1
INVENTORY ONBOARDING GUIDE
2
Copyright statement
Copyright © 2021 eBay Inc. All rights reserved.
eBay and the eBay logo are trademarks of eBay Inc. All other brand and product names are trademarks
of their respective owners.
Document information
Version 1.0.0
Date: June 10th 2021
Company information
eBay Inc. 2025 Hamilton Ave. San Jose, CA 95125 USA
Phone: 408.558.7400
Table of Contents
1. Overview
2. Creating a listing
3. Setting up shipping
4. Listing with variations
5. Index
6. Knowledge base
David Celestin
3
Seller Hub Reports Overview
Managing your business with file feeds provides access to tools that let you create a high volume of
listings quickly. Seller Hub Reports will allow you to schedule, upload and download data from eBay as
file feeds (as CSV and Excel formats) so that you can make it easier to accomplish business workflows in
bulk to increase your business efficiency. You can access these features through the Reports tab inside of
Seller Hub. These features can also be accessed programmatically with the same file feeds, through the
Feeds API, using eBay O-Auth.
Inventory onboarding guide
The Inventory Onboarding user guide will walk you through how to create search optimized product
listings on eBay, by using structured file templates. This guide includes:
1) How to use smart template(s) to bulk list different kinds of products
a) Common listings with examples to help get you started selling on eBay.
b) Relational listings for sellers who have different variations of the same product for sale
(i.e. different colors and sizes of the same product).
c) Motor’s Fitment Parts & Accessories, so that you can include a detailed list of compatible
vehicle items for a single part right in one listing. (Fitment guide is coming soon)
2) Use shipping template(s) to update tracking information on orders and make revisions to your
shipping, payment and return business policies.
3) Lastly, how to download and schedule orders and active listings reports, which can be used as an
option to import relevant sales data to a bookkeeping program or manual audits so that you can
see the status and performance of your business and in turn identify patterns and areas of
potential optimizations to apply across your inventory.
Before using Seller Hub Reports
If you have never sold on eBay, we recommend that you start by listing 1 or 2 items from the eBay
site to help you understand listings before using file feeds to list your products.
About listing fees
eBay charges you fees to list and sell items.
Each time you upload a template file to eBay, we automatically list the items as specified. Insertion fees
may be free but please note certain listing features (ie. Subtitle) will incur additional fees. When you sell
an item, we charge a final value fee based on the final selling price of an item. For details see Selling fees
and Store Selling fees.
eBay Business Policies
This section explains where to opt into Business Policies to set up your payment, return, and shipping
information and how to apply that information onto your template.
Whenever you create a listing, you will always need to add information for shipping, payment and returns.
One way to do this is through eBay Business Policies. All your shipping, payment and return information
would be located in one place. You will assign a name to that policy and use that name on your category
template under these 3 columns: Shipping profile name, Payment profile name, Return profile name
David Celestin
4
To use eBay Business Policies in a listing, you must first opt into Business policies with your eBay
account. When you opt into business policies, eBay automatically creates policies based on values
contained in your active, scheduled, and ended listings posted during the previous 90 days.You can edit
these policies from your My eBay page at any time. However, if you have not listed items in the previous
90 days, eBay does not automatically create policies. Instead, you must manually create at least one of
each type of policy – payment, return, and shipping – before you can complete a listing.
You can create your own policies by following these steps:
1. From the “Create policy” dropdown, select a policy type.
2. Give the policy a descriptive name and add a brief description.
3. Add your policy details and select Save.
Important: Your business policies are important: they let buyers know how they can pay you, what
your dispatch time is, the delivery services you offer (including shipping and packaging costs), and
whether you accept returns. See Business Policies.
Creating a listing
This section explains how to add and create basic listings to help get you started selling on eBay.
Understanding template structure
This subsection explains how templates are structured, how to enter your data into the templates.
A template is a structured flat file that you can save locally with the intention of re-uploading it, after you
have filled in the pertinent fields for your product listings. Feel free to leave optional columns blank, but it’s
important to note that the more data you fill in, the more discoverable your listings will be for buyers.
For advanced sellers, you can add structured columns for even more search optimizations. The default
templates can be modified using any application that reads comma-separated value (Excel) format, such
as a spreadsheet application or a text editor. We recommend using spreadsheet apps as it structures the
information in a table type of layout.
See how to download structured templates. At this point, we encourage you to download a structured
template to get familiar with it. You will need to upload it after filling it out.
Auction vs Fixed Price
When you list products, you have a choice between two listing formats: Auction Style or Fixed Price (Buy
It Now) The Start price option is used for both Auction-style and Fixed Price listings. The Buy It Now price
field is used only for an Auction with a Buy It Now price. See Template field definitions.
Smart category template
The smart template file is an interactive file that enables you to see header definitions, choose fields from
dropdowns, and see helpful tool tips. Inside the file template you will find various colors that will guide you
in the decision-making process about which cells to pre-fill thus helping buyers narrow down their search
results to find your listing. Prior to downloading the template in the upload page of Seller Hub Reports,
you are given the opportunity to search and select multiple categories to bulk create your listings.
David Celestin
5
Template category selection
The category selection user interface allows you to manually select a number of categories prior to
downloading the template. This feature gives you the ability to manually search and create listings in bulk
under specific categories. Here is how: Navigate to the Seller Hub Reports tab and click on the Upload
page, and then click on Download template.
1. Select Source Listings
2. File Type (.XLS or .CSV)
a. Default option is XLSX for Excel.
b. The .CSV option is recommended for advanced sellers and provides more flexibility for advanced
apps as it structures the information in a table type of layout.
