eBay accepts variation settings in several categories.
Variation settings
Here is an example of an eBay product variation in Lengow (click to enlarge):
To manage your variations, fill in the following attributes:
- "parent_id": parent identifier (a common identifier for all the variations of a product). This field must be empty if your product does not have variations.
-
"Declinaison_name" and "Declinaison_value":
Besides the mandatory attributes (Attr_XXX) located in your categories, use these attributes to send your variations to eBay and create a drop-down menu on the product listing:- "Declinaison_name": Specify the name of the variation attribute that you want to create on eBay (example: "Dominant color").
- "Declinaison_value": Fill in the declination value by mapping a field of your source catalogue (example: $COLOR$) or add a rule.
You can create up to 5 custom variation attributes by category.
Warning / Parent products
Parent products must be sent to eBay if your product catalogue contains variations.
For parent products, make sure you do NOT leave these fields empty:
- "EAN": enter "does not apply" for eBay UK/US, or its equivalent depending on the language (FR: "non applicable" / ES: "no aplicable" / DE: "nicht zutreffend" - see the full list here).
- "Price": price of the item. For the parent products, it is recommended by eBay (but not mandatory) to send the lowest price among the variation.
- "Quantity": stock available. For the parent products, it is recommended by eBay (but not mandatory) to send the sum of quantities for the whole variation.
Variation titles
It is NOT recommended to send the same variation titles as the attributes already displayed in your eBay channel.
Example: If a size attribute ("ATTR_size") already exists for the category, and you want to set a size variation on your product listing, name your variation "Sizes" or "Available sizes" - but NOT "size".
Note that the existing attributes (ATTR_) in categories are mainly used by eBay to create search filters (and thus to bring the buyer more easily on your product sheets)
Images and variations
For a product with several types of variations, the images you send to eBay must be for only one of these variations (preferably the color, if the product is available in color). Lengow will send eBay the images of the first variation created.
E.g.: You are selling tee-shirts on eBay. These tee-shirts have colour and size variations.
Make sure that the variation type you fill in at first is the colour ("Declinaison_name_1" and all three associated fields).
If images from several variations are sent to eBay, only images from the first variation (values entered in "Declinaison_name") will be sent. Therefore other images won't be sent.
Regarding ads which include variations on eBay, it is impossible to change their duration, category, title or format if an item has already been sold.
In this case, send a "Delete" for the ad and publish it again, so that changes will be taken into account.
For more details read the eBay documentation.
