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We have just received the following email, believed to be genuine. Has anyone else received this? It doesn't even make sense, you cannot have a DOCTYPE declaration within a CDATA section of XML.
Dear Developer,
Your immediate attention and action is required.
As of August 14, 2023, DOCTYPE declarations must be used within the CDATA section of your XML requests payload during listing updates. DOCTYPE will not be otherwise allowed in XML request payloads in Trading API. Please follow this practice when using the Item.Description field in Add/Revise/Relist Trading API calls.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact the Developer Technical support.
Sincerely,
eBay Developer Program
3 comments
shyumiha
·3 years agoI received the same email too.
When I create AddFixedPriceItemRequest XML, I am using CDATA for <Description> tag like below.
<Description><![CDATA[blah blah blah]]></Description>
Also, I am using this CDATA for many other tags like <Tilte>, <ConditionDescription>, <PictureURL>, etc...
Do you think the requirement affects only for <Description> tag?
Does anyone know how to declare or write DOCTYPE for the CDATA for <Description>?
If I don't nothing is done for eBay's requirements this time, will API requests fail after August 14th?
shipscript
·3 years agoNotice that the message specifically refers to the Item.Description within the Trading API.
Many sellers add a DOCTYPE to their item descriptions. Of course, that doctype is ignored by the browser when encountered that far down eBay's page, since eBay scripts and body content precede the seller's item description within the seller description iframe. eBay's content can be seen when looking at the source of a standalone "view item" description:
https://vi.vipr.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemDescV4&item=285379459361
I don't think that message is saying you must use a DOCTYPE. I believe the message is saying that if you are adding a DOCTYPE to your item description, do so only within the description itself, using CDATA.
abexuk
OP3 years agoThank you shipscript for your very helpful reply.