Fashion product descriptions that sell and rank
A good description answers the questions a shopper would ask in a fitting room. It helps people decide and gives search engines something to read. This guide gives you a checklist, an example and the mistakes to avoid.
What a description has to do
A description has two readers. The shopper wants to know what the piece is made of, how it fits and whether it suits them. A search engine wants to understand what the page is about. Both are served by the same thing: specific, accurate detail written in your own words.
The checklist
- Fabric and composition: what it is made of, and how it feels and behaves
- Fit and cut: relaxed, tailored, cropped, oversized, and where it sits on the body
- Size information: the model's height and the size they are wearing, plus measurements where you can
- Care: how to wash, dry and store it
- Details: closures, pockets, lining, length, stretch
- Styling and occasion: what to wear it with and when
- Origin or making, when it is true and matters to your brand
A structure that is easy to read
- One opening sentence that says what the piece is and what makes it different.
- A short paragraph on fabric, feel and fit.
- A few bullet points for the details people scan for: composition, care, size notes.
- One line on how to style it.
Before and after
Here is an invented example to show the difference.
Before: “Linen shirt. Available in white and blue.”
After: “A relaxed button-up shirt in washed linen, light enough for summer and softer with every wash. Straight cut with a slightly dropped shoulder and a long hem that can be worn untucked. Our model is 178 cm and wears a size M. Machine wash cold, line dry. Wear it open over a tee or buttoned with tailored shorts.”
The second version is not longer for the sake of it. Every sentence answers something a shopper would otherwise have to email you about.
How long should it be?
There is no official minimum from Google. Our own audit tool flags descriptions under 40 words, but that is our rule of thumb for a piece with too little information, not a search engine rule. Write what the shopper needs and stop.
Mistakes to avoid
- Pasting the supplier's text. Other stores often use the same copy, so your page has nothing of its own to offer.
- Writing only a title and a colour list.
- Stuffing the description with repeated keywords. Google warns against keyword stuffing. Use the words a shopper would use, once, naturally.
- Copying one description across every colour and style without checking it still fits.
- Claims you cannot support, such as fabric or origin details you are not sure about.
Questions
How long should a fashion product description be?
There is no official minimum. Include what a shopper needs: fabric, fit, size notes, care and styling. Our audit tool flags descriptions under 40 words as a warning that information is probably missing.
Can I use the manufacturer description?
It is better not to. Other stores often use the same text, which gives shoppers and search engines nothing distinctive about your page. Rewrite it in your own words and add your own details.
Should I put keywords in product descriptions?
Use the words shoppers use for the product, naturally, in the title and the first sentence. Do not repeat keywords to try to rank, since Google treats keyword stuffing as a problem.
Can AI write my product descriptions?
It can help you draft, but it does not know your fabric or your fit. Fill in the real details yourself and review every description before it goes live.
Want to see where your store stands?
Our free Chrome extension checks a Shopify store's blog, product descriptions, photos and alt text in one click. Or let us write the content for you every month.