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  3. eBay

Listing Variations on eBay

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Josh Smith
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In this article, we'll show you how you create variation products and list them to eBay.

 

What we'll cover in this article:

  1. Variation Listing Set Up
  2. Variation Product Characteristics
  3. Listing Variations Through a Spreadsheet
  4. Listing Variations Through the UI
  5. The Display Order of Your Variation Options
  6. Downloadable Template With an Example of a Size Variation
  7. Related Articles

 

Variation Listing Set Up

Before you can list variations, you need to create an eBay Variation Group. For more info, please see Setting up Solid Commerce to List Variations on eBay (Creating Variation Groups).

 

Variation Product Characteristics

Parent Item:

  • The Parent SKU is assigned to all of the items in a variation. It's what binds the variation together. It is a virtual product because it cannot actually be purchased.
  • The parent item provides all the listing details to eBay, such as the eBay Title, main image, Item Specifics, shipping options, and so on.

Child Items:

  • The child items are the real items that can be be purchased by making a selection in the drop-down menu.
  • Child items only supply eBay with the values for the drop-down menu, images if they differ from the main image, quantity, and price.

 

Listing Variations Through a Spreadsheet

Here is an example of a size variation for a men's t-shirt. Our Product and Inventory information is on one tab and our eBay Marketplace information is on another tab.

 

On the Products & Inventory Tab:

1) Parent Item: Add general product information. Give it any quantity, so long as it's greater than zero.

  • Do not save any values in the Product Attribute used for the variation. For example,when listing a size variation, don't give the parent item a size.

2) Child Items: Enter a value for the custom Product Attribute that will populate the drop-down menu.

  • The value for each child item needs to be different. For example, you can't have two child items with size S.

3) Upload this tab with an Products and Inventory update.

ebay_variations_excel_product_inventory_management_tab.png

 

On the eBay Tab:

1) Assign the ebay parent sku and ebay variation group to all the items in your variation, including the parent item.

2) We recommend entering all of the other eBay info for every item in the variation.

  • You can set a different ebay bin price for each child item if you want.

3) Upload this tab with a Marketplaces update.

ebay_variations_excel_marketplace_ebay_tab.png

 

In Solid Commerce:

1) Find the variation items in your eBay Market List.

2) Select all of the items in the variation. Click the List products now button.

  • They will list together in a single variation-style listing.

 

mceclip0.png

Listing Variations Through the UI

Here is how you create the same men's t-shirt size variation through the user interface.

1) Parent Item: Create your product. Add it to a Warehouse and an eBay Market List.

  • Provide the parent with general product info. It can have any quantity, so long as it's greater than zero.
  • Make sure not to save any values in the Product Attribute used for the variation. For example,when listing a size variation, don't give the parent item a size.

2) Child Items: Create your child products. Add them to a Warehouse and an eBay Market List.

  • Enter a value into the custom Product Attribute that will populate the drop-down menu.
  • The value for each child item needs to be different. For example, you can't have two child items with size S.

ebay_variations_product_attribute_size_medium.png

 

3) In your eBay Market List, open the eBay Listing Details for each item in the variation, including the parent item (click on the gear icon).

  • Select the Variation Group from the drop-down menu. Add the Parent SKU. Click the Save Changes button.

ebay_item_specifics_listing_template_parent_sku_variation_group.png

 

4) Select all of the items in the variation. Click the List products now button.

  • They will list together in a single variation-style listing.

 

The Display Order of Your Variation Options

When we submit a variation listing to eBay, we control the display order of the options in the drop-down menu.

EXAMPLE: If you list a t-shirt, we will automatically submit the sizes in the order: S, M, L, and XL (not some other order, like alphabetically: L, M, S, XL).

The display order is determined by an algorithm. Any option values not included in our algorithm are sorted first numerically and then alphabetically.

 

Downloadable Template With an Example of a Size Variation

Here is the file we created for our men's t-shirt variation.

 

Related Articles

 

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Attachment from the Downloadable Template With an Example of a Size Variation section:

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