Etsy Software Engineer interviews typically combine a recruiter or online-assessment screen, practical coding/debugging rounds, a system design discussion, and behavioral conversations, with some processes adding a distinct team-matching stage.
$165K
Avg. Base Comp
$220K
Avg. Total Comp
3-8 rounds
Typical Rounds
Not reported
Process Length
Etsy's Software Engineer technical rounds lean more practical than a pure algorithms grind. Several candidates describe being handed an existing codebase or app and asked to debug it and then add features, rather than solving problems from a blank slate. One candidate's HackerRank round allowed Python, PHP, or JavaScript. It opened with five or six bugs to fix in an app with an API and some HTML, then moved into a similar number of enhancements. Others describe a CRUD project with bugs to fix and missing features to implement, and a round debugging a Flask app. On an Android track, one candidate extended the same app across the phone screen and onsite, with a choice between two features to build. Classic algorithm work still appears: one candidate faced formal DSA questions alongside a discussion of past projects, and another got a JavaScript array problem that built up step by step.
System design shows up in several processes, but its depth can vary. One candidate was asked to design an internal chat system. The interviewer steered away from broader architecture and NoSQL tradeoffs and kept returning to exact PostgreSQL table definitions and SQL queries, so be ready to go deep on relational schema design. Another candidate could pick between two system design prompts, which suggests the format isn't always fixed.
Behavioral and manager conversations recur, sometimes with overlapping questions across rounds. One process added a team-matching stage after the core interviews, where different teams reviewed the candidate's profile before an offer. Reported structures range from a three-round process to an eight-interview onsite stretched over two months. Confirm scope, timeline, and role location with your recruiter early.
Synthesized from 11 candidate reports by our editorial team.
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| Question | |
|---|---|
| Messenger Service Design | |
| Secure Messaging Platform | |
| Restaurant Recommender | |
| k-Means from Scratch | |
| 2nd Highest Salary | |
| Top Three Salaries | |
| Closest SAT Scores | |
| Subscription Overlap | |
| Empty Neighborhoods | |
| Merge Sorted Lists | |
| Monthly Customer Report | |
| Rolling Bank Transactions | |
| Customer Orders | |
| Top 3 Users | |
| Comments Histogram | |
| Random SQL Sample | |
| Raining in Seattle | |
| Bagging vs Boosting | |
| Flight Records | |
| Prime to N | |
| Upsell Transactions | |
| Scrambled Tickets | |
| Delivery Estimate Model | |
| Rectangle Overlap | |
| Find the First Non-Repeating Character in a String | |
| Average Quantity | |
| Recurring Character | |
| P-value to a Layman | |
| Real-Time Transaction Streaming |
Synthesized from candidate reports. Individual experiences may vary.
Candidates report starting with either a recruiter or HR conversation or an online coding assessment, such as HackerRank, used to filter applicants before deeper technical rounds. One recruiter screen ran about 30 minutes and included a basic algorithm question. One candidate's process began with an informal recruiter coffee chat that later served as a referral into a standard screen.
Several candidates describe a hands-on technical round built around existing code. Reported formats include an app with an API and HTML to debug and enhance on HackerRank (in Python, PHP, or JavaScript), a CRUD project with bugs and missing features, a Flask app to debug, and an existing Android codebase to extend. Formal DSA questions and a step-by-step JavaScript array problem also appeared in some loops.
A system design round shows up in multiple processes, and two reports mention chat or messaging system prompts. One candidate designing an internal chat system found the interviewer steered away from broader architecture and NoSQL tradeoffs toward exact PostgreSQL table definitions and SQL queries, so be ready to go deep on relational schema design. Another candidate could choose between two system design prompts.
Reported onsite stages range from a four-round loop, to a four-hour block of back-to-back interviews, to eight interviews with six different people. Content sometimes included front-end/JavaScript questions, project deep dives, and behavioral questions, which one candidate found repeated across rounds.
Several processes include a conversation with a hiring or engineering manager. It focuses on background, collaboration style, and team dynamics rather than additional coding. Candidates describe this round as collaborative and genuine rather than scripted.
At least one candidate described a distinct team-matching phase after the core interviews, where different Etsy teams reviewed the candidate's profile and decided whether to extend an offer, making this stage feel more mutual than a typical final-round gate. This step isn't reported across every process, so candidates may not encounter it depending on team and role.
