A store owner sends a description writer 200 product titles and a one-line message: "Please write in our brand voice." Two days later, the drafts arrive. They are technically correct, read like every other store in the category, and use the wrong keywords throughout. The entire batch goes back for revision.
That happens because a brief was missing. Briefing a Shopify description writer effectively means handing over four things before any writing starts: your brand voice, the product data, your SEO targets, and an example of what you want.
Key takeaways
- A useful brief covers brand voice, product data, keyword targets, and format rules: the decisions a writer would otherwise guess at during the job.
- The most useful single element in any brief is a labeled negative example: a description you do not want, because it prevents writers defaulting to category clichés.
- Briefing a Shopify description writer before work starts reduces revision rounds and sets a consistent format across every product.
- A Shopify SEO product description service uses the same brief but adds a setup conversation to confirm keyword strategy and format before the first word is written.
- The brief does not need to be formal. A short document or filled-in template sent alongside the product data works.
What goes wrong without a brief
A description writer with no guidance makes reasonable assumptions. They write in a neutral voice (professional but forgettable), use generic phrases, pick keywords that match the product title rather than what shoppers actually search for, and format every description the same way regardless of category.
None of that is wrong. It is not your store, though.
The problems appear later: the tone does not match your existing pages, the descriptions need keyword rewrites before they do anything useful for search, and the format does not fit your product pages. Too long, too short, no bullet points where your theme renders them.
A brief prevents this by giving the writer the decisions they would otherwise have to guess at.
The brand voice section
This is the part most merchants skip and the part writers most need.
Describe your store's tone in a few lines, but make it concrete. "Friendly and practical" is a start. The useful version shows it: copy a description you wrote yourself and label it "this is the tone we want." Copy a competitor's description or a manufacturer's generic copy and label it "this is what we are trying to avoid." That negative example is more actionable than a paragraph of adjectives.
Include these in the brand voice section:
- Tone and register: formal or casual, technical or accessible, playful or matter-of-fact
- Words and phrases to use or avoid: industry terms your customers recognize, buzzwords that feel grating, brand-specific vocabulary
- Point of view: does your store use "you get" or "it includes"? Do you say "shirt" or "top"? "Bag" or "tote"?
- What your audience already knows: if you sell to professionals (tradespeople, chefs, photographers), note what they understand so the writer does not explain basics
If you have existing product descriptions on your site that you are happy with, link to two or three product pages. A writer who can read ten real examples of your voice learns more than one who reads only your description of it.
Product data your description writer needs
A description writer cannot write from a product title alone. Send at minimum:
- Product title and variant information (sizes, colors, materials, configurations)
- Key specifications: dimensions, weight, capacity, compatibility, or whatever matters for your category
- What the product does and what problem it solves, in plain language even if rough
- Who it is for: general consumer, professional, a specific use case
- What the product is not: this prevents overclaiming, particularly in regulated categories such as health or beauty
A spreadsheet with one product per row works well. Consistent column names help the writer process the batch efficiently. If products come from a supplier file, include the supplier's descriptions or spec sheets even when they are unusable; they tell the writer what information exists.
For larger catalogs, group products by category rather than sending a single undivided list. A description writer working through a batch of 50 sunscreens produces more consistent output than one jumping between sunscreen, cookware, and activewear in the same file.
If you already work with an upload service for your product data, see what to send your upload team. The product file format they need overlaps with what a description writer needs, so preparing the two together saves time.
Briefing a Shopify description writer: SEO targets and format rules
This section is where a Shopify product data entry service adds the most value over a standalone writer, because keyword research requires knowing the catalog structure and the specific audience your store is trying to reach.
For each product or product category:
- The primary keyword or phrase the description should target, for example "merino wool running socks" rather than "socks"
- Where the keyword should appear: once near the start of the description, once in the body; natural usage is the goal, not repetition
- The target length: Shopify's product description field has no set character limit (as of October 2026; see Shopify's product details reference for the full list of product fields), but most themes show 150 to 400 words before a "read more" break, so state your preferred range
- Meta descriptions: Shopify lets you add a separate SEO description of about 160 characters for each product in the product page's SEO section (as of October 2026; see Shopify's guidance on adding keywords); if you want the writer to supply these, say so in the brief
Format rules belong in the same section:
- Whether to use bullet points and what they should cover (key features, what's in the box, sizing information)
- Whether to open with a paragraph or a heading inside the description
- Any HTML formatting to avoid: some themes do not handle nested lists or inline styles reliably
- Whether you need a FAQ section inside the description or whether you handle that elsewhere on the page
If you use a consistent product page template, share a screenshot of a live product. A writer who can see how the description renders in your theme makes better formatting choices than one working from a written description alone.
A description brief template
You do not need a formal document. This covers the minimum a description writer needs to begin:
| Section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Brand voice | 2 to 3 sentences on tone; one example of a description you like; one you dislike |
| Audience | Who buys this product and what they already understand |
| Product data | Spreadsheet with titles, specs, and supplier or existing descriptions |
| Keywords | Primary keyword per product or category (or "please research this") |
| Target length | Word count range per description |
| Format rules | Bullets yes or no, point of view, meta descriptions required or not |
| Reference pages | Links to two or three existing product pages that show the desired output |
A description service uses this brief in a setup conversation before writing begins. They confirm the keyword strategy, check for gaps in the product data, and agree on format before the first draft.
What to prepare before enquiring
The brief does not need to be complete before you ask for a quote. A clear summary of the catalog, including how many products, the category, and roughly what the product data looks like, is enough for a description service to assess scope and reply.
When you do send the brief, the more specific you are about voice and keywords, the cleaner the first draft. A brief that includes a labeled negative example and a keyword per category typically produces work that needs one or two revision passes rather than four or five.
Product descriptions written to an SEO brief also support how well your products appear in organic search. For more on how description structure affects discoverability, see product descriptions for AI-driven discovery.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a keyword for every product in the brief?
No, but grouping by category helps. If you sell five variations of the same product, one primary keyword phrase for the category works better than five separate keywords, for example "merino running socks" covers the range more naturally than five individual keywords. A description service typically researches and agrees the keyword list during the setup meeting, so your initial brief can say "please research this category" and confirm after that conversation.
What if I don't have brand voice guidelines?
Most merchants don't have a formal document. A useful substitute is three things: a description you wrote that you like, a competitor's or supplier's description you do not like, and a note on the one or two things that bother you most (too formal, too vague, too much jargon). That gives a writer more to work from than a list of adjectives.
How much detail does the product data need to include?
At minimum: the product title, key specifications (material, size, weight, or whatever matters for your category), what the product does, and who it is for. Supplier spec sheets and manufacturer descriptions are worth including even when they are low quality; they still tell the writer what information exists. Missing information causes the most revision rounds, so sending more context is better than sending less.
Can I brief a description writer the same way I'd brief an upload team?
Partly. Both need product data and your naming conventions. A description brief adds brand voice and keyword targets, which a pure upload job does not require. The handover guide for upload teams, covering file format, image folder organization, and naming rules, is useful to read alongside this one, since the same product data preparation covers both jobs.
