Check your Etsy listing before you publish.

Paste your draft listing fields. Get a numbered list of what Etsy will penalise — title length, tag count, prohibited keywords, attribute gaps, photo specs, and more. Runs entirely in your browser. No signup. Free.

What this isn't: a paid SEO suite (eRank, Marmalead). It's a free pre-publish checker against Etsy's published listing rules. If your listing passes here, it doesn't mean it'll outrank competitors — it means it won't get buried for fixable reasons.

Etsy weights the first ~40 characters most heavily; mobile shoppers see ~40–50 before truncation. Front-load your strongest keywords.

Common reasons Etsy listings get buried

Most listings that fail to attract views aren't blocked — they're simply weighted down by Etsy's relevance algorithm. The most common fixable causes:

  • Title too long for mobile. Etsy allows up to 140 characters, but mobile shoppers see only the first ~40–50 before truncation, and Etsy weights the first ~40 characters most heavily for ranking. Keywords past that point still help in relevance but don't appear in the visible text and get less algorithmic weight.
  • Not all 13 tags used. Each unused tag slot is a missed relevance signal. Etsy explicitly recommends using every slot.
  • Single-word tags. Multi-word tags ("silver pendant necklace") outrank single words ("necklace") because they match longer, more specific shopper queries.
  • Empty category attributes. Etsy weights complete attributes (size, color, occasion, primary material, etc.) heavily. Skipping them lowers ranking.
  • Low-resolution main photo. Below 2000 pixels on the shortest side, the photo looks poor on Retina displays and ranks lower in search.
  • Marketing superlatives in the title. Words like "best", "#1", "top-rated", and "guaranteed" are discouraged. They don't help relevance and may reduce visibility.
  • Trademarked brand names. Listings mentioning brands the seller doesn't own (Disney, Marvel, Nike, Pokemon, etc.) can be suspended for IP violation. "Inspired by" wording does not protect against this.
  • Undeclared production partners. If any part of the item is made by someone else (a printer, a manufacturer), Etsy requires disclosure. Failure to disclose is a ToS violation and risks shop suspension.
  • Short description. Under 160 characters and the description doesn't fill Etsy's search snippet. Under 400 characters and Etsy's relevance ranking treats it as thin content.

This tool checks for all of the above automatically. Each issue is reported with its severity and a specific fix.

Rules currently checked

All rules come from Etsy's published seller-handbook documentation. Date of the rule set: 2026-05-13. If Etsy changes a rule, this page lags until the next update.

Title rules
  • Critical: length over 140 characters (Etsy's hard limit).
  • Warning: length over 90 characters — gets truncated in desktop search.
  • Info: length over 50 characters — mobile shoppers see only the first ~40–50 characters before truncation. Etsy weights the first 40 characters most heavily for ranking, so primary keywords belong there.
  • Warning: all-caps title — Etsy reduces visibility.
  • Warning: the same word appearing three or more times (keyword stuffing).
  • Critical: contains prohibited terms (best, #1, top-rated, world's finest, medical claims, brand names you don't own).
  • Info: contains free shipping — Etsy has a dedicated flag for that.
  • Info: uses special characters like ★ ☆ ♥ — rendering varies across devices.
Tag rules
  • Critical: fewer than 13 tags — Etsy explicitly recommends using all 13 slots.
  • Critical: any tag over 20 characters (Etsy hard limit).
  • Warning: duplicate tags.
  • Warning: single-word tags — multi-word tags rank better for specificity.
  • Info: a tag that doesn't appear anywhere in your title or description — weakens the relevance signal.
Description rules
  • Warning: first 160 characters don't include your primary keyword (this text is the search snippet).
  • Warning: total length under 160 characters.
  • Info: total length under 400 characters (recommended for SEO depth).
Category and attributes
  • Warning: you haven't confirmed you picked the most specific sub-category.
  • Warning: you haven't confirmed you filled in all category attributes — Etsy weights complete attributes heavily.
Photos
  • Critical: zero photos (Etsy requires at least one).
  • Warning: fewer than five photos.
  • Info: fewer than ten photos.
  • Warning: main photo shorter side under 2000px.
  • Info: main photo not 1:1 aspect ratio (Etsy crops to square in the feed).
Materials, production partners, personalisation
  • Info: Materials field is empty — used as a secondary search signal.
  • Critical: you indicated production help is involved but haven't disclosed a Production Partner. This is a ToS violation and can suspend the listing.
  • Warning: personalisation appears to be on but instructions are empty.

Privacy

Nothing you paste is sent anywhere. All checks run as JavaScript in your browser. Close the tab and your data is gone. The host (Cloudflare Pages) sees basic anonymous visit counts only.

Why this exists

eRank and Marmalead are paid SEO suites that optimise listings after they're published. This tool sits before that: a free, pre-publish, deterministic checklist against the rules Etsy itself documents. If a fixable issue is going to bury your listing, it'll show up here.

Made by LanceLabs. Open to feedback: what rule did we miss? What would make this useful?

Saved you a rejected listing? Keep this tool ad-free.

No signups, no popups, no "upgrade to export" — this tool is free because some folks support the work. If it saved you a buried listing, a coffee helps.

Buy me a coffee — ko-fi.com/lancelabs