3. Click on “Categories” to open the category picker user interface.
Select multiple categories or search for category names inside of the search box, .i.e Cameras
4. Use the bar on the right to scroll down through the main category headings i.e. Clothing, Shoes &
Accessories > and click arrows to collapse the sub-categories. .i.e > Baby> Kid>Men and click on the box
to the left of the item, then click Done.
❖ Relevant and up-to-date changes we periodically make to the category structure helps to ensure
that your listings appear in the relevant categories.
❖ If and when the category structure changes, your listings may be automatically moved to another
category, based on the item specifications that you provided.
❖ Aligning categories across international eBay sites will make cross-country trading on the eBay
sites easier.
David Celestin
6
Tip: You can also find all category ID numbers needed for Seller Hub Reports here or inside of a
category template.
How to download the smart category template
1. Navigate to the “Reports tab”
2. Click on “Upload” page
→
3. Click on the “Download template” button.
4. Select Source “Listings” radio button and
Create new listings.
5. Select a template type called “Category
template”.
6. File type: Excel .XLSX'' is default.
7. Click the “checkbox” next to a search result to
add up multiple categories.
8. When you are done selecting categories click
“Done” and then the Download button.
Template field definitions
Use the fields in this table below to enter data for your listings
David Celestin
7
Header field
name
Purpose
Accepted values
Action
Required. Action will post new listings to eBay. The
SiteID is the site you're listing on, Country is where the
item is located, and Currency is your designated
monetary system.
Type: Text string
Valid Entry: Add
Field Dependency: Must enter all
required field data for a particular
type of action.
Custom label
(SKU)
Optional. This field is your unique identifier for the item,
like a stock-keeping unit (SKU) number. The buyer does
not see this information.
Type: Alphanumeric string: Integer
Valid Entry: Text or numeric string
Category ID
Required. This field identifies the numeric ID of a
Category which you will find pre-filled on a template. To
download a template, navigate to Seller Hub Reports
tab, click on the Upload page, then Download template.
All Category IDs are listed in a separate tab on this
template.
Character limit: Max length 10
Type: Integer
Valid Entry: Category number, like
1245
Category
Name
Display field. This field is a display field only and helps
to identify the category.
N/A
Title
Required. This field is the primary name that appears at
the top of your listing. Key words about your product will
help buyer’s in search results.
Character limit: Max length 80
Valid Entry: Text or Alphanumeric
string string
Relationship
Required to use when adding either a Variation or
Compatibility value to the listing. Variation is used when
selling a product that has variable features like color or
size. Compatibility is only used for Motors and Parts &
Accessories. Please see our Parts & Accessories
Resource Center.
Type: Alphabetic string
Valid Entry: Variation or Compatibility
• Parent row: Leave empty..
• Child row: Enter Variation or
Compatibility
Field Dependency: Relationship
details, Quantity, Start price, P:UPC
Relationship
details
Required to use when adding Variations or Compatibility
details.
Valid entry: Do not add blank spaces
between traits or values in the parent
or child rows or the upload will fail.
Field Dependency: Relationship,
Start price, Quantity, P:UPC.
Please see our sections for
Variations and Parts & Accessories
for complete instructions.
P:UPC
Required on US site. The Universal Product Code
(UPC) field will help your listing with better search
optimization and possibly by prefilling item specific
information if the UPC exists in the eBay catalog.
Character limit: 12
Type: Integer
Valid Entry: Number located adjacent
to the bar code on the product.
P:ISBN
Required if listing on the US site and when listing in a
book category. The International Standard Book
Number (ISBN) provides standard product information
about the item. eBay attempts to find a matching
product on your behalf to use in the listing.
Character limit: 10 or 13
Type: Integer
Valid Entry: Number located adjacent
to the bar code, and on the back of
the title page in the book.
P:EAN
Optional on the US site. The European Article Number
(EAN) provides standard product information about the
item. eBay attempts to find a matching product on your
behalf to use in the listing.
Character limit: 13
Type: Integer
Valid Entry: Number located adjacent
to the bar code on the product.
David Celestin
8
P:EPID
Recommended to use when using eBay parts catalog or
other eBay product catalog. The eBay Product ID
references the internal eBay catalog, mostly used for
eBay Motors. This advanced feature is not
recommended for new sellers.
Character limit: 13
Type: Integer
Valid Entry: Number located in Parts
Catalog.
Start price
Required. This field indicates the price at which bidding
starts for an auction. If the listing is in fixed price format,
this is the price to buy the item.
Character limit: Max length 16,
accepts decimal point but no
currency symbols (ie. $, ¥, etc…)
Type: Currency
Valid Entry: Numeric amount, like
5.99, 10.00, 100.00
Quantity
Required. This field indicates the number of items
available for sale. A quantity of more than 1 implies all
the items are exactly the same.
Type: Integer
Valid Entry: Standard numbers, like
1, 15, and 100.
Item photo
URL
Required. URL of the image to add to your listing. For
best results, use an image that is in .jpg format and is at
least 1000 pixels on the longest side.
Images for a listing can be self-hosted, hosted by a third
party or hosted by eBay Picture Services (EPS) through
eBay’s API integration.
Up to 12 images per listing is supported by Seller Hub
Reports. Important: If an image URL has blank spaces,
you must replace the blank spaces with %20; otherwise,
the image will not appear in the listing.
Character limit: Max length 2048
Type: Text string
Valid Entry:
http://hostedpics.com/images/item1.j
pg
Condition ID
Required. This field is a numeric value used to denote
the condition of an item. It also may vary according to
the respective category. For example, 1000, 2750, or
3000.
