Bulk Editing Description Problem

[from-then-to-now]

We have previously used the Bulk Edit tool to edit Item Descriptions successfully (before being transferred from Seller Manager Pro to Seller Hub).

We are now trying to update listings to comply with the http/https requirement as well as other changes we need to make. We have some 1700 listings across a number of eBay sites and therefore need to edit in bulk. However, the tool doesn't work now. We have tried to change just 2 or 3 UK listings at a time without success. Although the screen messages indicate that the changes have been successfully processed, when we examine the individual listings, the changes have not been made.

Here are just two examples of the Search & Replace changes attempted:

Search:  ><br></td>

Replace with:  ></td>

Search: http://www.domain/**/******/

Replace with: https://www.anotherDomain/*****/*****/

[PLEASE NOTE: The full Search & Replace details have not been shown above, for security reasons]

Any help would be much appreciated.

[pocomocomputing]

Bulk editor of descriptions has a hard time with a search or replace string that has the forward slash / character and possibly other special characters. If you can avoid using the /, search and replace might work.

@shipscript  Any thoughts on this issue? What special characters does the bulk editor have issues with? I have seen you comment on the forward slash / in the past as being troublesome if I recall correctly.

[shipscript]

@from-then-to-now

@pocomocomputing   is correct that a trailing slash at the end of a phrase will fail in eBay's bulk editing tool (BEAR). If you can back up a character to exclude the final slash, your URL should replace correctly.

I have also seen cases where breaking attributes within html codes failed, but can't recall the exact specifics. It may possibly be related to splitting the quotes in an attribute (sorry, it has been more than 6 months since I tested). I don't believe your situation below should fail with that reason:

><br></td>

But... it is pretty easy for a code like the above to contain spaces or new lines, and if it does, it won't be an exact match. BEAR expects exact matches and has no wildcard function. Additionally, BEAR has a 1000-character limit (which should not be a problem for your sample codes).

If you can't get eBay's BEAR tool to work with your data, you might try the Bulk Active Content Editor that creates job files for eBay's free File Exchange. It has none of the above restrictions and it can apply multiple edits within one pass.  While originally designed to remove active content, it contains very powerful RegEx capabilities for complex find/replace. If you need help using it or designing a custom filter, feel free to ask on the Active Content forum.

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

[alpine*ade]

I added a message to my listings in December regarding being away for 2 weeks and have tried for a MONTH to get it removed from over 500 listings through the bulk edit replace/remove tool. I have spoken with over 7 representatives who have all given me different answers. The last one tried using the tool and it didn't work for them either. Yet "this is not a technical issue". So now I am told I must edit them ALL one by one! If it doesn't work - FIX IT! ....PLEASE!.... (No problem changing my shipping charges in bulk edit - just replace/remove) I will NEVER add a message through bulk edit again. What a time waster this has become.

[shipscript]

@alpine*ade

You don't have to manually edit a thousand listings. Can you show me a typical listing with the phrase you want to remove and can you point out the exact phrase?

I'll see if there is a way to use eBay's BEAR bulk editing tool, and if not, I'm positive we can easily remove the text with the Bulk Active Content Editor.

[alpine*ade]

This is the text at the bottom of my listings ( I have already edited several individually).

Please stop by soon and browse the great selection of Christmas items and gifts - everything from stickers to thank you cards to ornaments & gifts! 

NOTE: MY STORE WILL BE CLOSED FROM DEC. 15TH UNTIL JAN 1ST - SO PLEASE PURCHASE & PAY BEFORE THE 15TH SO I CAN GET YOUR ORDER OUT TO YOU IN TIME. 

Merry Christmas to you & your family ~ hope to see you soon!  Adrienne

This is a typical listing - https://www.ebay.com/itm/391123720401

If you can find a way to do this in bulk I would be SO grateful! (The bulk active content editor seems very complicated)

[dollybeauty]

@alpine*ade

Sorry @shipscript I was SLOWLY adding my reply during your reply.

[alpine*ade]

Thank you. How do I convert the message to html?

[dollybeauty]

Wait for Shipscript's reply. She can explain in a much more understandable manner than I.

My reply was in process during your exchange with Shipscript (I compose slowly).

[shipscript]

@alpine*ade

I looked at several listings with that text and the styling codes surrounding the text do differ a bit. So then, looking at only the text, we see some hidden characters like

PURCHASE & PAY 
cards to ornaments & gifts! 

So if you tried to find and remove "PURCHASE & PAY" or "cards to ornaments & gifts!", those would not have matched what is in the listing.

