How to write an eBay title: the 80 character limit and what to include.

eBay's seller guidance says that when a buyer searches for an item, eBay's system finds the listing titles that closely match.¹ So the title is your main chance to describe the item in the words a buyer would type. The photos and the description come later, once a buyer has already found the listing.

This guide covers the limit, what eBay says to include, what its policy rules out, and a pattern of our own for fitting it together. eBay publishes no rule that this guide could cite about how individual title words are weighted in search, whether capital letters or word order matter, or what length performs best, so we do not make claims about those.

eBay's guidance says you have 80 characters to use, so use as many as you can.¹ In the Title section of the create-listing form, the "Item title" field has a counter that reads "x of 80 characters".²

Two details of the counter are worth knowing, as we saw them in a US seller account:²

• It counts the spaces between words, but not spaces at the end of the title.
• It does not update in real time. It refreshes as you type letters, not when you type a space, so the number on screen can lag by a space or two.

Because of that lag, leave a character or two of margin while you edit, and read the counter again after you type the last letter. A "See title options" link also sits beside the Title heading in the form.² We do not state how many characters of a title appear in search results or in the eBay app, because we found no eBay page that documents it.

eBay's guidance says to include the brand, model or type, color, style, and even the model number.¹ It also says to avoid special characters and irrelevant words.¹ The page gives two example titles in that spirit: a women's sweater listed with its brand, material, colors and size, and a boys' sneaker listed with its brand, color, size and model number.¹

Where the model number lives depends on the item: a tag, a tongue label, a stamp on the base, a copyright page. Read it off the item rather than from memory, since a wrong number describes a different product.

eBay's search and browse manipulation policy covers what a listing may say in order to be found. Here is what it states on the page, in plain terms:³

• Manipulating search results to gain unfair visibility of a listing is not allowed.
• Keywords that are not directly related to the item for sale are not allowed. All the words in a listing need to be accurate and refer only to the item for sale.
• Listings cannot include keywords with question marks, because that can mislead buyers. If a detail is unclear, leave it out.
• Listings that make comparisons with other products are not allowed.
• Listings that promote other listings are not allowed.
• Compatible vehicles should not be included in the listing title.
• Offering a choice of different products in one listing is not allowed, such as different brands or models in the same listing, or "new" and "used" items together. Significant differences between items in a listing should be shown in the title, pictures, price, condition and item specifics so buyers can tell them apart.

For an accessory or another item that is compatible with a different item, the policy says "fits", "for" or "compatible with" should be stated before the name of the compatible item. It adds that those words are not allowed before the brand names of jewelry, clothing and accessories, or before universally compatible items.³ The policy is the source to follow, so read it in full if your item is an accessory or a part.

The pattern below is our suggestion for working consistently, not an eBay rule. Fill in what applies and fit it to the characters you have:

1. Brand, maker or author. The name on the item.
2. Item type or title. What it is, in plain words.
3. Model, edition or key detail. A model number, edition, pattern name or year.
4. Size and color. As on the tag or measured.
5. A condition note, only when it is accurate. Say "signed" or "chip on rim" only if it is true and also stated in the listing details.

If you run out of room, drop the words that add the least information about the item, and keep the facts a buyer would filter on. Do not pad the end with words that do not describe the item, because the policy above rules out keywords unrelated to it.

These are sample titles for items that do not exist, written to show the pattern. They are not eBay's examples and not a model to copy word for word.

• A book: Dune Frank Herbert Hardcover Book Club Edition Science Fiction 1984
• A pair of shoes: Nike Air Max 90 Mens Running Shoes Size 10 White Black Leather
• A vintage glass item: Vintage Fenton Hobnail Milk Glass Pitcher 8 Inch Blue Opalescent

Each one leads with the name on the item, says what the item is, adds a model or edition detail, and then gives size or color. None of them uses a question mark, a comparison or a word that does not describe the item.

A short check list, which is our suggestion rather than an eBay rule:

• Every word in the title can be seen on the item or in the photos.
• The brand, model, size and color match the item specifics you filled in. See the item specifics guide.
• No question marks, no comparisons to other products, no mention of other listings.
• No special characters or filler words that do not describe the item.
• Any condition word in the title also appears in the condition and description fields.
• You read the counter again after the last letter, with a margin for the lag.

The eBay listing checklist covers the rest of the listing, from photos to shipping.

The create-listing form has an optional Subtitle field with its own limit of 55 characters. eBay's tooltip says subtitles appear in search results in list view, and that a listing upgrade fee applies whether or not the item sells.²

For sellers without a Store, eBay's selling fees page lists the subtitle fee for fixed price (Good 'Til Cancelled) listings as $2.00 when the item price is up to $150, and $6.00 when it is over $150.⁴ Store fees and fees on your own account may differ, so check the amount the form shows before you add one. Because the fee is charged whether or not the item sells, add it to your cost when you run the numbers in the eBay fee calculator.

A good title is one step in getting an item to a buyer. Estimate boxes and padding early, and see the shipping supplies guide for what to keep on hand.

When Strooply drafts a listing from your photos, the draft includes a title along with the description, category, condition notes (you can choose the condition, and if you do not, the AI suggests one) and item specifics. You review and edit every field, including the title, and nothing is published to eBay until you tap Publish. Use this guide to check the draft title against the item in your hands. See how Strooply works for the full picture.