How to Write a Product Description (Fact-First)

01Step 1: Build a fact list before writing

Most weak product descriptions fail before the first sentence: the writer doesn't know which details are true. Start with a list and put every detail into one of three buckets. This takes five minutes and prevents the most expensive mistakes, such as a wrong size, an invented material, or a safety claim you can't support.

• VisibleDetails anyone can see in your photos, such as color, shape, pattern, finish, and visible construction.
• ConfirmedDetails you have checked, such as measurements, materials, capacity, weight, care instructions, and what is included.
• UnknownAnything you haven't verified yet. Leave it out of the description until you do.

02Step 2: Use a structure buyers can scan

Buyers skim. A predictable structure lets them find the detail they need. This order works for most physical products on Etsy, WooCommerce, and other stores.

• Opening (1–2 sentences)What it is, its standout feature, and who it's for.
• Key detailsDimensions, materials, capacity or fit, in a short list.
• What's includedEvery item in the package, and anything that isn't included but appears in photos.
• Use and careHow to use, clean, or store it, only as confirmed.
• Variations and personalizationOptions, how to order them, and production time if relevant.
• Shipping and policiesKeep these in the destination's dedicated fields when it has them.

03Example: a table lamp description

Here is a description written only from the visible details in Lystiva's public table lamp example. Height, bulb type, and wattage are unknown in that example, so they are left out rather than guessed.

• Opening“A table lamp with a pear-shaped wood-grain base, a brass neck, and a tapered linen shade, designed for bedside tables and reading corners.”
• Details“Wood-grain base · Brass-tone neck · Tapered linen shade · In-line cord switch.”
• Still unknown, so left outHeight, bulb type, wattage, and whether the base is solid wood.
• Avoid“Solid walnut, 40 cm tall, dimmable.” Each phrase sounds plausible but none is confirmed.

04Step 3: Write for the buyer, then for search

Use the words buyers use. If people search for “ceramic coffee mug”, say ceramic coffee mug, not “artisanal vessel”. Put the most important phrase naturally in the first sentence, and don't repeat it unnaturally. Google's guidance is to write people-first content that is genuinely useful; repeating keywords doesn't make a description more helpful. On Etsy, titles and tags carry most of the keyword work, so the description can focus on answering questions.

05Claims to avoid unless you can prove them

Some claims carry legal or marketplace risk and are easy to add by accident, especially when AI drafts the text. Only include them when you have documentation.

• Material purity or origin“solid gold”, “100% organic cotton”, “genuine leather”.
• Safety“food safe”, “lead-free”, “non-toxic”, “child-safe”.
• Health or performance“reduces stress”, “waterproof”, “hypoallergenic”.
• Superlatives you can't measure“the best”, “the softest”, “guaranteed”.

06Step 4: Review before you publish

Read the description next to your photos. Every claim should be visible or confirmed. Check that the description still matches the image set, especially after replacing a photo, and that destination fields such as price, shipping, variations, and category are set separately. Lystiva follows this method automatically: AI analysis proposes facts from your photos, you accept, correct, or leave them unknown, and listing copy is drafted only from what you accepted. You edit and approve the draft before it's exported or sent to a connected shop.

Questions sellers ask

Sources

Requirements change. These are the official pages this guide was checked against, so you can confirm the current rule yourself.

• Google: Creating helpful, people-first contentChecked October 22, 2026
• Google: Using generative AI contentChecked October 22, 2026
• Etsy Seller Handbook: Keywords for tags and titlesChecked October 22, 2026