Your Etsy listing title and tags are the foundation of your shop's visibility. When a shopper types a search query, Etsy's algorithm scans your titles, tags, categories, and attributes to determine if your product matches what they're looking for. Get these right, and your listings appear in front of motivated buyers. Get them wrong, and your products stay buried.
This guide breaks down exactly how Etsy search works in 2025, the specific rules for titles and tags, and the common mistakes that tank your rankings. We'll also cover how Amazon Handmade differs if you sell on both platforms.
How Etsy Search Actually Works
Etsy search operates in two phases: query matching and ranking.
Query matching is binary—your listing either qualifies for a search or it doesn't. Etsy looks at your titles, tags, categories, and attributes to determine if your product matches what the shopper typed. If your keywords don't match the query, your listing never enters the pool of results.
Ranking determines where your listing appears among all the qualified results. According to Etsy's official Seller Handbook, ranking factors include:
- Relevancy: How closely your keywords match the shopper's query. Exact matches rank higher than partial matches.
- Listing quality score: Based on click-through rates, favorites, add-to-carts, and purchases. Listings that convert well get more visibility.
- Shop quality: Your review ratings, message response rate, and on-time shipping history all factor into search ranking.
- Context-specific ranking (CSR): Etsy personalizes results based on each shopper's browsing history, favorites, and past purchases.
As of late 2025, 60% of Etsy's traffic comes from mobile devices. Etsy's algorithm now heavily weights engagement signals—clicks, saves, and time spent on listings—because mobile shoppers scroll quickly and make fast decisions.
Key insight: Keywords determine whether you qualify to appear, but performance signals determine how far your listings travel. Strong keyword alignment, high-quality photos, clear titles, competitive shipping, and a solid conversion rate directly influence the signals Etsy uses to rank listings.
Etsy Title Best Practices
Your title has a 140-character limit. Every character matters.
Front-Load Your Primary Keyword
The most important keywords should appear at the beginning of your title. Mobile users only see the first 40-60 characters before the title gets cut off. Make sure what they see tells them exactly what you're selling.
Use the Full Character Limit
Research from multiple SEO tools shows that titles between 120-140 characters consistently outperform shorter ones. More keywords mean more ways shoppers can find you. However, your title must still read naturally—keyword stuffing hurts both your ranking and your conversion rate.
Title Formula That Works
[Primary Keyword] + [Key Feature] + [Use Case/Occasion] + [Target Audience]
Example: Minimalist Gold Name Necklace - Custom Jewelry Gift for Her - Dainty Layered Pendant Birthday Present
Formatting Rules
- Use spaces around dashes and separators—Etsy reads "mom-gift" as one word, not two
- No more than three words in ALL CAPS
- Special characters (%, :, &) can only be used once per title
- No promotional language ("Best Seller," "Free Shipping," "On Sale")
Etsy Tag Strategy
You get 13 tags per listing, each up to 20 characters. Use all of them.
Use Multi-Word Phrases, Not Single Words
Single-word tags like "mug" or "necklace" waste your tag slots. According to Etsy's help documentation, multi-word phrases are more effective because they're more specific and face less competition.
Target Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are specific phrases (3+ words) that shoppers use when they know exactly what they want. They have lower search volume but much higher conversion rates. A shopper searching "vintage yellow flower wall art" is closer to buying than someone searching "wall art."
If your ideal phrase exceeds 20 characters, split it across two tags. Etsy combines keywords from multiple tags to match searches. For example, "minimalist wood stud" and "earrings for women" can work together.
Keep Tags Diverse
Each tag should capture a different way shoppers might search. Using 13 variations of "gold bracelet" wastes 12 tag slots that could attract different audiences.
A diverse tag set for a gold bracelet:
- dainty gold bracelet
- minimalist jewelry
- stackable bracelet
- bridesmaid gift
- wedding jewelry
- gift for her
- everyday bracelet
- handmade bracelet
- boho jewelry
- layered bracelet
- delicate chain
- anniversary gift
- gold filled jewelry
Don't Duplicate Categories and Attributes
Your category selection and attributes (color, material, occasion) already act as keywords. If you selected "gold" as a material attribute, you don't need "gold" as a separate tag. Use that slot for something your attributes don't cover.
