Direct answer: A product specification is the written description that every supplier should use for your quote. It should explain what the product is, how it should look and work, what is included, how many you want, how it should be packed and which details are still undecided. Send the same dated file to every supplier.
Last reviewed: 2026-09-28
A product link or photo is a useful starting point, but it leaves many questions unanswered. Is the item made from the same material as the photo? Are the accessories included? Does the quoted price include individual packaging? What size difference would you accept?
If different suppliers answer those questions for themselves, their prices will not describe the same product. A short written specification gives them one common description to quote.
It does not prove that a supplier is a manufacturer, guarantee the quality of a future order or confirm that a product meets legal or marketplace requirements. Those questions need their own checks and, where appropriate, qualified advice.
Start With These Nine Product Questions
Write your answers in simple sentences. A supplier should be able to read each answer without guessing what you mean.
| Question | What to write | Fictional example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is the product for? | Describe who will use it and what it must do. | “A desktop tray for holding pens, clips and other small stationery.” |
| 2. What is included? | List every part the supplier should quote. Also say what is not included if a photo could cause confusion. | “One tray and four rubber feet. Pens and other items shown in the reference photo are not included.” |
| 3. What material do you want? | Name the material if you know it. If you do not, describe the result you need and ask the supplier to explain its suggestion. | “The tray should be rigid and suitable for repeated indoor use. Please state the material and explain any alternative in a separate line.” |
| 4. What size should it be? | Give the measurement, the unit and exactly where it is measured. Say how much difference is acceptable if that matters. | “The outside length should be 240 mm. Measure from the furthest point at each end. A difference of up to 2 mm is acceptable.” |
| 5. How should it look? | Describe colour, surface and visible details. Attach a named photo or drawing when words are not enough. | “Matte dark green, using the attached image named Green-reference-01.jpg. No sharp edges or obvious surface scratches.” |
| 6. Which versions and quantities do you need? | Put each size, colour or model on its own line with a quantity. | “300 dark-green units and 200 light-grey units; 500 units in total.” |
| 7. How should it be packed? | State what protects one unit, what goes inside the package and what information belongs on the label. | “Place each tray in a protective bag. Pack 20 units in each shipping carton. Quote a plain carton; show a retail box as a separate option.” |
| 8. What should a sample show? | List the points you will inspect instead of saying only “good quality.” | “The sample should confirm the outside size, colour, four rubber feet, matte surface and individual protective bag.” |
| 9. What is still undecided? | Turn every missing detail into a direct question. | “The exact plastic has not been selected. Please suggest one suitable option and state how it affects the quote.” |
The numbers in these examples are only there to show clear wording. They are not recommended specifications for your product.
Download the first China order product specification CSV template.
A Short Product Specification You Can Copy
Copy the headings below into a document or email. Replace each instruction with your own answer. If you do not know an answer, write the question you want the supplier to answer instead of inventing a value.
Product and use
Product name: Use a short name that you will use in every email and file.
Intended use: Explain what the product must do and where it will be used.
Included items: List every part and accessory in the quote.
Not included: Name anything visible in a reference photo that the supplier should leave out.
Material, construction and size
Material: State the material and grade if already decided. Otherwise describe the result you need and ask the supplier to identify its proposed material.
Construction: Explain how many parts there are, how they fit together and any part that must be removable or replaceable.
Measurements: Give each measurement with a unit and name the points being measured. For example: “The outside width should be 160 mm, measured across the widest part.”
Acceptable size difference: If a measurement is important, state the largest difference you could accept. For example: “The outside width may be up to 1 mm above or below 160 mm.” If you do not yet know, ask what the supplier can hold consistently and review the answer before approving it.
Function: Describe the result the product must achieve and the conditions that matter.
Appearance, versions and quantity
Colour and finish: Name the colour reference, surface finish and visible defects you would reject.
Versions: List every size, colour or model separately.
Quantity: Give the quantity for each version and the total quantity being quoted. A possible future order can be mentioned as an estimate, but it should not look like a current commitment.
Packaging and labels
Unit packaging: Explain how one item should be protected and what should be inside the package.
Shipping carton: State the number of units per carton if decided. If it is not decided, ask the supplier for a proposed carton size, weight and number of units.
Labels or printed artwork: Name the exact file, its date and where it should appear. Do not refer to “the latest logo” or “the picture from our chat.”
References and sample checks
Attached files: List every photo, drawing or artwork file by its exact filename and explain what it shows.
What the sample must confirm: List the size, material, function, appearance, included parts and packaging points you intend to check.
Questions still open: List each undecided point as a question. Ask the supplier to keep suggested alternatives separate from the product you originally asked it to quote.
What to Write When You Do Not Know an Answer
You do not need to pretend that every detail is final. Clear questions are more useful than guessed numbers.
Use ordinary wording such as:
- “I have not selected the exact material. Please suggest one option for repeated indoor use and state the material in the quote.”
- “I know the target size, but I have not decided the acceptable size difference. Please state what your process can hold consistently.”
- “Retail packaging is not decided. Please quote protective packaging as the main option and show a retail box separately.”
- “This colour image is a visual guide only. Please explain how you would confirm the production colour.”
When a supplier suggests a change, do not silently replace your original request. Keep both sentences:
- Your request: “The tray should have four rubber feet.”
- Supplier suggestion: “Two longer rubber strips may be easier to assemble.”
- Your later decision: “Use four rubber feet, as shown in the revised drawing dated 28 September 2026.”
This makes it clear which idea came from the supplier and which version you approved.
Tell suppliers which requirements are essential and which are options
Mark the product points that must be met for your intended use. Keep optional finishes, accessories or packaging upgrades in a separate group so a supplier can quote them without changing the main request.
