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Program news

We hope everyone is well. We want to take this time to share with you some eBay Developers Program updates from the recent quarter (October - December 2024).

AI enhancements on the Developer Portal

We're happy to introduce a series of major AI enhancements to the Developer Portal including the following:

  • Developer AI Assistant: Real-time answers and relevant API documentation links are returned with this interactive AI chatbot. The tool is accessible by clicking the AI assistant icon icon on the lower-right side of the page. It is available from most portal pages, and requires that users are logged into their developer accounts.
  • Developer AI Assistant feedback: Users can provide thumbs-up or thumbs-down feedback based on the effectiveness of the responses. There is also a text box where users can provide specific feedback on their chat experience to help eBay make improvements to chat.
  • AI-assisted support: AI support is also being integrated into the support page, and users will soon have the ability to get instant support before considering opening a standard Developer Technical Support ticket. This feature will be rolled out in phases, and is not yet available to all developers.

Exciting updates to our Developer Loyalty Program

The eBay Developer Loyalty Program rewards partners who drive meaningful impact by aligning with our strategic goals, fostering innovation, and creating value for sellers.

We recently previewed exciting enhancements and improvements that will be rolled out in 2025. Here's a summary of what is changing:

  • Concierge-level service: for gold, silver, and bronze partners, our expert partner managers will guide you with tailored insights through newly structured business reviews and strategic joint business initiatives to accelerate your growth.
  • Expanded benefits: enjoy exclusive benefits based on your tier including marketing opportunities, early access to product innovations, and consulting engagements.
  • Clearer guidelines: gain insights into the factors we consider for Loyalty Program qualification, with stronger support to help you unlock enhanced rewards and exclusive program benefits.

For more information on these changes to the eBay Developer Loyalty Program, see our latest blog post.

General Product Safety Regulation update

The General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) went into effect on December 13, 2024, and we have updated our API documentation accordingly to support all GPSR requirements. See full details for each here: Trading API, Inventory API, Media API, and Metadata API.

See the GPSR Seller Center page for more information about GPSR requirements and answers to frequently asked questions.

New troubleshooting doc for Inventory API errors

A new Inventory API errors troubleshooting document was added to accompany Inventory API documentation. The purpose of this document is to assist developers in troubleshooting and fixing common publishing errors that may be triggered when using Inventory API methods that create or revise listings. Some error codes can actually be triggered by several different scenarios, so based on the method you are using and the error code you receive, API reference documentation has been updated to point to a specific section in the new Inventory API errors troubleshooting document that will assist with further troubleshooting.

API updates

The following updates have been made to our APIs this quarter.

Multi-warehouse functionality now available through APIs

The Inventory API was enhanced to support multi-warehouse functionality. By building in logic and support to associate multiple locations/warehouses to eBay listings, eBay is now able to calculate and display more accurate estimated delivery dates to potential buyers based on the inventory location that is closest to each buyer viewing the listing. The new schema was only added to the Inventory API, but this functionality is available to both Inventory API and Trading API users.

Prior to this change, a seller may have had multiple inventory locations that keep stock of a product, but eBay could only calculate only one estimated delivery date range based on the one inventory location associated with the listing.

To support this new feature, the following changes were made to the Inventory API:

  • A new FULFILLMENT_CENTER locationType. Only fulfillment center location types can be used to take advantage of the multi-warehouse functionality.
  • The createInventoryLocation method was updated with a fulfillmentCenterSpecifications container and a timeZoneId to set and control shipping cutoff times for fulfillment center locations.
  • The updateInventoryLocation method was also updated to modify shipping cutoff times for fulfillment center locations and to enable sellers to convert existing WAREHOUSE location types into fulfillment centers.
  • A new createOrReplaceSkuLocationMapping method used to map a SKU for an active listing to numerous fulfillment center locations, and enable the multi-warehouse feature.
  • A getSkuLocationMapping method to retrieve the current fulfillment center locations mapped to a SKU.
  • A deleteSkuLocationMapping method to unassociate all fulfillment center locations mapped to a SKU.

