How to Write an eBay Title That Gets Found (80 Characters, With Examples)
Your title is the main thing eBay's search matches against. Here's a simple formula for using all 80 characters well, with before-and-after examples.
A buyer types a few words into eBay's search box. If those words aren't in your title, your item isn't in the results, however good your photos are. The title is the part of the listing that does the most work, and you only get 80 characters to do it.
The good news is that a strong title follows a pattern. Once you know it, you can write one in under a minute.
A formula that works
Build the title in this order, and stop when you run out of room:
| Part | What goes here | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | The maker, spelled the way buyers type it | Levi's |
| Product line and type | What it is | 501 Original Fit Jeans |
| Model or style number | Printed on the tag or label | 34x32 |
| Key details | Size, color, material, capacity, year, edition | Straight Leg Button Fly Blue Denim |
| Condition words that change the price | Only if they matter | NWT, Open Box, Parts Only |
Put the most important words first. On a phone, long titles can be cut off in search results, and the first few words are the ones every buyer sees.
Before and after
| Before | After | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| WOW!!! Nice Levis jeans LOOK blue FAST SHIPPING (47) | Levi's 501 Original Fit Jeans Men's 34x32 Straight Leg Button Fly Blue Denim (76) | Hype and shipping words out, model and size in |
| Nintendo game works great (25) | Nintendo Switch Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Game Cartridge Only Tested Works (68) | Platform and exact title added |
| Old Canon camera film (21) | Canon AE-1 35mm SLR Film Camera Body Only FD Mount Tested Light Seals Replaced (78) | Model, format and mount added |
| Patagonia fleece women's top blue (33) | Patagonia Better Sweater 1/4 Zip Fleece Pullover Women's Size M Navy Blue (73) | Product name, fit, size and exact color added |
The numbers in brackets are character counts. Notice that the "before" titles aren't wrong, they're just short. Each one leaves 40 or more characters of search matches on the table.
What to leave out
- Hype words. "Wow", "look", "nice", "amazing". Buyers don't search for them.
- Symbols and punctuation runs. "!!!", "***" and similar add nothing to search and make a listing look spammy.
- Shipping promises. "Free shipping" belongs in the shipping options, where buyers can filter by it.
- Repeated words. Say "jeans" once. The second copy wastes characters you could spend on a size or color.
- ALL CAPS. It's harder to read and doesn't help you get found.
Get the details from the item itself
Guessing is how titles end up wrong. Read the tag, the label or the box instead:
- Clothing: brand, size, style name and material from the sewn-in tags.
- Shoes: size, width and style code from the tag inside the tongue or shoe.
- Electronics: model number, storage size and color from the label on the back or bottom.
- Games and media: exact title, platform, edition and region from the case or disc.
- Books: title, author and edition from the copyright page. The ISBN helps buyers find the right edition.
This is also why photographing every tag matters. A sharp photo of the tag lets you, or an AI tool, read the model number you'd otherwise have to guess at.
Keep the title and item specifics consistent
Your title and your item specifics should tell the same story. If the title says "Navy Blue" and the Color field says "Black", you've confused both buyers and search. Fill the specifics with the same facts you used in the title.
Check it before you publish
Paste your title into the free eBay title checker. It counts characters against the 80 limit and flags unused space, repeated words, hype words and symbols. It runs in your browser, so nothing you type is stored.
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