How to Legally Use Brand Names in Your Depop Listings

How to Legally Use Brand Names in Your Depop Listings

Selling on Depop can be an incredibly rewarding venture, turning your unique fashion finds into a thriving business. A key part of attracting buyers is using brand names in your listings. However, doing so comes with a set of rules and best practices you must follow to operate legally, maintain a good reputation, and avoid having your listings removed.

Using brand names correctly is about more than just avoiding trouble; it’s about building trust with your customers and maximizing your visibility in a crowded marketplace. When buyers search for a specific brand, you want your authentic item to be front and center.

This guide will walk you through how to legally and effectively use brand names in your Depop listings. We'll cover Depop's official guidelines, dive deep into keyword and tagging strategies, and show you how to scale your operations efficiently so you can focus on what matters most: growing your business.

Using Brand Names on Depop: The Legal and Right Way

Depop has clear guidelines to protect both buyers and sellers from counterfeit goods and misleading descriptions. Following these rules is the first step to building a successful and reputable shop.

Accuracy is Non-Negotiable

The most important rule is to be accurate. When you list an item, you should include the correct brand name in your description. This seems simple, but it’s crucial for maintaining transparency and trust.

If you're selling a vintage Levi's jacket, label it as "Levi's." If it's an unbranded item that simply has a vintage style, do not use a brand name in the listing to attract views. Misrepresenting an item is a fast way to receive negative feedback and potentially have your account flagged.

Double-Check for Authenticity

As a seller, the responsibility falls on you to ensure your items are authentic. Before listing a branded product, take the time to double-check its authenticity. Familiarize yourself with the key markers of the brands you sell, such as stitching patterns, logo placement, and material quality.

Selling counterfeit items is illegal and strictly against Depop’s terms of service. It can lead to the permanent suspension of your account and legal repercussions.

Provide Photographic Proof

To back up your claims of authenticity and provide buyers with peace of mind, always include clear photos of any labels and tags. This includes the main brand label, care tags, and any other identifying marks.

High-quality photos of these details not only prove authenticity but also show buyers that you are a thorough and trustworthy seller. This simple step can significantly speed up sales and reduce the number of questions you receive about an item.

Optimizing Your Listings with Depop Keywords

Once you’ve covered the legalities of using a brand name, the next step is to make sure buyers can find your item. This is where a smart keyword strategy comes in. Depop’s search algorithm relies on keywords to match buyers with the right products.

Lead with the Most Relevant Keywords

Your listing headline is prime real estate. Lead with the most important keywords that a buyer would use to find your item. This typically includes the brand, item type, style, and size.

Think like your target customer. What would they type into the search bar? For a vintage Nike sweatshirt, a strong headline would be something like: "Vintage 90s Nike Sweatshirt Grey Size Large." It’s clear, descriptive, and packed with relevant information.

Include All Relevant Item Information

A complete listing is a successful listing. Depop allows you to add a wealth of information, and you should use every relevant field to your advantage. Make sure your listing includes:

• Item Location
• Category and Subcategory
• Brand
• Size
• Condition
• Price
• Color
• Style (Source, Age, and Style)

Filling out these details helps your item appear in filtered searches, increasing its visibility to serious buyers who know exactly what they’re looking for.

The Dangers of Keyword Spamming

While it might be tempting to stuff your description with as many keywords as possible, this practice can backfire. Depop’s algorithm penalizes listings that include irrelevant or repetitive keywords, hashtags, brands, or tags.

Spamming your description with unrelated terms not only creates a poor experience for buyers but can also prevent your item from showing up in search results altogether. Keep your keywords focused and relevant to the item you are selling.

Mastering Your Depop Tagging Strategy

Hashtags are one of the most powerful tools for increasing visibility on Depop. A well-executed tagging strategy can make your items pop up in more targeted searches, connecting you with eager buyers. Most successful sellers use between three and eight high-quality hashtags per listing.

