Etsy tags: how the 13 tags work and how to choose them

The rules

• Up to 13 tags per listing.
• Each tag up to 20 characters. Letters, numbers and spaces; most punctuation is not allowed.
• No repeated tags. A tag that repeats another with the words reordered adds nothing.
• Tags are not case sensitive.
• Etsy also matches your title, categories and attributes, so tags do not need to repeat what those already say.

How Etsy search reads tags

Etsy matches a buyer’s query against the listing’s title, tags, categories and attributes. A tag that matches the whole phrase the buyer typed counts for more than a tag that matches one word of it. That is why “linen table runner” beats “linen”, “table” and “runner” as three tags.

A method for filling all 13

1. 1Product phrases (3 to 4): what it is, in the words a buyer uses. “linen table runner”, “farmhouse table decor”.
2. 2Style and material (2 to 3): “rustic linen”, “natural linen decor”.
3. 3Occasion and season (2 to 3): “thanksgiving table”, “fall table decor”.
4. 4Recipient and gift (2 to 3): “housewarming gift”, “gift for mom”.
5. 5Long tail (1 to 2): the specific phrase only your product answers, like “extra long runner”.

Mistakes that waste slots

• Single words (“handmade”, “gift”).
• Repeating the category or an attribute you already set.
• Spelling variants of the same phrase.
• Tags longer than 20 characters, which will not save.
• Copying a competitor’s tags without checking they match your product.

Changing tags across many listings

Seasonal tags come and go, and a shop with 300 listings cannot edit them one by one. A bulk editor adds or removes a tag across a selection and publishes the change. If you generate listings from photos, ask for all 13 tags up front and edit from there.