2 min article

Promoted Listings Standard

You can use Promoted Listings Standard to give greater exposure to the items you're selling. You can get your listings in front of more buyers, and you’re only charged for the ad if it helped your items sell.

Promoted Listings Standard is available to sellers with an Above Standard or Top Rated Seller level, and enough account activity.

Using Promoted Listings Standard

You can promote your listings using the Advertising dashboard, your listing tool, My eBay Active or Seller Hub Active listings.

To create a Standard campaign using the Advertising dashboard - opens in new window or tab
  1. Select Create new campaign.
  2. Choose either Simple listing selection, Bulk listing selection, or Creating rules (automated campaigns).
  3. We'll take you through the process: Selecting which listings to promote, choosing how much you'd like to pay for the ads, and then reviewing and launching your campaign.

Using Simple listing selection

If you choose to promote using Simple listing selection from the Advertising dashboard, here's what to do next:

  1. Choose your ad rate strategy - Dynamic ad rates are applied by default. If you want to change your strategy, here are your options:
    • Apply dynamic ad rates: The dynamic ad rate strategy automatically aligns an item's ad rate with eBay's daily suggested ad rate. With this strategy, you do not need to make daily, manual updates to keep your listings competitive in the marketplace
    • Set an ad rate cap: Set the maximum ad rate you’d be willing to pay. Your ad rate will never exceed this amount
    • Apply fixed ad rate: Choose an ad rate to apply to all your listings
  2. Set the maximum ad rate you’d be willing to pay. Your ad rate will never exceed this amount.

Bulk listing selection

If you choose to promote using Bulk listing selection from the Advertising dashboard, you'll be given two options: “Help me select my listings” or “I'll upload my listings in a CSV file”.

If you choose Help me select my listings:
  1. Check the boxes beside the eBay categories or Store categories that you want to promote.
    • We'll promote all listings in the categories you select (e.g. the coins category)
    • If you check the “Include all recommended listings” box, we will promote all recommended listings as well, even if those recommended listings are not in the categories you selected
    • Any listings that are already being promoted in another campaign will not be included
  2. Choose your ad rate strategy for all listings in your campaign. You can choose from the following options:
    • Apply dynamic ad rates: The dynamic ad rate strategy automatically aligns an item's ad rate with eBay's daily suggested ad rate. With this strategy, you do not need to make daily, manual updates to keep your listings competitive in the marketplace
    • Apply fixed ad rate: Choose an ad rate to apply to all your listings
    • Set individual ad rates: Upload a .csv file with the item IDs that you wish to promote in column A and the ad rates for each item in Column B
  3. Review and launch your campaign.
 
If you choose I'll upload my listings in a CSV file:
  1. Prepare a CSV file with the item IDs that you wish to promote in column A and the ad rates for each item in Column B.
  2. Upload the file. (See file format specifications below.)

You can also edit your listings in bulk using a CSV file. Here's how:

  1. Select Actions next to the campaign you want to edit.
  2. Download the campaign file and include dynamic ad rates.
  3. Make your changes to the CSV file and save the updated file.
  4. Upload the file.
  5. Review and launch your campaign.

File format

  • The file needs to be in CSV format
  • You can add up to 50,000 Item IDs in one file
  • Ad rates can be provided in 0.1% increments
  • Item IDs need to be in number format with no decimal points
  • Do not use the “%” sign
  • Large files may take up to an hour to upload

Any changes you make to your listing will automatically appear in your ad.

For more information, see our video on promoting your listings in bulk - opens in new window or tab.

 

Using automated campaigns

If you choose to promote by Creating rules from the Advertising dashboard, here's what to do next:

  1. Apply rules to your inventory using the filters provided. These selections will be applied to current and future listings to determine which ones should be promoted.
  2. After setting up your filters, choose an ad rate strategy to apply to the listings in your campaign - remember that any future listings that meet your rules criteria will be promoted with the strategy you choose. You can choose automated dynamic ad rates or a fixed ad rate.
    • With automated dynamic ad rates, you have additional controls like setting an ad rate cap
    • Once you launch your campaign, the rules you created will be used to determine which listings will be promoted and which ad rate strategy they'll be promoted with.
 
To create a Standard campaign using the advanced listing tool
  1. At the bottom of the Listing details page, check the Sell it faster - Promoted Listings box.
  2. Select an ad rate.
  3. From the Select a campaign dropdown menu, choose an existing campaign or a new campaign.
  4. Select List item.

Note: If you have an active automated campaign, you won’t be able to promote your listing in the advanced listing tool. Instead you should use your Advertising dashboard.

 
To promote listings using the quick listing tool

After you create your listing in the quick listing tool, you'll be asked if you want to promote your listing at a dynamic ad rate.

Note: You won't be able to set your own ad rate in the quick listing tool. If you want to set your own rate, you should use the Advertising dashboard.

