The use of HTML in the Description section of the Create Listing page.

[qualityonly!]

I have not listed in a while, and I see that the "CREATE LISTING" format has been substantially changed.  In the old days, I used to include HTML links in the "DESCRIPTION" section of the "CREATE LISTING" page to pick up photos from an outside server for the same pictures that I put into the free photo gallery at the top of each listing.  I liked to include them in the "DESCRIPTION" section as well, since the pictures are larger and buyers could scroll up and down using the scroll bar to see all the pictures at once, rather than having to click on them individually in the free photos section.  But now that I'm using the new "CREATE LISTING" page, the "DESCRIPTION" section will not allow me to add the HTML to pick up the photos.   I called ebay and they told me that sellers are no longer allowed to include any HTML in the "DESCRIPTION" section.  Is that really correct, or was the ebay rep that I spoke to giving me incorrect information?  What she told me sounds very odd.  Thanks.

[monica-sells]

incorrect information....

Above the description box to the right....click the "Show All Options" link

Popup window gives you some text as well as 2 options

"see more options" or "Keep simple formatting"

Click "See more options"

In place of the original "Show All Options" link will be

a checkbox and "Show HTML Code"

click the checkbox next to "Show HTML Code" and you are good to go

[emeralitelamps]

Hi Monica......many thanks for your reply.....I really appreciate the time you've taken to send it.   But, I'm not sure it answered my question.  I'm not a coder, so I may not be asking my question correctly.  On the old listing page, when I prepared a new listing I would write the narrative in paragraphs (and I started each paragraph with a <p> to separate one paragraph from the other.)  Then, after I wrote the narrative, I wanted to add the same or additional photos into the description section that were shown in the top photo gallery that ebay supplies for free (at the time I think it was limited to 12 pictures in that section.)  Since I frequently wanted to show more than 12 pictures, and since I wanted them to be larger in size than the free photo gallery, I wanted  to include all the pictures again in the description section by adding a HTML line for each picture.  To be honest, someone taught me how to add that code for each picture and I just use the same format for every listing, just changing the names of the pictures every time I used them to make the HTML unique for each picture.  That HTML was directed to my pictures on a server to which I had previously uploaded them.  So, as you can see, my use of HTML was quite limited.  What I'm trying to do on the new listing page is the same thing.....just add the narrative in the description section and then add the photos in the description section using my limited HTML skills.  I think what you instructed me to do shows how what I wrote in plain English is translated into HTML.  But, that's not what I'm trying to accomplish......I don't need to see my paragraphs translated into HTML. Rather I want to use my limited knowledge of HTML to add the pictures into the description section after my narrative so I can use more than 24 pictures, if necessary, and so they can all be looked at, one after the other, by using the scroll bar in the actual listing, rather than using the photo gallery that ebay supplies at the top of each listing by clicking on 24 individual pictures or hitting the right arrow 24 times to see everything.  I really hope this makes sense, and I'm really sorry for going on so long. As you can see, I'm not an expert on HTML.   Any further thoughts? Thanks a lot.  Bruce   (I just realized my original question was from  qualityonly! and this latest reply is from emeralitelamps.  Sorry for the confusion.......I'm one and the same person.....I have two ebay accounts.)

[the_fancy_fox]

I include pictures in my listings. Do know you can only link to a secure server now. All your links have to start with HTTPS instead of HTTP.

I host my own pictures and pay for the certificate. 

[lisa5768]

Hi, eBay no longer allows links to off-eBay sites, including picture servers, in your descriptions. You will need to use the photo gallery for all your pictures.  You can still use HTML for formatting your description when you enter it from the show HTML code description box.

[the_fancy_fox]

---

@lisa5768 wrote:

Hi, eBay no longer allows links to off-eBay sites, including picture servers, in your descriptions. You will need to use the photo gallery for all your pictures.  You can still use HTML for formatting your description when you enter it from the show HTML code description box.

---

That’s  incorrect. I host my pictures on my website and they are imbedded via links in my ebay descriptions.  

[chapeau-noir]

You can achieve larger, brighter photos in eBay's gallery by simply shooting larger photos to begin with - this enables the enlarge feature. Mine are generally square 2000 x 2000 px. When I checked your depression glass dish (gorgeous!) I noticed your photos did not enlarge when I swiped over them which made them look a bit small - it's really a great feature for buyers to look at detail.

You can embed photos in the description by hosting them on a secure site, then simply copying the html for that photo and dropping it into your description.  Given the high usage of mobile, though, I would suggest going for larger photos in the gallery to begin with and see how it goes.

[onlinecentral]

Here is a good tutorial for inserting photos.

Looking for acceptable external links
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling-Q-A/Looking-for-acceptable-external-links/qaq-p/30941823/comme...

[monica-sells]

@emeralitelamps 

No...I understood you perfectly....here is my explanation in pictures......

(sequential)

also, @the_fancy_fox  points out you need to host the images on a secure (https) server

I also host my own pictures offsite on my own server.........

[monica-sells]

@qualityonly! 

@emeralitelamps 

I just realized the sequential picture (image) in the other post 9 is too small...here they are in full size (4)

[emeralitelamps]

Thank you all for your assistance with this issue. I knew when I spoke with ebay on the phone that they were giving me incorrect information about no longer being able to add photos to the listing.....which is why I turned to the Community.  Thanks particularly to chapeau-noir for your suggestion on enlarging the pictures and to onlinecentral for the tutorial link.  And a special shout out to monica-sells for taking so much time with the screen prints.  I now understand what you were suggesting I do and I can see that it will work, since I can see the pictures come up when I unclick "Show HTML Code" AFTER putting the code into the description section.  I didn't realize that unclicking that box would bring the pictures up......so I never unclicked it after loading the HTML!   And, needless to say, the ebay rep I was working on the phone was not aware and just told me that I could no longer add pictures in the Description section.  By the way, I admit I'm a neophyte, but fortunately I did know about HTTPS vs HTTP, so I  knew that wasn't that problem!  

Thanks again to everyone who helped me out!  Happy selling!

Bruce

[reallynicestamps]

I knew when I spoke with ebay on the phone

You were talking to an undertrained call centre clerk working for a subcontractor in Utah.

For actual trained eBay employees, with some authority, you need the social media Chats.



https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness/ — Message button in upper right on landing page.
https://twitter.com/askebay?lang=en
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-do-I-contact-Customer-Support/m-p/32016431#M1783851 -> Automated Assistant, type AGENT -> enter. You will then get more options.

You will also get a transcript for review in case of misunderstandings.