Promoted Listings is available to Above standard and Top Rated sellers in good standing with recent sales activity.
Promoted Listings
You can promote your listings using the business tool, the new listing tool, My eBay - opens in new window or tab, Seller Hub - opens in new window or tab, or the Promoted Listings dashboard - opens in new window or tab.
To create a Promoted Listings campaign using the business tool or new listing tool:
- At the bottom of the Listing details page, check the Sell it faster - Promoted Listings box.
- Select an ad rate.
- From the Select a campaign dropdown menu, choose an existing campaign or a new campaign.
- Select List item.
- Open the dropdown menu beside the listing you want to promote.
- Select Promote listing.
- Use our suggested ad rate or, under “Ad rate (%),” set your own rate.
- Select a campaign.
- Select Promote listing now.
You can also edit or stop promoting a promoted listing in My eBay Active. From the dropdown menu beside the promoted listing, select Edit promoted listing. You'll then have the option to Update promoted listing or Stop promoting.
- Select the Promote listing bubble under the listing title or select the Edit dropdown beside any listing with the Promote listing bubble, then select Promote listing.
- Select Promote.
- Set an ad rate.
- Select an existing campaign or create a new one.
- Select Promote.
To stop promoting a listing at any time from the Seller Hub Active Listings page:
- Select the Actions dropdown menu beside the listing.
- Select Edit promoted listing.
- Select Stop promoting.
- Select Edit promoted listing to save your changes.
- Check the boxes next to the listings you want to promote, or check the box at the top of your listings to select up to 200 listings at once.
- Select the Sell it faster dropdown above your listings, and then select Promoted Listings.
- Use the suggested ad rate or select Advanced options to adjust ad rates or set a maximum ad rate.
- Select an existing campaign or create a new one.
- Select Promote.
- Select Create new campaign.
- Choose either Simple listing selection, Bulk listing selection, or Creating rules (automated campaigns).
- We'll take you through the process: selecting which listings to promote, choosing how much you'd like to pay for the ads, and then reviewing and launching your campaign.
Using simple listing selection
If you choose to promote using Simple listing selection from the Promoted Listings dashboard, here's what to do next:
- Select the listings you want to promote - you can filter your listings based on criteria such as category, price and quantity.
- Choose your ad rate strategy - Suggested ad rates are applied by default. If you want to change strategy, select Change your ad rate strategy and choose one of these options:
- Apply suggested ad rates. Suggested ad rates are tailored to each of your listings, to help you find the optimal balance between cost and performance
- Adjust suggested ad rates. Choose a percentage below or above the suggested ad rate and/or add an ad rate cap to your listings
- Apply single ad rate. Choose an ad rate to apply to all your listings
- Select the toggle in the Ad rate column. Apply individual ad rates between 1% - 100% to a specific listing by moving the slider or by using the controls by the input box
Bulk listing selection
If you choose to promote using Bulk listing selection from the Promoted Listings dashboard, you'll be given two options: “Help me select my listings” or “I'll upload my listings in a CSV file.”
If you choose Help me select my listings:
- Check the boxes beside the eBay categories or Store categories that you want to promote.
- We'll promote all listings in the categories you select (e.g. the coins category).
- If you check the “Include all recommended listings” box, we will promote all recommended listings as well, even if those recommended listings are not in the categories you selected.
- Any listings that are already being promoted in another campaign will not be included.
- Choose your ad rate strategy for all listings in your campaign. You can choose from the following options:
- Apply suggested ad rates. Suggested ad rates are tailored to each of your listings, to help you find the optimal balance between cost and performance
- Adjust suggested ad rates. Choose a percentage below or above the suggested ad rate. If you have a strict maximum rate you want to pay, you can also set an ad rate cap
- Apply single ad rate. Choose an ad rate to apply to all your listings
- Set individual ad rates. Upload a .csv file with the item IDs that you wish to promote in column A and the ad rates for each item in Column B
- Review and launch your campaign.
