eBay title character limit: 80 characters, and how to use every one
eBay gives you 80 characters for a listing title — and unlike some marketplaces, eBay encourages you to use most of them. The title is the main text eBay matches to buyers’ searches, so every word should be something a buyer might type.
The limits
| Maximum | |
|---|---|
| Listing title | 80 characters |
| Subtitle (optional, extra fee) | 55 characters — shown on the listing and in search results |
What to put in the 80 characters
Roughly in this order:
- Brand (only if it’s the real brand of the item)
- Item type — what a buyer would search: “shoulder bag”, “road bike”
- Model, size, color, material
- Condition details where they matter — “NWT”, “sealed”, “for parts”
Example (59 characters): Coach Tabby 26 Shoulder Bag Black Leather Women’s Purse
What to leave out
- Attention grabbers like “L@@K”, “WOW” or “!!!” — nobody searches for them, and they waste characters.
- Other brands for comparison — “like Gucci”, “not Coach”. Adding other brands to catch their searches counts as search manipulation under eBay’s listing policies and can get the listing removed. See eBay listing removed.
- ALL CAPS — harder to read in results.
Title vs. item specifics
Don’t try to squeeze every detail into the title. Item specifics power eBay’s search filters: buyers who filter by brand, size or color only see listings with those specifics filled in. Use the title for the words buyers type, and item specifics for everything else. If listings still get no views, see eBay listing getting no views.
Revising a title is free on most listings, but some changes are locked once an auction has bids or offers are open. See why can’t I edit my eBay listing.
Our free eBay listing visibility checker counts your title against the 80-character limit and flags filler and brand comparisons.