Item Specific Changes
Changes to Item Specifics
Item Specifics allow you, the seller, to highlight important details about your item. Item Specifics are displayed within your listing's description, giving buyers information they want in an easy-to-scan format.
Adopting the Item Specifics feature also helps your listing to be found. For example, if Item Specifics are not used to specify an item's condition (such as New), that item will not be displayed to buyers who narrow their search to show only new items. Using Item Specifics is free and optional, but highly recommended. On average, adding Item Specifics results in an increase in bids per listing and an increase in sales per listing.
At this time, all categories on all sites accept Custom Item Specifics which allow you to create your own item details, or use recommendations based on terms that have been successful for similar items in the past.
The only exceptions at this time are US/CA/UK/AU Motors Vehicles, which still accept the original eBay-defined Item Specifics which provide a fixed set of item details to choose from. eBay Item Specifics will transition to Custom Item Specifics in the next couple of months.
If you use a third-party selling tool, please work with the tool provider to ensure that your listings and templates support Custom Item Specifics.
Changes to eBay Item Specifics
| Area Changed (early February) | Call to Action |
|---|---|
| Cameras & Photo Cell Phones Coins Computers & Networking Consumer Electronics |
Use Custom Item Specifics in your listings as eBay-defined Item Specifics will no longer be supported in these areas. |
New and changed Item Specifics are now available.
Call to Action: It is strongly recommended you update your listings with new item specifics in the following categories to increase visibility of your items.
| Clothing, Shoes & Accessories | |
|---|---|
| Change | Call to Action |
Tailoring and standardization of item specifics for:
|
Add the recommended item specifics values to your listings before the category update to make sure your listings get moved correctly and receive optimal visibility for buyers. |
| Boys & Girls Preemie clothing will be combined with Baby Clothing. | Add the Size item specific to your listings before the category update. |
| Boys, Girls & Unisex Baby & Toddler Accessories will be combined into Baby Accessories. | Add the Gender item specific to your existing items before the category update. |
| Boys & Girls Custom & Handmade clothing will be combined into Children's Clothing. | Add the Product Type item specific and the Brand value “Handmade” or “Customized & Personalized” before the category update. |
| All Bibs categories are being moved to Baby> Feeding> Bibs | All Bibs categories are being moved to Baby> Feeding> Bibs Add the recommended item specific sets and values for optimal visibility. After the category update, check your listings to make sure Condition is correct. Revise and update your listings as needed. |
| Coins & Paper Money | |
|---|---|
| Change | Call to Action |
| US Coins item specifics for Certification and Grade will be updated. | Add the Certification and Grade item specifics to receive increased visibility for your listing. |
| Computers & Networking | |
|---|---|
| Change | Call to Action |
| Extensive redesign and updating of category structure with tailoring and standardization of item specifics throughout Computers & Networking. | Add the recommended item specifics values to your listings before the category update to make sure your listings get moved correctly and receive optimal visibility for buyers. |
| Consumer Electronics | |
|---|---|
| Change | Call to Action |
| Extensive redesign and updating of category structure with tailoring and standardization of item specifics throughout Consumer Electronics. | Add the recommended item specifics values to your listings before the category update to make sure your listings get moved correctly and receive optimal visibility for buyers. |
| eBay Motors | |
|---|---|
| Change | Call to Action |
Converting from eBay-defined Item Specifics to Custom Item Specifics for:
|
As soon as Custom Item Specifics are available, update existing and new listings to use the tailored item specifics to receive optimal visibility for buyers. |
| Home & Garden | |
|---|---|
| Change | Call to Action |
Tailoring of item specifics for:
|
Add the recommended item specifics values to your listings before the category update to make sure your listings get moved correctly and receive optimal visibility for buyers. |
| Dressers & Vanities will be dividing into two separate categories. | Add the Type item specific to your existing items before the category update to make sure your items get moved correctly. |
| Clocks categories will be reorganized. | Add the Type item specific to your existing items before the category update to make sure your items get moved correctly. |
| Fireplaces will be divided into two separate categories - Heating Stoves and Fireplaces. | Add the Type item specific to your existing items before the category update to make sure your items get moved correctly. |
| Lamps, Lighting & Ceiling Fans categories are being consolidated and redesigned. | Add the Type and Brand item specifics to your existing items before the category update to make sure your items get moved correctly and receive optimal visibility for buyers. |
| Rugs & Carpets is being expanded. | Add the Type and Brand item specifics to your existing items before the category update to make sure your items get moved correctly and receive optimal visibility for buyers. |
| Jewelry & Watches | |
|---|---|
| Change | Call to Action |
| Updates and tailoring of Watches categories with introduction of Custom Item Specifics | Add the recommended item specifics values to your listings to receive optimal visibility for buyers. |
| Tickets | |
|---|---|
| Change | Call to Action |
| Calling sellers’ attention to the importance of correctly entering the Date item specific and using the Tickets catalog whenever possible. | Add the Date (mm/dd/yyyy) item specific to receive optimal visibility for buyers. Use the Tickets catalog when listing your items. |
| Toys | |
|---|---|
| Change | Call to Action |
| Introducing Item Specific sets for Brand, Age Level, Gender, Theme, & Year across most of Toys. | Add the Age Level and Brand item specific and use the recommended values to receive optimal visibility. If you already use item specifics such as Age or Manufacturer, please update your listings to the recommended sets for increased visibility. |
| Action Figures will be consolidated with categories being replaced by item specifics for Product Type, Size, Packaging, Brand, Theme, Age Level, Gender, and Year. | Add the recommended item specifics values to your listings before the category update to make sure your listings get moved correctly and receive optimal visibility for buyers. |
| Action Figures – By Brand categories are being consolidated. | Add the Genre item specific to your listings before the category update to make sure your listings get moved correctly and receive optimal visibility for buyers. |
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