Mobile App -- There is a way to have your Full Description shown -- but how?!
I was browsing on my iphone last night and discovered that certain listings actually DO show the entire description without making you click on the "See full description" link.
These are screenshots of two listings for the same set of vintage Christmas decor items. (Hope the screenshots load properly.)
Under Item Description from Seller field, the first shows only the link to "See full description."
The other includes a full description plus the "See full description" link. If you click on the link, it simply repeats the entire text you already read. Nothing additional.
When I look at the two items on my desktop, the only difference between the way the two descriptions are presented is that the first one is bold font, and the second one is in regular font. Other than that, there is nothing in the description field that sets them apart. They both simply have a description.
Does anyone know how the second seller got his description to show without requiring buyers using the Mobile App to take that extra step of linking to the Description?
Is this something maybe the eBay people here in the forum can explain?
wastingtime101
·2 years agoIf this is at all helpful @adamcartwright :
Using even the most simple of HTML such as bold or italics will auto-hide your entire description behind the see more link and those HTML attributes are included in the description toolbar - they're not even custom like tables and such.
A whole bunch of my descriptions are entirely hidden because I use bullet points in some categories.
chapeau-noir
·2 years agoYes - mobile selling sites like Poshmark and Mercari use no HTML at all - it's all just plain text. In a way it's nice - no horrible clashing fonts and noisy templates. OTOH, descriptions are just one big mash.
wastingtime101
·2 years agoYep @chapeau-noir . With testing I've done to date, the only HTML that won't prevent the entire description from being hidden is the classic line break. Of course line breaks won't show on the main listing page, you just get that one blob of text, but clicking see full description will show you the line breaks.
So when @adamcartwright posted screenshot 2 above and said when they click see full description there's "nothing additional", the truth is there is something additional: formatting line breaks. When you click through to see full description on page 2, you'll see the text with line breaks like this compared to the blob on page 1 shown above:
Cutout Christmas Angel Choir Boy 16" Die Cut Paper Card Decoration Vintage
Condition: Good pre-owned condition. (See ALL photos)
Please see photos for condition as they are a part of the description. All photos are of the actual item.
chapeau-noir
·2 years agoI've been turning over app v web formatting. 250 ch isn't much when selling something like clothing where one needs measurements, content and care. Or maybe I can just use bare bones "skrew it" type descriptions and have basically the title in the description. 🙄
adamcartwright
OP2 years ago@wastingtime101
Thank you -- yes, I do like using bullet points, also. So I would have to change that, and I'm not sure I want to because they do provide a measure of clarity, IMO. Guess I could use hypens instead?
wastingtime101
·2 years agoHyphens -. Or asterisks *. Or carrots ^. Or plus signs +. etc. It's on my list to do one day. Eventually.
chapeau-noir
·2 years agoThat's a good idea - it would still be a mash in the app if one doesn't click through, but it would be an organized mash.
ETA: Oooo - plus signs or asterisks, etc. - I could just embed those in my template and they would translate fine.
robbie31415
·2 years agoI saw your Pic and was sad. 😞
First thing that popped up to me was "No Christmas" 😞
adamcartwright
OP2 years ago@robbie31415 That IS sad!
chevymontecarlo88
·2 years agoGood post @adamcartwright
Did not know that limitation with the mobile app.
wastingtime101
·2 years agoAs far as I'm aware there are 2 factors that will hide part of your description on the app behind the see full description link:
1. You're over a certain character limit (I thought it was 250 but could be wrong - it can be looked up if you're interested).
2. Your listing has custom HTML in the description field.
Edit:
Here's a thread to support point 2 above, and is the likely reason why screenshot 1 from the OP shows no description blurb at all, not even condensed. Looks like there were some unanswered questions in that thread, but it does have a lot of good info.
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/interesting-ebay-app-hides-seller-description-but-shows-AI/m-p/33945316/highlight/true#M2265063
Further, check post 35 in that discussion where @valueaddedresource posted a very helpful screenshot which I'm going to steal and post here. ðŸ˜
For point 1, I've seen a few sources confirm the 250 char limit but I know there was an eBay page somewhere that had the info. If I find it later I'll post it.
adamcartwright
OP2 years ago@wastingtime101
THANK YOU!
slippinjimmy
·2 years agoIf the Description is short enough it will show up in full, I don't know the number that will work but maybe 100 - 150 characters?