Etsy Tags: How to Use All 13 (With Real Examples)

Etsy gives you 13 tags on every listing, and most sellers waste at least half of them. That is a shame, because tags are one of the few parts of Etsy search you fully control. This guide shows you how to use all 13 Etsy tags the right way, with real examples, so buyers can actually find your listings. It works for any Etsy shop, physical or digital.

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What Etsy tags are, and why all 13 matter

Tags are short keyword phrases you add to a listing to tell Etsy what you sell. You get 13 per listing, up to 20 characters each. When a buyer searches, Etsy matches their words against your title, your tags, and your attributes, then decides whether to show your listing. An empty tag is a search you chose not to show up for. Leaving tags blank, or filling them with weak words, is the quiet reason a lot of good products never get seen.

The rules for good Etsy tags

A few rules do most of the work:

• Use all 13. Every empty tag is wasted reach. There is no downside to filling them.
• Use multi-word phrases, not single words. “Habit tracker printable” beats “tracker.” Almost nobody searches one bare word, and single words are the most competitive.
• Do not just repeat your title. Your title already covers its phrases. Use the tags to widen the net with different phrasings and related searches.
• Think about the buyer, not just the product. People search by occasion and situation too: “new year planner,” “student budget sheet,” “teacher gift printable.”
• Use the full 20 characters when it helps. “Minimalist wall art” fits, and it is more specific than “wall art.”
• Skip punctuation and do not stuff plurals. Etsy reads tags as phrases, so keep them clean and natural.

Etsy tag mistakes that cost you sales

I made most of these when I started:

• Leaving tags empty because you ran out of ideas.
• Using single words like “planner” or “mug” that you can never rank for.
• Repeating the exact same phrase your title already nailed.
• Writing tags for yourself (“boho aesthetic vibes”) instead of what buyers type.
• Never changing tags on listings that get views but no sales.

How to find tags that actually get searched

You cannot guess the words in a buyer’s head, so look them up. I use the free plan of eRank for this. You type a phrase, and it shows you related long-tail keywords with how much competition each has. Those related phrases are your tag list.

Look for phrases that describe your product closely and have lower competition, then spread them across your 13 tags. I wrote a full step-by-step guide to using eRank if you want the click-by-click version, and an honest eRank review if you are deciding whether it is worth it.

Find your tags with eRank free

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A free trick to pair with it: type your phrase into Etsy’s own search bar and read the autocomplete suggestions. Those are real searches other buyers make, and they make great tags.

A worked example: 13 tags for one listing

Say you sell a minimalist undated weekly planner printable. Here is how I would fill all 13 tags, mixing your main phrases with buyer-situation searches:

1. weekly planner printable
2. minimalist planner
3. undated planner pdf
4. printable weekly planner
5. weekly schedule template
6. planner insert printable
7. productivity planner
8. student planner printable
9. work planner printable
10. simple weekly planner
11. weekly to do list
12. instant download planner
13. digital planner download

Notice how few of these repeat each other. Each one is a different door a buyer could walk through.

Turn tags into a habit

Do not set your tags once and forget them. If a listing gets views but no sales, the photos or price may be the problem. If it gets no views at all, the issue is almost always keywords, so revisit the tags. Once you have your tags sorted, the rest of Etsy SEO is placing your best phrase near the front of your title, which I cover in the Etsy SEO guide for beginners.

Frequently asked questions

How many tags does Etsy allow?

Etsy allows 13 tags per listing, each up to 20 characters. Use all 13 every time, since empty tags only cost you reach.

Should Etsy tags match my title?

They can overlap a little, but do not simply copy your title into your tags. Your title already covers its phrases, so use the tags to add different wordings and related searches and widen your reach.

Do Etsy tags have to be single words?

No, and single words are usually a mistake. Multi-word phrases like “budget planner printable” match how buyers actually search and face far less competition than one bare word.

How do I find the best Etsy tags?

Use a keyword tool to see real search phrases and their competition. I use eRank’s free plan, paired with Etsy’s own search-bar autocomplete for quick ideas.

Should I use all 13 tags?

Yes, always. There is no penalty for filling them, and every tag you skip is a search you have chosen to miss.