Etsy Listing Checklist: 20 Things to Check Before You Publish

Most listing problems are not caused by one big mistake. They come from small things that were skipped because the form was long: a tag left empty, a photo without a size reference, a processing time that does not match reality. This checklist goes through a new Etsy listing from top to bottom so you can check each part before you press Publish.

Use it for every new listing, and again when you review an old one that is not performing. It takes about ten minutes once you are used to it. The numbers mentioned here are Etsy's current limits at the time of writing; the listing editor always shows the live limits.

Photos and video

1. Add enough photos. Etsy allows up to 20 per listing. Shoppers cannot touch the item, so photos from several angles, in use, and next to something for size remove doubts.
2. Check the first photo. It is what shoppers see in search results and it needs to be clear at a small size. A plain, well-lit view of the whole product usually works best.
3. Show scale. At least one photo should let a shopper judge the size, for example a hand, a coin or a ruler.
4. Use the same style across the set. Consistent light and background make the listing and the shop look professional.
5. Consider a short video if you can make one. Etsy allows one video per listing.
6. Add alt text to each photo, describing what is visible in plain words. Our alt text guide explains how.

Title

1. Use the phrase a buyer would type to find this item near the start of the title. The first words matter most to shoppers scanning a results page.
2. Stay within 140 characters, but do not fill the space with repeated words. A clear title that says what the item is, who it is for or what it is made of is better than a list of synonyms.
3. Check spelling and spacing, and make sure it still reads clearly on a phone.

Our guide to Etsy title length shows how titles are cut off in different places, and the free title and tag checker tests your title against the limits.

Tags

1. Use all 13 tags. Each unused tag is a search phrase you could have matched.
2. Keep each tag within 20 characters, including spaces.
3. Prefer phrases of two or three words that a buyer would type, such as “linen tote bag”, over single words that are too broad.
4. Do not repeat the same words in every tag. Use different angles: the product type, the material, the use, the recipient, the style, the occasion.
5. Do not use words that do not describe your item, even if they are popular. Misleading tags bring the wrong visitors and hurt trust.

If you are unsure how many tags to use or how to pick them, read our guide on how many tags Etsy allows, and look at what top listings use with the free tag finder.

Category and attributes

1. Choose the most specific category that fits. A precise category helps Etsy understand the item.
2. Fill in the attributes the category offers, such as colour, material, occasion or craft type, when they truly apply. They help buyers who filter by these options.
3. Choose accurate answers for who made the item, what it is, and when it was made. These are requirements and should be correct.

Description

1. Put what the item is and its key detail in the first two lines.
2. Give size, materials, what is included, care instructions and how it is made or sent.
3. Keep paragraphs short and put facts on separate lines so they can be scanned.
4. Make sure nothing in the description contradicts the title, tags or photos.

Our guide to writing an Etsy description has a template for this part.

Price, quantity and variations

1. Work out your price from your real costs, including Etsy's fees, shipping and your time. The free Etsy fee calculator shows what you keep from a sale.
2. Set a quantity that you can really supply. A digital product that never runs out is often set to a high number.
3. If the item comes in sizes or colours, use variations rather than several near-identical listings, and check that each option has the right price.

Shipping, processing time and policies

1. Choose the right shipping profile and check the cost for your main destinations.
2. Set a processing time you can keep. Buyers remember late orders more than they remember a longer promised time.
3. Check your return and exchange policy applies to this item.

Digital downloads

If the listing is a digital download, set the item type correctly, upload the file, and check that it opens and is the version you want to sell. Our guide to Etsy digital downloads covers the listing details and the file checks.

Mistakes that are easy to make

• Copying a competitor's title or tags word for word. Their listing may suit their product better than yours, and the result looks the same as everyone else's.
• Using the same photos and the same wording for products that differ in size or material, so buyers are unsure what they will get.
• Publishing before the file, the variations or the shipping profile has been checked.
• Forgetting to update an old listing after you change the product, the price or the materials.

Last check before Publish

1. Open the preview and read the listing as a buyer would, on a phone if you can.
2. Click through every photo.
3. Check that the title, tags and category all describe the same product.
4. Save your tags and title in a note, so that if you duplicate the listing later you know what you changed.

After publishing, give the listing time before judging it. If it gets no views, our guide on listings with no views lists what to look at. If it gets views but no sales, read the guide on that problem instead.