Descriptions allow up to 3,000 characters, counted from the real cell text
The description is optional, but when present it is limited to 3,000 characters. Mercari Shops preserves line breaks from the CSV, so this checker counts the actual cell content including line breaks and surrounding spaces.
Blank descriptions are allowed. Only values above 3,000 characters are errors.
Long descriptions make CSV quoting more important
Descriptions often contain commas, quotes and line breaks. Those characters can create a CSV-structure problem that is separate from the character limit.
Use the product CSV preflight checker when you also want to inspect CSV structure.
The limit is a ceiling, not a writing target
You do not need to fill all 3,000 characters. Breaking material, dimensions, condition notes and cautions into readable sections usually helps both buyers and future editors.
The useful question is often where to separate information, not how to squeeze every character under the cap.
Keep title and description roles separate
A shorter identifying title plus a detailed description is easier to maintain and reduces the chance of hitting the 130-character product-name limit.
Check the title separately with the product-name length checker.