FAQs

The eBay catalog is an extensive online library of product information and images for many products on the market today. It offers sellers a way to list faster using pre-filled product information such as brand, model number, dimensions, performance, color, capacity, compatibilities, and professional photos into your listing.

It’s a fast and easy way to create professional, detailed listings for your items—making it easier for your customers to find and buy exactly what they’re looking for.

UPC stands for Universal Product Code. A UPC is a unique 12-digit number commonly found printed next to a barcode printed on a product or packaging used to identify and track products.


ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. An ISBN is a unique 10 or 13-digit number commonly found printed above a barcode on books to identify and track the publication of books.


The 14-digit GTIN (Global Trade Identification Number) can be used in place of the UPC and can be found embedded in a barcode.

We will provide advance notice to affected sellers via email and announcement board posts. You can also bookmark this page and come back for updates.

Today, you have to list with the eBay catalog if listing products in the following categories:

LISTING WITH THE CATALOG IS NOW REQUIRED	DVDs, HD DVDs & Blu-ray (Category # 617) Cell Phones & Smartphones (Category #9355) Digital Cameras (Category # 31388) Video Game Systems (Category # 139971) Video Games (Category # 139973) Camcorders (Category # 11724) Lenses (Category # 3323) Film Cameras (Category # 15230) Flash Units (Category # 48515) Tripods (Category # 30093) Textbooks (Category # 2228)
BEGIN LISTING WITH THE CATALOG AFTER AUGUST 1, 2011—IT WILL BE REQUIRED AS OF AUGUST 22, 2011	Apple Laptops & Notebooks (Category # 111422) iPads & Tablets and eBook Readers (Category #s 1711485) Apple Desktops (Category # 111418) Televisions (Category # 3320) Routers (Category #s 44995, 11183, 61825, 101269 and 101270) Printers (Category #s 178 and 25348) Monitors (Category # 80053) Hard Drives (Category #s 158830, 80042 and 56089)
LISTING WITH THE CATALOG IS ALWAYS REQUIRED AS OF SEPTEMBER 15, 2011*	GPS Systems (Category # 156955) *If there’s no matching product available in the eBay catalog, sellers are required to add their item to the catalog to continue listing.
LISTING WITH THE CATALOG WILL BE REQUIRED IN EARLY 2012**	Cartridges & Toners (Category #s 156544, 51289, 51291, 51292, 16204, 11202 and 51288) Motherboards (Category # 1244) CPUs (Category # 164) Video Cards (Category # 3762) Scanners (Category #11205, except 17061) Satellite TV Receivers (Category #s 61387 and 67887) Multimedia Projectors (Category #s 48654, 48653, 32862 and 25321) Home Audio Receivers ( Category # 14981) Home Theater Systems (Category # 72406) Home Amplifiers & Preams (Category #s 39782, 3280 and 12050) DVD Players (Category # 15077) Home Theater Speakers (Category # 3276) **Sellers will be given ample notice of deadlines when they become available.

When creating a new listing or relisting an item, you’ll be asked to select a product or category in the Sell Your Item flow. You're also prompted to search for the product in the catalog using unique item identifiers such as Universal Product Code (UPC), manufacturer's part numbers, or manufacturer and model keywords. If the unique identifier matches a product in the catalog, select the product and the option to include product details and a stock photo for your listing.
Watch Creating new listings using Sell Your Item (2:56 Video)
(Or download the PDF)

If you’re using other tools to list your item, the process is similar:

Turbo Lister: Open a listing. Under "Details," search for items in the catalog by entering in their unique identifiers like ISBN, UPC or keywords. To search for items in bulk, select the items to add product details and select "Add product details" from the "Edit," "Add product details" menu.
Watch Creating new listings using Turbo Lister (3:45 Video)
(Or download the PDF )

