Etsy character and field limits in one table

Etsy allows 140 characters in a title, 13 tags of up to 20 characters each, and up to 20 photos per listing. The photo limit rose from 10 to 20 in October 2025, so older articles that say ten are out of date. The full reference table follows, including file limits and shop fields.

Etsy field limits reference table

Each row links to the Etsy help page or API reference that states it. Where a number is writing advice or an API constraint, the row says so.

Field	Limit	Source
Listing title	140 characters	Etsy listing help
Title characters	Letters, numbers, punctuation, mathematical symbols, whitespace, ™ © ®; % : & + only once each	Etsy API
Tags	13 per listing; 20 characters each	Etsy tag help
Tag characters	Letters, numbers, spaces; apostrophes and hyphens inside a tag, never at its start	Etsy tag help
Materials	No separate materials tag field in the listing form since March 2026; materials are captured as an attribute	Etsy shop updates
Photos	20 per listing	Etsy listing help
Videos	2 per listing; 100 MB each; 3–15 seconds; audio removed; minimum resolution 500 px	Etsy video help
Image file types	.jpg, .gif, .png, .svg, .heic; animated GIFs and transparent PNGs unsupported	Etsy image help
Image dimensions	Recommended width and height at least 2000 px; first photo should be at least 635 px in both dimensions	Etsy image help
Image alt text	API maximum 500 characters; writing guidance up to 250	Etsy API, alt text help
Variation types	3 per listing; unavailable for digital listings	Etsy variation help
Variation combinations	2500 with 3 types; 4900 with 1–2 types; unique or country-specific prices, SKUs, and quantities for up to 400 combinations	Etsy variation help
Single variation	API: 70 products for a listing with one variation; the Help Center gives a higher ceiling (see below)	Etsy developer tutorial
Variation photos	Photos linked to at most 20 options	Etsy variation help
Custom options (formerly personalization)	5 fields per listing; Text box, List of options, File upload	Etsy personalization help
Text box	Buyer character limit set from 1–1024	Etsy personalization help
Custom option field title and instructions	API title length 1–45 characters; instructions up to 120	Etsy developer tutorial
List of options	1–30 options; each label 1–20 characters	Etsy developer tutorial
File upload custom option	1 upload field; 10 buyer files; 100 MB each; .jpg, .png, .svg, .heic, .pdf	Etsy personalization help
Digital listing files	5 files; 20 MB each	Etsy digital listing help
Digital file names	70 characters; letters, numbers, periods, underscores, hyphens	Etsy digital listing help
Shop name	4–20 characters; no spaces or special characters	Etsy shop setup help
Shop title	55 characters	Etsy shop home help
Shop sections	20 custom sections; names up to 24 characters; one section per listing	Etsy section help
Listing duration	4 months	Etsy inactive listing help

Where Etsy’s pages disagree

• Photos. Etsy’s variations page still says ten photos. Its listing help and API say 20, and Etsy’s developer announcement records the increase from 10 to 20.
• Single variation. The variations page allows 4,900 option combinations for listings with one or two variation types. The developer tutorial gives a maximum of 70 products for a listing with one variation. Neither page explains the difference.
• Video length. The video page says 3 to 15 seconds. The listing page says 5 to 15.
• Image file size. The image page warns that uploads above 1 MB may not finish. The listing page warns above 300k. Neither states a hard maximum.
• Image dimensions. The image page recommends at least 2000 px in width and height. The listing page mentions width only.
• Tag characters. The Help Center lists letters, numbers, spaces, apostrophes and hyphens. The API reference also lists ™ © ®.

Limits Etsy does not publish

Etsy’s help pages and API reference do not state numeric maxima for description length, SKU length, quantity or price, or shop announcement length. An unpublished maximum does not mean unlimited input. Treat those fields as unverified rather than borrowing a number from another website.

A maximum is not a target

You do not need to fill a title to 140 characters. Etsy suggests considering less than 15 words. Write enough to identify the item clearly, then remove repetition. Likewise, the 250-character alt text guidance is writing advice, distinct from the API’s 500-character maximum.

Check your drafts with the title limit checker and tag limit checker. For wording, read Etsy titles and tags; for changes across a catalog, see bulk editing Etsy listings.