eBay Categories

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The eBay Categories section of the listing editor is where you choose the eBay category
the item is listed in. eBay’s categories are a tree, and this section walks you down it one level at a
time: choosing a category at one level reveals the next level, until you reach a category that has no
children — the leaf category, which is the one eBay actually lists under.

Where to find it

Open a listing in the editor and scroll to eBay Categories, or click it in the editor’s
left-hand section list.

The eBay Categories section of the listing editor

The category pickers. Each level appears as its own dropdown once the level above it has been chosen.

What is on this section

Control What it does
Select Primary Category One dropdown per level of the tree. Each entry reads
Category name [category id]. Choosing a value at one level loads the level below it; the
last level you can choose is the leaf category the item is listed in.
Select Secondary Category The same walk down the tree for eBay’s optional second category. eBay charges an additional
insertion fee for listing in a second category. This picker is hidden if you have turned it off in
Preferences (the editor’s Hide second category option).
Choose the eBay site first. The category tree is different on every marketplace, so this
section shows “Please select eBay site first.” until a site is chosen in
Account & Site. Change the site later and the tree is reloaded for the new site.

How to use it

  1. Set the site in Account & Site, if you have not already.
  2. Pick the top-level category in the first dropdown.
  3. Keep going. A new dropdown appears for each level. Continue until no further dropdown
    appears — you have reached the leaf category.
  4. Optionally add a second category using the Select Secondary Category
    pickers, remembering that eBay charges extra for it.

Any dropdown can be cleared. Clearing a level also clears the levels below it, because they no longer have
a parent.

Why the category matters

  • Item specifics. The fields in the Item Specifics section, and which of
    them eBay requires, are decided by the leaf category.
  • Fees. Insertion and final value fees vary by category.
  • Product identifiers. Whether a brand, MPN, EAN or UPC is required depends on the
    category.

FAQ

Q: The section says “Please select eBay site first.”
A: Categories are per-marketplace. Choose the site in Account & Site
and the pickers appear.
Q: Why is there a number in square brackets after each category?
A: That is eBay’s own category id. It is shown because two categories in different
parts of the tree can have the same name, and the id is what tells them apart.
Q: I can’t find the secondary category pickers.
A: They are hidden when the editor preference to hide the second category is on.
Turn it off in Preferences.
Q: The category list looks out of date.
A: eBay changes its category tree periodically. In the desktop application, use
eBay Sync → Refresh Categories and Features to pull the current tree.
Q: I changed the site and my category disappeared.
A: That is expected — a category id from one marketplace does not exist on another,
so the selection cannot be carried over. Choose the category again for the new site.

Support

For further assistance you can:

← Back to the User Guide index

Or go to Support, the FAQs, or contact us.

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