eBay Marketing Terms Update 2-2-2026
eBay dropped an update to their Marketing Terms today (ignore the 2025, on the effective date, it's one of those eBay oopsies we've all come to expect 😂).
https://pages.ebay.com/sell/pl/termsofservice.html
Looks to me like they may be adding video capabilities for ads (could be related to the January update introducing Custom Promoted Stores ads) and something they're calling "item compare" which sounds to me like it will likely be a module or tool in search and/or on listing pages (potentially using AI) allowing buyers to compare "similar" items - and of course if an item is purchased from that feature, it will count for ad attribution.
Excerpt:
You expressly agree that your listings will be promoted via Ads. Ads may include text, graphics, videos, a listing title, a listing description or other features and functionality eBay may make available, associate with or incorporate into your listing (e.g., add to watchlist, add to cart, quick view, item compare, or other interactive functionality).
It will be interesting to see how eBay implements that - especially since condition and other details can vary wildly between listings even if they are the exact same item/model number etc.
There's also a section about replacing marketing services:
In the event we replace a Marketing Service with a substantially similar Marketing Service, you authorize us to transfer your bids, budgets, campaigns and other relevant settings to that modified Marketing Service, to the extent transferable for the defaults and features of the new or modified Marketing Service.
I suspect this may be the reason Custom Promoted Stores features aren't actually available yet as @my-cottage-books-and-antiques and others have pointed out here:
It could be that eBay realized they needed to legally cover themselves for the fact that launching "Custom Promoted Stores" might require transferring settings from existing "Promoted Stores" campaigns.
valueaddedresource
OP8 months ago@mcdougle4248 it's definitely a valid concern - and I can confirm on your items I'm also only seeing 2 dots/images even though you have more than that, which would make the problem even worse.
mcdougle4248
·8 months agoDang, sometimes I feel like I am in a perfect storm to sink my ship!
Yesterday, I thought maybe I could split my variation listings into alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties. But using the words alcoholic and non-alcoholic cans in the title might trigger the bots to take down the listings.
Guess I will just sit on this and see where this test lands.
meme6253
·8 months agoThanks for the Info!
mcdougle4248
·8 months agoI see 4 dots on my variation listings. Most of my variation listings have more than 4 photos. I just wonder if buyers will scroll through the 4 photos and think that is all the variation options available for that listing, and not bother clicking into the listing.
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·8 months ago@mcdougle4248 I share that concern. If this becomes the new norm, it will be more important than ever to frontload the gallery with the most important photos.
valueaddedresource
OP8 months agoI'm also seeing what appears to be another test (see it on Chrome and Firefox logged in but not incognito), adding ability to scroll left and right to see an additional thumbnail picture.
And I'd be willing to bet clicking those arrows will count as "other interactive functionality" for ad attribution per the Marketing Terms.
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·8 months ago@valueaddedresource On a PC using Chrome I'm seeing this, but with 4, not 2, dots beneath the photo, and if you use the arrow you can see a total of the first 4 gallery photos. But interestingly, if there is a video in the gallery (which is always in the second slot),this feature skips right over it.
I'm guessing ebay is doing some testing, and, like you, I suspect this ties in with how a click is defined...but I'm guessing there might be more to this, but we're only seeing the first step in whatever they are planning....
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·8 months ago@valueaddedresource Looking a little closer, if a seller has only one photo, I see no dots, if he has two, I see 2 dots, if he has 3, I see 3 dots, and if has 4 or more I see 4 dots. So, I suppose there is some value here for the buyer, who can quickly see that a seller has only 1, 2, or 3 photos, but of course, whether he has 4 or more than 4 , the buyer would have to click into the listing to determine that.