Type:integer
Possible valid eBay ConditionID
values include:
• 1000
• 1500
• 2000
• 2500
• 3000
• 4000
• 5000
• 6000
• 7000
To obtain the ConditionID value for a
specific category, all Condition IDs
are listed in a separate tab in the
Category template.
Description
Required. In this field you will describe the product. Be
sure to include the special or unique features about your
listings, such as model number.
Character limit: Note that if you’re
using Excel, there is a cell size limit
of 32,765 characters including any
html in a single cell. Use simple html
tags to designate a line break such
as <p> for paragraph break or <br>
for single line break.
Format
Required. Select how you want to sell the items you're
listing.
Valid entry: Auction or FixedPrice.
Default is Auction.
Duration
Required. This field indicates the number of days your
listing will be posted on eBay.
Character limit: Max length 3
Type: Integer or Alphabetic
Valid Entry: Only certain values are
David Celestin
9
allowed, and the choice of values
depends on the listing format.
Valid Auction durations include: 1, 3,
5, 7, and 10 (days) (add’l fees for 1
and 3 day durations). For FixedPrice
listings use GTC (for Good Til
Cancelled).
Buy It Now
price
Optional. This field indicates the price that is required to
immediately buy an auction-style format item. You will
need to define the price you are willing to accept for the
item, which will in turn immediately end the auction. This
field option is not valid for a “Fixed price” format item.
Type: Currency
Valid Entry: Numeric amount, like
10.00, 29.99, 100.00.
Paypal
accepted
Required to use only if you are not yet opted into eBay
Payments or Business Policies.
Type: Boolean (1 for true)
Field Dependency: When “Paypal
accepted” is set to 1 (true), you must
also provide an entry for the Paypal
email address.
Important: If you are opted into eBay
Business Policies, do not use this
field. Instead, indicate the name of
your Payment Policy from your
Business Policy page under Payment
profile name.
If you are opted into eBay Payments,
this field can be ignored.
PayPal email
Address
Required to use only if you have not yet opted into eBay
Payments or Business Policies. When you accept
PayPal, you must also provide the email address
associated with your PayPal account.
Type: Text string
Valid Entry: A valid email address
such as [email protected]
Field Dependency: This field is
required when Paypal accepted is
set to 1 (true).
Important: If you are opted into eBay
Business Policies, do not use this
field. (See PayPal accepted)
If you are opted into eBay Payments,
this field can be ignored.
Immediate pay
required
Optional. Indicates that immediate payment is required
from the buyer. This field is used to require that an item
be paid for before it is considered closed and
purchased. This field is supported for Premier and
Business PayPal accounts only. For more information,
see Requiring immediate payment.
Valid Entry 1 (for true)
Field Dependency PayPalAccepted
must be set to 1 (true).
Important: If you are opted into eBay
Business Policies, do not use this
field. (See PayPal accepted)
If you are opted into eBay Payments,
this field can be ignored.
Payment
instructions
Optional. Use this field if you have other instructions for
your buyers.
Character limit: 500
Type: Alphanumeric string
Valid Entry: Use short descriptive
sentences.
Field Dependency: Can only use this
field when Paypal accepted is set to
1 (true).
David Celestin
10
Important: If you are opted into eBay
Business Policies, do not use this
field. (See PayPal accepted)
If you are opted into eBay Payments,
this field can be ignored.
Location
Required. This field indicates the geographical location
of the item. This is combined with the value specified for
Country automatically to create the Item Location on
your listing. Enter the City and State information.
Character limit: Max length 45
Type: Alphanumeric
Valid Entry: City and 2 letter state
abbreviation of where the item is
located (do not enter postal code).
Field Dependency: If you use the
PostalCode field, do not use the
Location field. The location will be
derived from the postal code value.
Shipping
service 1
option
Required to use when not opted into eBay Business
Policies. A domestic shipping service that can be
selected by the buyer. For example, for USPS priority
mail, you would use USPSPriority.
Type: Text string
Valid Entry: Must be a valid service
option. For valid service options,
refer to the Shipping service code
page
Field Dependency: This field is
required when not opted into eBay
Business Policies. Must be
accompanied by Shipping service 1
cost.
Important: If you are opted into eBay
Business Policies, do not use this
field. Instead, enter the name of your
Shipping Policy from your Business
Policy page under the column
Shipping profile name
Shipping
service 1 cost
Required when not opted into eBay Business Policies.
This field identifies the cost to ship the item with the
selected shipping service.
Type: Currency
Valid Entry: Numeric amount, like
0.00, 1.99.
Field Dependency: This field must
accompany Shipping service 1
Option. For domestic services, do not
enter a value when
ShippingType=Calculated.
Important: If you are opted into eBay
Business Policies, do not use this
field. (See Shipping service 1 option)
Shipping
service 1
additional
cost
Optional. Cost to ship additional items when a buyer
purchases two or more of the same items. This field is
not a default field on your template however it is
important to note the cost for shipping any additional
items buyers may purchase. If this field is not specified,
eBay will charge the buyer the original shipping cost x
the number of items purchased. Usually it does not cost
2x the original shipping to ship more than one product in
the same box.
Valid entry: Numeric amount, such as
3.99
See our section “Using the shipping
discount fields” for more information
David Celestin
11
Shipping
service 1
priority
Required when not opted into eBay Business Policies.
Defines the display order of the domestic shipping
service options shown in your listing. If two or more
domestic shipping services are specified, the service
with Priority as 1 will be the first shipping option shown
in your listing. Note: Each domestic service priority must
be unique; no two domestic shipping services can have
the same Priority.
Type: Integer
Valid Entry: Numeric value, like 1, 2,
or 3.
