Product-based Shopping Experience
Help buyers find your items. Use accurate item specifics when you list.
Overview
Your success as a seller begins when your buyers choose to shop first on eBay. To help meet buyers' expectations for a modern shopping experience, we're expanding and simplifying product-based shopping so that they can find your items quickly and easily.
Optimize your listings for product-based shopping by providing complete and accurate item specifics and product identifiers when you list. Item specifics allow us to monitor which elements are most important to buyers within the product-based shopping experience and help us provide guidance when you list. Product identifiers make it easy for shoppers to find your items on eBay and through external search engines.
You are no longer required to associate your listings with products in the eBay catalog to realize the benefits of product-based shopping.
Item specifics
Item specifics include brand and physical details about the item you are selling, such as make, model, size type, size, color, and style. They appear at the top of your listing description and make it easy for buyers to find relevant information.
When you create a listing, we suggest item specifics based on your item’s selling category. By including recommended item specifics, buyers can easily find your listings and make informed purchases.
- Item specifics tell buyers about your items.
Item specifics tell buyers exactly what you're selling. They make the basic facts about your items clear and accessible to buyers, which helps them make informed purchase decisions. - Item specifics help buyers find your items.
Complete and accurate item specifics yield more relevant search results for buyers. The “Refine search” column, located on the left side of the search results page, lets buyers further narrow their searches based on popular item specifics.
When you select item specifics for your listings, keep these tips in mind:
- Provide as many recommended item specifics as possible.
- When selecting item specifics such as your item's color, size, or style, try to choose from the options we provide. For example, if your item's color is mostly red, choose "Reds" as the color and select from one of the recommended values for "Shade", rather than providing a custom color.
What are product identifiers?
Most new and manufacturer-refurbished branded items have product identifiers such as brand and codes on their original packaging. These identifiers include brand name, Global Trade Item Number (GTIN)—such as a Universal Purchase Code (UPC) or International Standard Book Number (ISBN)—and Manufacturer Part Number (MPN).
eBay requires product identifiers in many categories. They make it easy for shoppers to find your items on eBay and through external search engines. Find the entire list of qualifying and required categories here. Note that eBay does not currently require product identifiers for pre-owned, vintage, collectible, or one-of-a-kind items.
Benefits of product identifiers
Product identifiers give your listings:
- More detailed listing info that helps buyers find your items.
- More accurate pricing guidance as you create your listings.
- A trending price alert when similar items are selling for higher prices than your items.
Use eBay's bulk listing and editing tool to update your listings with product identifiers now to take advantage of increased search visibility.
FAQs
- Why is product-based shopping so important?
Product-based shopping helps buyers find your listings quickly and easily.
- Why is eBay no longer requiring that I actively associate my listings with the eBay Catalog?
We're making it easier for you to take advantage of the benefits of product-based shopping by no longer requiring you to associate your listings with products in the eBay catalog when you list. Now, you need only provide complete and accurate item specifics to optimize your listings for product-based shopping.
- Does this change mean that product-based shopping is no longer a priority for eBay?
No. eBay is fully committed to product-based shopping and the many benefits it delivers to both buyers and sellers.
- I recently submitted a product to the eBay catalog. Will that information still be used?
Yes. Any information you added to the eBay catalog will continue to be used to support product-based shopping and how buyers engage with products you list in the marketplace.
- What tools and guidance are available to help me optimize item specifics in my listings?
In Seller Hub, you can see which of your listings are missing item specifics. You can also find out what item specifics are required when you attempt to list your items without them. In addition, we are working with third-party tool providers to audit how much visibility they are giving to item specifics and item specific mandates they are building into their tools.
