How to Write Product Titles That Get Found and Clicked

A formula that works on every channel

Racklify and Listadum describe the same idea in different words: start with what the item is, then add what makes it different. A simple version is: main search phrase + brand (if buyers know it) + key attribute + material or style + size, color or quantity. On Amazon the brand usually goes first; on Etsy and in your own store the search phrase does.

The words should be the ones shoppers type. A buyer looking for a "drip coffee maker" will not search for "brewing system", and a "tiny gold star necklace" will not be found under the name you gave the collection. Check the phrase in the marketplace search bar before you use it.

Put the important words first

Long titles get cut off on phone screens and in search results, so the first few words do most of the work. Listadum notes that on Etsy the first 40 or so characters matter most, and Google Shopping shows about the first 70. A quick test from Listingview: would a stranger type your first three words into the search bar? If not, move them back.

Amazon: follow the title policy

Since 21 January 2025, Amazon limits titles in most categories to 200 characters including spaces, allows the same word at most twice (articles, prepositions and conjunctions excepted), and blocks the characters ! $ ? _ { } ^ ¬ ¦ unless they are part of the brand. Promotional phrases such as "best seller" or "free shipping" are not allowed and can get the listing suppressed. Check the style guide for your category, which can be stricter.

Etsy and eBay: readable phrases, no stuffing

On Etsy, the Seller Handbook advice quoted by Listadum is to put key information first, use relevant search terms and keep it clear. Use the title for the main phrase and a few attributes, and move the other search phrases into your 13 tags instead of a long string of keywords. Emojis add nothing to search and push real words out of the front.

On eBay you have 80 characters, so every word should be one buyers search for: brand, item, model or part number, size, color and condition for used items. Racklify adds compatibility details such as model and year for parts.

Google Shopping and your own store

In a shopping feed, the title should match the product data exactly; a mismatch between the title and the feed's attributes can get a product disapproved, Racklify notes. On your own store you have more room: a clear, descriptive product name for the page, and the main search phrase in the SEO title and the first line of the description.

Write one title per channel

A title that reads well on your store can break Amazon's rules, and an Amazon title is too long for eBay. Start from the same product facts and adapt the order and length for each channel. On Etsy, avoid using the same lead phrase on every listing in your shop, so your own listings do not compete with each other.

A weak and a better title for the same product

This is an invented example for a generic product, not a real listing. Weak: "BEST Water Bottle!!! Amazing Gift, Free Shipping, Water Bottle for Everyone". It repeats words, uses symbols and promotional phrases, and never says what kind of bottle it is.

Better, for Amazon: "[Brand] Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle, 32 oz, Leak-Proof Lid, Keeps Drinks Cold 24 Hours, Matte Black". Better, for Etsy: "Personalized Insulated Water Bottle, Engraved Name, 32 oz Stainless Steel, Gift for Hikers". Better, for eBay (under 80 characters): "[Brand] 32 oz Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle Leak-Proof Lid Black". Check every number against the real product before you publish.

Using a title generator

A product title generator is quick at the first draft for each channel if you give it the real facts: what the item is, brand, material, size, color and who it is for. Then check the result against the rules above and the real product. AI text can add an attribute you did not give it, and you are responsible for what the listing says.

Before you publish

• The first words are the phrase a buyer would type to find the item.
• The title says what the item is, plus the attributes that set it apart.
• It is within the channel's length limit, and the start reads well on a phone.
• No promotional phrases, no repeated words, and no blocked symbols on Amazon.
• Every attribute in the title is true for the item and matches the photos.
• Each channel has its own version of the title.