Use a Mix of Hashtag Types

To maximize your reach, it's essential to use a diverse mix of hashtags. Successful Depop sellers combine broad, popular tags with specific, niche ones. This ensures your item appears in both wide searches and more refined queries.

Your hashtag mix should touch on several key categories for every product you list. Prioritize quality and specificity over sheer quantity for the best results.

Garment Type Hashtags

Start with the basics. What is the item? Use clear garment type hashtags that describe the product itself.

Examples: `#tshirt`, `#dress`, `#jeans`, `#sneakers`, `#skirt`.

Style and Aesthetic Hashtags

Next, think about the overall vibe of the item. Style and aesthetic hashtags help you connect with buyers who have a specific look in mind.

Examples: `#vintage`, `#y2k`, `#grunge`, `#minimalist`, `#cottagecore`, `#streetwear`.

Brand and Designer Hashtags

Always add a brand hashtag if it fits. This is crucial for buyers searching for specific designers. You can also get creative with brand variations that loyal fans might search for.

Examples: `#Nike`, `#Zara`, `#Nikearmy`, `#vintageNike`.

Size and Fit Tags

Help buyers find the perfect fit by including clear size tags. This is especially helpful for those filtering their searches.

Examples: `#sizeM`, `#L`, `#uk10`, `#petite`, `#plus`, `#waist28`.

Color Hashtags

Color is a common search filter, so you should use color hashtags on every single listing. Be descriptive and include primary colors as well as patterns.

Examples: `#black`, `#pink`, `#red`, `#neutral`, `#floral`.

How to Find Effective Hashtags

Coming up with the right hashtags requires a bit of research, but the payoff is worth it. Staying current with trends will keep your listings fresh and visible.

Study Trending Hashtags on Depop

The best place to start is Depop itself. Check the hashtags that are showing up on the Explore page and in the listings that are selling quickly. These are the terms that are currently capturing buyers' attention.

You should also scroll through listings for items similar to yours and see which tags appear often. Bookmark the search results for these tags and revisit them often to stay current with what's popular.

Analyze Top Sellers and Competitors

Peek at the shops of top sellers who have lots of sales and followers. See which Depop hashtags they use on their top-performing items. Reverse-engineer their process by making a list of the hashtags they use.

Notice their mix of classic broad tags, super-specific style hashtags, and brand variations. Don't just copy them blindly; adapt their successful strategies to fit your unique products and audience. You can copy thriving hashtags, but always add your own personal spin.

Use Keyword Tools and Search Suggestions

Depop's search bar is a powerful tool. Start typing a simple keyword related to your product and see what the auto-suggest feature offers. These suggestions are based on what other users are actively searching for.

You can also tap into free tools like Instagram, TikTok, and Google Trends for more hashtag ideas. These platforms are often where fashion trends begin, giving you a head start on what will be popular on Depop.

The "Is It Relevant?" Test

When in doubt about using a specific hashtag, ask yourself one simple question: "Would a buyer searching this term be happy to find my product?" If the answer is no, leave it out.

Using unrelated tags just to get views will only hurt your shop's reputation. Focus on choosing hashtags that clearly and accurately describe your item’s style, brand, era, color, or fit. Avoid stuffing your listings with broad, unrelated tags.

Remember to experiment, track your results, and update your hashtag approach as trends shift. Review and update your hashtags every few weeks, especially when seasons change.

Scale Your Depop Business and Sell More with Reeva

Running a successful Depop shop involves more than just great listings. It requires consistent effort, smart marketing, and efficient operations. As your business grows, the administrative tasks can become overwhelming, taking time away from sourcing and strategy. That's where we come in.

We designed Reeva as an all-in-one platform to simplify and automate your resale business, helping you sell more across multiple platforms like Depop, Poshmark, eBay, and Mercari. Our goal is to give you back valuable time so you can focus on growth.

Ready to see how you can spend less time on admin and more time selling? Start your free 7-day trial of Reeva today.