 
To promote listings from My eBay Active
  1. Open the dropdown menu beside the listing you want to promote.
  2. Select Promote.
  3. Use our dynamic ad rate or, under “Ad rate (%),” set your own rate.
  4. Select a campaign.
  5. Select Promote listing now.

You can also edit or stop promoting a promoted listing in My eBay Active. From the dropdown menu beside the promoted listing, select Edit promoted listing. You'll then have the option to Update promoted listing or Stop promoting.

 
To promote individual listings from Seller Hub Active Listings - opens in new window or tab
  1. Select Promote beside an eligible listing.
  2. Set an ad rate.
  3. Select an existing campaign or create a new one.
  4. Select Promote.

To stop promoting a listing at any time from Seller Hub Active Listings - opens in new window or tab:

  1. Select the Actions dropdown menu beside the listing.
  2. Select Edit promoted listing.
  3. Select Stop promoting.
  4. Select Edit promoted listing to save your changes.
 
  1. Check the boxes next to the listings you want to promote, or check the box at the top of your listings to select up to 200 listings at once.
  2. Select the Sell it faster dropdown above your listings, and then select Promoted Listings Standard.
  3. Use the suggested ad rate or set your own ad rate and/or maximum ad rate.
  4. Select an existing campaign or create a new one.
  5. Select Promote.
 

Tip
You can monitor the performance of your promoted listings in the Advertising dashboard - opens in new window or tab.

Promoted Listings Standard fees

You are only charged for Promoted Listings Standard when a buyer clicks on your promoted listing ad and purchases any of your promoted items within 30 days. (A click is when a buyer clicks-through to your item page from your ad, or clicks the Add to watchlist heart symbol on your ad.) This means you only pay when you sell.

The fee you are charged is based on the ad rate you set for each listing. An ad rate is the percentage of an item's total sale amount (including item price, shipping, taxes, and any other applicable fees).

Here's how the fees work:

  • You choose an ad rate between 2% - 100% of the item's total sale amount. The higher the ad rate, the higher the possibility of ad placement, leading to increased visibility
  • Dynamic ad rates are aligned with the daily suggested ad rate, which is calculated based on a variety of factors such as item attributes, seasonality, past performance, and current competition for each of your listings
  • You will only be charged when a buyer clicks on your promoted listing and purchases any of your promoted items within 30 days of the click
  • The ad fee is based on the ad rate you chose, and is applied to the total sale amount of your item (including shipping, taxes, and any other applicable fees)
  • Ad fees are shown in your Payments tab in Seller Hub, or the transactions page in My eBay

Visit our Seller Center to learn more about Promoted Listings Standard.

Promoted Listings Standard FAQs

What if someone looks at my promoted listing but doesn't buy the item right away?

If a buyer clicks on your promoted listing and purchases any of your promoted items within 30 days of the click, you will be charged an ad fee.

 
Am I charged multiple fees if a buyer clicks on my promoted listing multiple times?

No. You are charged the fee that applied when the buyer last clicked on your promoted listing within the 30-day window.

 
What fee am I charged if I revise my listing and change the ad rate?

It depends. We define the sale of a promoted item that is different from the item originally featured in the ad that the buyer clicked on as a Halo Item sale. A Direct sale is when a buyer purchases the same item that was featured in the Standard ad they originally clicked on within 30 days.

For Halo Item sales, you will only be charged an ad fee if the purchased item is in an active Promoted Listings Standard campaign at the time of the sale, and you will be charged the ad rate of the sold item. For Direct sales, we measure the 30-day sales attribution window from the click closest to the sale and charge based on the ad rate in effect at the time of that last click.

The ad fee for Halo Item sales will be calculated based on the ad rate in effect for the sold item at the time of the sale.

 
What happens if I accept a Best Offer for a promoted item?

If you accept a Best Offer from a buyer who clicked on one of your Promoted Listings Standard ads within the last 30 days, you'll be charged an ad fee based on the final total sale amount (including item price, shipping, taxes, and any other applicable fees).

If the ad rate displayed for the Best Offer is not your current ad rate, the buyer may have clicked on your ad within the last 30 days prior to you making ad rate edits.

Example: Within the last 30 days, a buyer clicked on an ad that you created with a 15% ad rate. After this click, you updated the ad rate to 8%. When you receive a Best Offer from that buyer, you see a 15% ad rate displayed instead of your current ad rate of 8%. This is due to your ad rate being 15% at the time the buyer clicked on your ad.

The ad rate you're charged may be different than the ad rate displayed for a Best Offer if:

  • The buyer clicked on your ad again before purchasing or placed a different offer for the same item. In this case, the ad rate selected closest to the time of sale will be applied
  • Your ad was clicked before any ad rate changes were made 
  • The item being purchased is a Halo Item where the ad rate is based on the settings at the time of the sale 
  • The buyer purchases a different promoted item of yours
 
Where do Promoted Listings Standard ads appear?

Promoted Listings Standard may appear in prominent placements across the eBay network, including the search results page and and product pages.

The eBay network is a group of sites where your promoted listings could be featured, including eBay and partner sites across the internet.