If you choose I'll upload my listings in a CSV file:
- Prepare a CSV file with the item IDs that you wish to promote in column A and the ad rates for each item in Column B.
- Upload the file. (See file format specifications below.)
You can also edit your listings in bulk using a CSV file. Here's how:
- Select Actions next to the campaign you want to edit.
- Download the campaign file and include suggested ad rates.
- Make your changes to the CSV file and save the updated file.
- Upload the file.
- Review and launch your campaign.
File format
- The file needs to be in CSV format
- You can add up to 50,000 Item IDs in one file
- Ad rates can be provided in 0.1% increments
- Item IDs need to be in number format with no decimal points
- Do not use the “%” sign
- Large files may take up to an hour to upload
Any changes you make to your listing will automatically appear in your ad.
For more information, see our video on promoting your listings in bulk - opens in new window or tab.
Using automated campaigns
If you choose to promote by Creating rules from the Promoted Listings dashboard, here's what to do next:
- Apply rules to your inventory using the filters provided. These selections will be applied to current and future listings to determine which ones should be promoted.
- After setting up your filters, choose an ad rate strategy to apply to the listings in your campaign–remember that any future listings that meet your rules criteria will be promoted with the strategy you choose. You can choose to automate suggested ad rates or to apply a single ad rate.
- With automated suggested ad rates, you have additional controls like setting an ad rate cap or adjusting the suggested ad rate to fit your needs.
- Once you launch your campaign, the rules you created will be used to determine which listings will be promoted and which ad rate strategy they'll be promoted with.
Tip
You can monitor the performance of your Promoted Listings in the Promoted Listings dashboard - opens in new window or tab.
Promoted Listings fees
You choose how much you want to pay for your Promoted Listings—we call this the ad rate. Based on the listing's quality, its relevancy to buyer search, its ad rate, and other factors, the Promoted Listings system determines which listings to show and where they are displayed.
Here's how the fees work:
- You choose an ad rate between 1% - 100% of the item's sale price. The higher the ad rate, the higher the possibility of ad placement, leading to increased visibility
- Suggested ad rates are calculated based on a variety of factors such as item attributes, seasonality, past performance, and current competition for each of your listings
- You will only be charged when a buyer clicks on one of your ads and then buys that item within 30 days
- The ad fee is based on the ad rate you chose
- Ad fees are shown in your Payments tab or your seller invoice
Visit our Seller Center to learn more about Promoted Listings.
Promoted Listings Lite
If you're using the quick listing tool, you can still advertise your item in premium places on the eBay network using Promoted Listings Lite.
To be eligible for Promoted Listings Lite, you need to meet all of the following criteria:
- Your seller level is Above Standard or Top Rated and you have an established sales history
- The listing is in fixed price format (auction-style listings, including auction-style listings with a Buy It Now option, aren't eligible)
- The listing price adheres to our recommended price guidance
- The item is listed under any category except for Motors vehicle categories, Real Estate, and Travel
- The listing includes at least two pictures
- The item condition isn't listed as “parts not working”
- The listing doesn't offer local pickup
Promoted Listings Lite fees
You'll only be charged a fee for a promoted listing if a buyer clicks on your ad then makes a purchase within 30 days. The fee is a percentage of the item's final sale price.
Here's how Promoted Listings Lite fees work:
- A fee is selected based on the trending price for items similar to yours, which you will be able to see and confirm as you're creating your promoted listing. The fee represents a percentage of the final sale price of your item, excluding shipping and taxes
- If a buyer clicks on your promoted listing and then buys the item within 30 days, you'll be charged the ad fee
- If you accept a Best Offer price, the agreed-upon ad rate will be applied to the new Best Offer price
- If your item doesn't sell, or if a buyer finds your item through a non-promoted listing in search results, you won't be charged an ad fee
- Ad fees are shown in your Payments tab or your seller invoice
To learn more about Promoted Listings Lite, visit our Seller Center.
