To promote a safe, fair and enjoyable trading experience, eBay has established a set of rules and policies for item listings. These restrictions involve how certain items are described, and practices that would provide an unfair advantage or result in a negative buyer experience.

Learning about eBay's listing policies before you list an item will help you to avoid unintentionally breaking rules.

Breaches of these policies may result in a range of actions, including:

• Listing cancellation

• Limits on account privileges

• Account suspension

• Forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings

• Loss of PowerSeller status

• Decreased visibility in search results

When policy violations occur, eBay emails the seller, as well as bidders, explaining that a listing has been ended.

In addition to the Rules for Listings, you should also review the rules for Prohibited and Restricted Items and the Protection of Intellectual Property to check if your type of item is allowed or has additional restrictions that would affect your item listing.

The following are the Rules for Listing with links to the specific policy pages that have examples, any exceptions, and a link that you can use to report a violation of that policy.

Prohibited and restricted items
What items can and cannot be listed. eBay’s restrictions are often based on country and state laws, including copyright or trademark laws. However, many restrictions involve the sale of controversial or sensitive items and are not necessarily prohibited by law. The limitations are a result of input by the eBay Community. Before you list your item, it is a good idea to review eBay's Prohibited and Restricted items policy to see if it is on the list of what may not be sold on eBay.

Listings must not misrepresent items.

Except as noted in the specific policy as exceptions, sellers cannot:

• List items in inappropriate categories.

• Misrepresent the item location from which their item will be shipped.

• Include brand names or other inappropriate keywords in a title or description. This is known as keyword spamming.

• Have misleading titles that do not accurately describe the item for sale.

Listings cannot use techniques to avoid or circumvent eBay fees.
Except as noted in the specific policy as exceptions, sellers cannot:

• Offer a catalogue from which buyers may directly order.

• Allow buyers a choice of items unless within a multi-quantity listing offering variations of a product. For details refer to the choice listing policy.

• Exceed multiple listing limits

• List a single item but offer additional identical items for sale in the item description.

• Include separate payment surcharges that buyers pay to use ordinary forms of payment

• Misuse the Reserve Price option.

• Charge excessive postage and handling.

• Offer the opportunity through eBay to purchase the item or other merchandise outside eBay.

• Use their About Me Page to promote outside-of-eBay sales or prohibited items.

Listings must promote a fair and level playing field, and provide an enjoyable and safe experience for buyers.
Except as noted in the specific policy as exceptions, sellers cannot:

• Solicit buyers to use payment methods not specifically permitted by eBay as accepted payment methods.

• Include links that do not conform to eBay's Links Policy. Specific types of links that are limited include links to further descriptions, email address, photos, your About Me page, listing terms and conditions and eBay Stores.

• Use certain types of HTML and JavaScript in item listings, Stores pages, About Me pages, or Want-It-Now ads.

• Promote giveaways, random drawings, raffles, prizes or bonuses.

• Create a listing that does not offer an item or service.

• Advertise a desire to buy or trade items, except as allowed in non-binding bid categories and in Want It Now.

• Include third-party endorsements of eBay members.

• Include third party credits beyond what is acceptable.

• Create test listings except in the Everything Else; Test Auctions category.

• Use profanity in a listing, except as allowed in the Mature Audience category and in media titles.

• Use brand names or other words inappropriately for the purpose of attracting buyers to a listing (called keyword spamming).

Listings that involve the following situations or types of item, must conform to limitations specified in the policy:

• Compilation and Informational Items

• eBay Pilot Programs

• Home Page Featured Items

• Jewellery, Precious Metals and Loose Beads

• Pre-Sale Listings

• Warranties and Service Contracts

Completing the sale
Practices that are not allowed involving transactions. For example, accepting payment and sending an item that is significantly different from the item described in the item listing is not allowed. For policy and examples, see the Seller Non-performance policy.

To learn more, you can take the tutorials on Fee Circumvention and Search and Browse Manipulation.