Field Dependency: Field and a value
are required if more than one
domestic shipping service is
specified.
Important: If you are opted into eBay
Business Policies, do not use this
field. (See Shipping service 1 option)
Shipping
service 2
option
Optional to use when not opted into eBay Business
Policies. A second domestic shipping service gives your
buyer more shipping options to choose from.
Type: Text string
Valid Entry: Must be a valid service
option value. For valid service option
values, refer to the Shipping service
code page.
Field Dependency: This field is
optional for additional shipping for
your buyers. Do not enter a value
when ShippingType=Freight for
domestic services.
Important: If you are opted into eBay
Business Policies, do not use this
field. (See Shipping service 1 option)
Shipping
service 2 cost
Optional to use when not opted into eBay Business
Policies. Cost to ship the item with the second shipping
service if the buyer chooses the second option.
Type: Currency
Valid Entry: Numeric amount, like
0.00, 1.99.
Field Dependency: This field must
accompany Shipping service 2
option. Do not enter a value when
ShippingType=Freight for domestic
services. Do not enter a value when
ShippingType=Calculated for
domestic services.
Important: If you are opted into eBay
Business Policies, do not use this
field. (See Shipping service 1 option)
Shipping
service 2
priority
Optional when not opted into eBay Business Policies.
Defines the display order of the domestic shipping
service options shown in your listing. If two or more
domestic shipping services are specified, the service
with Priority as 2 will be the second shipping option
shown in your listing. Note: Each domestic service
priority must be unique; no two domestic shipping
services can have the same Priority.
Type: Integer
Valid Entry: Numeric value, like 1, 2,
or 3.
Field Dependency: Field and a value
are required if more than one
domestic shipping service is
specified.
Important: If you are opted into eBay
Business Policies, do not use this
field. (See Shipping service 1 option)
David Celestin
12
Max dispatch
time
Required if not opted into eBay Business Policies. This
field indicates the maximum number of business days
specified as your handling time. The clock starts ticking
when the buyer pays for the order. A Max dispatch time
value of 0 indicates same day handling for an item. A
Max dispatch time value of 1 indicates next day
handling for an item. i.e. a buyer pays for the order on a
Wednesday, the seller would have to ship the item by
the next day (Thursday).
Type: Integer
Valid Entry: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20,
30
Field Dependency: Max dispatch
time is valid for Flat and Calculated
shipping.
Important: If you are opted into eBay
Business Policies, do not use this
field.
This information is included on your
shipping Business Policy.
Returns
accepted
option
Required to use this field when not opted into eBay
Business Policies. The field indicates that a buyer has
the option of returning the item or not.
Type: Text string
Valid Entry: ReturnsAccepted or
ReturnsNotAccepted
Important: If you are opted into eBay
Business Policies, do not use this
field. Instead, indicate the name of
your Return Policy from your
Business Policy page under the
column Return profile name.
Returns within
option
Required to use this field when not opted into eBay
Business Policies and when using Returns accepted
option. This field defines the length of time a buyer has
in which to notify a seller of their intent to return an item.
Type: Text string
Valid Entry: Days_14, Days_30,
Days_60
Field Dependency: Returns accepted
option must be set to
ReturnsAccepted.
Important: If you are opted into eBay
Business Policies, do not use this
field. (See Returns accepted option)
Refund option
Required to use when not opted into eBay Business
Policies and when using Returns accepted option. This
field defines how the buyer is to be compensated by the
seller for a returned item.
Type: Text string
Valid Entry:
● MoneyBack
● MoneyBackOrExchange
● MoneyBackOrReplacement
Field Dependency: Returns accepted
option must be set to
ReturnsAccepted.
Important: If you are opted into eBay
Business Policies, do not use this
field. (See Returns accepted option)
Return
shipping cost
paid by
Required to use this field when not opted into eBay
Business Policies and when using Returns accepted
option. It specifies who will pay to return the item. If
Buyer is indicated, it means the Buyer would pay to
return the item. If Seller is indicated, the Seller would
pay to return the item.
Type: Text string
Valid Entry: Buyer or Seller
Field Dependency: Returns accepted
option must be set to
ReturnsAccepted.
Important: If you are opted into eBay
Business Policies, do not use this
field. (See Returns accepted option)
David Celestin
13
Shipping
profile name
Required when opted into eBay Business Policies. This
field specifies which shipping business policy a seller
has chosen to use in the listing.
Character limit: Maximum length of
50 characters
Type: Text
Valid Entry: Must be a valid return
policy name already defined on your
Business Policy page.
Important: Since policy name values
are case-sensitive, be sure to enter
the policy name exactly as it appears
on your Business Policy page. Refer
to Shipping profile name to make
sure you are opted into eBay
Business Policies.
Return profile
name
Required when opted into eBay Business Policies. This
field specifies which return business policy a seller has
chosen to use in the listing.
Character limit: Maximum length of
50 characters
Type: Text
Valid Entry: Must be a valid return
policy name already defined on your
Business Policy page.
Important: Since policy name values
are case-sensitive, be sure to enter
the policy name exactly as it appears
on your Business Policy page. Refer
to Shipping profile name to make
sure you are opted into eBay
Business Policies.
Payment
profile name
Required when opted into eBay Business Policies and
eBay Payments. This field identifies the payment
business policy to use in the listing. Sellers will be able
to add Immediate pay required; Cash on Pickup etc on
their Payment policy.
Character limit: Maximum length of
50 characters
Type: Text
Valid Entry: Must be an existing and
valid payment policy name on your
Business Policy page.
Important: Since policy names are
case-sensitive, be sure to enter the
policy name exactly as it appears on
your Business Policy page.
