Shopify Product Description FAQ

As a Shopify store owner, understanding how to optimise your product descriptions is crucial. As we often work on Shopify store redesigns, we often get asked questions on how to do better descriptions! Below we address some of the common questions and provide practical tips to help you create engaging and effective product descriptions.

How to Add Product Descriptions in Shopify?

Adding product descriptions in Shopify is straightforward.

Once you are logged in, navigate to the "Products" section which should be on the left-hand sidebar:

Next, select the product you want to add a description to. Alternatively, if you are creating a new product, then click "Add product" to create a new one.

In the "Description" field, type out your product description. Use the formatting tools available to make your text bold, italicised, or bulleted if required.

Once you are finished writing your product description, scroll down and click "Save" so that your changes are saved and applied.

How to Change Font Size in Shopify Product Descriptions?

Whilst you are in the "Description" field, there are a number of options above to choose from which you can apply various formatting and styling.

You can either select from the preset headings or the standard "Paragraph":


Alternatively, you can click on the "<>" which is the Show HTML button and code your sentence to a specific font size by adding a style to the paragraph or heading tag as shown in the screenshot below:

Shopify Product Description Generator

If you’re struggling with writer’s block or need inspiration, you can make use of a product description generator. There are several free tools available online that can help you create engaging descriptions quickly. Shopify also has its built-in AI called Shopify Magic. You can generate a product description by entering a few keywords and what tone of voice you would like the description to be in:

When you click generate, there is a suggestion that comes up for your product description which you can either keep or edit the keywords and tone of voice until you get the perfect description.

As well as the ability to generate new product descriptions, you can edit existing product descriptions by highlighting them and then clicking on the generate icon. This will provide you with 3 options including 'rephrase', 'extend', and 'simplify'.

How to Add GIFs to Shopify Product Descriptions?

GIFs can add a dynamic and engaging element to your product descriptions.

You can first find a GIF online from websites such as Giphy or create your own using Photoshop or similar software.

If you use Giphy you can find the GIF you want, click on "Embed", where you will then be presented with the embed code. Then copy the code.

Head over to the product where you want to embed this GIF and then navigate to its product description.


Once there, switch to the HTML editor by clicking the "<>" icon. Then, paste the embed code where you want the GIF to appear. If you don't want the "via Giphy" link to show, simply remove the "a" tag from "<a href" to the "</a>".

To view your GIF, click the '<>' (Show editor) button and you will be able to see your GIF:

You may need to scroll down within the description field to see the GIF fully.

How to Add Videos to Product Descriptions in Shopify

Videos can provide a more immersive look at your products. They can be added to your product descriptions in a similar way to GIFs.

You will need to host your video on a platform like YouTube or Vimeo first.

On the video’s page, click "Share" and then "Embed" to get the embed code.

Then go to your product description, and switch to the HTML editor by clicking the "<>" icon. As with the GIF embed code, paste the video embed code where you want the video to appear and remember to click save!

How to Bulk Edit Product Descriptions in Shopify?

If you need to update multiple product descriptions at once, Shopify offers a bulk editing feature.

In your Shopify admin panel, click on "Products."

Use the checkboxes to select the products you want to edit. Then click on "Bulk edit".

You will then be taken a similar page as below. You might find that the "Description" column is not there to begin with. If that is the case, click on "Columns" and select the "Description" option. It will then appear.

You can then update the descriptions for multiple products simultaneously without having to go into each product individually. Make your changes and click "Save" when done.

How to write a good product description on Shopify?


Connect With the Customer

The first step in writing a product description: forget about the product itself. Many marketers write detailed descriptions about what a product is and does, even though products often speak for themselves. The purpose of everyday items is evident, and even niche items have more specific audiences that still understand the practical goal. 

In writing a powerful product description, opt for language that speaks towards the benefits of a product and how it will enhance a customer’s life. Mental imagery and emotions influence buying behaviour greatly, and your description’s purpose is to guide customers into envisioning themselves using said product.

This is the ideal time to solidify an understanding of your audience. You can no longer think solely about what a given demographic is, but also about where they aspire to be. In understanding the motivations and driving factors behind buying behaviour, you can connect with customers to give a clear idea of how your product fits into their lifestyle – current and future.

Choose Words With Purpose

All product descriptions – for the most part – fulfil their role, even ones that do simply describe a product. With that said, the goal is to go above and beyond within your description, so your product can stand out from competitors with similar items.

It can be helpful to write a product description as it naturally comes to mind, and then use online resources to find synonyms for the words used. Create lists of words that “do” and “don’t” fit your company or product culture. For example, streetwear can be described as “fashionable” and “stylish.” In limited character count descriptions, which works best? Which captures your target audience’s dream lifestyle? And most of all, would “trendy” have been a better word altogether? 

Most of all, maintain a casual tone without stepping outside the lines of being a brand. Younger generations especially have grown to dislike companies that overuse youthful lingo in an attempt to artificially connect, and generally trend towards natural language that has a smaller emphasis on marketing jargon. Less is often more in product descriptions. 

Consider SEO

Your store is hosted online, and each and every product page should keep search engine optimisation (SEO) in mind. There are a plethora of online tools, including Google’s own Trends application, where you can compare the search frequency of certain product descriptors. Moreover, you can take a look at what people search alongside them, which can help guide other key words. 

Consider also that SEO-based product descriptions can be extremely helpful for customers who scan descriptions as opposed to reading them. While SEO is usually thought of as useful only for computers, customers seeking specific qualifiers will read product descriptions in a relatively similar way. Especially for brands producing, say, more technical products that have specs or clothing made with unique materials, keeping those keywords easy to find is ideal for computers and people alike. Afterall, consumers tend to only read a minimal portion of any product page. Make sure what they do read is informational.

Put Time Into Product Descriptions

We know that turning a working product description into a top-tier characterisation that sells isn’t the easiest, but the time spent finding an engaging way to share details about your product always pays off.

Whether you’re looking for someone to help with product descriptions in a pinch or go so far as to revamp your Shopify site, Radiant has a team of experts who make selling a breeze. Your product deserves it.