Size charts that answer the question before it’s asked

Fewer returns start on the product page. How to set up charts once and reuse them.

Why size charts matter

In a shop, people hold a garment up or try it on. Online, the size chart is the only fitting room they have. When it’s missing, vague or hard to find, shoppers either leave or order two sizes and send one back. Both cost you: a lost sale, or a return you pay to handle.

A good size chart answers the question before it’s asked. It doesn’t need to be long. It needs to be specific, easy to find and the same across products that fit the same way.

Body measurements or garment measurements?

There are two kinds of measurement, and shoppers often confuse them:

• Body measurements describe the person: chest, waist, hips. They tell a shopper which size is meant for them.
• Garment measurements describe the item laid flat: chest width, length, sleeve. They tell a shopper how it will actually fit, including how loose it is.

The most useful charts show both, or say clearly which one they show. A relaxed kurta and a fitted shirt can be the same “M” for the body but very different garments.

What a good size chart includes

1. Sizes as rows and measurements as columns, so shoppers can read across their size.
2. The unit, and both units if you sell abroad: centimetres for India, the UAE and Europe, inches for the United States.
3. How to measure, in two or three lines.
4. A fit note: true to size, relaxed, or slim, and what to do between sizes.
5. Model details where you have photos: “Model is 170 cm and wears M.”
6. A tolerance, such as “measurements can vary by 1 to 2 cm”, especially for handmade items.

Here is an example for a relaxed cotton kurta. The numbers are illustrative; use your own measurements.

How to measure: text you can copy

Shoppers need a tape measure and two minutes. Keep the steps short:

• Chest: measure around the fullest part of the chest, under the arms, keeping the tape level.
• Waist: measure around the natural waist, the narrowest part of the body.
• Hips: measure around the fullest part of the hips, feet together.
• Length: for tops, from the highest point of the shoulder to the hem. For trousers, the inside leg from crotch to ankle.
• Tip: measure a garment you already own that fits well, laid flat, and compare it with the garment measurements.

One chart per fit, not per product

Most shops need only a handful of charts: one for each fit or category, such as “relaxed tops”, “fitted shirts”, “trousers” and “kids”. Making a new chart for every product leads to small differences that confuse shoppers and take time to keep up to date.

In DripFunnel you build a size chart once and attach it to many products. Starter (Free) includes 1 chart, Growth 2, Growth Pro 25 and Business as many as you need. When a measurement changes, you edit the chart once and every product that uses it updates.

Put the chart where shoppers decide

The best chart helps nobody if it’s hidden. Put a clear “Size chart” link right next to the size picker, and open it without leaving the product page.

Use a real table, not a picture of one. A text table can be read on any screen size, by screen readers, and by search engines and AI tools that answer shoppers’ sizing questions.

Use versions and product details to back it up

• Versions: in DripFunnel, every size and colour combination is a version with its own stock, so shoppers see straight away which sizes are available.
• Specifications and highlights: add fabric, stretch and care, the facts that change how a size feels.
• Product FAQs: from Growth Pro, add answers to the fit questions you get most, such as “Does it shrink?”

Learn from your returns

Every return for “too small” or “too big” is feedback on your chart. Note the reason when you approve a return. If one product is often returned as too small, add a fit note (“runs small: choose one size up”) or check its measurements against the chart.

Questions