Stronger Browser Security Standards (HTTPS)

[sandyoutlet]

Starting today, you will see changes on eBay item description pages that contain non-compliant HTTP content. Google Chrome has pushed their browser update which includes stronger security standards. As a result, eBay will be adding a "see full item description" button to all listings that contain non-compliant HTTP content.

This new experience will look very similar to the way mobile buyers already see listing descriptions today. It also ensures that we comply with the Google mandate and prevents your buyers from seeing a “Not Secure” warning when they’re shopping on eBay

Please review our landing page for more information and tools to help you identify any of your listings that may contain non-compliant HTTP content. 

EDIT 11/8/17 @ 12:23 PT 

We are aware of an issue where the eBay HTTPS identification tool is showing listings that were revised to be HTTPS compliant after 10/31 as non-compliant. We are actively working on this issue and plan to have a quick fix for any new or revised listings. Any existing listings that have been updated to be HTTPS compliant but are still showing as non-compliant in the tool will continue to show as non-compliant until the listing is either revised or renewed. If you do not revise or relist, the issue will automatically correct after 30 days.

Please note that if your listings are compliant, they will show normally to buyers and have the “secure” message in the URL. You can confirm this experience by looking at the live listing. This issue is confined to our tool that identifies non-compliant listings, which is currently failing to update to show listings as compliant after you have updated your http content to be compliant.

We apologize for this issue and will update you here as soon as the issue is resolved.

[soundman07]

Look, I have been doing this for years and years and never have I come across any topic where someone happened to mention you need to put "target=_blank" at the end of a link for any reason, or anywhere else, for that matter. I just want to sell an item, not earn a computer science degree.

[hawgryders]

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@sandyoutlet wrote:

Starting today, you will see changes on eBay item description pages that contain non-compliant HTTP content. Google Chrome has pushed their browser update which includes stronger security standards. As a result, eBay will be adding a "see full item description" button to all listings that contain non-compliant HTTP content.

This new experience will look very similar to the way mobile buyers already see listing descriptions today. It also ensures that we comply with the Google mandate and prevents your buyers from seeing a “Not Secure” warning when they’re shopping on eBay

Please review our landing page for more information and tools to help you identify any of your listings that may contain non-compliant HTTP content. 

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Hmmmmmm --- seems eBay has an issue with the idea of a "secure connection" ...

[shipscript]

@soundman07

I can appreciate your request for simplicity.  Many sellers just want to sell and not get caught up in the intricacies of HTML, CSS, or scripted content.

The only reason sellers even need to address this issue is because eBay has historically given sellers more leeway than any other selling site to display their description with their own branding or HTML design elements. This has enticed sellers to add widgets, templates, and styles to one-up the competition.

If eBay ran this site like Amazon, you would have a plain text-entry box with no styling options whatsoever. There would be no codes allowed, and thus no reason to "fix" those codes.  And who knows, maybe that is what eBay has in their sights for the years ahead.

To get to that simplest description format, a seller can highlight and copy all of the text in eBay's description editor, click over to the HTML tab or HTML View, and replace all that code with the copied text.  When switching back to the standard editing tab, there will be nothing but a plain blob of text with no formatting.

Use the keyboard "enter" key to add line spacing to that text and use the text editing toolbar on the description editor for additional minimal formatting. With that sort of plain description text, you will not have issues with Active Content, Links, Targets, or non-secure media.

[soundman07]

I know about all that stuff, and if you think mega-hype within listings will make you more money.. go ahead, more power to ya. But the throwing the gear in reverse over content is too jarring for sellers and everybody else. I too have suffered the heavy-handed accusatory battle against sellers ebay has waged in the past year. And I also noticed less traffic and fewer sales of my items that should have been gone long ago. Either people have no money, don't want things anymore, or I'm not getting visibility: these are the culprits. But forcing sellers to be pawns, and victims of this gigantic technical work-around because of Google's ineptness is just unconscionable on eBay's part. I hope they are reading this. They need to snap out of their "Google Duress Stockholm Syndrome."

[ekmadonna]

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@shipscript wrote:

@soundman07

I can appreciate your request for simplicity.  Many sellers just want to sell and not get caught up in the intricacies of HTML, CSS, or scripted content.

The only reason sellers even need to address this issue is because eBay has historically given sellers more leeway than any other selling site to display their description with their own branding or HTML design elements. This has enticed sellers to add widgets, templates, and styles to one-up the competition.

If eBay ran this site like Amazon, you would have a plain text-entry box with no styling options whatsoever. There would be no codes allowed, and thus no reason to "fix" those codes.  And who knows, maybe that is what eBay has in their sights for the years ahead.

To get to that simplest description format, a seller can highlight and copy all of the text in eBay's description editor, click over to the HTML tab or HTML View, and replace all that code with the copied text.  When switching back to the standard editing tab, there will be nothing but a plain blob of text with no formatting.

Use the keyboard "enter" key to add line spacing to that text and use the text editing toolbar on the description editor for additional minimal formatting. With that sort of plain description text, you will not have issues with Active Content, Links, Targets, or non-secure media.

