My Shopify product descriptions are just the supplier's text, and I want my own.

Why the supplier's description works against you

Supplier copy is written once for every shop that stocks the item, so it can't say anything about yours. Shopify's own SEO help tells merchants not to copy text a manufacturer provides, because the same description may already be on other websites. Its guide to writing descriptions adds that a vague line such as “excellent product quality” tells a customer nothing and can make them doubt you when there's no evidence behind it.

So split the supplier sheet in two. Keep the numbers: size, weight, materials, compatibility. Throw away the adjectives: premium, high quality, perfect for all your needs. Then add three kinds of fact that no other store has: what you measured yourself, what the product is like in use, and the question customers keep asking you. In the skillet example, the honest note that eggs stick for the first couple of weeks answers a worry before it turns into a return.

What shoppers scan for, with before and after lines

Shopify's help suggests a description cover specifications such as size, material and weight, suggested uses, benefits with evidence and a short story, and its writing guide asks for bullet points, white space and headings so the page can be scanned. A shopper's eye goes from the title and photos to the bullets and specs: how big, how heavy, what it's made of, whether it fits their stove or shelf, what's in the box and how to look after it. The paragraph underneath is for the story and the reassurance.

Before: “Premium cast iron skillet, perfect for all your cooking needs.” After: “10.25-inch cast iron skillet, 2 in deep and 5.3 lb, with two pour spouts and a helper handle.”

Before: “Oven safe, works on all stovetops.” After: “Works on gas, electric and induction, and over a campfire.”

Before: “Comes pre-seasoned and ready to cook.” After: “Pre-seasoned with soybean oil. Eggs may stick for the first couple of weeks while the seasoning builds up.”

Every after line is something a shopper could check with a tape measure or a pan of eggs.

Shopify's title, SEO and length guidance

Shopify turns the product title into the page's H1 heading, so the main search words belong there. In the Search engine listing section, the page title field takes up to 70 characters, and Shopify suggests keeping it to about 60 so search results don't shorten it; for the meta description it recommends about 160 characters, written as readable phrases rather than a list of keywords. The same help page asks for at least 250 words of descriptive text on every page.

With Platform on Shopify, the format keeps the product title within 70 characters, warns when the SEO title runs past 70 or the meta description past 160, and writes 5 bullets unless you change it. If you want the 60-character SEO title Shopify suggests, say so in your details. Then count the words on the finished page. If it falls short of 250, add facts such as sizing notes, what's in the box or how it's made, not more adjectives.

What to cut before you publish

Go through the draft once with this list.

1. Supplier adjectives: premium, high quality, top grade, perfect for all your needs. 2. Claims you can't prove, such as “lasts a lifetime” or “non-toxic”. Shopify's guide says claims must be factual; tone them down or back them up. 3. A first line that repeats the title word for word. 4. A block of keywords at the bottom. Use the words once each, where they read naturally. 5. Lines that fit any product, such as “elevate your cooking” or “a must-have for every kitchen”. 6. Anything you'd have to ask the supplier about, like a temperature limit you were never given. Leave it out until you know.

The format is built not to add certifications, warranties, health claims, “100%” statements or competitor names you didn't give it. Product descriptions skip the red pen because the output is a set of fixed fields, but each draft is written against the same list of stock phrases to avoid.