When you create new listings through Solid Commerce, you populate a short product description into the eBay Description field.
The field is used differently by the auto import function. When external systems like ours import listings from eBay, eBay provides all of the HTML in the description field. There is no way to automatically extract the product description text from the rest of the HTML.
If you want to update your live eBay listings through Solid Commerce, first you need to replace the imported HTML description with a product description. This article offers several suggestions for replacing the HTML that imported into the eBay Description field.
NOTE:
If you want an eBay template design on your listings, you will need to add the HTML to your eBay Listing Templates. For information about adding HTML or creating eBay Listing Templates, see the Related Articles section.
What we cover:
- Using Descriptions From Another Marketplace
- Using Descriptions From Another Source
- Removing HTML With Excel
- Removing HTML With an Online Tool
- Quick Fix - Using a Product Name or Title as Your Description
- Related Articles
Using Descriptions From Another Marketplace
The easiest way to update your eBay Descriptions is by replacing them with descriptions from another marketplace. You may have descriptions for Walmart, Jet, your webstore, or Amazon already saved in Solid Commerce.
1) Download the Basic Required Fields for Descriptions.xlsx Excel file that we've attached to this article.
2) Add your desired description column.
3) Click on Retrieve Data in the Excel Add-In Tool.
- For more info about retrieving into Excel, see Retrieving With the Excel Tool - Quick Guide.
4) Change the description column to ebay description.
5) Click on Upload Data in the Excel Add-In Tool and check only the Upload Product box.
Using Descriptions From Another Source
Uploading descriptions from a system outside of Solid Commerce is an easy way to update your eBay Descriptions.
Some manufacturers or suppliers provide files with product descriptions. You might have descriptions stored in an accounting program, warehouse management system, or other database. You might be able to export them from another marketplace.
Here's how you use descriptions from outside sources as your eBay Descriptions in Solid Commerce:
1) Download the Basic Required Fields for Descriptions.xlsx Excel file that we've attached to this article.
2) Paste in your SKUs and Warehouse IDs.
3) Add a column with the header ebay description.
4) Paste the descriptions from your outside source into the ebay description column.
5) Click on Upload Data in the Excel Add-In Tool and check only the Upload Product box.
Removing HTML With Excel
NOTE:
Excel limits the total number of characters you can enter in a single cell to 32,767. Any HTML or text with more than 32,767 characters cannot be added to Excel.
1) Download the Basic Required Fields for Descriptions.xlsx Excel file that we've attached to this article.
2) Add a column with the header ebay description.
3) Click on Retrieve Data in the Excel Add-In Tool.
- For more info about retrieving into Excel, see Retrieving With the Excel Tool - Quick Guide.
4) Select the ebay description column and hit Ctrl+H.
5) Find <*> and click on Replace All.
- If your text has a lot of line breaks, hit Ctrl+H again. Find Alt+010. Click on Replace All.
5) Click on Upload Data in the Excel Add-In Tool and check only the Upload Product box.
Removing HTML With an Online Tool
If the other techniques won't work for you, an online tool that converts HTML to text might be your next best option. You can also use a free HTML WYSIWYG editor to view the entire design so that you can identify and copy the product description portion.
Both of these methods require working on the descriptions one item at a time.
NOTE:
Some tools have character limits. Please check your tool of choice for limitations.
Below are two examples of tools that convert HTML to text. We do not guarantee the accuracy or availability of these services.
Here are two free HTML WYSIWYG editors.
As you copy your product descriptions, you can paste them into the Basic Required Fields for Descriptions.xlsx Excel file that we've attached to this article. You will need to add an ebay description column.
Quick Fix - Using a Product Name or Title as Your Description
As a last resort, you can use your product name or title as an eBay description.
IMPORTANT
Using a product name or title as a description is not an eBay best practice. This may hurt your sales and search ranking. If you choose this method, we recommend replacing your description with an informative product description as soon as possible.
1) Download the Basic Required Fields for Descriptions.xlsx Excel file that we've attached to this article.
2) Add a column with the header product name.
- To use the ebay listing title instead, add the columns: ebay title and list name.
3) Click on Retrieve Data in the Excel Add-In Tool.
- For more info about retrieving into Excel, see Retrieving With the Excel Tool - Quick Guide.
4) Change the product name or ebay title column name to ebay description.
5) Click on Upload Data in the Excel Add-In Tool and check only the Upload Product box.
Related Articles
- eBay Disabling Active Content - Meeting Their New Requirements
- New UI - Removing Active Content From eBay Listings and Listing Templates
- Legacy UI - Removing Active Content from eBay Listings and Listing Templates
- Retrieving With the Excel Tool - Quick Guide
- Creating an eBay Listing Template
- Adding eBay Descriptions to Your Listings and Automatically Populating eBay Templates
Attachment of the starter file with the basic required fields:
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