Shopify AI Product Descriptions: Generate, Then Edit

Shopify AI product descriptions are written by Sidekick, the AI assistant built into the Shopify admin: open a product, click the generate icon in the description toolbar, describe the product in a prompt, and Sidekick writes the description into the field. It works in every language Shopify supports, in the language of your prompt, and the draft is a starting point: Shopify warns that generated text can add product benefits you never listed and facts borrowed from similar products, and you are responsible for what you publish.

Steps and cautions come from the Shopify Help Center pages on generating product descriptions, writing product descriptions and generating content with Sidekick (read October 23, 2026). The example prompts are ours.

Generate a description

Text generation works in the admin on a desktop computer, not in the iPhone or Android app.

1. Go to Products and open the product.
2. In the description text box, click the generate icon in the toolbar.
3. Write a prompt that describes the product, and submit it. The text is placed straight into the description.
4. Edit and format it (see the checklist below), then click Save. On a published product the new description is live immediately.

You can also work from the Sidekick chat on any admin page: ask it to fill in fields, and fields it fills are highlighted in purple so you can review them before accepting. Sidekick can explain why it suggested something and give you more options if you ask.

For other languages, write the prompt in the language you want the description in. A prompt in German returns German text.

Prompts that work

Shopify’s guidance is that more detail in the prompt gives a better, more specific draft. At a minimum, give a product title and at least two features or keywords. Useful inputs:

• The product type, if the title does not say it. A product called “Washington” gives poor results unless you add “eyeglasses”.
• Who it is for: “young parents”, “eco-conscious hikers”.
• Specifics: materials, how it is made, fit, sizes, intended use. Each one can become a sentence.
• Your own terms: brand names or a word you coined are often kept as written.
• Details already in Shopify: variant options (sizes, colors), vendor, category, collection.
• Tone and length, if you want something other than the default.

Four example prompts, with the facts you would fill in:

1. “Merino wool beanie, 100% merino, one size, rib knit, made in Portugal. For hikers who want warmth without itch. Friendly tone, under 120 words, end with care instructions: hand wash cold.”
2. “Hot sauce, 150 ml glass bottle, habanero and mango, medium-hot, no added sugar. For people who cook at home. Short, playful, with one serving suggestion.”
3. “Oak floating shelf, 60 cm wide, 20 cm deep, holds up to 15 kg, includes hidden brackets and screws for solid walls. Practical tone, bullet list of specs after one paragraph.”
4. “Kinderjacke, wasserdicht, Größen 98 bis 140, recyceltes Polyester, reflektierende Streifen. Für Eltern. Sachlicher Ton, 100 Wörter.” (returns a German description)

Each prompt states every fact the description is allowed to contain, because anything the prompt leaves out, the model may invent.

Edit before you publish

Check every draft in two passes.

Pass 1: facts. Compare each claim with what you know to be true.

• Materials and percentages match the label.
• Dimensions, capacity and weight match your spec sheet, in the units your customers use.
• No benefit you cannot prove: “hypoallergenic”, “waterproof”, “eco-friendly”, “dermatologist tested” and health claims are the kind of extra to look for. Delete them unless you have evidence.
• Sizes and options match the variants you actually sell.
• Care, safety and age warnings are present where the product needs them.
• Nothing is copied from a competitor’s or supplier’s description.

Pass 2: writing. Shopify’s own advice on product descriptions applies to generated text too:

• Write for your ideal customer, in their words, and answer the questions they ask you.
• Turn features into benefits (“merino regulates temperature, so you can wear it from the trailhead to the summit”), and keep the technical details in a list.
• Replace generic praise. Shopify’s example: “excellent product quality” tells the customer nothing and can make them skeptical.
• Back up any “best” or “most” with proof, or tone it down.
• Make it scannable: short paragraphs, bullets for specs, white space.

Then read it aloud. If you generate many descriptions, compare their openings; when three products start the same way, rewrite the first sentence of two of them. For how descriptions, titles and structure affect search, see Shopify product page SEO.

Many products?

For a large catalog, work in batches of similar products with a shared prompt template, and keep the fact-check step for each one. Stores using AI across sourcing, listings and support for dropshipped products can find more in AI for Shopify dropshipping. The inventory and catalog hub has the rest of the catalog series.

FAQ

Does Shopify have an AI product description generator? Shopify’s Sidekick writes product descriptions from a prompt, either from the generate icon in the product description toolbar or from the Sidekick chat. It is built into the admin.

Can Sidekick write product descriptions in other languages? Description generation works in all languages Shopify supports, and the output matches the language of your prompt.

Can I generate descriptions on the Shopify mobile app? Text generation is not supported in the iPhone or Android app. Use the Shopify admin on a desktop computer.

Are AI-generated product descriptions accurate? Generated descriptions can be wrong: Shopify warns that generated text can include benefits you did not list and facts drawn from similar products, so read and correct every draft before you save it.