ShipScript has been an eBay Community volunteer since 2003, specializing in HTML, CSS, Scripts, Photos, Active Content, Technical Solutions, and online Seller Tools.
tree*fern
mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
In a prior thread, the topic came up about lack of information for those wanting to start using variations.
@mcdougle4248 wanted to try using variations, but there was no helpful roadmap, or perhaps those that existed online were outdated, so I said I would start one.
@myjunqueyourtreasure and @mam98031 specifically mentioned in that thread that they both regularly use variations, so I'm putting them on the spot here to ask what pitfalls and workarounds they've dealt with and which listing forms they are using (desktop vs mobile). 
I've taken this endeavor to 80% completion where we can plug in, correct, or rearrange information. It's long winded because there is a lot of territory to cover. I've created new variation listings and have revised an existing variation in order to test and screencapture, but surely I have not hit all the gotchas. 
Hopefully, we could come up with a shorter bullet list for those who already "get it" if they just knew how to start and only needed a few references. Or, for those who just like to follow pictures, perhaps we can add any pictorial steps that are missing.
Anyway, here is a work in progress, still rather rough around the edges, and when we get it smoothed out, we could post it here on the forums where others could more readily find it.
http://shipscript.com/ebayhelp/lister_hub/creating_ebay_variations.htm
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
- You can choose to use default listing photos for all variations, but most of the time you will choose to use photos for each attribute.
- You can only use photos for one attribute. This is notable if you have an item that comes in different patterns (stripe, polka dot, chevron) and those patterns come in different colors for each pattern (blue, red, yellow).
I should probably tell you the work-around for this:
Instead of using both pattern and color attributes use only pattern, then put the color in the variation name.
Blue Stripe
Red Stripe
Blue Dot
etc
Excellent advice to include this workaround. 
Save and Preview
Schedule the listing so that you can preview and edit before starting it.
For store owners: When the listing is ready, you can avoid the 10-cent scheduling fee if you edit the listing before the scheduled start time and select this option:
- Start my listings when I submit them
@Anonymous wrote:
- Using the "sell similar" feature from an existing variation listing can be problematic as it will not let you add new attributes. If the original listing used pattern attribute and you want the new listing to use color attribute it will kick out an error when you try to add color. ..
@Anonymous
Just tested this on seller hub listing tool and there was no problem restructuring the "attributes". I have the option of manually adjusting the grid or letting the tool auto adjust and reset all data fields. I chose "manual" and it looks good so far.
Of course, my test listing that I was revising has no sales, and that could be a key point. When I ran my other tests last night, I was surprised that many issues that I documented over a year ago no longer exist.
Because we may be using different listing tools, can you confirm? I did not actually post my sell-similar, so don't know if there might be further issues if taken that far.
I appreciate the observations you have supplied so far and will be working through them.
@tree*fern wrote:Save and Preview
Schedule the listing so that you can preview and edit before starting it.
For store owners: When the listing is ready, you can avoid the 10-cent scheduling fee if you edit the listing before the scheduled start time and select this option:
- Start my listings when I submit them
This is an excellent idea!
Because the variation "Save and Preview" displays no viable preview, a scheduled listing actually provides a real test of the listing. If scheduled out far enough, the seller will have plenty of time to test the drop lists, review the photo display, and evaluate the total listing as it will actually appear on the site. When satisfied with the listing appearance, the seller can remove the "schedule" and choose to start immediately, which eliminates the scheduled listing fee (a fee that currently applies only to store owners). Alternatively, if the new listing is just not workable, the seller could end the listing before it goes live, and there will be no insertion fees.
I still create my in TurboLister. I find it easy to create them there. I have to admit I have not tried in a long time to create one in Ebay. Last time I did, I was very confused and gave up. TL is really easy for me.
Oh, I do all my Ebay stuff from my desktop. I never use the mobile app.
@pburn wrote:Just tagging @bigdeals.etc because I think he would be a valuable asset to this thread, since he uses variables all the time in his listings.
Thanks for the tag. I can't believe you guys have done so much work during a weekend... and a holiday one to boot (Happy Easter everyone).
Yes, 100% of my listings are MV listings, and I've used them ever since they were available years ago. Clothing was one of the first categories that allowed it. Many things have changed since then. There are things that I do when listing variations for work-around reasons. It's gotten to the point that sometimes I forget why I do something a certain way, it's just 2nd nature and maybe the glitch I'm working around is obsolete and has been fixed. @shipscript Thanks for the very selfless effort (along with everyone else contributing). But just now that the tutorial would have to be a living tutorial since ebay changes so many things about MV listings constantly, some intentional and some as a side effect of something else. Your tutorial is already pretty long for good reason, I just read the beginning and will pop in and out of this thread when I find something significant I feel you should add to it (with actual proof or instructions how to replicate). It'd be nice though for you to include an update timestamp on your tutorial so readers would know how up to date the info is. But then again, that timestamp wouldn't necessarily mean everything in the tutorial is up to date. A pickle there haha.
