Inventory optimization
Category changes and item specifics updates, and Home & Garden listing guidance.
What you need to know
- Home & Garden item specifics
- Recommended item specifics in the Home & Garden category
Category changes and item specifics overview
Category changes and item specifics updates
Starting on June 10, 2019, category changes including additions, removals, and renames, and new and recommended item specifics in some categories will go into effect. Category and item specifics updates will create more intuitive buying, selling, and search experiences and bring eBay into closer alignment with industry-standard classifications. The updates will also help international buyers find your items.
If you listed an item on eBay.com in any of the below categories, you may be impacted by changes, in which case eBay will automatically move your listing to the most relevant category.
- Books
- Business & Industrial
- Cell Phones & Accessories
- Collectibles
- Computers/Tablets & Networking
- Consumer Electronics
- Everything Else
- Home & Garden
- Pet Supplies
- Sporting Goods
- Video Games & Consoles
View impacted categories and item specifics changes.
Starting on June 10, 2019, we’ll no longer accept new or revised listings in the Other Books category. The majority of books listed in Other Books would be better placed in a more relevant category, such as fiction or nonfiction. By choosing the “best fit” category for your books, your listings will be more visible and relevant to buyers.
List your items in “best fit” categories
Review your listings to make sure that they are located in “best fit” categories. If they are not in the “best fit” categories, use these eBay tools to revise your items:
- Listings tab in Seller Hub
- Bulk edit functionality in My eBay
- Selling Manager/Selling Manager Pro
- File Exchange
- Use your existing eBay integration tool (3rd party tools, API, feeds, etc.)
If you are using an off-eBay listing tool, be sure to use the new category tree to select the best category for your item so that revisions or relists done through the application result in the item moving to the desired location.
Category changes and item specifics FAQs
What if I don’t use the new and recommended item specifics in my listings?
If you don’t use recommended item specifics in your new listings, your item won’t surface when buyers use the left-hand navigation refinements.
How can I find out which item specifics changes will impact my listings?
Check Selling Reminders on your My eBay All Selling page or the new Listing Improvement section of the Selling Manager summary page to identify listings that lack item specifics. You can easily edit those listings in bulk.
How do I edit my listing when item specifics are required in my updated category?
To edit a single listing:
- Select the listing you want to revise in My eBay.
- Click the “Edit” button.
- From the “Actions” menu, select “Edit listings.”
To edit multiple listings:
- Select the listings you want to revise.
- Click the “Edit” button.
- From the “Edit” drop-down menu at the top of the page, select “Item specifics.”
- From the drop-down menu at the top of the next screen, select “Edit listings in bulk.”
- Make the changes you want in the grid, then click the "Save and Close" button.
Key item specifics updates overview
Key item specifics updates
In February 2019, we announced that we are making it easier for you to take advantage of product-based shopping by focusing on the item specifics that matter most to buyers. Item specifics include brand and physical details about the item you are selling, such as make, model, size, color, and style. Complete and accurate item specifics help buyers find your listings quickly and easily.
Starting in June 2019, we strongly encourage you to include key item specifics when you create new listings in the Home & Garden category. Over time, we may require that you use recommended item specifics that are critical to the buyer experience when you list.
In addition to key item specifics recommendations in the Home & Garden category, we have expanded item specifics options in Antiques, Coins & Paper Money, Collectibles, Sporting Goods, and Toys & Hobbies categories. In combination with key item specifics recommendations in the Home & Garden category, you will be able to optimize your listings in more places on eBay and help buyers find items they’re looking for.
We continue to monitor which elements that matter most to buyers. As we identify those item specifics, we will highlight them in My eBay and Seller Hub. Over time, we may require you to include key item specifics when you list.
Look for key Home & Garden category item specifics and learn about key item specifics in other categories in My eBay and Seller Hub.
Key item specifics updates FAQs
Why are you only focusing on the Home & Garden category at this time?
Home & Garden category sellers have done a considerable amount of work providing item specifics that matter most to buyers in that category. We continue to analyze buyer traffic across the site and evaluate the item specifics buyers provide in all categories. Based on our analysis, we will recommend that you use certain item specifics in additional categories to help buyers find your items fast.
Why will the key item specifics help my Home & Garden items sell?
We evaluated item specifics used in the Home & Garden category and found that buyers in that category frequently use the recommended item specifics to find items and make purchase decisions.
How will I learn about new item specifics requirements in the future?
For the latest information about product-based shopping as well as structured data listing requirements, visit our Structured Data page. We will continue to notify you about changes in the product-based shopping experience in upcoming Seller Updates.