approved in the Etsy Developer Portal.

Since that happened:

Check | Result -- | --
Developer Portal app status | ✅ Approved
API keystring matches approved app | ✅ Yes
Shared secret matches approved app | ✅ Yes
OAuth request reaches Etsy | ✅ Yes
OAuth recognizes the application | ❌ No
openapi-ping succeeds | ❌ No
openapi-ping response | HTTP 403

---

4. Why I Suspect a Provisioning Issue

At this point, it looks like the application may be:

Approved in the Developer Portal UI, but not fully activated/provisioned in Etsy's Open API and OAuth backend.

The combination of these two behaviors is especially confusing:

Developer Portal → Approved
OAuth → Application not recognized
OpenAPI ping → HTTP 403

Because both the OAuth authorization system and the API endpoint reject the application, I’m wondering whether the app's backend state did not fully synchronize after the seller account was restored and the API application became approved.

---

Questions

Could someone from Etsy or someone familiar with this situation clarify the following?

1. What does HTTP 403 from openapi-ping mean for an approved app?

For an application that already shows as Approved, what conditions can cause:

GET /v3/application/openapi-ping
→ HTTP 403

---

2. Is there an approval propagation/provisioning delay?

After an API application changes to Approved, is there normally any delay before:

• The API key becomes active
• openapi-ping starts working
• The application becomes recognized by OAuth

---

3. Can a previous seller-account suspension affect API access?

Could the previous seller account suspension leave the API application or developer account in a restricted state, even after:

• The balance has been paid
• The seller account has been restored
• The API application shows as Approved

---

4. Is there another activation step after approval?

Is there anything else developers are required to do after the Developer Portal displays:

Approved

to activate the app for Open API and OAuth access?

---

5. Can Etsy Developer Support re-sync the application?

If this is an Etsy-side provisioning/synchronization issue, is there a way for Etsy Developer Support to:

• Re-sync the application's approval status
• Re-provision the API credentials
• Re-enable the application in the OAuth backend
• Confirm whether the API key is restricted internally

Any guidance on what I should check next would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[vyronashop-blip]

Confirming the same issue on a separate Etsy Seller App as of August 14, 2026.

App details:

• App name: nexora-studio-publisher
• Developer Portal app record ID: 1504096018491
• Keystring: njlo…aov8 — full value sent privately to Etsy Developer Support
• Portal status: Approved
• Rate limit: 10 QPS / 10K QPD
• Shop: NexorifyCo
• Registered callback: https://localhost:3003/oauth/callback

A Windows client performs this read-only preflight before OAuth:

GET https://openapi.etsy.com/v3/application/openapi-ping

The request includes the required x-api-key: keystring:shared_secret header, with both values copied from the same approved app.

The response is consistently:

HTTP 403

{"error":"API key not found or not active, or incorrect shared secret for API key."}

The keystring was compared character-by-character against the Developer Portal and matches exactly. OAuth is intentionally not started after the failed preflight.

This appears to be another case where the Developer Portal approval state and rate-limit assignment have not synchronized with Etsy’s Open API/OAuth backend. Could Etsy Support please re-provision or re-sync this application record?

No shared secret, OAuth token, or authorization code is included in this report.

[openapi-support[bot]]

Thank you for your report. This bug has been fixed and your App and key should be working now.