How to write a digital product listing that answers buyers' questions

A digital product listing has two jobs. First, it needs to appear when the right people search. Second, it needs to convince them, quickly, that this is what they were looking for. Buyers cannot pick up a digital product and look inside, so your title, description and images have to do all the showing.

Write the title for people first

Start with the words a buyer would actually type, then add the details that help them decide: format, size, who it is for or what makes it different.

• Lead with the main phrase. "Undated Weekly Planner Printable" tells a buyer and a search engine what this is straight away. Often only the first 40 or so characters show in search results.
• Then add useful details. "Minimalist Week on Two Pages, A4 and US Letter" answers questions before they are asked.
• Keep it readable. A title that is a long string of repeated keywords puts people off, even if it matches more searches.

At the time of writing, Etsy allows titles of up to 140 characters. Check your platform's current limits before you write.

Use every tag, and make each one different

On platforms that use tags, such as Etsy, each tag is another way to be found. At the time of writing Etsy allows 13 tags of up to 20 characters each. A few tips:

• Use phrases of two or three words, such as "week on two pages", rather than single words.
• Think about the different ways people describe the same thing: "printable planner", "planner pages", "desk planner".
• Include who it is for and how it is used, such as "planner for students" or "a4 planner insert".
• Avoid repeating the same phrase in slightly different forms. Each tag should open a new door.

Structure the description

Most buyers scan rather than read. Short sections with clear headings make it easy to find the answer they are looking for.

1. An opening sentence or two saying what the product is and who it helps. This part often shows in previews and search results, so keep it under about 160 characters.
2. What is included: the number of pages or files and what each contains.
3. Sizes and formats: for example A4 and US Letter PDFs, or an Excel file that also opens in Google Sheets.
4. What you need: a printer, a tablet and a PDF app, or a free Canva account. Being clear here prevents most refund requests.
5. How to use it, in a sentence or two.
6. Licence in brief: personal use only, or what is allowed.
7. Good to know: that it is a digital download and nothing will be posted.

Plan your images in order

Preview images are where buyers decide. Plan them as a sequence rather than as a set of nice pictures:

1. The main image: the finished product, clear even at a small size, with a few words saying what it is.
2. What is included: all the pages or files at a glance.
3. Close-ups of real pages, so buyers can see the detail and the quality.
4. Sizes and formats, shown visually.
5. How it works: printed on a desk, or open in an app on a tablet.
6. A clear note that this is a digital download and nothing is posted.

Make sure styled mockups never suggest a physical item is included, and that at least some images show the actual pages rather than only a pretty scene.

Check before you publish

Read the listing as a stranger would. Could they tell exactly what they get, what they need and how to use it? If not, add the missing detail. The free Quality-Check Checklist has a section on listing accuracy, and the Launch Checklist covers the rest of the launch.

Plan it all in one place

The free Listing Planner counts the characters in your titles and tags as you type and flags anything over your platform's limit. It also joins your description sections into a tidy description ready to paste, and helps you plan each preview image.

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