Marketplaces

Mercari titles on mobile: writing for the short cutoff

12 October 2026 · SnapList AI team

Many buyers browse on a phone, and a phone screen shows only part of a long title. Mercari’s title limit is reported to be 80 characters (this comes from a news report of a Mercari announcement), but the mobile app may show fewer characters than that in a list. Check the app on your own phone to see where your titles get cut.

The practical lesson is the same whatever the exact numbers are: write the title so that the first few words already tell the buyer what the item is.

Front-load the title

Imagine only the first 30 or so characters are visible. What must a buyer see to know whether to tap?

Usually it is the brand and the item type. Size and detail can follow.

Say you are listing a fleece jacket. Compare:

• “Great condition warm winter layer by The North Face, women’s medium fleece”
• “The North Face fleece jacket women’s M, full zip”

The second one shows brand and item type immediately. If the end gets cut off, the buyer has still learned what they need.

A reliable order:

1. Brand
2. Item type
3. Key detail (colour, style or model, only if you can see it on the item)
4. Size, as printed on the label

Words worth leaving out

On a short cutoff, every filler word pushes something useful out of sight. Leave out:

• Praise (“beautiful”, “amazing”).
• Repeats of the item type.
• Strings of punctuation.
• Brand names that are not on the item.

Mercari’s accuracy rule is in its marketplace guidelines: listings must not contain false information. A brand name added for visibility, or a material you are not sure about, is the kind of thing that works against that rule. When you are not certain, leave it out.

The description does the rest

Mercari’s description limit is 1,000 characters, per Mercari’s blog. Anything that did not fit in the title goes here, in an order that works on a small screen:

1. What it is and the size.
2. Condition in plain words.
3. Flaws, each stated specifically.
4. Measurements, with units.
5. What is or is not included.

Short lines are easier to read on a phone than a single block. Aim for one fact per line.

On flaws: name them. “Small hole near the left pocket, shown in photo 4” is honest and specific. Because Mercari expects accurate listings, leaving a flaw out is a risk to you as well as a surprise to the buyer.

Hashtags: few and relevant

Mercari states that you can add up to 3 hashtags per listing. Its guidance is to use them to add to the description rather than repeat it, and not to add lots of unrelated brand names or hashtags.

So if the title already says “fleece jacket”, a hashtag that says “fleece jacket” adds nothing. A better use is a different true detail, such as the style or the occasion it suits.

A good habit is to pick hashtags last, after the title and description are done, and ask: does this tell the buyer something they have not already read?

Brand and size come from the label

Titles are only as good as the facts in them. Read the brand and size off the tag instead of recalling them. Photographing the label first makes this easy, and it is the same habit whether you write the text by hand or with a drafting tool. See label and size-tag reading for what to capture.

If you do use a tool such as SnapList AI to draft, it can mark guesses with confirmation chips. Check them before you paste the text into Mercari yourself.

Test it on your own phone

Because the display limit may differ from the stated limit:

1. Post or preview a listing.
2. Look at it in the app’s search results on your phone.
3. See where the title is cut.
4. Rewrite so the essentials sit before that point.

Do this once or twice and you will have a feel for the length that works for you. Mercari’s help centre is the place to check the current title rules.

A worked example

Hypothetical item: a pair of straight-leg jeans.

• Label: brand, “W32 L32”, “100% cotton”.
• Visible: dark wash, small rip at one knee.

Title: “Levi’s 501 jeans men’s W32 L32 dark wash”

Description lines: condition, “small rip at the right knee, shown in photo 3”, measurements taken flat, “100% cotton per care label”.

Nothing here goes beyond what the label and photos show.

Quick checklist

• Check how your titles appear in the Mercari app on your phone.
• Brand and item type in the first words.
• Size as printed on the label.
• Treat 80 characters as reported, not guaranteed; check the app.
• No filler and no brand names that are not on the item.
• Description within 1,000 characters, facts in short lines.
• Every flaw named and photographed.
• Up to 3 hashtags that add to, not repeat, the description.
• Nothing in the listing that is false or unverified.

Marketplace rules change. Check the current rules in the app or help centre before you rely on a limit. Last reviewed 29 October 2026.