How to write a listing description that sells
Most descriptions answer questions nobody asked and skip the ones every buyer has. The fix is structural, not stylistic.
Updated 10 August 2026
The first two lines carry the sale
Most buyers read two lines before deciding whether to keep reading. Those two lines should say what the item is and the single most compelling thing about it, the thing that would make someone choose yours over the near-identical one above it.
Save the origin story for later in the description. It converts well with people who are already interested, and loses people who are still deciding.
Answer the questions that arrive in messages
Every seller has a list of questions they get asked repeatedly: measurements, materials, does it fit a standard size, is the colour accurate, what exactly is included. Each of those, unanswered, is either a message you have to reply to or a sale that quietly does not happen.
Write them into the description directly. Dimensions with units. Materials by name. Condition stated plainly, including flaws. A described flaw builds more trust than a perfect listing that turns out to be wrong, and it is the single most effective thing you can do to reduce returns and bad reviews.
Write for a phone screen
Most marketplace browsing happens on a phone. A description that is one solid paragraph of 200 words is functionally unread.
Short paragraphs, a blank line between each, and any list of specs actually formatted as a list. The content matters more than the prose: nobody is grading your writing, they are trying to find out whether the mug holds 350ml.
A structured description in about ten seconds
Listcraft reads your product photo and writes a description that covers materials, dimensions and condition in the order buyers look for them.
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Common questions
How long should a marketplace description be?
Long enough to answer the obvious questions and no longer. That is usually 100 to 250 words for a simple item. eBay buyers tolerate and expect more detail than Depop buyers do.
Should I mention flaws in the description?
Always. A described flaw costs you a small number of sales and prevents returns, disputes and bad reviews. An undescribed one costs you the review.
Do keywords in the description affect search?
On some marketplaces more than others, and less than the title everywhere. Write for the buyer first and work keywords in where they fit naturally. A description written for the algorithm tends to convert badly with humans.
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