Again, just what the end game is here I don't know.
valueaddedresource
OP8 months ago@my-cottage-books-and-antiques interesting. In the version of the test I see, there's no dot if there's only 1 picture and 2 dots/2 pictures show for everything else, even if the listing has more than 2 pictures.
valueaddedresource
OP8 months agoAlso FYI for our members in other countries, it looks like Marketing Terms for UK, Canada, and Australia have been updated with pretty much the same language, including references to "item compare", so I'd say it's safe to assume these are global changes.
https://pages.ebay.co.uk/promote-your-listings/terms/B2C/
https://pages.ebay.ca/sell/pl/termsofservice.html
https://pages.ebay.com.au/sell/pl/termsofservice.html
valueaddedresource
OP8 months agoI was able to test Compare Item in search for electronics this morning but figured it should have its own thread for those who are interested:
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Compare-Items-In-Search/m-p/35468065#M2662004
My two cents after testing: the current iteration is very basic, requires buyers to manually select items to compare, and doesn't always display all the relevant info in the side by side comparison.
This looks to me like eBay is more interested in creating another way for clicks to count for ad attribution rather than improving buyer experience.
valueaddedresource
OP8 months ago@my-cottage-books-and-antiques agree on all of that about videos. It also occurred to me that could be part of Custom Promoted Stores too - specifically the part where eBay said that sellers will be able to use them to promoted eBay Live events, which could likely benefit from being able to have a video clip for the ad rather than just a static image.
toomuchstuffagain35
·8 months agoI, for one, LOATHE seeing so called 'videos' as the Gallery pic, especially the ones where the only thing 'video' about it the seller is moving their camera over their static offering.
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·8 months agoThe reference to videos makes me wonder---we know ebay has tested replacing the first gallery image with a video (if one is available in the listing). ebay could show this as running (but without sound turned on), which would help to call attention to the video, or as a static image, but with the little arrow icon so a buyer could click the icon and watch the video without actually opening the listing.
Either way, my guess is, if the item is promoted, and the buyer simply clicks the video---either to turn it on, or to turn the sound on---that click will count as a click for ad purposes, even if the buyer never opens the listing.
I also would not be surprised if only promoted listings would be eligible for their videos showing as the main image in ebay search.
And, of course, if ebay resurrects video in the ebay social media tool, it would not be surprising if video shown in your ebay social media could also lead to PL fees.
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·8 months ago@valueaddedresource Re-reading the original Jan 14th Announcement about Store Ads Custom, it seemed to me at the time that this was going to be a third option within store ads: currently, there are only two: coupon and category.
But I now wonder if this is not merely a new option, but instead, this will replace Store Ads completely.
I suppose I could ask the Community Team to ask the Ads Team, but given the ads team's refusal to communicate with their own seller base, I'll let that go for now LOL
Maybe we'll get some information in the Feb Update, which should be coming this week or next.
valueaddedresource
OP8 months ago@my-cottage-books-and-antiques yeah I thought the same as you based on that initial announcement, but now with the Marketing Terms update I'm leaning more toward them "replacing" the existing Promoted Stores option with a new "Custom Promoted Stores" option that has coupons, categories, and all the other new things they mentioned.
That would be a "substantially similar Marketing Service" so the new terms would make sense I guess...though maybe I'm missing something but it seems unnecessarily complicated from a technical perspective to make it a new ad type and transfer over existing campaigns instead of just adding the new things as additional options under the existing ad type?
Like you said...maybe we'll get more info in the next update but I'm not holding my breath.
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·8 months ago@valueaddedresource Here's a guess about the side by side comparison feature.
The pop up (or whatever) will show 3 items, but you will need to click the module in order to open it and read the actual comparison notes. If all 3 items are Promoted Listings, then that one click---opening the module---will count as a click for EACH item in the module....some more ebay Magic---Voila! turn one click into three! Multiply the ad fees with just one click!
Of course, I could be wrong about that.
We'll have to wait and see....
valueaddedresource
OP8 months agoThanks for the reminder @my-cottage-books-and-antiques - YouTuber Flippin Hippos actually posted a video last month that had some info about the comparison feature.
So, what's new? Introducing intelligent item comparison.
This will only be launched in the electronics categories. It's a new side by side item comparison experience launched on search in electronics. Buyers will be able to compare up to three listings without leaving search results.
It makes returns and shipping cost visibility a key differentiator when price and specs are similar and reduces buyer friction and decision fatigue.