Etsy listing description template: copy, fill in, with examples

Your photos get someone to click. Your description is where they decide whether the item is right for them: will it fit, what's it made of, when will it arrive, can they personalise it. If those answers are hard to find, many buyers just go back to the search results.

This guide gives you an Etsy listing description template you can copy into any listing, explains what each part is for, and shows it filled in for five different kinds of item. If you'd rather not start from a blank box, YelloShelf can draft a description like this from your product photo, but the template works fine on its own.

What Etsy says a description should do

Etsy has written about this in a few places. The points below come from the Seller Handbook articles 5 tips for writing listing descriptions and creating listings that convert, and Etsy Help's page on SEO for shop and listing pages.

• Say what it is in the first sentence. Etsy Help says a person should be able to read the first sentence and know exactly what you're selling.
• Put the most important details first. Sizes, dimensions, colours and ordering directions go near the top. The story behind the item can come at the end.
• Use keywords naturally. Etsy search and offsite search engines both consider keywords and phrases in your description. Work a few into your first sentences, but don't copy your title word for word, don't paste a list of keywords and don't repeat the same phrase over and over.
• Use short paragraphs and bullet points. Buyers are often looking for one detail, such as the size or material, so make it easy to spot.
• Cover options and variations. Mention materials, colours and personalisation options, and what makes the item different.
• Keep one voice. If you make everything yourself, the Handbook suggests writing in the first person, because "we" or the third person can confuse shoppers about who makes your items.
• End with a link. Etsy URLs pasted into a description work as links, so finish by pointing to a related shop section or listing.

So yes, Etsy does use your description for search. But the main job is answering the questions a buyer has before they buy.

The Etsy listing description template (copy and paste)

Copy the block below into your listing, replace everything in square brackets, and delete any section that doesn't apply to your item. It's plain text, so it pastes into the description box as it is.

[What it is], made from [material], with [main detail]. [Who it's for or how it's used, in one sentence.]

DETAILS
- Size: [exact measurements, in the units your buyers use]
- Materials: [what it's made of, including anything people may be allergic to]
- Colour: [the colour, and a note if screens may show it slightly differently]
- Included: [what's in the order, and any props in the photos that aren't]
- Options: [sizes, colours or personalisation, and how to choose them]

HOW IT'S MADE
[Two or three true sentences about how you make it, or how to use it.]

CARE
[How to clean it or look after it.]

PERSONALISATION
[What to type in the personalisation box, and any limits on length or characters.]

SHIPPING
Ready to ship in [processing time]. [Gift wrap or packaging note, if you offer it.]

MORE FROM MY SHOP
[Paste the link to a related listing or shop section.]

These are the same sections YelloShelf fills in when it drafts a description from your photo, based on what's already selling on Etsy. Either way, the order matters more than the wording: what it is, then the facts, then the rest.

How to write an Etsy listing description, section by section

The opening line

One or two sentences. Say what the item is using the words a shopper would type into Etsy search, then the main reason someone would want it. Compare these:

• Weak: "A beautiful piece made with love for that special someone."
• Better: "Personalised birth flower necklace in sterling silver, with up to three hand-stamped initials."

The second one tells a buyer, and Etsy search, exactly what this is. If you're stuck on this line, YelloShelf can suggest one from your photo for you to edit.

The details

This is the part most buyers scroll for, so keep it as a short list. Give exact measurements rather than "small" or "large", list materials plainly, and say what's included. If your photo shows a frame, a vase or a styled table and the buyer only gets the print, say so here.

How it's made or used

A few sentences in your own voice. For handmade items, say how you make it and why it's different: "each one is hand-dyed in small batches, so the colour varies slightly" tells a buyer more than "made with love". For other items, explain how it's used or where it fits in someone's home.

Care, personalisation and shipping

Short answers to the questions you get asked most. How to wash or look after it, what to type in the personalisation box, and how long it takes to make and send. If the same question keeps landing in your messages, the answer belongs in this part of the description.

The ending link

Finish with one line that points to a related shop section or a matching listing. Paste the full Etsy URL. If this item isn't quite right, the buyer has somewhere else in your shop to go.

Etsy product description examples

These are made-up shops and products, written with the template above. Each one shows how the same structure stretches to fit a different item.

Jewelry

Hammered brass hoop earrings, 30 mm wide, with sterling silver ear wires. Light enough to wear all day.

DETAILS
- Size: 30 mm diameter, 2 mm thick
- Materials: raw brass hoops, sterling silver ear wires
- Included: one pair, in a recycled card box

HOW IT'S MADE
I cut, shape and hammer each hoop by hand, so the texture on every pair is slightly different. Brass darkens over time. A polishing cloth brings the shine back.

SHIPPING
Ready to ship in 1 to 2 business days.

MORE FROM MY SHOP
[link to the Brass Earrings section]

Candles

Fig and black tea soy candle in a 200 g amber glass jar, with a cotton wick. Warm and slightly sweet, for a living room or bedroom.

DETAILS
- Size: 8 cm tall, 7 cm wide
- Wax: 200 g soy wax
- Burn time: about 40 hours
- Scent notes: fig, black tea, cedar

CARE
Trim the wick to 5 mm before each burn. Never leave a burning candle unattended.