 The reason I have issues is from using Ebays NEW LISTING PAGE, the drop down menu "OFFERS" a selection of "VIEW SELLERS OTHER LISTINGS", I have a store, of course I want to bring customers in to "VIEW MY OTHER LISTINGS", well that selection is not "HTTPS", therfore a 9 months ago I changed all 1500 of my listings one at a time to add this from the listing page template drop down menu. Now you are telling me I have to undo all 1500 listings one at a time to comply. Again this issue should be fixed from within not from us sellers. Right before Christmas to boot.

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[pro-lite]

Dumb, lazy coding.

I'm pulling small detail images from my own website and other manufacturer's websites and placing them in a table in an organized layout. Except the hosting isn't https. It's just http.

And why shouldn't it be? It's just a png item. There are probably quadrillions of images that have been served in this way since the inception of the internet and how many have caused infection? I'd wager it's a number less than 1. PNG and JPG objects are not a cause of infections. JPGs had a vulnerability years ago which allowed a virus to operate through Windows Picture and Fax Viewer wayyyyy back in the early days of W7. That has nothing to do with modern browsers.

But they are very useful for providing quality information for Ebay listings.

In the case of PNG, Ebay is notorious for having problems with displaying PNG images for some inexplicable reason, so hosting on Ebay is not an option.

I've been a tech for more than 20 years. I can't think of any reason why this should be an issue for Ebay or Google. And they certainly shouldn't be punishing us for using images like this in our listings with the intention of keeping our customers well informed. My only solution at this point is to remove those images from my description. Great stuff Ebay, dumbing down my information is the only way to adhere to this dumb rule. 

Lazy work by Ebay.

[vintagecraze50]

You can quickly update 200 listings at a time yourself by going to the seller hub. Click on you listings tab--check /select all items--get into the edit view--then select the description field--after that you have a drop down menu where you can select the 'FIND AND REPLACE" CHOICE. In the "find" field enter HTTP. IN the "replace" field enter HTTPS. All the listing selected will then update to HTTPS.

[pro-lite]

Which is only true if the website you're using is https and has an SSL certificate.

If it doesn't, the link breaks and the images don't load.

[caronice69]

So sorry, I don't understand any of this. I am a small seller selling my paintings which are stored on my home computer and which I upload to eBay. I am not a computer wizz and I don't understand what you are asking buyers to do. Can you explain to me in very simple terms what I have to do please.

[dhbookds]

Caronice.........I think all you may have to do is remove the Turbo lister logo.  Try one and see if that works......  Just go to revise and erase it from the description......... and save the revised listing.  Wait a few minutes and go back to see if the "see desciption" isn't gone.

[autopartspuller]

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@caronice69 wrote:
So sorry, I don't understand any of this. I am a small seller selling my paintings which are stored on my home computer and which I upload to eBay. I am not a computer wizz and I don't understand what you are asking buyers to do. Can you explain to me in very simple terms what I have to do please.

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It is the turbo lister link in the listing that is causing you issues.  I have some turbo lister links in mine that I have been removing.

[dollybeauty]

@caronice69

eBay has updated Turbo to put the https on the logo for NEW listings. For old listings, you can use the BEAR editor to do this.

SellerHub

Go to your Manage Active listings page. Click the Edit mode slide on the top right,

Note if you do not have that slide, repost for different directions.

Continue with the following.

No SellerHub

Go to your Active listings and select all.

Click on the box in front of the listings you wish to change (You can click the Edit All box in the headings. I do not advise editing more than 100 at a time. 200 can be unpredictable.),

Now click the Edit button (over the headings),

Next screen.

Click the Edit All box (in the heading line or click on each box you wish to edit). Click the Edit fields button (over the headings),

Select Item description in the drop down box,

Click on Select Action, click Edit listings in bulk - Find and replace,

Now place http in the first box and https in the second,

Click on Save and Close.

Those are the mechanics of the BEAR search and replace. If the iways tool still finds issues, you may want to see the following tool. Istructions are provided on the bottom of the page.

To get an idea of what the issue with your listing is, open a few listings in this tool and scroll down to the "Markup" tab where the problem codes are highlighted in color.

http://www.isdntek.com/ebaytools/ActiveContentSandbox.htm

If you need additional help, feel free to ask for assistance on the Active Content forum:

http://community.ebay.com/t5/Replacing-Active-Content/bd-p/activecontent

You may also find that posts with similar issues have already addressed your problem and have offered a solution that you can use.

[caronice69]

Thank you dhbookds so much. I spent a considerable time on online chat with eBay this morning and they didn't spot it! Much appreciated, Caroline.

[caronice69]

Thank you autopar tspuller so much. I spent a considerable time on online chat with eBay this morning and they didn't spot it! Much appreciated, Caroline.

[caronice69]

Thank you so much for your detailed instructions. I only have a dozen or so listings so I have done them all manually, but will keep this link for future reference. Thank you very much, Caroline.