How to write meta descriptions for a Shopify store (with examples)

A meta description is the short text that often appears under your page title in search results. It isn't a direct ranking factor, but it's your best chance to persuade someone to click your result instead of the one above it.

What Shopify does if you leave it empty

If you don't write one, Shopify uses the start of your product or collection description. That can work, but often it doesn't:

• If the description starts with a size chart, a shipping note or a single line, that's what shows in results.
• If two products share a manufacturer description, their snippets look identical.
• Collections with no description get no useful snippet at all.

Search engines may also rewrite your description if they think another part of the page answers the search better. A clear, specific description makes that less likely.

A simple formula

Aim for roughly 140 to 160 characters, which usually shows in full. Include:

1. What it is, in the words a shopper would search.
2. One benefit or detail that matters for the decision.
3. A reason to click, such as free returns, a size range or something specific to your store.

Write it as a sentence or two a person would want to read, not a list of keywords.

Examples

Product:

Relaxed linen wrap dress in sage, pre-washed for softness so it won't shrink. Sizes XS to 3XL, with free returns on every order.

Collection:

Handmade ceramic planters for small spaces, from 8 cm desk pots to large floor pots. Glazed in small batches, with drainage holes in every size.

Homepage:

Linen clothing for warm days, designed in Lisbon and made in small batches. Relaxed fits in sizes XS to 3XL, shipped free across the EU.

Each one says what the page offers and gives a specific reason to choose it. Only use claims that are true for your store: free returns only if you offer them, handmade only if it's handmade.

Where to edit them in Shopify

• Products and collections: open the item, scroll to Search engine listing, click Edit, and fill in Meta description.
• Homepage: Online Store → Preferences → Title and meta description.
• Blog posts and pages: the same Search engine listing section on each.

Which pages to do first

You don't need to write hundreds at once. Start with:

1. Your homepage.
2. Your main collections.
3. Your best-selling and most-visited products.
4. Every new product, as you add it.

Mistakes to avoid

• The same description on many pages. Each page should describe itself.
• Keyword lists. "linen dress, linen dresses, buy linen dress" reads as spam.
• Too short. "Shop our dresses." gives nobody a reason to click.
• Promises you don't keep. If the page doesn't deliver what the snippet said, people leave.

MAALI's free SEO check finds pages with missing, too short or too long meta descriptions, and every article the Writer drafts comes with its own meta description ready to paste.