Etsy tags: how to choose all 13 so buyers find you

Etsy gives every listing up to 13 tags of up to 20 characters each, and Etsy search reads them with the title, the attributes and the category. Fill all 13 with two- and three-word phrases buyers type, covering what the item is, its material, its look, its use and who it is for, and do not spend a tag on something an attribute already says.

Tags are the part of an Etsy listing buyers never read and Etsy's search always does, and they are where most of the phrases that do not fit in your title belong. Filling them well takes about ten minutes per listing. Leaving them half empty, or filling them with single words, is one of the most common reasons a good listing is hard to find.

This guide covers what tags do, the limits Etsy holds them to, how to choose phrases, how tags and attributes work together, and worked examples for five products.

What do tags do in Etsy search?

Etsy tags give search more words to match: when a buyer searches, Etsy looks for listings whose words match in the title, the tags, the attributes and the category. Tags are the most flexible of the four. The title has to read well to a person; attributes are chosen from Etsy's lists; the category is one choice. Tags are 13 free slots for the phrases buyers type. Etsy's help section on optimising listings for search covers tags and attributes side by side, and is worth a read.

Etsy's April 2026 guidance on titles leans on tags even more. It asks sellers to keep titles short and readable, say what the item is first, and move "other key details to listing tags, descriptions, and attributes". The phrases that used to crowd titles now belong in tags.

How many tags can you use on Etsy, and how long can they be?

Etsy allows up to 13 tags per listing, each up to 20 characters, and Etsy's listing form holds you to the limits:

• Up to 13 tags per listing.
• Up to 20 characters per tag, spaces included.
• Letters, numbers and spaces, plus apostrophes and hyphens; a tag cannot start with an apostrophe or a hyphen.

Twenty characters is shorter than it sounds. "Personalized leather wallet" is 27 and will not fit; "engraved wallet" is 15 and will. Count before you type, or let the form tell you.

Should Etsy tags be single words or phrases?

Etsy tags work best as phrases, because buyers search in phrases: "gold hoop earrings", not "gold". A single-word tag competes with every listing that uses that word, while a phrase matches what a buyer typed. Practical habits:

• Use two- and three-word phrases in most tags.
• Use all 13. An empty tag is a search your listing cannot match.
• Vary the phrases. Thirteen versions of "candle" waste slots; cover different ways buyers describe the item.
• Match the buyer's spelling. "Personalized" for buyers in the US, "personalised" for buyers in the UK. If you sell to both, use the one your buyers use most, and the other in a second tag if you have room.

What kinds of tag should an Etsy listing have?

A full set of 13 Etsy tags usually covers five kinds of phrase:

Use occasion and recipient tags when they truly fit the item, the same test Etsy applies to titles.

Should Etsy tags repeat the attributes?

No: spend tags on what attributes cannot say. Attributes are the fields Etsy offers once you choose a category, such as colour, material, occasion and style. Buyers use them to filter search results. Sellers who study Etsy search, eRank among them, advise against spending a tag on something an attribute already says: if you chose "brown" as the colour attribute, a "brown wallet" tag adds less than another phrase would.

So fill the attributes first, then write tags for what the attributes cannot say: the style, the use, the recipient, the other names for the item.

Can Etsy tags repeat words from the title?

Yes, your Etsy title and your tags can share words. The difference is their job. The title tells a buyer what the item is, in a sentence they want to click. The tags catch the other ways buyers search for it. A good rule: the title holds your main phrase; the tags hold the next 13 most useful phrases, including other wordings of the main one.

Take the walnut cutting board in the examples below. Its title might read "Walnut cutting board, end grain, personalised with your name". The tags then reach the buyers who would never type those exact words: the one searching "charcuterie board", the one searching "wedding gift", the one searching "chopping board" because that is what they call it. Each tag is a different door into the same listing.

What do 13 good Etsy tags look like?

Each set below is 13 Etsy tags, all within 20 characters. The attributes for colour and material are assumed filled in.

1. A hand-poured soy candle in an amber jar

soy candle, scented candle, hand poured candle, amber jar candle, lavender candle, relaxing candle, bedroom decor, spa gift, candle gift for her, housewarming gift, cosy home decor, natural wax candle, self care gift

2. A slim leather wallet that can be engraved

leather wallet, mens wallet, bifold wallet, slim wallet, card holder, personalized wallet, engraved wallet, gift for him, anniversary gift, fathers day gift, full grain leather, minimalist wallet, groomsmen gift

3. A walnut cutting board

cutting board, wooden cutting board, walnut cutting board, chopping board, serving board, charcuterie board, kitchen gift, wedding gift, housewarming gift, end grain board, cheese board, personalized board, gift for cook

4. A printable weekly planner

printable planner, digital planner, weekly planner, daily planner pdf, undated planner, planner inserts, a5 planner, letter size planner, productivity planner, to do list printable, goal planner, budget planner, instant download

5. A speckled ceramic plant pot

ceramic plant pot, plant pot, drainage planter, indoor planter, succulent pot, small plant pot, modern planter, speckled planter, plant lover gift, houseplant pot, pot with saucer, minimalist planter, desk plant pot

Notice what each set does. The first three tags say what the item is in different words. The middle tags cover material, style and use. The last few cover recipients and occasions. And none repeats an attribute such as the colour.

