description data quality Fix “Description exceeds length limit” on Meta Commerce Manager
Meta caps descriptions at 9,999 characters but truncates to ~90 in many placements. Long descriptions don't break catalogs but reduce visible content in product detail views.
What you see in Meta Commerce Manager:
Description exceeds length limit Descriptions over 9,999 characters get truncated. Past ~90 characters, descriptions don't surface in catalog card views; past ~500 characters, they don't appear in expanded views either.
The optimisation work: front-load critical information in the first 90 characters. Material, key feature, target use case — these belong in the opening sentences. Detailed specs and supporting content can land further down.
For HTML-imported descriptions from CMS systems with markup, strip the HTML at feed generation and rewrite for plain-text consumption.
Top causes
- 1
Manufacturer-provided descriptions that run to 2000+ characters
- 2
HTML-formatted descriptions where tags inflate character count
- 3
Marketing copy designed for landing pages rather than catalog cards
How to fix it
- 1
Strip HTML tags
Catalogs need plain text. HTML inflates character counts and shows raw markup in some surfaces.
- 2
Rewrite the first 90 characters
The visible part of the description in catalog cards. Lead with the most compelling attribute.
- 3
Trim aggressively beyond 1000 characters
Past 1000, additional content adds little to relevance and just bulks the feed.
Related issues
Description too short
Description under Google's recommended minimum (typically 200 characters). Items still serve but with reduced relevance scoring for search queries.
Read moreHTML in description
Description contains HTML tags. Google accepts plain text only — HTML doesn't render as formatting; the raw tags display in some surfaces.
Read moreRelated fields
Related tools
FAQ
Is there a sweet spot for description length?
500-800 characters for most categories. Long enough to satisfy Meta's relevance scoring, short enough to avoid the noise penalty.
Last reviewed: 26 May 2026
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