Don't Worry About Plurals
Etsy matches root words automatically. A search for "diaries" will match listings tagged with "diary." Don't waste tag space on both versions.
Common Mistakes That Hurt Rankings
Mistake #1: Repeating Tags in Your Title
You don't need to match all 13 tags in your title. Match your most important keyword phrase, then use your title's remaining space for additional terms. Etsy looks at titles and tags together—they don't need to be identical.
Mistake #2: Using Single-Word Tags
Tags like "bracelet," "gift," or "art" face massive competition and tell Etsy almost nothing specific about your product. Multi-word phrases ("beaded stretch bracelet," "last minute gift for mom") are both more targeted and less competitive.
Mistake #3: Keyword Stuffing
Cramming keywords without context makes your title unreadable: "Necklace Gold Necklace Chain Necklace Gift Necklace" repels buyers even if it matches searches. Your title needs to make sense to humans, not just algorithms. Conversion rate affects your listing quality score, and confusing titles kill conversions.
Mistake #4: Irrelevant Keywords
Adding trending keywords that don't match your product might get impressions, but shoppers won't click—or they'll click and leave immediately. Both behaviors tank your listing quality score.
Mistake #5: Copying Competitor Keywords Exactly
Study what works for top sellers, but don't copy their exact tags. Your product has unique features. Your tags should reflect what makes your listing different.
Mistake #6: Never Updating Tags
Search trends shift seasonally. "Christmas gift" needs to become "Valentine's gift" or "Mother's Day gift" as the calendar moves. Update 1-2 tags on your listings at the start of each season to capture relevant traffic.
Amazon Handmade: Key Differences
If you sell on both Etsy and Amazon Handmade, you can't just copy your listings. The platforms work differently.
Title Requirements
Amazon allows up to 200 characters (vs. Etsy's 140), but recommends keeping titles to 80 characters or fewer for mobile optimization. As of January 2025, Amazon enforces strict rules: no special characters (!, $, ?) unless part of your brand name, and the same word can't appear more than twice.
Bullet Points Instead of Tags
Amazon doesn't use visible tags. Instead, you get 5 bullet points (up to 200-250 characters each recommended) to highlight features and work in keywords naturally. Bullet points are indexed for search, so include relevant keywords while focusing on benefits that help shoppers decide to buy.
Backend Keywords
Amazon gives you a backend keyword field (up to 250 bytes) that shoppers never see. This is where you put synonyms, misspellings, alternate phrases, and keywords that don't fit naturally in your title or bullets. Key rules:
- Don't repeat words already in your title or bullet points—Amazon indexes those automatically
- No competitor brand names (this can get your listing suppressed)
- Separate keywords with spaces, not commas
- Include common misspellings, regional variations, and synonyms
Important: If you exceed the 250-byte limit, Amazon won't index any of your backend keywords—not just the extra ones. Stay under the limit.
Algorithm Focus
Amazon's A9 algorithm prioritizes conversion rate and sales velocity even more heavily than Etsy. Price competitiveness, shipping speed, and reviews carry significant weight in Amazon's ranking calculations.
Putting It All Together
Effective Etsy SEO isn't complicated, but it requires attention to detail:
- Research before you list. Use Etsy's search bar autocomplete to see what real shoppers are typing. Check your Shop Stats to see which keywords already drive traffic.
- Front-load your title with the most important keyword, then add supporting terms up to 140 characters.
- Use all 13 tags with diverse, multi-word phrases that cover different ways shoppers might search.
- Don't duplicate. Your title, tags, and attributes should complement each other, not repeat the same phrases.
- Review and refresh. Check your listings quarterly and update tags for seasonal trends.
SEO changes can take 2-6 weeks to show results in your traffic. Give your optimizations time to work before making more changes.
And remember: great SEO gets shoppers to your listing, but great photos are what convert them into buyers. Both matter.
Skip the Guesswork with Spotlight AI
Writing optimized titles and tags for every listing takes time. Spotlight AI Studio generates perfect Etsy titles (under 140 characters), all 13 tags, and compelling descriptions in seconds—all optimized for how Etsy's algorithm actually works.
Selling on Amazon Handmade too? Spotlight AI handles both platforms, creating Amazon-optimized titles, 5 bullet points, and backend keywords that follow Amazon's 2025 requirements.
Try it free with 3 credits—no subscription required.