eBay listing checklist: what to check before you publish, from title to returns

What should an eBay listing checklist cover?

An eBay listing checklist is a short list of checks you run on every listing before you press List it. It catches the mistakes that cost you later: a title buyers never search, a photo eBay removes, a price that loses money once fees are taken, or a dispatch time you cannot meet. The checks below work for eBay.co.uk and eBay.com, and where the rules differ between the UK and the US, both are given.

The list follows the order of eBay's listing form, so you can work down it as you fill the form in. Most checks take under a minute. The point is not perfection on every field but a listing with no gap that will cost you a sale, a defect or a removal.

Title and category: does the listing match how buyers search?

The title is the first thing eBay's search reads. A title can be at most 80 characters, so every word has to earn its place.

Title checks

• Lead with the words a buyer types: brand (if it is a genuine branded item you are allowed to sell), product type, model and the key attribute such as size or colour.
• Remove filler words such as "wow", "look" or "L@@K". They take space and match no search.
• Check the title describes the exact item in the photos, including the pack size or quantity.
• Do not name other brands for comparison ("like Brand X"). That can break eBay's rules on brand names and draws rights owner reports.

For a full method, see our guide on writing eBay titles within 80 characters.

Category checks

Pick the category a buyer would browse, not just the first suggestion. The category decides which item specifics eBay asks for and, for business sellers, which final value fee applies. If two categories fit, search eBay for the item and see where similar sold listings sit.

Item specifics and condition: is the listing complete?

Item specifics are the labelled fields such as brand, model, size, colour and material. eBay lists how complete a listing is among its Best Match factors and advises filling in item specifics such as make, model, size, colour and style. Buyers also use them as filters, so a missing colour can hide your listing from a buyer who filtered by colour.

• Fill in every required specific, then every recommended one you can answer truthfully.
• Use eBay's suggested values where they fit. A free-text value that does not match a filter will not appear when buyers filter.
• Choose the condition that matches the item exactly. New, open box and used have different buyer expectations and different photo rules.
• Write the condition description for anything not brand new: marks, missing parts, signs of use.

Our guide to filling in eBay item specifics covers the fields category by category.

Photos: do they meet eBay's picture rules?

eBay's picture policy sets clear rules, and a photo that breaks them can get the listing removed. Check each photo against this list before you publish:

• At least 500 pixels on the longest side. Larger is better, because buyers zoom.
• No added borders, no added text, no artwork or marketing material, and no watermarks of any kind.
• No stock photos for used, damaged or defective items. Show the actual item.
• No placeholder images such as "photo coming soon".
• The photos accurately represent the item, including colour and what is in the box.

Read the full rules on eBay's picture policy page. A good first photo shows the whole item on a plain background; later photos show details, labels, size against a known object and any flaws.

Description checks

The description is where a buyer looks for the answer the title and specifics did not give. Check that it says what the item is, exactly what is in the box, the size or dimensions, compatibility where it matters (a charger, a spare part, a phone case) and any care or safety notes. Read it once on a phone: plenty of buyers shop that way, and a wall of text or a description hidden in an image is hard to read there.

Then check it against the rest of the listing. A description that says "pack of 2" under a title that says "single", or a colour in the text that differs from the colour specific, is a common cause of not as described returns. If you reuse a template, delete any line that is not true for this item.

Price, postage and dispatch time: can you deliver what the listing promises?

This is where a listing turns into a promise. Check three numbers before you publish.

Price covers every cost

Work out what you keep after eBay's fees, any Promoted Listings ad fee, postage and your cost of the item. Fees vary by category and seller type, so check the current figures on eBay's fee pages rather than a remembered rate.

Example, with hypothetical numbers for the arithmetic only: suppose an item costs you £12, postage costs £3.20, and you assume total fees of 15% of the sale price. At a £22 price, fees are £3.30, so you keep £22 minus £3.30 minus £3.20 minus £12, which is £3.50. At £19.99 you keep about £1.79. Run the same sum with your real fee rate before you choose.

Postage service and cost

Choose a service with tracking for anything of value. Tracking supports you if a buyer reports an item not received, and on eBay UK it also decides whether a parcel counts as late for your performance figures.

Dispatch time you can always meet

Set the handling time to the slowest day you realistically have, not the fastest. On eBay UK, a tracked item counts as late when the delivery scan comes after the latest estimated delivery date and there was no carrier scan within your dispatch time. In the US, the FTC's mail order rule says a seller that states a shipping time must be able to meet it.

Returns, business details and rights: will the listing stay up?

The last group of checks protects the listing and your account after it goes live.

Returns policy

On eBay UK, business sellers must set a returns policy stating how long buyers have to return items for a full refund, and must show full business contact details. UK buyers from a business also have a legal right to cancel up to 14 days after delivery. eBay's listing terms, including the return policy and handling time, are also among the Best Match factors eBay names.

Rights and restricted items

• Check the brand against eBay's VeRO programme. Rights owners can report listings that infringe their rights, and eBay may remove the listing, warn, restrict or suspend.
• Check the item is not prohibited or restricted in your category and country.
• Use only photos and text you have the right to use.

Where the item comes from

If you do not hold the stock yourself, check your supply against eBay's rules. eBay's drop shipping policy allows fulfilling orders directly from a wholesale supplier, but listing an item and then buying it from another retailer or marketplace that ships directly to your buyer is not allowed. Read it on eBay's drop shipping policy page. Whatever your supply, you stay responsible for delivery within the time stated and for the buyer's satisfaction.

A quick eBay listing checklist to copy

Copy this list into a note or spreadsheet and tick it for every new listing. For bulk uploads, check the first five listings in full, then sample one in ten.

1. Title: 80 characters or fewer, buyer search words first, no filler, matches the photos.
2. Category: the one buyers browse, confirmed against similar sold listings.
3. Item specifics: every required field, every recommended field you can answer, eBay's values where they fit.
4. Condition: exact, with a written description for anything not new.
5. Photos: 500 pixels or more on the longest side, no borders, text or watermarks, real photos for used items.
6. Description: what it is, what is included, size, compatibility, care, and nothing that contradicts the specifics.
7. Price: covers cost, fees, ad fee and postage, with a profit you accept.
8. Postage: a tracked service for items of value, the right package size and weight.
9. Dispatch time: one you can meet on your slowest day.
10. Returns: set and clear; on eBay UK, required for business sellers.
11. Rights: brand checked against VeRO, item not restricted, photos and text you may use.
12. Supply: confirmed in stock and within eBay's drop shipping policy.

Once a listing is live, the work moves to keeping its price and stock right. If you price from a supplier whose prices move, Dropizon can reprice listings from your own formula and set quantity to zero when the source shows out of stock; how it works explains the process.