Product Data Requirements by Platform: Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, Etsy, eBay (Free Reference)

Selling on one platform is straightforward. Selling on three is a formatting nightmare.

Every ecommerce platform has its own rules for product titles, descriptions, images, variants, SKUs, and categories. Amazon wants pure white backgrounds on main images. Etsy caps you at 13 tags. Shopify limits products to 3 option types. eBay requires UPCs for most new listings. WooCommerce lets you do basically anything, which creates its own problems.

I built a reference chart that maps every major product data field across Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, Etsy, and eBay. It covers 35+ fields with the specific limits, formats, and gotchas for each platform.

The core problem

Take something simple: a t-shirt in 3 sizes and 2 colors. On Shopify, that's one product with 6 variants organized by up to 3 option types. On Amazon, it's a parent ASIN with 6 child ASINs linked by a variation theme. On Etsy, it's one listing with 2 variation types and a maximum of 70 total variants. On eBay, it's one listing with 2 variation axes and up to 250 variations.

Same product. Four completely different data structures.

Multiply that across a 200-SKU catalog sold on 3 platforms. You're managing 600 sets of product data that all need to stay in sync but follow different rules. Change a title on Shopify and you need to remember that Amazon has a 200-character limit with a mandatory format, while Etsy caps you at 140 characters. Most sellers maintain separate spreadsheets per platform and manually adjust on export. Either way, something slips.

The fields that cause the most problems

Titles: Amazon is the strictest. Titles must follow Brand + Product Line + Key Feature + Size/Color structure, stay under 200 characters, and contain no promotional language ("sale," "free shipping") or ALL CAPS. Etsy caps at 140 characters. Shopify allows 255. The safe approach: write titles at 140 characters or less with no promotional language. That format works everywhere.

Images: Amazon's main image requires a pure white background (RGB 255,255,255). Not off-white. Pure white. Their automated system checks and rejects anything that fails. Minimum dimensions range from 500x500 (eBay) to 1000x1000 (Amazon, for zoom eligibility). The practical answer: shoot at 2000x2000 or higher and let each platform downscale. Maximum image count runs from 9 (Amazon) to 250 (Shopify). Amazon's limit forces the hardest choices when you have products with dozens of lifestyle and variant-specific shots.

Variants and options: This is where the real divergence happens.

Shopify's 3-option limit catches sellers most often. If you sell a product with Size, Color, Material, and Length as separate options, Shopify can't handle it natively. You need an app or creative workarounds like combining options ("Blue / Cotton" as a single Color-Material value).

Etsy's 70-variant cap is the tightest. A product with 10 sizes and 8 colors generates 80 combinations. You need to split into multiple listings or reduce your option range.

Tags and search terms: The rules are completely different per platform, and mixing them up wastes your SEO effort.

Etsy gives you 13 tags at 20 characters each. Multi-word phrases count as one tag. Use all 13 and don't repeat words already in your title.

Amazon's Backend Search Terms field takes single keywords separated by spaces, with a 250-byte limit. No commas. Don't repeat title words or your brand name. Competitor brand names are prohibited.

The mistake I see most often: sellers copy Amazon keywords into Etsy tags. Amazon wants individual keywords. Etsy works best with phrases. "ceramic mug handmade" should be one Etsy tag, not three separate terms.

Categories: Every platform has its own tree. Shopify uses Google's product taxonomy. Amazon uses Browse Node IDs. Etsy has a 3-level system. eBay has a numeric category tree with predefined IDs. You map these manually for each platform.

Platform-specific gotchas

These don't show up until you've already made the mistake.

Shopify: The Variant Inventory Tracker field must be set to "shopify" in CSV imports or inventory quantities get silently ignored. I covered this in detail in the Shopify CSV import template guide.

Amazon: Flat file templates are category-specific. The Clothing template has different columns than Electronics. Download the correct template from Seller Central before building your feed, not after.

WooCommerce: Variable products require creating attributes first, then linking them to variations. Import a CSV with variant data without the attribute taxonomy set up and WooCommerce silently ignores the variants.

Etsy: You cannot create new listings via CSV. Etsy's import only updates existing listings. Every new listing must be created through the UI or API first. This catches sellers who try to bulk-create their initial catalog via CSV.

eBay: Item Specifics are heavily weighted in eBay search. Leaving them blank tanks your visibility even when your listing text is good. Fill in every relevant specific, including optional ones.

For bulk uploads: Shopify, WooCommerce, and eBay all support creating new products via CSV. Amazon uses XLSX flat file templates with category-specific columns, not a generic CSV. Etsy's CSV only updates existing listings, never creates new ones.

The reference chart covers all of this in a scannable format. Download it, keep it open while formatting product data, and save yourself from discovering each platform's quirks the hard way.

If you sell on multiple platforms and keeping product data in sync is eating your time, send me what you have at flash@tryflash.ai. I handle the formatting, uploading, and ongoing syncing across all your channels. First 3 jobs are free.

Frequently asked questions

What are the product title character limits on Shopify, Amazon, Etsy, and eBay? Shopify allows 255 characters. Amazon requires titles under 200 characters and enforces Brand + Product Line + Key Feature + Size/Color structure with no promotional language or ALL CAPS. Etsy caps at 140 characters. eBay allows up to 80 characters. For multi-platform sellers, writing titles at 140 characters or fewer with no promotional language works across all four platforms without modification.

What image requirements does Amazon have for product listings? Amazon's main product image must have a pure white background (RGB 255,255,255 — not cream or off-white). The minimum size for zoom eligibility is 1000x1000 pixels. Amazon recommends 2000x2000. Amazon allows up to 9 images per listing. Practical approach: shoot at 2000x2000 or higher on pure white, which meets every platform's technical requirements, and supplement with lifestyle shots on platforms with higher gallery limits.

How many product variants can you have on Shopify, Amazon, Etsy, and eBay? Shopify: 3 option types, 100 variants per product. Amazon: approximately 2,000 variations but typically only 2 option types per category, with variation themes defined per category. Etsy: 2 variation types, 70 total variants maximum. eBay: 2 variation axes, 250 variations. Etsy's 70-variant limit is the tightest constraint — a product with 10 sizes and 8 colors generates 80 combinations, which requires splitting listings or reducing options.

How are Amazon backend search terms different from Etsy tags? Amazon's Backend Search Terms field accepts single keywords separated by spaces with a 250-byte limit. No commas, no repeated words from your title or brand name, no competitor brand names. Etsy gives you 13 tags at up to 20 characters each, and multi-word phrases count as one tag. The mistake sellers make most often: copying Amazon keywords into Etsy. Amazon wants individual terms; Etsy ranks better with phrase-based tags like "ceramic mug handmade" as a single entry.

Can you create new Etsy listings by uploading a CSV? No. Etsy's CSV upload only updates existing listings. New listings must be created through the Etsy UI or API first, then updated in bulk via CSV. Shopify, WooCommerce, and eBay all support creating new products via CSV. Amazon uses category-specific XLSX flat file templates. Etsy is the only major platform that requires initial listing creation through the UI before CSV updates become available.

Should I buy UPC codes from GS1 or a third-party reseller? GS1 (gs1.org) is the only source Amazon explicitly endorses. Amazon has deactivated listings using UPCs purchased from third-party resellers — codes sold cheaply on eBay or through discount barcode sites are often recycled from other brands or not registered to your company. For a multi-platform catalog, legitimate GS1 codes prevent deactivation risk. The cost is higher upfront but significantly cheaper than recovering a deactivated ASIN with established sales history.