Blackthorne: To add catalog information to a listing in Blackthorne, select the items you want to update, click on the "Category" button, search for keywords that describes your item, and click on the keyword that best describes your item in the Search results.
Watch Creating new listings using Blackthorne(3:35 Video)
(Or download the PDF)

For more information on using other third-party tools to list your item with the catalog, click the links below:

• Auctiva
• Channel Advisor
• GarageSale
• Infopia
• inkFrog
• Mercent
• Seller Sourcebook
• Vendio

To get a summary of your active listings in these categories not currently listed with the catalog, use the Advanced Search functionality in free eBay Selling Manager (or Selling Manager Pro) and follow these steps:

1. Go to Selling Manager (or Selling Manager Pro)
2. Click on "Active" in the left-hand navigation
3. Click on the "Advanced Search" link located on the right just above the table of active listings
4. Choose "Category" from the drop down menu in the first field
5. Choose "is" from the drop down menu in the second field
6. Enter the category ID number you’d like to search for in the "Category look-up" field
7. Category number lookup Click on "Add another"
8. Choose "Catalog product" from the drop down menu in the first field
9. Choose "is not specified" from the drop down menu in the second field
10. Click on the "Search" button in the lower right-hand corner
11. Get more information about using Advanced Search in Selling Manager.
    
    
    Use eBay Selling Manager or Selling Manager Pro to quickly identify your listings not listed with the catalog.

Watch Revising listings using Selling Manager (0:00 Video)
(Or download the PDF)

For categories that require you to use the catalog, eBay will review the existing Good 'Til Cancelled listings to determine which have product details from the catalog available. We’ll notify you if your listings should be associated with the product catalog and you to immediately relist or revise these listings to actively list with the catalog. Refer to catalog table to determine when you are expected to actively list with the eBay catalog whenever there’s a product match. Once you’ve been notified, if you choose not to revise your listing with the eBay catalog, you may be subject to a range of actions including listing removal, limits on buying and selling privileges, and account suspension.

If you are listing in a category where catalog use is required, you may only list your item in a single category and will be blocked from listing it in any additional categories. If you are listing in a category where the catalog is not mandated, you can list your item in more than one category, although we strongly recommend you only list in one category.

If a product doesn’t exist or the item's unique identifier (ISBN, UPC, IIE, etc.) doesn't match one in eBay’s current catalog, you’ll still be able to list it in the category. In categories where listing with the catalog is required, your listing may be reviewed and if a product match is found in the catalog, eBay will associate your listing to the corresponding item.

We recommend you list the items individually and list with the catalog whenever possible. If this isn't possible, then sell the group of items in the relevant "Wholesale" category.

When listing with the catalog, you can include additional item details not noted in the catalog description in your description. First make sure you've chosen the right product in the catalog before including more item details. This is particularly important when listing items with more granular characteristics that impact a buyer's decision. For example, preloaded maps in GPS devices, case color of an iPod or MP3 player, console compatibility for video games, cell phones built for specific carriers, etc. Once you've selected the right product in the catalog for your listing, make sure anything you add to the description doesn't conflict with product details from the catalog.

If the product details are incorrect, use the product title, disable the inclusion of product details, and clarify product details in the description. We encourage you to send an email to DL-eBay-CatalogSubmission@eBay.com and include the following information:

• Clearly describe the issue
• URL where the error can be found
• Your email and phone number in case we require additional information
• Screenshot or file attachment of the issue

In categories where listing with the catalog is required, listings will be reviewed for possible association to products in the eBay catalog. If a product match is found, eBay will associate your listing to the corresponding item in the catalog.

If you don't agree with eBay's association, you can review and revise your listing with a more appropriate product in the catalog, if it’s available. Once you've revised your listing with a new product from the catalog, it will not be re-associated by eBay. We will, however, review these revised listings to ensure they are listed with the right product in the catalog. If they are incorrectly revised and listed with the wrong product in the catalog, the listing will be disassociated from the product catalog and you will be notified.