Because many of your listings still have some active content issues, I'll see if I can put together a filter to remove that message along with repairing the other issues.  The Bulk Active Content Editor looks complicated because it is powerful and entails many steps. But it is actually quite straight forward once the custom filter is built.

I'll come back with your File Exchange upload file.

Your first step is to sign up with eBay's free File Exchange here:

http://bulksell.ebay.com/ws/ebayISAPI.dll?FileExchangeSubscribe

By the way, a photo is missing in this listing.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/350394461113

Here is the missing photo, but it will need to be enlarged to 500px on the long side before it can be uploaded back to eBay.

https://i3.ebayimg.com/i13/01/i/05/b6/5a/b3_57.JPG

[alpine*ade]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[alpine*ade]

I have signed up and also corrected the listing photo that you mentioned. I truly appreciate this help. Adrienne

[shipscript]

@alpine*ade

Here is the instruction page for the bulk Editor:
http://www.isdntek.com/ebaytools/ActiveContent_support/BulkEditorInstructions.htm

This is the complex RegEx filter I used in an attempt to pick up all the variations of HTML code and spacing. I think it misses one listing that fails to match, but we can scan later to see if any were missed.

/(\<div[^>]*?\>\<font[^>]*?\>(\<font[^>]*?\>)*?\<b[^>]*?\>(\<i\>|\<font[^>]*?\>)(my store will be closed|NOTE:|Please\s+stop by soon|Merry Christmas to you)[\s\S]+?\<\/div\>)/i

I've performed all the steps through #5, which basically cover setting the filters and running the scan. Since this tool saves scans to the server (and because your list is small), I have the ability to run the scan for you and simply point to the pickup address.

So you can download your zip file here:
http://isdntek.com/ebaytools/ActiveContent_support/data/alpineade_1517871073235/zip/fer_151787134775...
and then start at step #6 in the instructions.

After saving the file to your computer, unzip to expose the CSV file that you will be uploading to File Exchange.

If you don't have the ability to unzip, I can put an unzipped version on the server, but that version is 10 times larger and may take some time to upload and download.

After you have the file saved and unzipped, upload it to File Exchange here:
http://bulksell.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?FileExchangeCenter

following these instructions:
http://isdntek.com/ebaytools/ActiveContent_support/FileExchange_uploadfiles_csv.gif

After you upload, you will receive an email from eBay telling you that they successfully received your file.  Processing that file may take another 15 to 20 minutes and you will not receive any notification. Instead, you can keep checking the status page on File Exchange to see if your job is complete.

That should be it for most sellers, but there may be issues. eBay will prepare a report that you can download and view. That report might tell you that you have some older listings that can not be updated because some earlier mandates have not been met, or that you have some unmet requirements, but I suspect most listings will update.

Any that don't will need to be addressed for their separate issues. Sometimes those skips can be something as simple as an expired listing.

[alpine*ade]

I tried to download the zip file and it made the computer go bonkers flashing on and off.  I had to restart the computer to get it to stop even after exiting those pages.

Is it possible to just copy & paste the HTML that you gave me and use the buk editing tool? I don't think I can manage the complexity of the other program. I'm sorry I am not nearly as computer literate as it may take. I don't have anyone to help either.

[shipscript]

@alpine*ade

You would absolutely be able to handle the "complexity" of the program because it would be easy to walk you through one step at a time. But the problem with the download is another matter. I don't have a clue where that came from. Did your elbow accidently touch a key?

Getting your code through eBay's BEAR editor will require several passes because there are so many variations of your code. Let's start with one and see how many can be wiped out on your first pass.

Using eBay's BEAR bulk editing tool, find this text and replace with nothing.

<div style=""><font size="5" color="#00456d" face="Georgia"><b style=""><i>Please stop by soon and browse the great selection of Christmas items and gifts - everything from stickers to thank you cards to ornaments &amp; gifts!&nbsp;</i></b></font></div><div style=""><font size="5" color="#8a0000"><b style=""><font face="Arial Black">NOTE:</font><font face="Arial"> MY STORE WILL BE CLOSED FROM DEC. 15TH UNTIL JAN 1ST - SO PLEASE PURCHASE &amp; PAY BEFORE THE 15TH SO I CAN GET YOUR ORDER OUT TO YOU IN TIME.&nbsp;</font></b></font></div><div style=""><font size="5" color="#003162" face="Georgia"><b style=""><i>Merry Christmas to you &amp; your family ~ hope to see you soon!&nbsp; Adrienne</i></b></font></div>

When that is done, we'll run a scan and find the next version to wipe out.