How to write a Mercari listing that sells
Mercari buyers are searching for a specific thing at a specific price. Vagueness costs you the sale before anyone opens the listing.
Updated 11 August 2026
Write the title for someone who already knows what they want
Mercari titles allow around 80 characters, but search results and the browse grid cut them off closer to 40. The words after that point are still indexed. They are simply not read by a scrolling buyer.
That makes the opening the whole decision. Brand, then model or item type, then size or capacity. "Nike Air Max 90 White UK 9" tells a buyer everything in six words. "Great trainers, barely worn, must see!!" tells them nothing they can search for.
Model numbers deserve their place in the opening for anything electronic or branded. Someone searching a specific model number is already close to buying, and they will not find you without it.
Condition, stated in specifics
Mercari's description field runs to around 1,000 characters, which is more than enough to answer the questions that otherwise arrive as messages. Use it for the things a photo cannot settle: measurements, what is included in the box, whether the original packaging survives.
Describe flaws precisely and place them early rather than burying them. A scuff described in one honest sentence costs you a small number of buyers; the same scuff discovered on arrival costs you a return, a refund and a rating.
"Good condition" is not a description. "Worn twice, no marks, small scratch on the underside of the base" is, and it makes every other claim in your listing more believable.
Hashtags are a small, precise tool
Mercari hashtags go at the end of the description and there are only a few worth using. Around three is the practical ceiling. That is far fewer than Etsy or Depop give you, so there is no room for near-duplicates.
Spend them on terms the title does not already carry: a category, a style, or a use case. Repeating the brand you already put in the title wastes the slot.
Mercari explicitly asks sellers not to pile in brand names and hashtags unrelated to the item. Beyond being against the rules, it draws clicks from people who then do not buy, which teaches the algorithm your listings do not convert.
Mercari listings in about ten seconds
Upload a photo and Listcraft writes the title, the condition-led description and the hashtags. You add the measurements.
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Common questions
How long can a Mercari title be?
Around 80 characters, but only the first 40 or so are visible while a buyer scrolls. Put the brand and model in that opening stretch and treat the rest as search coverage.
How many hashtags should I use on Mercari?
About three. It is far fewer than other marketplaces allow, so make each one cover something your title does not.
Why is my Mercari listing not selling?
Most often price or photos, but a vague title is the quiet third cause. If it does not contain the words a buyer would type, the listing is never shown to them in the first place.
Should I mention flaws?
Always, and specifically. A described flaw prevents returns and disputes; an undescribed one that turns up in the parcel costs you the rating.
Selling on Mercari? → mercari listing generator.