Inventory API users

For those that are integrated with the Inventory API, here are things to know in order to take advantage of this new feature.

Trading API users

For those that are integrated with the Trading API, here are some things to know in order to take advantage of this new feature. 

  • Your eBay listings must have a SKU value defined. SKU values are common in listings, but they are optional in the Trading API. If your active listings do not have SKUs, you can use the Revise calls to add a SKU value. Going forward, if you plan to take advantage of this feature you should make sure to add a SKU value when using Add calls as well.
  • Making the assumption that a Trading API user is not integrated with the Inventory API at all, the createInventoryLocation method is required to create each fulfillment center location.
  • The new createOrReplaceSkuLocationMapping method can only be used on active listings with defined SKU values.

For more information on this feature and how it is set up through the APIs, see the Multi-warehouse program topic.

New Pre-owned conditions coming for apparel categories

To enhance transparency in our rapidly growing Pre-loved Apparel vertical, and to help prevent SNAD (Significantly Not As Described) returns, a total of 222 Pre-Loved apparel leaf categories will be enhanced in early 2025 with two additional Pre-owned item conditions. Instead of one generic Pre-owned item condition, sellers will have the option of three Pre-owned conditions:

  • Pre-owned - Fair
  • Pre-owned - Good
  • Pre-owned - Excellent

The 222 leaf categories receiving this update fall under the following parent categories:

  • Women's clothing (category ID: 15724)
  • Men's clothing (category ID: 1059)
  • Kids' clothing (category ID: 171146)
  • Unisex Kids' Clothing (category ID: 155198)
  • Baby & Toddler (category ID: 260019)
  • Women's Vintage Clothing (category ID: 182047)
  • Men's Vintage Clothing (category ID: 182044)
  • Children's Vintage Clothing (category ID: 182025)
  • Specialty clothing (category ID: 260033)
  • Fancy Dress & Period Costume (category ID: 163147)
  • Wedding & Formal Occasion (category ID: 3259)
  • World & Traditional Clothing (category ID: 155240)

The getItemConditionPolicies method and the GetCategoryFeatures call (see ConditionValues) will be updated to return the two new conditions: Pre-owned - Fair (Condition ID 3010) and Pre-owned - Excellent (Condition ID 2990). Condition ID 3000 is an existing condition for affected categories, but the description of the condition will be changed from Pre-owned to Pre-owned - Good.

These new conditions are expected to be supported by the Trading API and Inventory API by late January 2025 on eBay Australia, and then are expected to roll out globally in early February 2025. Please monitor release notes for these APIs to see when these conditions become available.

Note that the Trading API uses condition IDs, but the Inventory API uses condition enumeration values. See the mapping table below:

Condition ID

Condition Name

Inventory API Condition Enum

2990

Pre-owned - Excellent

PRE_OWNED_EXCELLENT

3000

Pre-owned - Good

USED_EXCELLENT

3010

Pre-owned - Fair

PRE_OWNED_FAIR

When these changes roll out to eBay marketplaces, the item condition names for all active listings with Condition ID 3000 will automatically be updated from Pre-owned to Pre-owned - Good. We strongly encourage all developers to make plans to update your integrations when the item condition changes go live in order to enable your sellers to accurately describe the condition of their Pre-loved items.

New EEK support for tyre-related categories

Energy efficiency labels (EEK) are now supported by tyre-related categories on EU and UK eBay marketplaces. Formerly, energy efficiency labels were only supported by appliance-related categories on EU and UK eBay marketplaces.

As part of EU regulations, some tyre-related and appliance-related categories on these eBay marketplaces may start requiring energy efficiency labels. The getRegulatoryPolicies method of the Metadata API can be used to see which leaf categories on these marketplaces support, recommend, or require energy efficiency labels. In the getRegulatoryPolicies response, look for a value of ENERGY_EFFICIENCY in the supportedAttributes.name field.

