Choosing your eBay category and filling in item specifics

Every eBay listing needs a category, and most categories need a set of item specifics filled in before eBay will let you publish. This article covers how to search and choose a category in DashVue, what to do if category search is not working, how to fill in the specifics eBay requires, how to add your own custom specifics, and where the Store category field fits in.

Searching for a category

DashVue’s category picker searches eBay’s live category tree as you type, so results reflect eBay’s current categories rather than a cached or out of date list.

1. Open your listing in the builder and go to the category field.
2. Type a few words describing the item, for example the product type or brand.
3. Pick the closest matching category from the search results.

Choosing an accurate category matters beyond tidiness: it is what determines which item specifics eBay then asks for.

If category search is down: entering a category ID directly

Category search depends on eBay’s taxonomy service responding. If that search is unavailable, DashVue lets you fall back to typing an eBay category ID directly instead of searching by name.

You can find an item’s eBay category ID from an existing listing in that category, or from eBay’s own category lookup pages, then type it into the category ID field in DashVue.

Filling in required item specifics

Once a category is chosen, eBay defines a set of required aspects for that category, things like brand, size, colour or type, depending on what you are listing. DashVue shows these as fields driven by your chosen category, and you need to fill them in before the listing can be published.

• The specifics shown change automatically when you change category, because they come from eBay’s category tree, not from a fixed list in DashVue.
• Fields marked as required must be completed for the listing to publish successfully.

Adding your own custom specifics

Beyond the category’s required fields, DashVue also has a Custom Specifics section where you can add your own additional item specifics. Use this for details buyers search on that eBay does not require for the category, or for extra attributes specific to what you sell.

Store category is a free-text field

Publishing and account access

DashVue is eBay UK only and works with a single connected eBay account. Publishing a listing, including one with a new category and specifics, needs a Full Access eBay connection. A read-only connection lets you draft and view listings but cannot publish changes to eBay. DashVue publishes fixed-price, Buy It Now listings, it does not create auctions.