Listings will be mapped to new catalog additions as they become available and you are encouraged to actively relist or revise with the catalog. As new products are added to the catalog, eBay will automatically map existing listings to catalog additions.

If you would like to have your item added to eBay's catalog, simply scroll down and click the "Submit a catalog addition request" link at the bottom of the Sell Your Item form. Enter details about the product you'd like added to the catalog, then click on "Submit information."

In categories where listing with the catalog is required, any listings with a matching catalog product not listed with the eBay catalog will be reviewed and eBay will recommend a product or products that match your listing. Sellers will be notified of this action and are encouraged to revise their listings with the catalog. Once you've been notified, if you don't revise your listing to list with the eBay catalog, you may be subject to a range of actions including listing removal, limits on buying and selling privileges, and account suspension.

If you're listing a product containing bundled accessories or services, list the bundle using product details for the main product. Then use the "bundled item" option in the listing process to include details of the additional accessories you are including since many of our buyers recognize the value in bundled offerings. Buyers will be able to filter for listings with and without bundles. Adding accurate information during the listing process will help buyers more easily compare your bundle to others. It also helps eBay present the listing properly as a bundle and showcase the value of the offering.

If you are listing a group of items (such as a lot of camera film), we recommend that you do not list with the eBay catalog and instead place those items in the Wholesale Lots category.

If you have more than one of an identical item, find the product in the catalog to associate your listing with and create a multi-quantity Fixed Price listing.

If your item is missing components, follow listing best practices—use the most appropriate item condition and call out clearly what's missing in your item description. For example, if you are selling a new television that is missing the remote control, list with the corresponding product details, and clearly call out that the remote control unit is missing from the item in your title and description. These listings will appear in search results along with complete items that contain all components. Items that are missing components are not considered to be in New condition.

If your item is used or refurbished, select the most accurate item condition and use the listing description to provide a detailed description of any wear or flaws. Include item details and photos that accurately depict the item condition.

If your item's unique identifier code (ISBN, UPC, or IIE, etc.) does not map to a product in the catalog, you should create a regular listing without using the catalog. If your item's unique identifier code does map to a product in the catalog but has an additional characteristic that may price it above the list price, create a listing with the catalog then include additional characteristics under item specifics in your title and description.

When listing your item using Sell Your Item or Turbo Lister, simply enter a UPC or keywords like brand and model or part numbers to find a matching product in the eBay catalog.

While the eBay catalog already contains many of the products available today, if you can't find a product in the catalog that matches the item you want to sell, you will need to add your product to the catalog before continuing to list the item.

Once you add a product to the catalog you can complete your listing and the information will be available for you to use the next time you want to list an identical item.

When you list items using Sell Your Item, Turbo Lister, or Blackthorne and can't find a product in the catalog that matches the item you want to sell, our instructional videos will show you how to add your product to the catalog:

Watch Using Sell Your Item to add a product to the eBay catalog: (3:28 Video)
(Or download the PDF)

Yes. Starting August 15, if you list with a tool that doesn't allow you to add products to the eBay catalog or prefer to proactively add your products to the catalog before listing them, we've created two new tools that allow you to add individual products to the catalog or multiple products all at once.

Watch Adding individual products directly to the eBay catalog: (3:31 Video)
(Or download the PDF)

If you need to add a large number of products to the catalog, you can use File Exchange, which will allow you to add multiple items in a single, CSV-format file.

No, you will need to revise any existing listings and list them with the new product you've added to the catalog.

Yes, products in the catalog are available for use by all eBay sellers.

At a minimum, sellers are required to provide a title, description and a product photo will be required. Keep in mind that the more information you provide, the easier it is for buyers to find the product.

Once you've completed the process of adding a product to the eBay catalog, it's immediately available for you to use to complete your listing.

It is recommended you use a unique, numeric identifier for your item like a UPC to search for matching products in the catalog. Using a unique numeric identifier helps ensure that you find an exact match for the item you wish to list.