Why did eBay redesign the item page? The new item page is more visually appealing with a more structured layout, larger pictures, a real-time countdown timer, easier bidding, and more.
When will this change take place? The new design started with a small percentage of buyers in early 2009, and we're aiming for it to be available to all buyers later in the summer 2009.
Where can I see the new design? If you have active listings, you can go to any of those listings now and click on the 'Switch to the new version of this page' link on the top right to see the listing in the new format.
What features did you change?
We added the following new features at the top of the item page:
Larger item pictures at the top of the listings
Real-time countdown for auction-style listings that are ending in 24 hours
Report This Item link
Link to Postage & Packaging details
Estimated dispatch and delivery time
We enhanced or highlighted these existing features at the top of the page:
Item condition
Item location
Payment methods accepted
Buyer protection
Return Policy
Seller Feedback score
We removed the following features/links from the item page:
High bidder name
Multiple Feedback information and links
Listing start time
Listing promotion type (Home page featured, Gallery featured or Featured Plus)
Icons near seller name such as Top X reviewer, ID verify, New user and About Me
Skype me buttons and related Skype functionality such as the download Skype link
Get alerts
We moved these links from the top of the item page to the P&P and Payments tab. The process for all remains the same:
Immediate payment required
Get it Fast
PayPal account required
Postage insurance
Why did you decide to remove things like High Bidder, Seller Location and Member Since? This information is less important to buyers making a purchase decision than information such as item condition, pictures, payment options and return policy. Most of this information is still available just a click away. High bidder is available in the bid history page and Member Since is available in the user's My World or Feedback profile page.
How can I give feedback to eBay on the new design? If you land on the redesigned page, you'll see a link at the top that says 'Send us your comments'. Click on this link to send us your feedback on the new experience.
Where are you showing other relevant merchandise? If you see the new page, you might come across more merchandise—from the same seller or from other sellers—in three locations: 1. Below the description tab on open items 2. At the top of closed items 3. In a separate merchandising tab called Related Items
We're displaying merchandise in these areas to give shoppers more relevant results and help boost conversion and order size. If you offer postage discounts on multiple purchases, you'll give buyers added incentive to buy more from you.
Will you prioritise same seller items? Yes. We will always prioritise same seller items in all our merchandising.
As a seller, can I opt out of this merchandising? Yes, but if you do, your merchandise will not appear on other sellers item pages so it’s important to consider the tradeoffs.
To change your cross-promotion settings, go to the new My eBay > Account > Marketing Tools > Items Promotion Summary.
You can also change your cross-promotion settings on My eBay > Account Tab > Site Preferences > Promoting Similar Items on eBay Pages and Emails > Marketing Tools > Items Promotion Summary.
Will this item page only be shown for Store Inventory items? This new item page will be shown for all items from a Shop Seller, regardless of listing format.
Will the listing frame we are familiar with remain or not? The vertical listing frame on the left side of the page is being replaced with a horizontal list of four categories in the Shop header itself.
Will our other categories be shown? How many? In addition to the four categories that are shown in the header, another 10 categories will be shown as a dropdown menu.
How will I change the categories I want to display? Categories will be configurable within Manage My Shop. A new tool will allow you to select your categories and add a personalised message. If you don’t select the categories, eBay will auto-populate the top four categories based on the number of listings in each category.
Will our logos be displayed? Do I need to make any changes to it? Yes, your logo will appear in the Shop header - no changes to your existing logo are necessary.
I'm using a customised listing template - how will that be affected? As of now, there will be no impact on customised listing templates.
Can I still use cross promotions? No. Cross-promotions within Manage My Shop will no longer be available.
How can I configure the new personalised marketing message feature that is displayed in the Shop header? This feature can be personalised in Manage My Shop.
Are descriptions going to be 710 pixels wide? No. Descriptions will be flexible width with no size constraint, the same way they are currently.
What is the impact on self-hosted pictures? None. Self-hosted pictures will continue to work normally.
Will my holiday message display change? Yes, this message is going to be displayed more prominently above the item itself, like a status message.
What other Shop-related changes are included with this redesign? Shop sellers will now have a customisable marketing message that will be displayed in the Shop header to help display personalised messages or latest updates.
Why am I seeing scroll bars around my item description? User-generated item descriptions are now being loaded inside an iFrame, which is a window set within the View Item page. If your description is larger than the iFrame, scroll bars will appear so that buyers are able to scroll up/down and left/right in the description. This helps eBay separate user-generated content from eBay content and further protects you from certain types of content that may harm your computer.
Why is my listing description not loading? eBay listings contain both standard eBay content as well as user-generated descriptions. We host the different content in two separate locations. Occasionally, due to slow internet connections, the user-generated description may not load right away. Try clicking the "Refresh" button on your browser to reload the page.
Why is eBay using iFrames?
Separating user-generated content, such as item descriptions, from eBay content enables us to provide an extra layer of security. The separation will prevent users from submitting HTML that may interfere with how eBay works.
Why are all my HTML links inside my item description opening in a new browser window? In order to provide a consistent and easy experience for all users, all HTML links inside the item description will be opened in a new browser window. These are not the same as pop-ups and will not be blocked by pop-up blockers. Will the iFrame in my item description affect my search engine standings and the marketing of my listings? eBay will make sure that a non-iFrame version of your listings is shown to search bots and all non-browser based requests. The same non-iFrame version of your listings will be served to users with browsers that do not support JavaScript.
Why are my scripts only working inside the item description area? User-generated item descriptions are now being loaded inside an iFrame. This helps eBay separate user content from eBay content and further protect you from certain types of content that may harm your computer. With this change, your scripts will only be allowed to modify and control your item description and the area it occupies.
Why isn't my content within the iFrame appearing properly? There are some steps you can take to make sure your content appears as expected inside an iFrame.
File linking:
Flash links should target a blank window and use full paths including the http:// prefix.
HTML and form actions will automatically be set by eBay to target a blank window. You should use full paths including the http:// prefix on all URLs.
Externally hosted images and other content references should point to valid existing content and use full paths including the http:// prefix.
Externally hosted images and other content must have quick load speeds.
Externally hosted style sheets and scripts must use full paths.
Content validity:
HTML content should be well formed and preferably should comply with XHTML 1.0 standards.
Script and other rich content should not depend on any elements in the eBay View Item page.
Scripts must properly execute without any runtime warnings or errors.
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