eBay links policy
From October 2017, eBay links policy states that sellers are no longer allowed to share contact information in item descriptions, images or eBay Shops.
Ebay sellers now need to remove contact information from both active and new listings. This includes information included in images such as phone number, email, or even a store physical address. Ebay messaging tools, such as My Messages or Best Offer, make it easy to communicate with customers and create a clear record of interaction in case of disputes.
Fraud on eBay is very low, but scams still happen, and eBay want to stop them completely. Most fraudulent eBay sales happen because a customer has been convinced to take the sale off eBay. When a sale is made away from eBay, the security of eBay and PayPal is not there, and the customer is vulnerable. Fraud on eBay erodes customer’s trust in the platform and ultimately hurts all sellers. By getting rid of outside links, eBay is protecting customers from scammers who try to lure them away from the safety of the platform.
Links that direct customers to a site other than eBay are only permitted from approved domains as long as they link to:
- Information on delivery services.
- Product videos, e.g. reviews, product demonstrations or installation.
- Other legally required information.
Any links which take you to another page on eBay are fine, and updates to eBay’s links policy do not affect externally hosted pictures and CSS media files.
Updating hyperlinks in item descriptions
For the links that you are permitted to use in your listings, be sure to use the target=”_blank” attribute in your HTML item description.
Until the end of 2017, eBay say that they will temporarily auto-correct any links that do not contain the target=”_blank” attribute.
We recommend you update your compliant hyperlinks at your earliest convenience to ensure they continue to work correctly in the future.
