Getting Started
Creating Your First Product Listing
A strong listing has a clear photo, a specific name, a price that covers your costs and time, an accurate category, a description with ingredients and allergens, and the right inventory or pre-order setting. New sellers can also choose 'publish once I'm verified' so the listing goes live automatically on approval.
Your product listings are what buyers actually shop. A complete, well-built listing earns clicks and orders — and answers questions before they're asked. Here's how to build your first one, field by field.
| Field | What to put | Deep dive |
|---|---|---|
| Photo | One bright, in-focus shot of the actual item | Food photography |
| Name | Specific and searchable ('Brown-butter chocolate chip cookies') | — |
| Price | Covers ingredients, packaging, time, and the marketplace fee | How to price |
| Category | The accurate category so you appear in the right searches | Local SEO |
| Description | Lead with the appeal; include ingredients and allergens | Descriptions that sell |
| Availability | Limited/unlimited inventory, or pre-order with a pickup date | Inventory & pre-orders |
Use the Pricing Helper for price
When you set the price, the built-in Pricing Helper lets you enter batch size, ingredient and packaging costs, your hourly rate, and a target margin, then suggests a price and shows what you keep after the marketplace fee. It saves you from underpricing — the most common new-seller mistake.
Write for the buyer, not the form
Open the description with what makes the item worth buying, then cover size, flavor, ingredients, allergens, and how to store it. Clear listings get more orders and fewer messages.
Publish once you're verified
If you're still waiting on verification, set the listing to 'publish once I'm verified' and it goes live automatically when you're approved. Build out the rest of your shop in the meantime — start with setting up your storefront.
List your cottage food business
Create a free storefront, take local orders, and get discovered by buyers near you.
Explore the marketplace
Related guides
Getting Started
How to Set Up Your Local Cottage Foods Seller Account
A step-by-step walkthrough of setting up a Local Cottage Foods seller account: the guided setup, what it takes to go live, and what you need to accept your first order.
Selling Online
How to Price Homemade Food for Profit
A simple framework to price homemade food for profit: cover ingredients, packaging, and your time, then set prices that sell without underselling your work.
Selling Online
Product Descriptions That Sell
Write homemade food product descriptions that sell: lead with the appeal, cover the details buyers need (size, ingredients, allergens), and keep it scannable.