Global
shipping
Optional. When you opt into the Global Shipping
Program on eBay, use this field to specify that an item is
to be made available to buyers around the world.
Important: If the domestic portion of this delivery uses
calculated shipping, then you must also
add these weight and size field values for the item.
• WeightMajor
• WeightMinor
• WeightUnit
• PackageDepth
• PackageLength
• PackageWidth
• PackageType
• OriginatingPostalCode
Valid Entry: 1
To use this field, you must first opt
into the Global Shipping Program on
the eBay site. Click edit to the right of
“Global shipping program”.
For more information
For Global Shipping Program Seller
Terms and Conditions.
David Celestin
14
The template experience
This subsection shows examples of how to fill out a template and describes the template experience.
General instructions tab: Pay attention to the general instructions section which will provide you with
information on how to get started with filling out the template with the Add action, variations and the
parent-child relationship. Other tabs like Fitment Parts, and category ID are also included in this file.
Color legend
Notice the color reference on each cell to guide you and get familiar with each meaning. The more
information you enter the more buyers will be able to find your products.
Indicates missing required fields for a listing.
Indicates missing item specific that will be required soon.
Indicates missing recommended item specifics for a listing.
Indicates items specific does not apply to this item/category.
Tool tips
In order for you to see the tool tips, hover your mouse over the column headers to see field definitions,
strings, dependencies and links to information (if any). The tool tip helps you understand the definition of
each column header. See template field definitions to see which fields are required or optional.
David Celestin
15
Dropdowns
For column headers that have dropdowns, click on the cell with missing item specifics and click on the
arrow that appears beside the cell to select a value. The drop-down option helps you select an applicable
value. Leave it blank if none is applicable.
Using Images with your listings
The structured template file enables you to list vivid images of your products to showcase to your buyers,
thus having them make quicker decisions about your inventory. Photos need to be provided in the file
template via URL links to the web-hosted images. Insert URL information in the field called Item photo
URL.
The photo URL needs to start with the hypertext https:// and end with a file extension like .jpg or .png.
Pictures can be self-hosted, hosted by a third party, or hosted by eBay Picture Services (EPS) through
eBay’s API integration. There are many photo hosting services available and most are compatible.
eBay recommends a minimum of 500 pixels on the longest side, 800 pixels on the longest side to enable
the buyer to zoom the picture in the listing page. For best results, 1200 pixels is Optimal.
Listing up to 12 pictures
You can add up to 12 photos on the parent row and each variation row. When doing so, use the pipe ( | )
character to separate the values. Here is an example of how you can list with multiple images.
Pipe characters | can be used to separate the URLs : i.e. https://www.picturshosting
site.com/picturefolder/picturename1.jpg|https://www.picturshosting
site.com/picturefolder/picturename2.jpg|
Using additional shipping fields
This section explains the columns and corresponding values that define additional shipping service
options, shipping discounts, shipping rate tables, calculated shipping and international shipping
information.
“Values” are the information that goes in the field under the column header. For sellers who are not opted
into eBay Business Policies, you will need to enter the values talked about here under the shipping
columns on your listing template file.
Shipping information can either be entered by using the shipping columns on the template (Shipping
service 1option; Shipping service 1 cost; Shipping service 1 priority; Shipping service 2 option; Shipping
service 2 cost; Shipping service 2 priority) or by adding your shipping policy name from your eBay
Business Policy page. That name would be entered under the column “Shipping profile name”.
David Celestin
16
Note: For domestic shipping you can add up to 4 shipping service options. You’ll notice that the
category template already offers 2 domestic shipping service options. If you’d like to add a 3
rd
or 4th, add
these 3 columns manually (changing the number from 3 to 4 if needed):
Shipping
service 3
option
An additional domestic shipping service that can be selected by the buyer.
● Valid Entry: Text string See shipping service code page
.
● Field Dependency: Must be accompanied by ShippingService-3:Cost.
Shipping
service 3
cost
● Valid Entry: Numeric amount, like 0.00, 1.99.
● Field Dependency: This field must accompany ShippingService-3:Option.
● Do not enter a value when ShippingType=Freight is specified for domestic
services.
● Do not enter a value when ShippingType=Calculated is specified for domestic
services.
Shipping
service 3
priority
Defines the display order of the domestic shipping service options shown in your listing.
● Valid Entry: Numeric value, like 1, 2, or 3.
● Field Dependency: Field and a value are required if more than one domestic
shipping service is specified.
Using the shipping discount fields
Use shipping discounts to offer shipping savings to buyers whether they purchase multiple items from you
from different listings or multiple items from the same listing. Doing so may encourage buyers to buy
additional items.
There are 2 ways to apply shipping discounts. One way is to set up combined payments at your Account
Shipping Preferences page so you can use shipping discounts and profiles. Use this option for a buyer
that would buy an item(s) from multiple different listings. For an overview about shipping discount rules
and profiles, see Shipping Discounts.
In order to offer shipping discounts for this scenario you must first use Combined Payments:
● First set up your combined payments at your “Shipping Preferences” page. Find “Allow combined
payments and shipping” and click Edit to the right.
● Next set up your shipping discount profiles, make a note of the shipping discount profile ID
located on the profile window.
● On your category template add a column header “ShippingDiscountProfileID” (without the
quotes). Type or paste the profile ID number in the cell below that column header.
*If you use eBay Business Policies, do not use this field. You will apply your shipping discounts with this
method at your Shipping Policy page. See Other optional shipping fields
The 2nd way to offer shipping discounts is to add an additional shipping cost as you create your shipping
options on the template. This is the way to offer a buyer a shipping discount for purchasing multiple
quantities from the same listing. Add a column to your template “Shipping service 1 additional cost”
(without the quotes) and add your (usually) discounted shipping cost for multiple items. See Other
optional shipping fields.