Promoted Listings FAQs
What if someone looks at my promoted listing but doesn't buy the item right away?
If a buyer clicks on your promoted listing, we only charge the ad fee if they buy your item within 30 days.
Am I charged multiple fees if a buyer clicks on my promoted listing multiple times?
No. You are charged the fee that applied when the buyer first clicked on your promoted listing within the 30-day window.
What fee am I charged if I revise my listing and change the ad rate?
You will be charged whichever ad rate was active when the buyer first clicked on your promoted listing within the 30-day window. You can't change the ad rate with Promoted Listings Lite.
What happens if I accept a best offer?
If you accept a Best Offer price from a buyer who clicked on that listing through Promoted Listings, you'll be charged an ad fee based on the final sale price.
Where will my Promoted Listings ads appear?
Promoted Listings can appear in prominent placements across the eBay network, including the search results page and related items section. Listings will only be promoted on the eBay network sites of the country you listed in, even if they feature international shipping.
What is the eBay network?
The eBay network is a group of sites where your promoted listings could be featured, including eBay and partner sites across the internet.
Your promoted listings may appear in sponsored placements off eBay, including search engines, to help drive traffic to your listings when buyers are actively searching and shopping across the internet.
Can listings be promoted on multiple eBay sites?
To promote listings on another eBay site (e.g. ebay.co.uk), log in to that eBay site and create campaigns using that site's local Promoted Listings tools.
Can I choose to only promote my listings on eBay?
If you would like your ads to appear on eBay only, you can submit a request to opt out of off eBay placements. You can expect to be opted out 7 days after submitting a request.
If you would like to opt back in, you can submit a request through the same form above.
You may still see "Promoted Listings sales (via external placements)" in your downloadable reports after you’ve opted out due to our 30-day attribution window. For example, if a buyer clicked on your promoted listing before you opted out, then returned to purchase your listing after you opted out and within 30 days of that click, you would still be charged the ad rate in effect at the time of the click.
How do I find out how my campaigns are performing?
For detailed metrics on how your campaigns are performing, go to your Promoted Listings dashboard - opens in new window or tab. From here you can monitor:
Impressions: The number of times your promoted listings have appeared on any eBay site
Clicks: The number of visits to a listing page from a promoted listing.
Sold: The number of promoted items purchased within 30 days of a click on your promoted listings
Ad fees: The total amount of fees incurred by items sold within 30 days of a click on your promoted listings
Sales: The amount of sales generated by promoted items sold within 30 days of a click on your promoted listings
CTR (Click-through rate): Clicks divided by Impressions. The CTR is the percentage of times buyers saw your ad and clicked on it.
Sales conversion rate: Sold divided by Clicks. The sales conversion rate is the percentage of promoted listings that are purchased after the buyer has clicked on them.
Average sold ad rate. Ad fees divided by Sales. This number represents the average ad rate for items sold within 30 days of a click on your promoted listings.
You can also monitor comparative and organic data from your Promoted Listings dashboard:
- Comparative data: Compare last month's performance to your current performance using the comparative data underneath each Summary metric. When you change the time period, the comparative data changes accordingly
- Organic data: Compare your promoted listings and organic performance for items in Promoted Listings campaigns. You can see organic data for impressions, clicks, and sales
Why do organic metrics sometimes outperform Promoted Listings metrics in my performance graph?
The eBay Marketplace is a dynamic environment. A number of factors can cause a fluctuation in your Promoted Listings impressions, clicks, or sales. They include:
- Recent changes to ad rate
- Recent additions or removals of listings in a campaign
- Changes in organic search rank for promoted listings (e.g. boost from Promoted Listings sales increases overall organic sales)
- Changes to the competitive landscape (e.g. other sellers start or stop promoting items in the same category and/or make significant changes to their ad rates)
- Buyer traffic or demand for a certain item - Seasonality - Third parties, such as a brand manufacturer, choosing to start or stop promoting certain items
- General platform improvements, quality thresholds, or eligibility changes