These are patterns, not lists to copy. Only use a tag that is true of your item: "engraved wallet" belongs on a wallet you engrave, and "pot with saucer" on a pot that comes with one.

How do you write Etsy tags in ten minutes?

Write Etsy tags in this order:

1. Fill the attributes first. Colour, material, occasion and anything else Etsy offers for your category.
2. Write your main phrase and two other ways buyers say it. Those are your first three tags.
3. Add material and technique, in the words buyers use: "hand poured", "full grain leather", "end grain".
4. Add style and look: "minimalist", "vintage style", "speckled".
5. Add use and place: the room, the job, the setting.
6. Add recipients and occasions that truly fit.
7. Count to 13, check each is 20 characters or fewer, and remove anything an attribute already says.
8. Read the set aloud. If a buyer typing any one of them would be happy to find your item, it stays.

Which Etsy tags suit digital, personalised and supply listings?

Digital downloads, personalised items and craft supplies each call for particular Etsy tags:

• Digital downloads. Buyers often add the format or the word "printable" to their search. Tags such as "instant download", "printable wall art" or "planner pdf" match how they search, and the size or format in a tag helps when buyers look for it, such as "a5 planner" or "letter size planner".
• Personalised items. Buyers search for the personalisation itself: "custom name necklace", "engraved cutting board", "personalized wallet". Use the words for what you personalise, and the spelling your buyers use.
• Craft supplies. Buyers of supplies search by size, quantity and use: "6mm glass beads", "cotton yarn bundle", "jewelry making kit". Measurements in tags help here more than anywhere.

How do you tag an Etsy listing with variations?

An Etsy listing with several colours or sizes shares one set of 13 tags. Choose tags that fit every variation, or that describe the range: "set of 6 colours", "mix and match". If one colour sells far more than the others, a tag for that colour can earn its slot, as long as the listing really offers it.

How do you check Etsy tags against real search figures?

Check Etsy tags in Etsy's search bar, in your shop's stats and against search volumes, because tags are guesses until you check them:

• Etsy's search bar. Type each tag and see whether Etsy suggests it or something close. Suggestions come from what buyers search.
• Your shop's stats. The search terms that brought buyers to your listings show which tags already work. Keep those; replace the ones that never appear.
• Search volumes. Keyword tools show how often a phrase is searched. Most show Google's figures or figures modelled from other signals, not Etsy's, which Etsy does not publish, so use them to compare phrases with each other rather than to forecast visits.

When two tags mean the same thing, keep the one buyers search more and use the freed slot for a new phrase.

What are the most common Etsy tag mistakes?

The most common Etsy tag mistakes are single words, empty slots and tags that repeat the attributes, with four more close behind:

• Single words. "Candle" matches everything and stands out nowhere.
• Fewer than 13. Every empty slot is a missed search.
• Repeating the attributes. The colour and material are already filterable.
• Phrases over 20 characters, cut off to something meaningless to make them fit.
• Tags that are not true. A "gift for her" tag on a product made for men brings the wrong buyers, who leave.
• Seasonal tags left on all year. Swap them out when the season ends.
• Other brands' names. A tag naming another brand's product describes theirs, not yours.

When should you change your Etsy tags?

Revisit an Etsy listing's tags when its views drop for a few weeks without a seasonal reason, when the seasons change, and when your shop's stats show a new phrase bringing buyers to similar listings. Change a few tags at a time and wait a couple of weeks before judging, so you know which change made the difference.

For the rest of an Etsy listing, the title, attributes and photos, see our guide to Etsy SEO.

How Commicorn helps

• Phrases with search volumes. Commicorn's keyword research finds phrases for your item and shows their search volumes, so you choose between similar phrases with figures.
• 13 tags, written for you. Each within 20 characters, and tidied to the characters Etsy accepts.
• Attributes filled in. Your export carries Etsy's attributes from the facts you gave us, so your tags are free for other phrases.
• Your words checked. A keyword naming another brand is kept out, and you choose every tag before it is used.

Commicorn picks tags from real search figures for your listing. Start free.

Questions sellers ask

How many tags can you have on an Etsy listing?

Up to 13 tags per listing, each up to 20 characters, spaces included.

What characters can Etsy tags use?

Letters, numbers and spaces, plus apostrophes and hyphens. A tag cannot start with an apostrophe or a hyphen.

Should I use all 13 Etsy tags?

Yes. An empty tag is a search your listing cannot match, so fill every slot with a phrase that is true of your item.

Do Etsy tags have to match the title?

No. The title holds your main phrase in a sentence buyers want to click; the tags hold the next 13 most useful phrases, including other wordings of the main one.

Can I use another brand's name in my Etsy tags?

No. A tag naming another brand's product describes their product, not yours, and brings buyers looking for something you do not sell.