How to use the Etsy listing checker
- Copy the title of one listing from Etsy and paste it in the first field.
- Paste the 13 tags, separated by commas. Each tag shows its length, in pink when it breaks a rule.
- Paste at least the first few sentences of your description.
- Fix the pink lines, then work through the yellow ones, top to bottom.
Etsy’s title and tag rules as of November 2026
| Part | Etsy’s rule or advice |
|---|---|
| Title length | Up to 140 characters; consider fewer than 15 words |
| Title content | Say what the item is and key details; avoid repetition and subjective words; no price or shipping; occasions only when essential |
| Tags | Up to 13, each up to 20 characters: letters, numbers, spaces, with ' and - inside words |
| Tag advice | Use all 13, use multi-word phrases, don’t repeat tags, categories or attributes |
| Description | Relevant keywords in the first few sentences, without copying the title |
Sources: Etsy’s How to Create a Listing, How to Use Tags to Get Found in Search and the Seller Handbook’s Keywords 101, checked on November 14, 2026. Keywords 101, updated in August 2025, asks for short, clear titles written for buyers rather than long keyword lists, and says the place of a phrase in the title does not change its ranking.
Example: a print-on-demand shirt
Weak: “Cat Dad Shirt | Funny Cat Shirt | Perfect Gift for Cat Dad | Cat Lover Shirt | Cat Dad Gift Shirt | Fathers Day Gift”. That is 21 words, repeats “cat”, “shirt” and “gift”, uses “perfect”, and reads like a list.
Better: “Retro Cat Dad T-Shirt: Sunglasses Kitty, Unisex Cotton Tee”. It says what the item is in the first three words. The phrases it dropped, such as “fathers day idea” and “cat lover tee”, move into tags, where each one is a new chance to match a search.
Mistakes to avoid
- Single-word tags. “cat” and “shirt” waste two tags; “cat dad shirt” covers both.
- Plural duplicates. Etsy matches “mug” and “mugs”, so the second tag adds nothing.
- Tags for colors and materials. Pick them as attributes instead and keep the tag for a phrase.
- Misspellings on purpose. Etsy already corrects common typos in searches.
Short of ideas? The Etsy description generator writes a first draft, and the Etsy fee calculator checks that the price still leaves you a profit.
Facts checked and page updated on .