*If you use eBay Business Policies, do not use this field. You will apply your additional shipping cost with
this method at your Shipping Policy page.
David Celestin
17
Note: You can use both types of shipping discounts at the same time to encourage buying multiple
quantities from the same listing or different listings.
Using shipping rate tables
Use this subsection to learn how to create a shipping rate table and apply the values it contains to your
listings on eBay.
You can optionally set up a domestic shipping rate table to provide either regional pricing and service time
details or pricing for special domestic areas that may cost more to ship to. For example, you can specify
shipping costs to Hawaii/Alaska, United States protectorates (Puerto Rico, Guam), and to Army Post
Office (APO) and Fleet Post Office (FPO) addresses. You can also specify shipping rates in the
continental United States regionally.
When you set up a shipping rate table, you can specify a rate for each region and service level you want
to support. You can opt to specify shipping rates per item, per weight, or by surcharge. Only one of these
rate types can be implemented at a time. For example, you may have warehouses located in different
regions of the country. You can specify the rates for shipping to selected states near one of those
warehouses. When a buyer is logged in, their ship-to zip code will be recognized as being within one of
those states and your table rates would be displayed to that buyer.
Note: for buyers not located in one of your shipping rate table regions, a flat rate shipping service and
cost must be specified on your category template.
Note: When you update a shipping rate table, we automatically apply the new rates to your new listings
only.
To set up a shipping rate table, log into your eBay account and go to Account settings > Shipping
preferences > Using shipping rate tables > Edit.
How to apply shipping rate tables to your category template
1. To find your rate table ID, go to your eBay Account settings > Shipping preferences > Using
shipping rate tables > Edit.
2. Within the page URL look for a unique number like this example:
*Each Seller’s rate-table ID will be unique.
3. Add a new column to your template “DomesticShippingRateTableID”. Paste the 10-digit number
in the cell beneath your new column header. See Other optional shipping fields
If you are using eBay Business Policies, do not use this field. You can apply your shipping rate table to
your shipping policy. Your rate table pricing will be applied to every listing on which you set your shipping
policy.
Other optional shipping fields
Purpose
Accepted values
David Celestin
18
Optional. A shipping discount offered
to a buyer who purchases items from
different listing pages.
Valid entry: Numeric ID i.e
780385439
Optional. Cost to ship additional
items when a buyer purchases two
or more of the same item.
Valid entry: Numeric amount, such
as 3.99
Optional. Provides special pricing
and service times to different regions
of the country as well as special
domestic areas that may cost more
to ship to.
Valid entry: Numeric ID located
within shipping rate table URL.
See screenshot above.
Using international shipping
Selling to international buyers is a great way to expand your buyer field to get more sales. Some sellers
start off shipping domestically only until they learn more about listing and processing orders. You can ship
internationally in 2 different ways: 1) By adding the required international shipping fields yourself; or 2)
Using the Global Shipping program.
Shipping information can either be entered by using the shipping columns on the template or by adding
your shipping policy name from your eBay Business Policy page. That name would be entered under the
column “Shipping profile name”.
Required fields for international shipping
Below is a list of the required fields for international shipping. By default, international shipping fields are
not included on the category templates. You can add up to 4 different international shipping options. In
addition, unlike domestic shipping, you must also set your international ship-to locations where you would
specify which countries you ship to. See shipping service code page.
Purpose
Accepted values
An international shipping service the
buyer can choose to ship the item.
Valid Entry Must be a valid service
option value for each service.
Cost to ship the item with the
selected international shipping
service.
Valid Entry Numeric amount, like
0.00, 1.99
Cost to ship additional items when a
buyer purchases two or more of the
same item.
Valid Entry: Numeric amount, like
3.99.
David Celestin
19
An international location or region to
which an item can be shipped,
according to the respective shipping
service. Multiple locations are
separated by the pipe (|) character.
For example,: Asia|Europe
Valid Entry: Must be a valid
shipping location value. For listing
on US site, use these codes:
● AU,
● Americas,
● Asia,
● CA,
● DE,
● Europe,
● GB,
● JP,
● MX,
● None,
● Worldwide
Defines the display order of the
international shipping service options
shown in your listing.
Valid Entry: Numeric value, like 1,
2, 3 or 4.
Global Shipping
eBay Global Shipping program utilizes a domestic shipping partner based in the US to ship items outside
of the US on behalf of the seller.. When an order is received from a buyer who opted for the Global
Shipping services, the seller will ship the item to our partner who then takes the responsibility to ship the
item out of the US. While Global Shipping has certain criteria to meet, it can help protect you from item
delivery issues by offering international tracking as well as negative feedback when your item is shipped
overseas.
Visit the eBay Help page, Global Shipping Program | eBay, to review the criteria for its use. If your seller
account meets the criteria, you will then be able to opt into eBay Global Shipping.
GlobalShipping
Optional. When you opt into the Global Shipping
Program on eBay, use this field to specify that an item
is to be made available to buyers around the world.
Important: If the domestic portion of this delivery uses
calculated shipping, then you must also
add these weight and size field values for the item.
• WeightMajor
• WeightMinor
• WeightUnit
• PackageDepth
• PackageLength
• PackageWidth
• PackageType
• OriginatingPostalCode
Valid Entry: 1
To use this field, you must first opt
into the Global Shipping Program
on the eBay site. Click edit to the
right of “Global shipping program”.
