How to Write an eBay Title: Format, 80-Char Limit, Examples

An eBay title is the 80-character line that eBay search matches against what buyers type, so you write one by putting the brand, item type and model first, then size, color, material and condition, in words a buyer would search. eBay's own Seller Center tells sellers to "use all 80 characters and focus on relevant keywords." Leave out ALL CAPS, symbols and filler like "L@@K" or "Hot Sale".

Want to test a title while you read? Paste it into the free eBay title builder. It counts your 80 characters as you type and shows which buyer searches your title matches and which words you are missing. No account needed.

This guide covers what to put in an eBay title, the recommended format, the character limit, ten before-and-after examples, and the words that get listings removed under eBay's Search manipulation policy.

What to put in an eBay title?

An eBay title should contain the words a buyer types to find that exact item: brand, item type, model or part number, then the size, color, material and one key feature. Everything else is optional and only goes in if there is room.

In order of priority:

• Brand, only if the item is that brand. Unbranded goods start with the item type.
• Item type, in the buyer's words. Suppliers write "Household Multifunctional Electric Vegetable Cutter". Buyers type "vegetable chopper".
• Model, line or part number. Identifiers like a model number or MPN catch buyers who search by number, and they are often the most exact match a listing can get.
• Size, quantity, color and material. "8 Pack", "36x27", "Grey", "Memory Foam". Numbers count as keywords.
• Condition or key feature. "New with Tags", "Refurbished", "Waterproof", "1800W". Pick the one a buyer filters or searches on.
• Use case, if characters are left. "for Kitchen", "Home Gym", "Bedroom". These catch longer searches.

eBay's Seller Center gives this smartphone example: "Apple iPhone 11 Pro 256GB Midnight Green Carrier Unlocked Grade A". Brand, line, model, storage, color, network status, condition. Nothing in it is decoration.

What is the recommended format for eBay titles?

The recommended eBay title format is Brand] + [Item type] + [Model] + [Size, Color or Material] + [Condition or Key feature], filled left to right until you reach 80 characters. eBay's own [listing optimization guide for sellers suggests nearly the same order: "NEW" [brand] [product name] [model No] [variants] [additional keyword].

The format shifts a little by category, because buyers search differently:

One place I disagree with eBay's template: leading with "NEW". On a new item, condition is already an item specific, and those four characters push the item type further right. Put "New" at the end, or skip it, unless condition is the selling point (sealed, new with tags, refurbished).

Why front-load at all? Buyers scan the first few words, and phone search results can cut a long title short. If the item type sits in the last 20 characters, a buyer may never see it.

How long can eBay titles be?

eBay titles can be up to 80 characters, and spaces, numbers and punctuation all count toward that limit. eBay's developer documentation sets the title field at a maximum of 80 characters, and the eBay Seller Center tells you to use all of them.

Use 70 to 80. eBay's listing optimization guide for sellers states that "listings that have titles with more than 60 characters have a 1.5 greater chance of selling." eBay does not publish the data behind that number, but the direction matches common sense: a 30-character title matches fewer searches than a 78-character one built from real keywords.

The subtitle is a separate 55-character field, and it is a paid upgrade. On a Good 'Til Cancelled fixed price listing, eBay charges $2.00 for a subtitle on items priced up to $150 and $6.00 above that. For a dropshipper with a thin margin, that is rarely worth it.

Item specifics do the work the title cannot hold. Our eBay item specifics guide covers which ones affect search.

eBay title examples: before and after

Here are ten generic products with a weak title and a rewrite. The number in brackets is the character count.

Look at the fitness row. The weak title already uses 77 characters, but it spends them on "Great for" and a list of every activity. The rewrite is the same length and says what the product is (5 loop bands, latex) and what buyers search for (legs, glutes, home gym). Length alone is not the goal. Searchable words are.

The beauty row breaks a written rule, not only a style one: eBay's Search manipulation policy says listings "can't include keywords with question marks, as this can be misleading for buyers."

What should you leave out of an eBay title?

Leave out anything a buyer would not type: hype words, symbols, all-caps words, and any keyword that does not describe the item in the listing. eBay's listing optimization guide warns that writing whole words in capitals, or putting asterisks and other markers between words, can lower your ranking.

