Creating and Managing Listing Templates
Every eBay listing PSS creates is built on a listing template. The template holds the rules for a group of listings: eBay category, description layout, shipping, payment, returns, and warranty. You set those once, then assign the template to as many listings as you want.
🎥 Insert video here: building a listing template from scratch.
What you'll learn
- How to create a template and what each section controls
- How to build descriptions with data tags or your own HTML design
- How to organize templates so they stay manageable
📌 Key Point: Every listing must be assigned to a template, so build your templates before you create listings.
Create a template
- Go to eBay > Template Management.
- Click Create New Template.
- Work through the sections below.
- Click Save.
📷 Screenshot here: the template editor.
Name and categories
| Field | What it does | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Template Name | How you'll find the template later | Name it by product type and shipping, like "Helmets - Flat Ship $12.99" or "Hard Parts - Calculated" |
| Primary Category | Where the listing appears in eBay Motors search | Choose carefully. The category also decides which item specifics eBay asks for. |
| Secondary Category | An optional second browse path | This is where eBay VIP comes in handy. Listing in two categories typically costs an extra insertion, but there are no fees with VIP. |
| Store Category | Where the listing sits in your own eBay Store's category tree | Customers appreciate clean category trees to click through. |
⚠️ Warning: Template names can't be changed after you save. To rename one, clone it under the new name, move your listings to the clone, then delete the original.
Description
The description editor controls what buyers see in the listing's description area. You can build it three different ways:
-
Just the Description tag: at a minimum, you need to use the description tag. It looks like this: {%DESCRIPTION%}
This will act as a placeholder that fills in with each product's description from the catalog data. One template can then describe thousands of different products just by using the {%DESCRIPTION%} tag. eBay listings will error out if a description is missing.
-
Multiple tags: Below are the tags available for you to use. You can massage them into the templates in various ways.
{%MANUFACTURER_GROUP%}
{%MPN%}
{%ITEM_NAME%}
{%DESCRIPTION%}
{%IMAGES%}
{%MSRP%}
{%SALE%}
- Custom HTML: If you use a branded eBay design (from a provider like Frooition or OC Designs), paste its HTML into the editor. PSS merges your design with any tags that you use.
Custom Item specifics
eBay keeps adding required item specifics. Listings missing them can lose visibility or fail to go live. PSS warns you when required specifics are missing. Add custom item specifics to the template to fill the gaps for your categories.
Examples
| Product Type | Requirements (Name) | What to Put (Value) |
|---|---|---|
| Tires |
Section Width Aspect Ratio Rim Diameter |
If tire width is 120 mm (120) If height 70% of tire’s width (70) If it fits a 17-inch rim (17) |
| Goggles |
Frame Color Department Type |
Blue Unisex Adults Goggles |
| Jackets | Material | Leather, Textile, Polyester, Nylon |
Payment Details
| Setting | What it does | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Auto Pay | Requires immediate payment at checkout | On. It cuts down on unpaid items. |
| Best Offer | Lets buyers send you offers | Your choice. Can occasionally cause revisions to fail. |
Discount Pricing Details
| Option | What buyers see |
|---|---|
| None | Your price only |
| During Checkout | The discount is shown at checkout |
| Pre-Checkout | MSRP crossed out next to your lower price. This usually gets the most clicks. |
⚠️ Heads Up: eBay stopped opting dealers into traditional "Strike Through Pricing" around 2019. Only some sellers are grandfathered in. If you don't see strike-through pricing on your listings, you can contact eBay to turn it on, but in our experience, dealers don't have much luck.
Shipping Details
Each template sets how buyers are charged for shipping: calculated, flat rate, rate tables, price-banded or international. Shipping has enough options to need its own article. See eBay Shipping Setup.
Returns & Refunds
In 2024, eBay began requiring sellers to accept returns and to pay the return shipping cost. That is why there are not more retun configurations in our system.
Working with templates at scale
- Bulk Edit: change shipping, returns, or other settings across many templates at once.
- Clone: copy a template to make a similar one, or to "rename" one.
💡 Pro Tip: Fewer, well-named templates are easier to keep up than dozens with tiny differences. Aim for one per eBay category, plus a few extras where shipping costs vary widely. Review them whenever eBay changes its categories or item specifics.
Next step
Continue to eBay Shipping Setup.