In addition to complying with EU regulations, providing energy efficiency labels for tyres also helps buyers make informed purchases. For new class C1, C2, or C3 tyres, it’s mandatory to include an EU tyre label and product information sheet in your listings, detailing fuel efficiency, safety, and noise performance.

To find energy efficiency labels and product information sheets for your tyres, we suggest visiting the tyre manufacturer's website or searching for your tyres on the EPREL website. Optionally, you may scan the QR code on your product's label to access the specific page for your product on the EPREL website.

Energy efficiency label information is passed in through the Regulatory.EnergyEfficiencyLabel container in the Trading API and through the regulatory.energyEfficiencyLabel container in the Inventory API.

For more information on energy efficiency labelling, see the following pages:

New Common Charger Directive to go into effect

The Common Charger Directive (CCD) will go into effect on December 28, 2024. Like with other recent EU regulatory initiatives, this directive will affect sellers doing business in EU countries and in Northern Ireland.

The main objective of CCD is to standardize charging interfaces on rechargeable electronic devices by requiring the use of USB-C ports for these devices. Other objectives include:

  • enhance charger compatibility across various devices
  • ensure consumers have the option to purchase devices without chargers
  • increase transparency towards potential buyers
  • reduce both the cost of technology for end users and environmental waste

To comply, sellers must:

  • include the following item specific name and its value through an item specifics/aspects name-value pair in listings: Charging Power Range
  • include Features as an item specific/aspect name in listings, and include one or more of the following matching values, as applicable:
    • Charger Included
    • Charger Not Included
    • Charger USB PD Compatible

To support this change, the getItemAspectsForCategory and fetchItemAspects methods of the Taxonomy API will have the following updates:

  • Charging Power Range will be added as a supported aspect name for the affected categories.
  • Charged Included, Charger Not Included, and USB PD Compatible will be added as supported aspect values for the Features aspect name for the affected categories.

Below are two examples of how these aspects may look in an item object of the Trading API:

Charger included

<ItemSpecifics>

    ...............

    <NameValueList>

        <Name>Charging Power Range</Name>

        <Value>150.1-250.2</Value>

    </NameValueList>

    <NameValueList>

        <Name>Features</Name>

        <Value>Charger Included</Value>

        <Value>USB PD Compatible</Value>

    </NameValueList>

</ItemSpecifics>

Charger not included

<ItemSpecifics>

    ...............

    <NameValueList>

        <Name>Features</Name>

        <Value>Charger Not Included</Value>

    </NameValueList>

</ItemSpecifics>

Below are two examples of how these aspects may look in an inventory item object of the Inventory API:

Charger included

"product":{

    "aspects": { 

        "Charging Power Range": ["150.1-250.4"],

        "Features": ["Charger Included","USB PD Compatible"],

        ......................

      },

      .......................

   }

Charger not included

"product":{

      "aspects": {

            "Features": ["Charger Not Included"],

        ......................

      },

      .......................   

   }

The new aspect names and values added for CCD are already available in listing flows. In early January, eBay will start showing labels and pictograms in View Item pages to indicate whether a charger is or isn't included, the charging power range of the device, and whether the device is compatible with USB PD chargers.

eBay deprecation and decommission updates

The GetClientAlertsAuthToken call of the Trading API was decommissioned on October 14, 2024.

The EconomicOperator container of the Trading API and the economicOperator container of the Inventory API were decommissioned on October 21, 2024. The Manufacturer and Responsible Person containers in those APIs must be used instead. See the API documentation for details on how to use these containers, and the difference between the two.

See the Deprecation Status page for the full list of APIs/methods/fields that are currently marked as deprecated, their decommission dates, and their alternatives if applicable.

We hope everyone had a great 2024, and we are looking forward to working with the community in 2025!