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If you sell a lot of similar goods, the Item Details Profile will be a lifesaver. This profile allows you to save item detail information (e.g., sale type, title, category, images, etc.) and load it into other items. This tutorial will show you how to create an Item Details Profile.

Introduction

The Item Details Profile contains critical information about the item you are listing. This includes sale type (e.g., Auction and Fixed Priced), as well as the title, category, images, price, quantity, listing duration and template style.

As you create new profiles, please note the green dollar icons to the right of some of the fields (Figure 1.1). These icons mean that these particular fields have associated eBay fees.

Instructions

Note: Remember to make the needed edits when you list new goods using this profile. If you don't, you may give buyers inaccurate details, which could affect your feedback score down the road.

Step 1. Add Item Details Profile.

• Hover your mouse over the Profiles tab and click on the "Item Details" link (Figure 1.2). The Item Details Profile page will load.

Step 2. Edit Item Details.

• Choose the appropriate sale type for this listing (Figure 2-A). When you make a selection, fields that pertain to a specific sale type will be activated, while others might be deactivated (i.e., "grayed-out"). Here are the options:
  • Auction: This listing will be listed as an auction item, where buyers will place bids to win the item.
  • Fixed Price: This listing will be listed with a fixed price that allows buyers to purchase the item immediately.
• eBay Site: From the drop-down menu (Figure 2-B), choose the eBay site that will be the host for the posted listing.
• Title: Enter the title of this listing into this field (Figure 2-C). The title appears to buyers when they are browsing listings.
• Subtitle: Enter a subtitle for this listing, if you desire (Figure 2-D). Subtitles are optional and usually incur additional eBay fees.

Step 3. Enter Item Details: Categories.

• First Category: You can choose the first category for the listing by selecting a recently used category from the drop-down menu (Figure 3.1-A), or
• Category #: You can browse for a first category by click on the Browse button (Figure 3.1-B), or you can search for related categories by clicking on the Search button (Figure 3.1-C).

Note: Make sure your Internet browser allows pop-ups from Auctiva, otherwise you will not see the necessary tools.

• Browsing Categories: If you choose to browse for a category, click on the Browse button. The Category Browser window will pop up (Figure 3.2). In the drop-down menu, select the appropriate category. Once you make your initial selection, sub-categories will appear in additional list boxes (Figure 3.2-A). Make additional selections until you reach the final category that you desire. If you need to change a selection, simply make the change in the drop-down menu or list box. The options will automatically update. When you've made your final selection, the Category # will appear at the top of the page (Figure 3.2-B). Click on either of the Choose buttons to make this selection. The Category # will appear in the "Category #" field.

• Searching Categories: If you choose to search for a category, click on the Search button. The Search Category window will pop up (Figure 3.3). Enter in the search term you would like to use. Click on the Search button. The search will return the options related to the category that you entered into the field. If you find the category you wish to use, click on the "Pick" link next to the related category. This will load the Category # in the "Category #" field. If you do not find the category you're looking for in the search result, try a different search term. If all else fails, use the Category Browsing option (above).

• Second Category: You can add your listing to a second category, if desired. Second categories are optional and usually incur additional eBay fees. If you choose to add a second category, use the category selection instructions provided above to make your selection.

Step 4. Enter Item Details: Item Description.

• In the Item Description section, enter the description for the listing (Figure 4). You can switch to the HTML editor by clicking on the Source button (Figure 4-A). When using HTML, make sure to use only HTML elements. It's a good idea to validate your HTML code before you post your listings.

• If this is a consignment item, select the checkbox just below the Item Description editor (Figure 4-B). The field will be inactive if you do not have a consignment contract and commission plan set up. For more information on this, please see the Consignment Setup tutorial.

Step 5. Select Images.

• To add an image to the profile, click on the "Select An Image" icon per each image. The Image Selection pop-up window will load (Figure 5.1).
• View: You may choose from different image types for image selection purposes only.
• If your images have not already been uploaded (we import your images from all active, and the past 30-days when you create your Auctiva account), you can upload them now by clicking on the Upload button. Skip the "Uploading Images" instruction below to simply make an image selection from your current images.

• Uploading Images: By default, the Auctiva Uploader will load (Figure 5.2). Use the "File Navigation" box to find files on your computer (Figure 5.2-A). Available files will appear in the "File Browser" box (Figure 5.2-B). Image files must be in JPG or GIF format. Click and drag images into the "Image Upload" box (Figure 5.2-C) or select a group of images and click on the Add button to place the images in the "Image Upload" box. You can also click the Add All button to add all images in the "File Browser" box. Choose a folder from the "Image Folder" drop-down menu (Figure 5.2-D) if you want to upload images to a specific folder. Click on the Upload button to upload the images in the "Image Upload" box. This may take a few minutes depending on the file size of the images. The Auctiva Uploader automatically resizes images to the maximum resolution if they are larger than the size you have selected in your Account Preferences (1280 x 1024 px or 1920 x 1440 px). Once the upload is complete, the images will appear in the Image Selection window (Figure 5.1).