I just read the first few paragraphs and the posts in this thread. No need for me to concur with the great points everyone has made so far. Many of them I currently do since they are great ideas. Let's focus on what I found incorrect so far.
1) The maximum number of attributes you can put in a listing is 4, not 5. At least for my clothing category. There used to also be a glitch that didn't allow you to add options when revising a listing regardless if it made any sale or not. I don't know if this glitch is still here or not. This glitch was random. I haven't revised many individual MV listings enough to confirm if it's gone or not. But if it's still here, the "+Create your own" link would be gone. In order to get it back, you'd need to add an additional (dummy) variation and fill out the areas to submit/update. After submitting, you'd have to go back into the variations edit page and remove that dummy variation. Then the "+Create your own" link will reappear. As I type, I realize there IS a possibility this glitch is gone since the time ebay allowed us to remove attributes and combinations. Which brings me to the next issue...
2) I can confirm that @Anonymous is mistaken ONLY with the point that you cannot revise variation names (on the front end of a listing). Everything else they said thus far is correct and helpful. I'll explain why I say "front end". This restriction used to be true until about almost a year ago I think. Ebay had his new MV glitch that wasn't allowing you to link ANY photo to specific attributes. Remember that time, everyone? The section that said "add variation photos" was greyed out and you were stuck on the "use default photos" choice. A side effect of this glitch was that it allowed us to delete combinations from your listing.
You were also allowed to delete options from your list of selected (see above shot, "selected" is in the right half of the page.) But you weren't allowed to remove the option from your list of available options (the left side of the page). This matters if you want to create alot of your own options and not use the preset ones... because you are only allowed 60 total in your available options. I've never tried to remove the entire attribute and re-add it verbatim. The system may remember the attributes available options as along with your custom ones... not sure.
In order to revise variation names, simply remove them from your combinations, then add a new option replacing it. Technically you aren't renaming, you are replacing and killing your original variation. The buyer seeing your listing wouldn't know the difference. I.e. you have a Blue-Small as a combination. Remove that from your combination, remove Blue from your selected options, create your own "Medium Blue" in the available options, create a Medium-Blue combination, and copy/paste the UPC and/or quantity price. And you've basically renamed your Blue-Small into Medium Blue-Small. Just know that the Blue option is always in your available list, taking up a spot of your 60 allowed. But it is never shown in the front end or shown as out of stock. Anyone who had previously bought Blue-Small will show a blank combination in your sales history.
Yes, I know I can be wordy. Maybe @shipscript can clean up my verbiage.
@mcdougle4248 wrote:Wow, this is very complicated!
That's why I still use TurboLister. And will for as long as I can. For me it is much easier.
The gotchas and workarounds can be very complicated, but the basics are fairly straightforward, so the goal would be to get sellers on the right path of making the best decisions before starting.
I was actually pretty surprised, when I started testing the other day, to find that the process worked as smoothly as it did.
I started a draft in the Art category and was able to add 5 attributes using the "Add" box. Can you verify if there is a lower limit in your own category?
@shipscript wrote:
The gotchas and workarounds can be very complicated, but the basics are fairly straightforward, so the goal would be to get sellers on the right path of making the best decisions before starting.
I was actually pretty surprised, when I started testing the other day, to find that the process worked as smoothly as it did.
I started a draft in the Art category and was able to add 5 attributes using the "Add" box. Can you verify if there is a lower limit in your own category?
Yea the MVs are fairly simple as long as they work as they SHOULD. But there are a bunch of work arounds flying around. Some are obsolete. I think this is mainly because ebay always puts MV functionality on the back burner. I've heard them say many times that a small percentage uses MVs... and that many agents have told me that that I am the very few that use it that extensively. Which makes me dumbfounded, because the MV listing is a very powerful tool even despite all it's hangups.
That red error pops up when I click the box to "neckline" to try to add another attribute after my original 4. Perhaps it's category dependent... which is dumb.
@bigdeals.etc wrote:That red error pops up when I click the box to "neckline" to try to add another attribute after my original 4. Perhaps it's category dependent... which is dumb.
Odd. How many combinations do you have already in that listing? I'll have to start a draft in that category to test. Perhaps it's dependent on new listing vs revision. Can you provide the path to that category?
I just used my Art draft to add 5 attributes and to add 70 options to one attribute. The tool generated 420 combinations. But when I clicked "save and preview" a popup error refused to save, due to exceeding the 250 combination limit.
So I elimated some of the attributes, kept the 70 options, and the tool generated 210 combinations and accepted that "save and preview".
