Sell cookies online by the box, the tin or the custom set

1. 01

   Separate everyday boxes from custom sets

   Chocolate chip boxes and holiday tins can be products with a price and stock. Decorated sets with names, logos or colors change every time, so list them “price on request” and quote each one.

2. 02

   Ask for what a custom set needs

   Your request form should ask for the event date, quantity, theme or colors and any wording, and invite customers to send a reference picture by reply email. Missing one of these means another round of emails.

3. 03

   Give a lead time and a minimum

   Decorated cookies take days of piping and drying. Say “two weeks’ notice, one dozen minimum” on the custom page so last-minute requests don’t pile up in your busiest week.

4. 04

   Seal and cushion every cookie

   Heat-sealed cookies stay fresh longer and arrive in one piece. Say on each product how they’re packed and how many days they keep, because people sending them as gifts always ask.

5. 05

   Photograph the open box

   Shoot from above with the lid off, in daylight, so the whole set shows. For decorated cookies, add one close-up of the icing detail. It shows your skill better than any description.

6. 06

   Plan the holiday tins early

   The winter holidays, Valentine’s Day, Easter and back-to-school bring the biggest cookie orders. Add each seasonal tin a few weeks ahead with limited stock, and post the last order date for delivery.

• Cottage food rules for cookies

  Shelf-stable cookies are among the foods most US cottage food laws allow, but cream cheese frostings and fillings usually aren’t, and some states limit online or out-of-state sales. Check your state’s list before you add a flavor.

• Edible decorations only

  Some glitters and dusts sold for baking are labeled “non-toxic” or “for decoration only” rather than edible. Use only products sold as edible on anything a customer will eat, and keep their labels in case anyone asks.

• Charge for design time

  Custom sets take sketching, color mixing and hours of piping. Price them per cookie with a separate design charge for new artwork, and explain up front why custom costs more than a box.

General information to help you get started, not legal advice. Rules differ by country, state and product, so check the ones that apply to you.