# Target+ Description Field Guide

> Long description of your product. Only some HTML characters allowed.

The **Description** is the paragraph that appears in the Description section of a Target+ product page. It is required on every listing, written once per style at the parent listing level, and it does the explaining the [Title](/marketplaces/target/fields/title) and the [Highlights](/marketplaces/target/fields/highlights) cannot: what the product is, why its main features matter and who it suits. Target counts a description under 50 words as missing content, and keyword matches in the description feed Target's search ranking, so a thin or copied paragraph costs both approval and visibility.

## Format rules

| Rule | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Required | Yes, on every listing |
| Level | Parent listing; variants inherit it |
| Length | At least 50 words; under 4,000 characters |
| Shape | One short paragraph |
| Voice | Conversational, direct sentences. Never "I", "we" or "our" |
| Links | No URLs, hyperlinks or references to other websites |
| HTML | Target accepts only br, b, i, ul and li tags. Plain text with no tags is the safest choice |
| Emojis | Not allowed |
| Style | No big words, cliches, puns, rhymes or alliteration |

Target's own attribute definition says HTML is not allowed, and its content guide tolerates the handful of tags in the table. Write plain text and you never have to think about which reading applies.

## Content rules

Lead with what the product is. Follow with the most important features and the benefit each gives the shopper, then use cases, then materials, construction, fit or performance details when your data has them. A feature named without its benefit ("moisture-wicking fabric") does less work than the same feature explained ("moisture-wicking fabric that pulls sweat off your skin on long runs").

- Include the words shoppers search for. Description keywords improve ranking on Target.com.
- Do not repeat the title or the highlights. The description gives the context the bullets do not.
- Substantiate every claim. "Best in the market", "highest quality" and "number one" are out. Name awards, certifications and proprietary technology only when your product data supports them, and say what the technology does for the shopper.
- If any image carries text, a fabric-technology callout for example, repeat that information in the description or the highlights so screen readers can reach it.
- Use only your source data. Fix obvious spelling and grammar; never invent features, materials, uses or claims.

## Parent and child listings

The parent description has to be true for every variant in the style: no specific color, size, pattern or child-only detail. "Available in a soft heather gray" fails the moment a navy variant exists. Target allows a child to carry its own more specific description when the source data supports it, and in Osello the field is managed at the parent listing level, so one description covers the style and every variant.

## Examples

| Description | Verdict |
| --- | --- |
| "This midi shirtdress is cut from a lightweight cotton poplin that stays crisp through a full day at the office. The button-front placket and removable self-tie belt let you wear it open over a tank or cinched at the waist, and side seam pockets hold a phone and keys. Machine wash cold and hang to dry to keep the cotton from shrinking." | Good: says what it is, ties each feature to a benefit, covers care, no color or size |
| "Made from 100% cotton. Button front. Belt included. Pockets. Machine washable." | Weak: under 50 words and a bullet list in disguise |
| "Our best-selling dress! We know you'll love it. Shop the full collection at ourbrand.com." | Weak: "our" and "we", unsupported claims, a URL |
| "Women's Midi Shirtdress in Sage Green, size Medium, with a relaxed fit through the body." | Weak: repeats the title and names a single color and size on a parent |

## Common mistakes

- Pasting the highlights into the description. Target reads the two as separate content and scores each on its own.
- Shipping the same paragraph you use on another marketplace with that retailer's name or a competitor's product in it.
- Descriptions under 50 words. Target treats them as missing content.
- Marketing superlatives with nothing behind them.
- Leaving an image callout ("4-way stretch") out of the copy, so a shopper using a screen reader never learns it.
- Mentioning price, shipping or stock. Those change; the description should not have to.

## How Osello fills this field

Description is a parent-level field, so Osello writes one description per listing and every variant inherits it. Osello starts from your source product description and rewrites it to Target's rules: one paragraph, at least 50 words, under 4,000 characters, no first person, no links, no emojis, and generic enough to hold for every variant. Any HTML tag other than b, i and br is stripped before the value is saved. Only your source data is used; when the source has no description, one is written from the other product attributes, and features that are not in your data are not added. The way the AI works, and how you can steer it with custom instructions, is covered in [how Osello AI fills listing fields](/help/ai-prompts/how-osello-ai-fills-listing-fields) and [custom instructions](/help/ai-prompts/custom-instructions).

The rest of Target's requirements are in the [Target+ field directory](/marketplaces/target/fields).

## Frequently asked questions

### How long should a Target+ description be?

At least 50 words and under 4,000 characters, as one short paragraph. Target counts anything under 50 words as missing content.

### Can I use HTML in the description?

Target's content guide accepts br, b, i, ul and li tags, while its attribute definition says HTML is not allowed. Plain text avoids the question. Osello keeps b, i and br and strips everything else.

### Can the description mention the color or size?

Not on a parent listing, where it has to be true for every variant. A variant may carry a more specific description when your source data supports it.

### Does the description affect search ranking on Target.com?

Yes. Keyword matches in the description improve ranking, so use the words shoppers type when they look for the product, without stuffing or repeating them.

### Can I reuse my Amazon or Walmart description?

Only after removing anything that names another retailer, links out, or uses "we" and "our", and after checking it reaches 50 words. Copy written for Target performs better than a generic paragraph.