Create Listings Up to 10x Faster with AI

One of the most time-consuming parts of reselling is creating listings. We tackle this head-on with our industry-leading AI.

Simply upload photos of your item, and our AI gets to work, generating complete, high-quality listings. It creates optimized titles, detailed descriptions, and even suggests pricing. It also auto-fills complex fields required by platforms like eBay and automatically removes image backgrounds, significantly reducing manual effort.

FabFam, one of our users, noted, "Reeva has cut my listing time by more than half. I can take photos, voice-to-text my details, and let Reeva handle the rest...By the time I put the item away, my listing is ready to go live." This is the kind of efficiency that transforms a hobby into a full-time business.

Sell on Depop and Beyond with One-Click Cross-Listing

To be a pro seller, you need to have cross-listing software by your side. Listing on multiple marketplaces like eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, and Etsy dramatically increases your customer base, but managing it manually is a nightmare.

Our platform allows you to list your items across all your marketplaces with a single click from a streamlined interface. No more switching between countless tabs. This robust support for multi-store selling makes managing hundreds of listings intuitive and helps you reach more buyers effortlessly.

One user, Hiview Reloved, found that our platform "has made it easy to expand to eBay and Depop. I’ve created more listings in the few months of using Reeva than I was able to create all of last year when trying to do it on my own."

Boost Sales with Intelligent Automation

Our comprehensive automation suite works around the clock to boost your sales with minimal effort. We handle the repetitive tasks so you can focus on strategy.

• Automated Sharing: We automatically share your products on Poshmark to keep them visible.
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• Instant Auto-Delisting: This is a user-favorite feature. When an item sells on one platform, we instantly delist it from all others, preventing overselling and protecting your seller rating. As AlistairBP said, it's a feature he "couldn't live without."

This level of automation is transformative. Our users report dramatic results, from a 4x increase in selling amount to a 7x increase in sales. AlistairBP went from selling 3-5 items a week to 10-15 items a day after switching to our platform.

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Manage Your Business from Anywhere, Anytime

Unlike many other tools, our platform is built to run your business truly from your phone. Our robust mobile applications for iOS and Android operate independently, meaning you don't need a Chrome extension or a laptop constantly running for automations to function.

You can manage your entire business seamlessly on mobile, desktop, or tablet. A user, Lawyerposh, was "surprised to discover that you have a best-in-class cross-listing tool" and that they could upload an entire closet from their phone app while it was minimized.

Simplify Your Finances with Built-in Accounting and Analytics

Say goodbye to spreadsheets. We provide a full suite of integrated tools to help you manage your business more effectively.

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This automatic categorization simplifies tax preparation and allows you to generate profit and loss reports with ease. As one user said, "No more spreadsheets. My bookkeeping is now all automated thanks to Reeva accounting."

Conclusion: Build and Scale a Smarter Depop Business

Succeeding on Depop requires a multi-faceted approach. It begins with the fundamentals of using brand names legally and accurately to build trust and credibility. From there, it expands into mastering Depop keywords and hashtags to ensure your high-quality, authentic items are seen by the right buyers.

Following the strategies outlined—from verifying authenticity and providing photographic proof to researching trending tags and analyzing competitors—will put you on the path to becoming a top seller. Remember to keep your descriptions clear, your keywords relevant, and your hashtags a strategic mix of broad and niche terms.

As your business grows, the key to scaling is efficiency. Manually creating listings, cross-posting to other platforms, and managing administrative tasks can quickly consume all your time. An all-in-one platform designed for resellers is the solution to breaking through that growth ceiling.

We built Reeva to be the complete operating system for your resale business. Our AI and automation handle the repetitive tasks, freeing you to focus on sourcing, branding, and strategy. With our platform, you can list faster, sell more, and manage your finances with ease, all from the palm of your hand. Users who switch to our platform report cutting their admin time by 30% and achieving up to a 7x increase in sales.

If you're ready to reclaim your time and revolutionize how you run your business, we invite you to see the difference for yourself.

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