How to write product descriptions that sell (with a before and after example)

The description is the box most sellers fill in last, when they're tired. The photos are done, the title took longer than it should have, and the description gets one of two treatments: a single line ("Lovely candle, smells great!") or a wall of adjectives copied from the last product and lightly changed.

Both lose sales, for the same reason. A buyer who scrolls down to your description has a question. They're nearly convinced and they want one more fact before they click buy. If the answer isn't there, they leave and find someone else's page that has it.

This guide is a repeatable way to write descriptions that answer those questions, and how to adjust them for Amazon, Etsy, eBay and your own store.

What should a product description include?

Before you write anything, list the questions a buyer would ask you in person. For almost any physical product they fall into five groups:

1. 1What exactly is it? Size, material, what's in the box.
2. 2Will it work for me? Fit, compatibility, who it's for, where it goes.
3. 3What's it like to use? How it feels, smells, sounds, wears or performs.
4. 4How do I look after it? Care, cleaning, battery life, refills.
5. 5What happens if something's wrong? Shipping time, returns, sizing help.

The best quick source for these questions is your own inbox and your competitors' reviews. If three people have asked "does it come with a lid?", that answer belongs in your description, near the top.

How to write a product description, step by step

1. Lead with the answer, not the adjectives

The first one or two sentences do most of the work. Many platforms only show a preview before a "read more" link, and Google often uses those opening words in search results. Say what the product is and the main reason someone would want it, in plain words.

Weak: "Introducing our stunning new candle, crafted with love."

Better: "A 200 g soy wax candle that smells like fresh fig and cedar, with a cotton wick that burns cleanly for about 40 hours."

The second version answers four questions before the buyer has even thought to ask them.

2. Turn features into reasons

A feature is what the product has. A reason is why that matters to the buyer. You need both, but the reason is what sells.

• "Cotton wick" becomes "a cotton wick, so there's no black soot on your walls."
• "Reusable glass jar" becomes "a reusable glass jar you can wash out and use for pens or makeup brushes once the wax is gone."

Don't overdo it. One sentence of benefit per feature is enough.

3. Use real numbers and specifics

"Long-lasting" means nothing. "About 40 hours of burn time" means something. The same goes for size ("fits a standard A4 sheet"), weight, capacity, materials and dimensions. Specific details build trust because they're things you'd only know if you'd actually handled the product.

4. Make it easy to scan

Most people skim. Use short paragraphs and a bulleted list for the specs. Put the most important details first. If the platform allows headings, use one or two, like "Details" and "Care".

5. Write the way you'd talk to a customer

Read it out loud. If you wouldn't say it to someone standing at your market stall, cut it. "Transform your space with this exquisite piece" sounds like a brochure. "It's the candle I light when people come over" sounds like a person.

6. Be honest about the limits

Say what it isn't. "Not suitable for outdoor use." "Runs small, size up if you're between sizes." "Colours vary slightly because each piece is hand-dyed." This cuts returns and bad reviews, and buyers trust you more for it.

A before and after example

This is a made-up product to show the process. "Larkmoor" isn't a real brand.

Before:

Our beautiful Larkmoor candle is the perfect addition to any home! Made with the finest ingredients and so much love. Smells amazing. Makes a great gift for anyone. Order yours today!

It's 31 words and it answers no questions. What does it smell like? How big is it? How long does it burn? Is it soy or paraffin?

After:

A 200 g soy wax candle that smells like fresh fig, cedar and a little black pepper. It's warm and green rather than sweet, so it works in a living room or a bedroom without taking over.

The cotton wick burns cleanly for about 40 hours. Once it's finished, wash the glass jar with warm soapy water and reuse it.

Details

• Size: 8 cm wide, 9 cm tall
• Wax: 100% soy, poured by hand in small batches
• Burn time: about 40 hours
• Comes with a cork lid and gift box

Care: Trim the wick to 5 mm before each burn and let the top melt fully the first time, which takes about 2 hours, so it burns evenly.

It isn't long. It just answers the questions in the order a buyer would ask them.

How to adapt your description for each platform

The same product needs a slightly different description on each platform, because each one shows it differently and reads it differently for search.

Amazon

On Amazon, most buyers read the bullet points long before the description, so the most important facts belong there. Each bullet should cover one idea. The description below can add context, care and use cases. Amazon also bans some content in bullets and descriptions, like emojis and refund promises. Our Amazon listing guide covers the 2026 rules.

Etsy

Etsy's help pages list the description among the things its search looks at, along with the title, tags and attributes. The first sentence or two also shows in previews, so open with a clear line that says what the item is, using words a buyer would search. Then tell the story: how it's made, what makes it different and how to care for it. Etsy buyers often read further than buyers elsewhere, so a bit of personality goes a long way.

eBay

eBay buyers want condition and specifics. Include any flaws, with photos, plus measurements, what's included and the model number. Keep it simple: plain text or a basic layout reads well on a phone, and most eBay buyers browse on one.

Shopify and your own website

On your own store, the description does two jobs: it sells to the buyer and it's the main text Google reads. Shopify also gives you a separate search engine listing section where you can set the page title and the short summary Google may show. Shopify's preview allows up to 70 characters for the title and 320 for the description, but Google usually cuts titles at around 55 to 60 characters and descriptions at around 155 to 160, so keep the important words early (Shopify Help Center).

Should you use AI to write product descriptions?

Plenty of sellers paste a product name into ChatGPT and get back a description that sounds fine at first glance. The trouble is that a general chatbot has never seen your product. It fills the gaps with guesses, like a burn time you never mentioned or a material that's slightly wrong, and with the same adjectives everyone else's AI copy uses.

If you use AI, give it the facts and check every claim. Better still, use a tool that starts from your actual product. YelloShelf works from your product photos and the details you give it, studies what's selling for similar products, and writes the description, title, bullet points and tags for each platform you sell on. It won't invent features your product doesn't have. 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

• The first sentence says what it is and why someone would want it.
• Every feature comes with a reason.
• It includes real numbers: size, weight, capacity, time.
• The specs are in a scannable list.
• It answers the questions buyers have actually asked you.
• It's honest about limits and sizing.
• It's adjusted for the platform it's going on.