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Sun 10-Aug-2025 Tech | 0 comments | Map

Ebay excel listing instructions

If you have lots of items to list on eBay, it will save time to use a spreadsheet to submit listings in bulk. The following is a workflow outline for this that works for me. If anything is confusing, you can ask me questions at the bottom or try some Google searches. Based on your and my feedback I will continue to revise this post so come back often. Last revised 11 Aug 2025.

  • Set up business policies
    • Register for a seller account
    • Go to your account page
    • Click on Selling/Business policies
    • Click on existing item to edit
    • Click on “Create policy”
    • Select Payment, Return, or Shipping – Make one for each
    • Generate an informative name
    • Edit the policy
    • Put this name in the appropriate column in the listing excel file
  • Download template for chosen categories
    • Go to seller account
    • Click on the reports tab
    • Click on uploads on the left
    • Each category will be on a separate sheet
    • There can be up to 10 sheets per excel workbook
    • Click on “Get template”
    • Source: Listings
    • Type: Create or Schedule new listings
    • File type: Excel Spreadsheet (.xlsx)
    • Categories: Select up to 10 categories
    • Note that and item such as lamps may be in several categories
    • Select one or more categories up to 10 categories such as
      • /Home & Garden/Lamps, Lighting & Ceiling Fans/Lamps
      • /Collectibles/Decorative Collectibles/Boxes, Jars & Tins
      • /Entertainment Memorabilia/Music Memorabilia/Rock & Pop/Artists G/Grateful Dead/Posters
      • /Pottery & Glass/Decorative Cookware, Dinnerware & Serveware/Platters
    • When done find file in downloads folder and open with excel and save with a good name
  • Take photos of items and upload them
    • Fill out work sheet SaleFormV06.docx with unique item number
    • Print numbers on sticky labels:
      • Open House/Ebay/Number labels merged v2.docx
      • Edit: Mailings/Edit recipient list
      • Filter numbers greater than next number needed to print
      • Send to printer and save with new version number
    • Stick the correct number label to the item
    • Take multiple photos of the item making sure the first photo has the number
    • Optional: Import the photos into Lightroom or image editor of your choice – Here I give you the way I do it:
      • Crop and adjust the color if needed
      • Add Ebay key word
      • Export with eBay preset so file names look like M:\WebSites\de\Images\eBay\ eBay-25022840.jpg
    • Upload images
      • I Use Dreamweaver to upload images to my server
      • If you don’t have your own website, search google for “free image hosting services” and upload your photos to one of them
      • Check that the URLs work in your browser
      • Record the image URLs to enter into the spreadsheet
      • Note that you have to leave the images on the web until after your listing has ended
    • View in explorer with large icons sorted by file name so you can cut and paste the image names into the spreadsheet
  • Fill out the first row of the listing spreadsheet
    • Open the eBay listing file and select the sheet for the appropriate category
    • First fill out one row as follows and test it
    • Fill in Action in first column:
      • Add: Adds a new listing to be live and will duplicate existing one
      • VerifyAdd: Only checks for errors, does not add
      • Blank: does nothing so can leave items in your spreadsheet that were uploaded earlier
      • Note: to change a listing use Add again which will duplicate the listing, then remove old one by ending then deleting it – notethis will remove watchers etc
      • To later change price and quantity, download “Edit price and quantity” template
    • Enter SKU: letter E for ebay and item number that is on the photos, so for example E229
    • Category number and name are already filled out
    • Title: start with [SKU] and add descriptive title up to 80 characters eg: “[“&B5&”] HP70 Cyan Ink 130 ml cartridge genuine C9452A Expired” where “B5” is the cell number for the SKU.  Starting the title with the SKU will make easier future sorting and identifying items.
    • Add a column after Title called Title length and enter =LEN(E5) (so you can check if over 80 – eBay will ignore this column
    • Enter Start price such as 25.34 and Quantity (probably 1)
    • Condition: Select from drop down
    • Description: Start with Title: =E5&” new words here.” The =E5 will cause the title to be duplicated in the description which I think is a good idea.
    • Format: FixedPrice
    • Duration: GTC (Good Til Cancelled) until all sold or listing ended
    • Delete many columns here and later that are not listed below (even red ones)
    • Shipping profile name from business policies
    • Return profile name from business policies
    • Payment profile name from business policies
    • Enter data in category specific columns such as Type, Brand, Color, Time period – Red is required, Blue is suggested
    • Add these shipping columns by cut and paste from a previous category item:
      • ShippingType: Calculated
      • PostalCode: 47906
      • PackageType: PackageThickEnvelope or Package (for box min 4x6x1)
      • WeightMajor: Number of pounds rounded up except 0 if less than 1
      • WeightMinor: Number of ounces rounded up or blank
      • WeightUnit: lb
      • PackageLength: Largest dimension rounded up or down
      • PackageWidth: Next largest dimension rounded up or down
      • PackageDepth: Smallest dimension rounded up or down
      • PackagingHandlingCosts: Number of dollars to add
  • Upload template with one row and test it
    • Refresh the web page reports/uploads
    • Click on “Upload template” under “Proceed to upload”
    • After a short time, you will see Status and Action
    • Click Download results and examine file for any errors
    • View active listing and check it
  • Add additional rows to spreadsheet
    • Once you have tested and are happy with one row, enter more rows as follows:
    • First it is a good idea to open and save the file with a version number (eg V2) at the end of the file name so you have a record of the files that have been uploaded to eBay.
    • Click to the left of the good row to select it and copy with ctrl-C
    • Let’s say for example you have 10 more items to list. Type Ctrl-G then enter the range of rows you want to duplicate to, say 6:15, and notice that those rows will be selected. Then type Ctrl-V to duplicate the copied row to all those rows.  Press the escape (Esc) key to unselect the copied row.
    • Clear the Action column word “Add” for the top row that you have already listed so it won’t be duplicated. If you leave listed items there with a blank action, it will serve as a record of your listings.
    • Now let’s assume that the SKU numbers (on the photos) will be in sequence. Click on the SKU column for the top row and notice that there will be a small square on the lower right of that cell. Hover over that square and drag it down to the last row.  This should increment the number at each row (if not, click the Auto fill options box below the bottom row and select “Fill series”).
    • Next you will need to go to each column and change things that are different for each item, such as the URLs and shipping box size and weight, and color etc.
    • Save and upload the revised excel file.
    • If you want to revise some or all of them immediately after listing, change the spreadsheet and reupload which will add a second listing for the items – you will then need to end the first one, view unsold ones and delete from there.
    • If you want to revise after some time, it is best to edit directly by clicking on the Edit button in the Active listing page
  • Change prices and quantity for many items
    • Under reports/uploads click on “Get template”
    • Click on Source/Listings
    • Click on Type/Edit price and quantity
    • Download csv file and open it
    • Make changes to price and quantity
    • Important: Change format of the collumn “Item number” to Number with 0 decimal places or else it will change to exponential notation which eBay can’t read
    • Upload the changed spreadsheet

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