SHIPPING
Poured to order and ready to ship in 3 to 5 business days.

MORE FROM MY SHOP
[link to the matching wax melts]

T-shirt

Screen printed frog t-shirt in soft organic cotton, unisex fit. A small frog on the chest and a bigger one on the back.

DETAILS
- Sizes: S to 3XL, chosen from the size menu
- Fit: unisex, true to size. Size up for a loose fit.
- Material: 100% organic cotton, 180 gsm
- Colour: washed sage green
- Size chart: in the last listing photo

HOW IT'S MADE
I print every shirt by hand in my studio using water-based inks.

CARE
Wash inside out at 30 degrees. Don't iron directly on the print.

SHIPPING
Printed to order and ready to ship in 3 to 5 business days.

For clothing, the size and fit lines matter most. A size chart in your photos plus "true to size" or "size up" in the description saves a lot of messages.

Home decor

Linen table runner in natural oatmeal, 40 x 180 cm, with hand-frayed edges. Fits a table for four to six people.

DETAILS
- Size: 40 x 180 cm. Other lengths are in the size menu.
- Material: 100% stonewashed European linen
- Colour: natural oatmeal. Colours can look slightly different on screen.
- Included: the runner only. The plates and vase in the photos aren't included.

HOW IT'S MADE
I cut and fray each runner by hand, and the linen is washed before it ships, so it's soft from the first use.

CARE
Machine wash at 40 degrees and dry flat. Linen creases naturally, and it softens with every wash.

SHIPPING
Ready to ship in 1 to 3 business days.

MORE FROM MY SHOP
[link to the matching linen napkins]

Writing a description for every listing takes time. YelloShelf drafts one from your product photo, with your title and tags, based on what already sells on Etsy. See how it works.

Etsy digital download description template

Digital listings need a few extra lines, because buyers have to know what they're getting and that nothing will arrive in the post. Etsy lets you attach up to five files to a digital listing, each up to 20 MB, and listing variations aren't available for digital items, so any sizes or versions need to be explained in the description.

[What it is], as an instant digital download. [Who it's for or what it's used for.]

THIS IS A DIGITAL DOWNLOAD. No physical item will be shipped.

WHAT'S INCLUDED
- [File 1: type and size, for example PDF, A4 and US Letter]
- [File 2: type and size]

HOW TO GET YOUR FILES
Once your payment is confirmed, go to Purchases in your Etsy account and select Download Files. Downloads don't work in the Etsy app, so use a browser on your computer or mobile.

HOW TO USE IT
[Print at home or at a print shop, open in a specific program, and so on.]

TERMS
[Personal use only, or what buyers can and can't do with the files.]

The facts about downloads come from Etsy Help's pages on downloading a digital item and managing digital listings. For digital items, YelloShelf can work from a mockup or preview image instead of a product photo.

Formatting an Etsy description

The description box is plain text, so keep the formatting simple:

• Keep paragraphs to two or three sentences.
• Use short lists for details like size and materials. Start each line with a dash.
• Leave a blank line between sections, and use a short heading in capitals so each one is easy to find.
• Paste full Etsy URLs when you link to another listing or shop section.

Most buyers skim before they read, so a layout they can scan helps more than any particular wording.

Common mistakes

• Repeating the title word for word. The title has already done that job. Use the opening line to add what the title couldn't.
• A keyword list at the end. Etsy advises against simply listing keywords. Use them in normal sentences and put the rest in your tags.
• Hiding the size. If buyers have to message you to ask, some will just leave. Put measurements near the top.
• Not mentioning props. If the photo shows things that aren't included, say so.
• Copying another shop's description. It won't match your item, and it isn't yours to use.
• Writing as "we" when it's just you. The Handbook suggests the first person for solo makers.

YelloShelf's drafts follow the same idea: the opening says what the item is in normal sentences, with no keyword list tacked on. Still give each one a quick read against this list before you paste it in.

For the other parts of a listing, see our guides to Etsy title examples and Etsy tags examples. For general advice on product copy, including a before and after, read how to write product descriptions that sell. And if your listings look fine but nobody is visiting, start with why your Etsy shop isn't getting views.

Quick checklist

• The first sentence says exactly what it is, using the words buyers search for.
• Size, materials, colour and what's included are in a short list near the top.
• Options and personalisation are explained.
• There's one short paragraph on how it's made or used.
• Care and shipping time are covered.
• Props that aren't included are mentioned.
• Digital listings say clearly that nothing will be shipped.
• It ends with a link to a related listing or shop section.
• No copied title, no keyword list and no copied text.

Write your next Etsy description from one photo with YelloShelf

If you have a lot of listings to write, YelloShelf can take the first draft off your hands. Upload a product photo and it writes the description in this kind of structure, along with a title, all 13 tags and a suggested price, based on what's already selling on Etsy. You check everything and paste it in yourself, since it doesn't publish to your shop.

It can also make social posts for the same product, with captions and hashtags for Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook and X.

No subscription or free trial. Pay as you go credit packs from $10, with a 7-day money-back guarantee on your first purchase.