Your promoted listings may appear in sponsored placements off eBay, including search engines, to help drive traffic to your listings when buyers are actively searching and shopping across the internet.

By default, all listings in Standard campaigns are eligible to appear in external sponsored placements. Those ads may preempt other eBay-funded marketing efforts we may take on your behalf.

If you would like your Standard ads to appear on eBay only, you can submit a request to opt out of off eBay placements - opens in new window or tab. You can expect to be opted out 7 days after submitting a request.

If you would like to opt back in, you can submit a request through the same form above.

You may still see "Promoted Listings Standard sales (via external placements)" in your downloadable reports after you’ve opted out due to our 30-day attribution window. For example, if a buyer clicked on your promoted listing before you opted out, then returned to purchase your listing after you opted out and within 30 days of that click, you would still be charged the ad rate in effect at the time of the click.

 
Can listings be promoted on multiple eBay sites?

To promote listings on another eBay site (e.g. ebay.co.uk), log in to that eBay site and create campaigns using that site's local Promoted Listings tools.

 
How do I find out how my campaigns are performing?

For detailed metrics on how your campaigns are performing, go to your Advertising dashboard - opens in new window or tab. From here you can monitor:

Impressions: The number of times your promoted listings have appeared on any eBay site

Clicks: The number of visits to a listing page from a promoted listing.

Sold: The number of promoted items purchased within 30 days of a click on your promoted listings

Ad fees: The total amount of fees incurred by items sold within 30 days of a click on your promoted listings

Sales: The amount of sales generated by promoted items sold within 30 days of a click on your promoted listings

CTR (Click-through rate): Clicks divided by Impressions. The CTR is the percentage of times buyers saw your ad and clicked on it.

Sales conversion rate: Quantity sold divided by Clicks. The sales conversion rate is the percentage of promoted listings that are purchased after the buyer has clicked on them.

Average sold ad rate: Ad fees divided by Sales. This number represents the average ad rate for items sold within 30 days of a click on your promoted listings.

You can also monitor comparative and organic data from your Advertising dashboard:

  • Comparative data: Compare last month's performance to your current performance using the comparative data underneath each Summary metric. When you change the time period, the comparative data changes accordingly
  • Organic data: Compare your promoted listings and organic performance for items in Promoted Listings Standard campaigns. You can see organic data for impressions, clicks, and sales
 
How do I find out how specific listings are performing?

You can view listing-level sales data from your campaign dashboard to understand how specific items are performing.

Campaign dashboards are currently available for all Standard campaigns created using simple or bulk listing selection. Automated campaigns don’t have a campaign dashboard at this time. From your campaign dashboard, you can see detailed listing-level reporting and make edits quickly.

You'll find your campaign dashboard by going to your advertising dashboard and selecting the campaign name from your campaign grid.

 
Why is my campaign performance increasing/decreasing even though I haven't made any changes?

The eBay Marketplace is a dynamic environment. A number of factors can cause a fluctuation in your Promoted Listings Standard impressions, clicks, or sales. They include:

  • Recent changes to ad rate
  • Recent additions or removals of listings in a campaign
  • Changes in organic search rank for promoted listings (e.g. boost from Promoted Listings Standard sales increases overall organic sales)
  • Changes to the competitive landscape (e.g. other sellers start or stop promoting items in the same category and/or make significant changes to their ad rates)
  • Buyer traffic or demand for a certain item - Seasonality - Third parties, such as a brand manufacturer, choosing to start or stop promoting certain items
  • Issues with your account (e.g., high claim rates, breaches of eBay’s third party fulfillment policy, VeRO violations)
  • General platform improvements, quality thresholds, or eligibility changes
 
When I’m using automated campaigns, how do the variations of item conditions map to the available selections in the condition filter?

There are four selections from the Condition filter in automated campaigns: New, Certified Refurbished, Seller Refurbished, and Used. See the below groupings to see the item conditions that are included within these four consolidated selections.

“New" grouping:

  • New
  • New other (see details)
  • New - open box
  • New with defects
  • New with tags
  • New without tags
  • New with box
  • New without box
  • Brand new
  • New/Factory sealed

"Certified Refurbished" grouping:

  • Manufacturer refurbished

"Seller Refurbished" grouping:

  • Seller refurbished
  • Remanufactured

"Used" grouping:

  • Used
  • Used - like new
  • Used - very good
  • Used - good
  • Used - acceptable
  • Used - fair
  • Pre-owned
  • For parts or not working
 
How do automated campaigns work with listings that have variations in pricing?

If you use the price filter to select your listings, we will use the lowest price of your variations to determine if it should be included.

Example: You have a listing with three different prices for three different colors ($8, $10, $12). You set your price range filter as $10 - $100. This listing would not be included because the lowest price for the listing ($8) does not meet your price range criteria ($10 - $100).

 

Promoting your listing makes it stand out with higher placements in search results, increasing your item’s visibility and likelihood of being sold.

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