Short version: The description field holds up to 2,000 characters in most categories. HTML tags have not worked since July 2021; plain text and line breaks are what render. Use the field for secondary keywords and full-sentence answers your bullets have no room for, and write it after your title and bullets are settled.
The product description sits below the bullets and above the reviews. Most sellers either skip it or paste the bullets again. Both waste a field Amazon indexes. This guide covers the limit, the formatting that still works, and a checklist for writing one that earns its space.
Amazon product description character limit
Most categories allow 2,000 characters. The Edit Product field shows a maximum length of 2,000; Amazon's documentation does not say whether that is characters or bytes, so treat it as the ceiling and check the counter. Aim for 1,200 to 1,800 characters of plain text.
Other fields have their own caps. Titles are limited to 75 characters since July 27, 2026 (media excepted), and backend search terms run to roughly 250 bytes. See title optimization and backend keywords for those.
HTML formatting: what still works
Amazon told sellers in 2021 that it would stop supporting HTML tags in the product description on detail pages, with the cutoff in July 2021. Its wording: lines with tags may be removed or shown without formatting. It kept one exception: you can use line breaks.
That means:
- Plain text only. No bold, italics, lists, headings, or links.
- Line breaks work. Use them to separate short paragraphs.
- Old tags are dead weight. A description pasted from a 2019 template may contain tags that now print as clutter or get stripped. Open the live page and check.
- Rich layout lives in A+ Content. Image-and-text modules replace the formatting HTML used to give you. See our A+ Content guide.
Some third-party guides still list bold and line-break tags as safe. They are out of date. Test any tag on a live listing before you rely on it.
What the description is for
Your title earns the click. Your bullets carry the scannable benefits. The description does three jobs they cannot:
- Covers secondary phrases. Keywords that did not fit the 75-character title or five bullets, written as real sentences. See keyword research for how to find them.
- Answers objections. Sizing, compatibility, what is in the box, how it differs from the cheaper option. Pull the wording from your reviews and customer questions.
- Gives AI shopping features full sentences to work with. Alexa for Shopping, Amazon's AI assistant (formerly Rufus), draws on listing content when it answers shoppers. Clear sentences are easier to use than keyword lists. Details in what is Alexa for Shopping.
Do and don't guidelines
Do: state material, size, compatibility, and what is included.
Do: write short paragraphs separated by line breaks.
Do: use words from your own reviews.
Do: place each keyword once, where it fits.
Don't: paste your bullets again.
Don't: add HTML, links, or contact details.
Don't: make claims you cannot support (best, number one, guaranteed results, named competitor comparisons).
Don't: include pricing, shipping, or promotion text.
Check Amazon's product detail page rules for your category before you publish. Restricted categories such as supplements and baby products carry extra claim rules.
A worked example
Weak: "Great travel mug! Keeps drinks hot. Leak proof. Insulated. Perfect gift. Buy now!"
Stronger: "This 16 oz stainless steel travel mug fits standard car cup holders. The lid seals when closed, so it travels in a bag without a spill. Double-wall insulation keeps coffee hot through a commute. The lid is dishwasher safe; hand-wash the mug body. Included: one mug, one lid, one spare gasket."
The stronger version states facts a buyer checks (size, fit, care, contents), covers phrases like "car cup holders" and "stainless steel travel mug" in natural sentences, and makes no claim it cannot back up. Test any heat-retention figure yourself before you print a number.
Write it yourself or hire a writer?
Write it yourself for a handful of ASINs. You know the product, and the research (reviews, questions, competitor listings) is the same work your bullets need anyway. Hire a description writer or service when you have dozens of SKUs or no time for that research.
Give either one the same brief: primary and secondary keyword clusters, the top five phrases from your reviews, the plain-text rules above, and your category's restrictions. Then check the draft against the list below. A draft that arrives with HTML tags or keyword-stuffed paragraphs has not followed the rules.
Product description checklist
- ☐ Plain text only, with line breaks between short paragraphs
- ☐ Under 2,000 characters, confirmed on the Edit Product counter
- ☐ Does not repeat the bullets
- ☐ Secondary keywords appear once, in natural sentences
- ☐ Facts a buyer checks: size, material, compatibility, contents, care
- ☐ No unsupported claims, promotions, or contact details
- ☐ Live page checked for stray tags or stripped lines
Check every field on your listing in one pass
OptimalCentral is the operating system for your Amazon business. Its listing audit reads your title, bullets, description, and A+ Content and returns a prioritized fix list, with a 14-day free trial. The agent audits; you decide what to change.
Start free trial →Next: work through the full listing optimization guide, tighten your bullet points, and see how Amazon scores the result in the Listing Quality Score guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Amazon product description character limit?
Up to 2,000 in most categories. Amazon's documentation does not say whether that maximum is counted in characters or bytes, so treat 2,000 as the ceiling and check the counter on the Edit Product page.
Can I use HTML in an Amazon product description?
No. Amazon stopped supporting HTML tags in descriptions in July 2021. Lines with tags are removed or shown without formatting. Line breaks are the one allowed exception.
Does the Amazon product description affect search ranking?
Amazon indexes the description, but how much weight it carries relative to the title is not published. Treat the title and bullets as the primary fields, and use the description for secondary phrases and full-sentence answers to buyer questions.
Should I hire an Amazon product description writer?
Hire one if you have many SKUs or no time to research buyer language. Brief them with your keyword clusters, review language, and the plain-text rules above, then check the result against this guide's checklist.
Should I use A+ Content instead of a description?
If you are Brand Registered, build A+ Content first: it gives you image-and-text modules and usually converts better. Keep the plain description accurate anyway. Sellers without Brand Registry have only the description.