For more information
For Global Shipping Program
Seller Terms and Conditions.
David Celestin
20
Using calculated shipping
Use calculated shipping when you want to have eBay shipping calculator calculate the costs of shipping
from your item’s location to your buyer’s location rather than setting a flat rate. The calculated cost will
also be based on the details you provide on your package and delivery service.
If you are using eBay business policies, calculated shipping can be applied on your shipping policy and
you would not need to add the below columns.
Required Fields for calculated shipping:
The following required fields need to be manually added by the Seller. Optionally you can use
PackagingHandlingCosts to add a nominal charge for packaging and packing materials.
Header field
name
Purpose
Accepted values
ShippingType
Required. This field specifies calculated shipping as opposed
to using flat rate shipping.
Valid entry: Calculated
Shipping service
1 option
Required to use when not opted in to eBay Business
Policies. A domestic shipping service that can be selected by
the buyer. For example, for USPS priority mail, you would
use USPSPriority
Valid Entry: Must be a valid
service option value. For
valid service option values,
refer to the Shipping service
code page
OriginatingPostal
Code
Required. This field specifies the ZIP code where the item is
located
Valid entry: Must contain
five or nine digits – for
example 90210 or
90210-4141 .
PackageType
Required. This field specifies the characteristics of the
package to be shipped.
Valid entry:
● None,
● Letter,
● LargeEnvelope,
● PackageThickEnve
lope,
● USPSLargePack
(works for all
services)
WeightMajor
Required. This field specifies the whole number portion of the
shipping weight. For example, for a shipping weight of 3
lbs.,8 oz., enter 3
Valid entry: Whole number
such as 3, 7 or 20.
WeightMinor
Required. This value should reflect ounces. For example, for
a shipping weight of 3 lbs.,8 oz., the value would be 8.
Valid entry: Whole number,
like 3 or 10
WeightUnit
Required. This field specifies the unit of measure for shipping
weight.
Valid entry: lb
PackageLength
Required. This field specifies the whole number portion of the
package length (from side to side)
Valid entry: Whole number
(in inches)
PackageDepth
Required. This field specifies the whole number portion of the
package depth (top to bottom).
Valid entry: Whole number
(in inches)
David Celestin
21
PackageWidth
Required. This field specifies the whole number portion of the
package width (front to back).
Valid entry: Whole number
(in inches)
PackagingHandli
ngCosts
Optional. This field is used to add a nominal charge for
packaging and packing materials.
Valid entry: .99,1.00
Listing with variations
This section explains how to create relational listings for sellers who have different variations of the same
product for sale (ie. different colors and sizes of the same product).
Multi-variation supported listings are available in the following categories page. When you want to list
many similar items that have different variables, such as color or size, you can create listings that include
all the variations you offer. For creating a listing with variations there will be a parent-child relationship for
the following fields: Relationship, Relationship details, P:UPC, Start price, Quantity, and optionally Item
photo URL and Custom label.
Using relationship fields for variations
Relationship fields are used for adding varied product information to a multi-quantity listing. These fields
enable you to sell products that are similar, such as shirts, in a variety of colors and sizes, all in the same
listing. Variations help you define products in addition to item specifics and can leverage the Custom label
(SKU) field for inventory references. Unlike regular listings, the relationship fields use a parent-child
hierarchical structure. Tip: Also called multi-SKU, Variations identifies multiple variants of the same single
product (such as colors or sizes). Variation helps to define products in addition to item specifics.
Note: The first (parent) row contains the normal listing information, such as Action, Category,
Format, and other shared information (such as shipping and return options) that apply to all the variations
in the listing. The subsequent (variation or child) rows contain the required information that applies to
David Celestin
22
each variation, such as Relationship, Relationship details, Quantity, Start price, P:UPC and optionally
Custom label (SKU) and Item photo URL fields. See below for table 1.0
Required fields
The following paragraphs explain the parent and child row field requirements.
Relationship: Indicates variation information will be added to the listing when the Variation value
is used.
➢ Parent row: Leave empty
➢ Child row: Enter Variation
Relationship details: Defines the trait details, such as color (trait 1) and size (trait 2) for the variation rows
but must contain all possible traits in the parent row. Do not add blank spaces between traits or values in
either row, or the upload will fail.
➢ Parent row: Define all traits (such as color and size) and their possible values (such as Blue and
Red, Medium and Large). Separate these traits with a pipe ( | ) character. Use the format:
Trait1=Value1;Value2|Trait2=Value1;Value2. For example,: Color=Blue;Red|Size=M;L.
➢ Child row: Define the trait combination for each applicable trait for this variation. Use the format:
Trait1=Value1|Trait2=Value1. For example,: Color=Blue|Size=M.
P:UPC: Specifies the barcode number on the item if available for each variation.
➢ Parent row: Leave empty.
➢ Child row: (Required) If you do not have a product code/barcode for each trait combination you
can use “Does not apply” (without the quotes) on each row.
*Quantity: Specifies the number of items available for each trait combination.
➢ Parent row: Leave empty
➢ Child row: (Required) Specify the quantity available for each trait combination – a value is
required and must be greater than zero.
*Start price: Specifies the price of the item
➢ Parent row: Leave empty
➢ Child row: (Required) Specify the purchase price for each variation combination.
Important: In addition to the other required fields at the parent level, variation categories usually
require other product identifiers and Item Specifics, such as Brand and MPN, or Size, Type or
Department, and so on, for all manufactured products. If your product does not have a Brand or MPN,
enter “Unbranded” or "Does not apply" (without the quotes) respectively on the parent row only.
Requirements such as Type or Department should use the eBay-specified value on the parent row only.