• Selecting Images: Select the images you want to add to the profile by clicking on the images. A number will appear on the image, noting the order that the image will appear in the profile. You can unselect an image by clicking on it again and the image order will automatically update. If you are having trouble finding the images you need, you can search for an image using the "Search" field or browse for images by choosing a specific folder in the "Folder" drop-down menu. You can also sort images by "Date Created," "Display Name" or "Last Edited." Click on the Done button to place your image selections. The profile will be automatically updated with your selections. You can make up to 24 image selections.
• eBay Header Image: Select the image you wish to appear as the Header Image, if desired. Header images display just before and after the Description section.
• Gallery Image: Select the image you wish to appear as the Gallery Image, if desired. When an image is expressed for both the eBay Header Image and the Gallery Image, they must be the same.
• Display Image Captions: Select this checkbox if you wish to display the image captions associated with the images you've selected. Image captions are entered manually. You can save this profile, insert image captions using the Image Management tool and return to this listing to post it.

Step 6. Enter Item Details: Price.

• Start Price: If you have chosen the Auction sale type, you will need to enter in the starting price for this profile.
• Buy It Now Price: Enter the purchase price for the Buy It Now option, if desired. If you have chosen the Fixed Price sale type, this field is required. If you have chosen the Auction sale type, this is optional and a value expressed in this field will enable the Buy It Now option. This will most likely incur additional eBay fees. Leave this field blank if you do not want to enable the Buy It Now option.
• Reserve Price: Enter a reserve price for an Auction sale type, if desired. If you do not express a value in this field, the listing will not have a reserve price. The Reserve Price feature is optional and will most likely incur additional eBay fees.
• Choose whether this profile is for "Individual Items" (e.g., a portable DVD player) or "Lots" (e.g., a lot of 50 portable DVD players) from the radio button options.
• Quantity: Enter the quantity. If you have chosen "Individual Items," the quantity expressed will represent the amount of single auctions held per item. For example, if you enter a quantity of "10," you will be offering 10 different items for 10 winning bids. If you have chosen "Lots," the quantity expressed in the "Lots" field will establish how many different offerings there are and the number of items per lot will be the number of items per offering.
• Private Auction: Select this checkbox if you want to make the auction private.

Step 7. Enter Item Details: Template Selection.

• Locate the "Select Template" icon and click on it to load the Template Selection pop-up window (Figure 7.1).
• You can filter the Listing Template by categories or color in the "Select Templates" box (Figure 7.1-A). You can search for a template by entering a search term in the "Search Templates" field. Click on the Find button to return the search results. You can do a "Quick Search" by clicking on the Recently Used or the Newest button (Figure 7.1-B).

• Once you've found a Listing Template you like, you can click on the Preview button. This will load the Listing Template into the main browser window. Look over the preview and see if it's the one you would like to use for this profile.
• Click on the Select button to make a Listing Template selection. The Listing Template will load into the Template Selection pop-up window (Figure 7.2).
• In the "Customize Layout" box (Figure 7.2-A), you can make customizations to the Listing Template.
• Images: Select how many images you'd like to display in the Listing Template from the drop down menu. A preview of your selection will update in the Internet browser window.
• Grouping: Select the method that will be used to group the images in the Listing Template from the drop-down menu. A preview of your selection will update in the Internet browser window.
• Alignment: Select the alignment that the images will appear on the Listing Template from the drop-down menu. A preview of your selection will update in the Internet browser window.
• Show Description Image: Select this checkbox (Figure 7.2-B) to show the Description Image (i.e., the graphic that appears before the item description). Not all templates have this feature. If you unselect this checkbox, the Description Image will not appear in the Listing Template. The item description will always appear.
• Include Auctiva Search Box: Select this checkbox (Figure 7.2-C) if you want to include the Auctiva Search Box that allows buyers to search for other Auctiva listings. Not all templates have this feature. If you unselect this checkbox, this search tool will not appear on the Listing Template.
• Click on the Save Template To Listing button to finish the template customizations. The Listing Template will be loaded into the profile.
• Template Title: Enter a title that will appear in the Listing Template, if desired. If you do not enter a title, the eBay listing title will appear in the listing template.

Step 8. Select a Counter.

• Select a Counter: Choose a counter option from the drop-down menu (Figure 8). Counters display how many visitors have viewed the listing. A View Counter will appear in the Listing Template when you choose the "View Counter." You can choose to hide the counter by selecting the "Hidden Counter" option, or you can also disable the counter altogether by choosing the "No Counter" option.

Step 9. Save your profile.

Now all you have to do is save your profile.

• Profile Name: Enter the desired name for your Item Details Profile.
• Click the Save button.

Your new Item Details Profile will be saved for future reference. You can edit or delete Item Details Profiles on the Auctiva Profile Management page by using the "Item Action" drop-down box (Figure 10).

This completes the task of creating an Item Details Profile.

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