Etsy description template: what to put in each paragraph
Most Etsy descriptions are either one line or a wall of text. Here's a five-part template that follows Etsy's own tips, with a filled-in example you can adapt for your shop.
Ashish · 6 min read
You've taken the photos, written the title and picked your 13 tags. Then you reach the description box and freeze. You write "Handmade with love, message me with any questions" and move on. Or you write six paragraphs about how you started the shop, and the size is buried at the bottom.
Buyers who scroll to the description usually want something specific: will it fit, what's it made of, how long will it take to arrive, can they get it personalised. A template makes sure you answer those every time, in the same order, so writing a description takes minutes instead of an evening.
What Etsy recommends
Etsy's Seller Handbook article 5 tips for writing listing descriptions gives the basics:
- Put the most important details first, with relevant keywords used naturally.
- Use short paragraphs and bullet points so details like size and materials are easy to find.
- Check your shop Stats to see which search terms bring shoppers to your listings.
- Keep a consistent voice. If you make everything yourself, writing in the first person is fine.
- End with a link to a related shop section or a listing that goes with this one.
The template below puts those tips in order.
The five-part template
1. The opening: what it is and why someone wants it
One or two sentences. Say what the item is in plain words, using the phrase shoppers search for, and the main reason someone would buy it. Buyers who only read one line should still know what they're looking at.
Formula: [What it is] + [main detail] + [who or what it's for].
2. The details, in bullets
This is the part most buyers are looking for. Use a short list:
- Size: exact measurements, in the units your buyers use (or both).
- Materials: what it's made of, including anything people may be allergic to.
- Colour: and a note that screens show colour differently, if that matters.
- What's included: especially if the photos show props that aren't.
- Options: sizes, colours or personalisation, and how to choose them.
3. How it's made or used
Two or three sentences. For handmade items, this is where you say how you make it and what makes it different. For other items, explain how to use it or where it fits in someone's home or life. Keep it specific. "Each one is hand-dyed in small batches, so the colour varies slightly" tells the buyer more than "made with love".
4. Care, shipping and personalisation
Short answers to the questions you get asked most:
- How to clean or care for it
- When it ships (processing time) and whether gift wrap is available
- How to add personalisation, and what to include
If the same question keeps landing in your messages, the answer belongs here.
5. The ending: a link to something related
Finish with one line pointing to a related section or a matching listing, as Etsy suggests. It keeps buyers in your shop if this one isn't quite right.
A filled-in example
This is a made-up example. "Juniper Loom" isn't a real brand.
Handmade macrame plant hanger in natural cotton, for pots up to 20 cm wide. A simple way to get plants off the windowsill and add some texture to a bare corner.
- Size: 90 cm long from the top ring to the bottom of the tassel
- Fits pots: up to 20 cm (8 in) wide
- Materials: 5 mm natural cotton cord, 5 cm wooden ring
- Colour: undyed cream
- Included: the hanger only. The pot and plant in the photos aren't included.
I knot each hanger by hand in my studio, using a spiral pattern that holds the pot level. Because each one is handmade, the knots and tassel length vary slightly.
Care: spot clean with a damp cloth. Use a pot with a drip tray, because cotton marks if it stays wet. Ships in 1 to 3 business days. Gift wrapping is available at checkout.
Looking for something smaller? See the mini hangers in my Small Spaces section.
Notice what's missing: no paragraph about the shop's history, no "perfect for any occasion", and no list of keywords stuffed at the end. Everything in it answers a question a buyer might have.
Short version for simple items
Not every item needs five parts. For a sticker, a print or a simple accessory, this is enough:
- 1One line: what it is and the key detail.
- 2Bullets: size, material, what's included.
- 3One line: shipping time.
- 4One line: a link to related items.
Mistakes to avoid
- Repeating the title word for word. The title has already done that job. Use the opening to add the "why".
- Keyword lists. A block of keywords at the end reads like spam to buyers. Use keywords in normal sentences, and put the rest in your tags.
- Hiding the size. If buyers have to message you to ask the size, they may just leave instead. Put measurements in the bullets, not paragraph four.
- Not mentioning props. If the photo shows a pot, a frame or a styled table and the buyer only gets the item, say so.
- Copying another shop's description. Apart from the copyright problem, it won't match your item.
For more on writing descriptions in general, including a before and after, see our guide to writing product descriptions that sell. If you're not sure which words to use in the opening line, our guide to finding Etsy keywords covers free ways to find them. And if your descriptions are fine but nobody's visiting, start with why your Etsy shop isn't getting views.
Where YelloShelf fits
The template is free to use, and for most shops it's all you need. If you'd rather not start from a blank box for every listing, YelloShelf drafts Etsy descriptions, titles and 13 tags from your product photos, in this kind of structure. It doesn't have a free plan or trial. You buy a credit pack, starting at $10, and your first purchase comes with a money-back guarantee. We're helping you remove the manual, tedious, time-consuming work. You still read it, edit it and paste it in yourself.
Quick checklist
- Opening line says what it is, using the words buyers search for.
- Size, materials, colour and what's included are in bullets.
- One short paragraph on how it's made or used.
- Care, shipping time and personalisation are answered.
- Props that aren't included are mentioned.
- It ends with a link to a related section or listing.
- No keyword lists and no copied text.
FAQ
What should an Etsy description include?
Say what the item is and why someone would want it, then list the size, materials, colour, what's included and any options. Add care, shipping and personalisation details, and end with a link to related items in your shop.
How long should an Etsy description be?
Long enough to answer a buyer's questions and no longer. A simple item may need four or five lines. A personalised or complex item may need several short sections. Use bullets so buyers can scan.
Should I put keywords in my Etsy description?
Etsy's Seller Handbook suggests using relevant keywords naturally near the start of your description. Write for the buyer first. Don't add a list of keywords at the end.
Can I use the same description for every listing?
You can reuse the template, but each description should match its item: the size, materials and options will differ. Copying the exact same text across listings makes it harder for buyers to tell items apart.
Should I write my Etsy description in the first person?
If you make everything yourself, writing as "I" is fine and Etsy's handbook suggests it can suit solo makers. If you work as a team, "we" works just as well. Pick one and keep it consistent across your shop.
Made by the team behind YelloShelf
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