This will be supplied in a drop-down menu on your template. Item Specifics will also be color coded
David Celestin
23
Table 1.0
Optional fields for Variations
Custom label (SKU): Specifies the SKU codes for certain variations.
➢ Parent row: (Optional) Specify the custom label (SKU) for the listing
➢ Child row: (Optional) Specify the custom label (SKU) for this particular variation
➢ NOTE: SKUs at both parent and child levels must be different.
Item photo URL: Table 1.0 defines both the shared and variation images on a listing.
If an image URL has blank spaces, you must replace the blank spaces with %20; otherwise, the image
will not appear in the listing
➢ Parent row: Specify the parent-level picture to show a typical example of the product. This image
will appear as the Gallery picture. Up to 12 picture URLs can be added by separating each URL
with a pipe ( | ) character. For example,: ↓
https://pictures.com/picturefolder/picturename.jpg|https://pictures.com/picturefolder/picturename2.
jpg|https://pictures.com/picturefolder/picturename3.jpg →Note: These are not a real links
➢ Child row: Specify the specific picture(s) to use for this variation. To use more than one image for
a variation, separate the image URLs with a pipe character ( | ). For example, multiple pictures for
the color Black would require multiple image URLs:
Black=https://pictures.com/picturefolder/picturename.jpg|https://pictures.com/picturefolder/picture
name2.jpg|https://pictures.com/picturefolder/picturename3.jpg.
Note: Item photo URL values for variations must use a single trait name.
For example, if one variation has Black=URL1|URL2|URL3 and the next variation has
Blue=URL4|URL5|URL6, these are valid combinations because the same trait (color) is used. However, if
one variation has: Black=URL1|URL2|URL3, and the next variation has Medium=URL4|URL5|URL6, this
is an invalid combination because two traits (color and size) are used.
Tip: If an item already has a variation row with pictures defined for a given trait value, you do not
need to re-define them again. For example, one variation has Relationship details as
Color=Black|Size=Small and Item photo URL as Black=http://host.com/my.jpg. If the next variation has
David Celestin
24
Relationship details as Color=Black|Size=Medium, you do not need to put Black=http://host.com/my.jpg
for the Item photo URL field again because the image for Black has already been defined.
IMPORTANT: If an existing listing contains no variations, you cannot revise that listing to include
variations. Instead, you must end that listing, and then create a new listing with variations.
Modifying the Quantity and Start price of a variation
You can modify the values for Quantity and Start price even if one or more transactions are pending
against the variation.
To revise *Quantity and *Start price, just update the desired values. For instance, when compared to the
example shown earlier in this section (Table 1.0) this table (Table 1.1) updates the values for Quantity
and Start price specific to the variations of Color=Blue|Size=Medium and Color=Red|Size=S.
If you set the Quantity of a variation to zero (0), the variation will be shown as out-of-stock. If no items of
the variation have been sold, the variation will be removed from view. But you can still add quantity and
price back to that variation combination later.
Neither the Relationship details nor the Item photo URL of a variation can be modified or deleted when
one or more transactions are pending against the variation. For example, you have an unanswered
question from a buyer.
To revise the values for Relationship details or Item photo URL, you must first delete the variation you
want to modify, and then add the new variation that replaces it. Use Revise in the Action field in the parent
row, use Delete in the Action field in the variation row(s) that you want to change, and then add the row
that contains the modified Relationship details or Item photo URL. For example, the second row (below)
with Delete in the Action field is removed and replaced in the subsequent row (with no Action value
specified).
In this example, the Red Size Small information is replaced with the “RedStripes Size Small” information.
David Celestin
25
Modifying the Relationship and Custom label of a variation
When you delete or modify a variation, the eBay-generated Custom label associated with the variation is
automatically deleted or modified (you need not modify it explicitly). Any Custom label on one of your child
rows of your own making would need to be modified. Lastly, since the value for Relationship is not used
for an eBay item, it cannot be modified.
End of document
Index
Table of contents 2
Seller Hub Reports Overview 3
Inventory onboarding guide 3
Before using Seller Hub Reports 3
About listing fees 3
eBay Business Policies 3
Creating a listing 4
Understanding template structure 4
Auction vs Fixed Price 4
David Celestin
26
Smart category template 4
Template category selection 5
How to download the smart category template 6
Template field definitions 7
The template experience 14
Color legend 14
Tool tips 14
Dropdowns 15
Using Images with your listings 15
Listing up to 12 pictures 15
Using additional shipping fields 16
How to apply shipping rate tables to your category template 17
Other optional shipping fields 18
Using international shipping 18
Using calculated shipping 20
Required Fields for calculated shipping: 20
Listing with variations 21
Using relationship fields for variations 21
Required fields 22
Optional fields for Variations 23
Modifying the Quantity and Start price of a variation 24
Modifying the Relationship and Custom label of a variation 25
Index 26
Knowledge base 27
David Celestin
27
Knowledge base
Seller Hub Overview
Seller Hub Reports
Seller Hub
eBay Business Policies
Business Policy Opt In
Business Policies help page
eBay Fees
Selling fees
Store Selling fees
eBay Listing formats
Auction Style
Fixed Price (Buy It Now)
Category name and ID reference
Variations
eBay Shipping
Shipping Options
Shipping discounts
Global Shipping
ShippingServiceCodeType - API
Reference - Trading API (ebay.com)
Feeds API & Error Information
Feed API
OAuth
Error look-up pages
Error look up
Error codes
eBay Motors (Guide is coming soon)
eBay Motors Parts & Accessories Seller
Resource Center
Parts catalog zip download.
Parts Compatibility Listings downloads
David Celestin