• ALL CAPS words. Use Title Case. Brands that style their own name in capitals are the exception.
• Filler. "L@@K", "WOW", "Amazing", "Best Quality", "Hot Sale", "Must Have". Nobody searches them.
• Symbols and emojis. Asterisks, exclamation marks, question marks. Keep a slash or hyphen only when the product name uses one.
• "Free Shipping". Shipping cost shows in search results already, so those 13 characters buy nothing.
• Unrelated keywords. eBay's Search manipulation policy says "using keywords that are not directly related to the item for sale is not allowed."
• Brand names you do not sell. "Style", "like" and look-alike brand names on generic goods are a VeRO risk. Check the eBay VeRO list before you put any brand in a title.
• Every color and size of a variation listing. eBay's guide for sellers says that on a multi-variation listing, "you do not need to give details of all variations in the title," because eBay indexes the variations automatically. Name the item once and let the variation values carry "Red, Blue, Green, S, M, L". That frees 20 or 30 characters for real keywords.

Can you use "for" or "compatible with" a brand?

Yes, for real accessories, with one exception. eBay's Search manipulation policy says that for an accessory, "fits", "for" or "compatible with" goes before the name of the compatible item. It also says those words are "not allowed before the brand names of jewelry, clothing and accessories, or universally compatible items." A charging cable that fits one phone line can say so. A universal phone mount cannot list five phone brands.

What goes wrong with a bad eBay title?

A bad eBay title fails in three ways: eBay removes the listing, a rights owner reports it, or a buyer opens a case.

Policy removal. Under the Search manipulation policy, eBay can remove the listing, issue a warning, restrict your account or suspend it. Keyword stuffing and question-mark tricks are the usual triggers.

VeRO takedowns. The Verified Rights Owner program lets brands report listings that use their trademarks. A generic tumbler with a famous brand name in the title is a trademark problem, not a search trick, and repeated reports lead to selling restrictions.

Item not as described. If the title says "Stainless Steel" and the supplier ships coated plastic, the buyer can open a case under the eBay Money Back Guarantee. You refund, and the case counts against your seller performance. For dropshippers this is the quiet one: you write the title from the supplier's page, so read that page and do not copy its marketing claims.

The fix for all three is the same habit. Write only what is true about the item you will ship, and nothing about items you are not selling. Ranking is covered in our Cassini ranking guide. This post is about the words.

How to write eBay titles step by step

Writing one good title takes a few minutes. Writing two hundred takes a routine.

• Find the item type buyers use. Search the product on eBay, filter to Sold Items, and read the top titles. The words that repeat are your keyword list.
• Write the first draft in format order. Brand, item type, model, size, color, material, condition.
• Check it against buyer searches. Paste the draft into the free SuperDS eBay title builder. It lists buyer searches for your product, shows which ones your title matches, and adds the missing words in one click. A length bar tells you when you are between 75 and 80 characters.
• Remove anything untrue. Re-read the supplier listing. Delete any feature, material or size you cannot confirm.
• Check brand names. SuperDS checks your title and brand against its VeRO brand list when you import a product with the extension, and stops the upload with an alert if it finds a match.
• Fill item specifics. Brand, size, color, material, model. They feed eBay's filters.
• Look at the phone view. Open the listing on your phone. If the item type is cut off, move it left.

Inside the dashboard, the SuperDS Title Builder does the same scoring on your drafts, and "Optimize with AI" rewrites a title to 75 to 80 characters for 10 coins. Read the rewrite before you take it. An AI can add a feature your product does not have.

The free tool is the faster start. Type your next title into the eBay title builder before you list and add searches until the match count stops going up.

eBay title checklist

• Brand first only if the item is that brand, then item type, model, size or quantity, color, material.
• Use 70 to 80 of the 80 characters.
• Every word is one a buyer would type. No hype, no symbols, no ALL CAPS, no question marks.
• Item type within the first few words.
• No brand you do not sell. "For" or "compatible with" only on real accessories, never before brand names on clothing, jewelry or universal items.
• On variation listings, do not list every color and size in the title.
• Title matches item specifics and what the supplier ships.
• Skip the $2.00 subtitle unless the margin clearly covers it.
• Check the phone view, then list.