- Essential: the requirement the main quote must meet.
- Optional: a separately priced addition you may consider.
- Open: a question that still needs a supplier proposal or qualified input.
Do not mark an unresolved safety or product requirement as optional simply to obtain a lower price.
Send your product idea, quantity, destination and business email. Mention the requirement you need help expressing.
For an appliance, include any part or accessory requirement that matters after the initial purchase. The appliance spare-parts and after-sales question checklist helps define the model references and supplier questions before you approve the brief.
Keep File Changes Simple
You do not need a complicated numbering system. The important point is that you can tell which file a supplier used.
- Put a date and a simple version number in the filename, such as Desk-organizer-spec-2026-09-28-v1.
- Send the same file to every supplier you want to compare.
- If something changes, save a new file instead of overwriting the old one.
- Add a short note at the top: what changed, the date and who agreed to it.
- Ask the supplier to name the file version in its quote or sample message.
A change note can be one sentence: “Version 2, dated 30 September 2026: outside width changed from 155 mm to 160 mm after buyer review.”
Fictional Example: A Reusable Desk Organizer
The example below is fictional. It is not a customer order, quotation, case study or specification recommended by this website.
We need a reusable desk organizer for pens, clips and other small stationery. The quote should include one rigid tray and four rubber feet; stationery shown in the reference photo is not included. The outside size is 240 mm long, 160 mm wide and 35 mm high. A difference of up to 2 mm in length or width is acceptable. Please suggest a suitable rigid plastic for repeated indoor use and state the exact material in the quote.
Quote 300 dark-green units and 200 light-grey units. Use the two attached colour images as visual references and explain how the production colour would be confirmed. Each tray should have a matte surface with no sharp edges or obvious scratches.
Pack each tray in a protective bag and 20 trays in each shipping carton. Retail packaging is not decided, so show any retail-box proposal as a separate option. The sample should confirm the outside dimensions, material, colour, surface, four rubber feet and protective bag.
Notice what the example does not do: it does not invent a material, hide the packaging question or describe a supplier suggestion as an approved choice.
Check This Before You Send It
- ☐ The product name and intended use are clear.
- ☐ Included parts and excluded items are listed.
- ☐ Every measurement has a unit and tells the reader where to measure.
- ☐ Important measurements say how much difference is acceptable, or ask the supplier to propose what it can hold.
- ☐ Each colour, size or model has its own quantity.
- ☐ Packaging and label instructions say what is included in the main quote.
- ☐ Every photo, drawing and artwork file is named in the specification.
- ☐ Unclear details are written as direct questions, not guessed answers.
- ☐ Supplier alternatives are shown separately from your original request.
- ☐ The sample checks are specific enough to mark pass, revise or reject in normal language.
- ☐ Every supplier receives the same dated file.
- ☐ The file contains no passwords, payment-card details or unrelated personal information.
Use the Specification in the Next Sourcing Step
If you do not yet have supplier candidates, use the specification when you find and shortlist manufacturer candidates.
If you are contacting suppliers yourself, attach it to the China supplier inquiry template.
When replies arrive, compare Chinese supplier quotes only after checking that every quote refers to the same dated specification.
When the sample is ready, connect it to an approved sample record so the supplier and checker can identify the exact version, accepted points, packaging files and unresolved differences before production.
If you are considering an agent, review the 15 proof checks for choosing a China sourcing agent and attach this product specification to the China sourcing agent brief template.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a product specification for a China supplier?
It is a written description of the product you want the supplier to quote, sample or make. It explains the product, material, size, appearance, quantity, packaging, attached files, sample checks and unanswered questions. Sending the same description to every supplier makes their replies easier to compare.
Can I ask for a quote before every detail is final?
Yes. Say exactly what has not been decided and ask the supplier to state its assumption. If a supplier offers another material or packaging method, ask for it as a separate option so it is not confused with your original request.
Do I need a technical drawing?
Not for every simple product. Clear written measurements and labelled photos may be enough to begin a discussion. A product with important dimensions, fitted parts, safety requirements or complex construction may need a properly prepared drawing or other qualified technical input.
What if I do not know the material or acceptable size difference?
Describe the result you need and ask the supplier for a specific proposal. For example: “Please suggest a rigid material for repeated indoor use,” or “Please state the size difference your process can hold consistently.” Review that answer before treating it as approved.
Should the supplier write the whole specification?
A supplier can answer questions and suggest alternatives, but the buyer should keep the main description and record any approved change. Otherwise each supplier may quote a different interpretation of the product.
Is this the same as a supplier inquiry?
No. The product specification explains the item. A supplier inquiry asks the supplier to quote it and answer questions about the offer, sample, packaging, payment and delivery.
Is this the same as a sourcing-agent brief?
No. The product specification describes the item. The agent brief explains the sourcing task, what help is being requested and what information the buyer wants back. The product specification can be attached to that brief.
Does an approved sample replace the written specification?
No. A sample shows one physical unit, while the written specification records details such as materials, dimensions, packaging and which version was reviewed. Keep the sample reference and the dated specification together.
Can a product specification guarantee quality or compliance?
No. It reduces ambiguity, but it does not prove supplier identity, guarantee a future batch or confirm legal, safety, customs, trademark or marketplace requirements. Those questions need product-specific checks and appropriate specialist advice.
For controlled testing, see Small Batch Testing. See 1688 Sourcing Agent, Pricing, FAQ or Contact.
Need to turn a product idea into a sourcing brief?
Send the product link or description, target quantity and destination. We will use those basics to identify the next supplier and quotation questions.
You do not need a finished order plan or payment details to start.