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eBay common errors and solutions

Learn how to fix eBay listing errors when uploading or editing products through AutoDS with step-by-step solutions for each error.

Updated in the last hour

Introduction

This guide lists the most frequent eBay error messages users face when creating or editing listings through AutoDS. Each error includes the original message, the cause, and step-by-step instructions to resolve it.

By using this guide, you will be able to:

  • Fix listing issues faster.

  • Ensure your products go live on eBay without delays.

  • Avoid repeated failures, store restrictions, and policy violations.

  • Follow clear explanations and actionable solutions.

  • Save time with direct troubleshooting steps.

  • Maintain compatibility between AutoDS and eBay.

Tip: We recommend hitting 'CTRL+F' (for Mac, Command-F) on your keyboard to locate the relevant error quickly.

Getting started

Before listing items, make sure:

  • You have an active eBay seller account.

  • Your eBay store is connected to AutoDS.

  • You've created Business Policies (Shipping, Return, Payment).

Common mistakes to avoid:

  • Outdated or missing payment method.

  • Incomplete or incorrect return policy.

  • Invalid product category or low-resolution images.
    ​

Policy errors

Policy errors occur when your eBay Business Policies are incomplete, outdated, or don't comply with eBay's marketplace requirements. The table below shows a breakdown of policy errors and their solutions:

Error message

What it means / How to fix it

"You have not opted into Business Policies".

You must enable Business Policies in your eBay account to list products.

  1. Go to eBay Business Policy Opt-In.

  2. Sign in to your eBay seller account.

  3. Click Opt In.

  4. Create your Shipping, Payment, and Return policies.

Learn more: How to set up eBay business policies

"The item cannot be listed or modified due to violation of the eBay selling policy or a restriction on your eBay account".

This is a general eBay error that can appear for different reasons. It usually indicates that either your eBay account has been restricted or suspended, or that the product listing itself violates eBay's selling policies.

It can also occur if there's a mismatch between the item location and the shipping policy applied to the listing.

Check your eBay account status:

  1. Log in directly to your eBay account.

  2. Try creating a manual listing on eBay (outside AutoDS).

  3. If the manual listing fails, your account is likely suspended or restricted.

  4. If it succeeds, the issue is likely related to the listing content or settings.

Review the listing content:

Remove any restricted content from the title or description, such as phone numbers, email addresses, social media links, prohibited or flagged keywords.

Verify the product category:

Make sure the product is listed under the correct and supported eBay category.

Check your business policies:

Confirm that you've selected valid and supported return, payment, and shipping policies. Try switching to a default or different policy if the current one seems to cause conflicts.

Review item location vs. shipping policy:

This error can occur when the item location doesn't match the shipping region in your policy.

Example: Your shipping policy only allows US shipping, but the product ships from China (e.g., from AliExpress). eBay flags this as misrepresentation because the item isn't actually located in the US. Update the item location accordingly before re-uploading through AutoDS.

If your account is suspended:

You'll need to resolve the suspension directly with eBay before you can list again.

Learn more: Selling Practices Policy.

"You've provided an invalid shipping/return policy".

Your return or shipping policy is outdated, missing required fields, or doesn't comply with eBay marketplace rules.

  1. Try listing the item directly on eBay. If the issue is with the policy, eBay will return an error

  2. Edit the policy on eBay until it works, then sync it to AutoDS.

For eBay API stores:

  1. Go to AutoDS, click the three dots next to your store, and select Resync store.

  2. Wait for the updated policy to appear.

  3. Open the product in Drafts, go to the Product tab, select the updated policy, and re-upload the product.

For eBay non-API (MIP) stores:

  1. After updating the policy on eBay, rename the policy in AutoDS to match it exactly.

  2. Delete the affected products from Drafts.

  3. Re-upload them to apply the correct policy.

Learn more: How does the Resync Store feature work

Error (21916328): "Please specify a valid return policy".

Business sellers are required to accept returns. This error appears if the return setting is "Returns Not Accepted."

  1. Go to your eBay Shipping Policies.

  2. Update all active return policies to Returns Accepted.

Variation errors

Variation errors appear when there are inconsistencies or conflicts between the product variations set up in AutoDS and those on eBay. The table below shows a breakdown of variation errors and their solutions:

Error message

What it means / How to fix it

"Variation Specifics provided does not match with the variation specifics of the variations on the item" (Error 21916664).

This happens when the item originally had no variations but now has them (or vice versa), causing a mismatch, or when the main product and variations share the same Item Specific, which eBay doesn't allow.

  1. If variations were added or removed, end the listing and re-list the item on eBay.

  2. If variation and main product specifics are the same, edit the variation option names to make them unique.

Learn more: How to edit variation options.

"Variations Specifics and Item Specifics entered for a Multi-SKU item should be different".

You used the same values for both Item Specifics and Variation Specifics, which is not allowed.

Remove any specifics from the Item Specifics section that are already used as variation attributes.

"Duplicate names in name value list in variation specifics container".

You used duplicate variation values like "white", "White", and "WHITE".

Ensure that all variation values are unique and consistently formatted (e.g., capitalization).

"This category does not support products with variations".

The selected category does not allow listings with variations.

Change the product category to one that supports variations.

Learn more: How to edit a single draft.

"Variation cannot be deleted during restricted revise".

You tried to delete a variation that already has sales history.

  • For sold variations, set the quantity to 0 and disable stock monitoring.

  • For unsold variations, deletion is allowed.

"Duplicate custom variation label" (Error 21916585).

You edited variation data directly on eBay, causing conflicts with AutoDS.

End the listing and re-upload it via AutoDS to reset the variation structure.

"Variation pictures cannot be removed during restricted revise" (Error 21916734).

You tried to remove or change variation pictures from a listing with sales or close to ending.

End the listing and create a new one with updated pictures.

"Missing name in the variation specifics or variation specifics set" (Error 21916587).

You changed a variation label (e.g., "Color" to "Colour"), which eBay sees as a mismatch.

Revert the variation label to the original name or end and re-list the item.

"Variation have undefined price".

Auction listings without a Buy It Now price result in this error, as AutoDS needs a fixed price.

Set a fixed price in AutoDS before listing the product.

"The tags [tag] is/are disabled as Variant".

You used an invalid or reserved tag name for a variant.

Change the attribute name to something eBay allows.

"The variation attributes on eBay don't match the variation attributes on AutoDS".

You changed variation attributes directly on eBay, leading to a mismatch.

  1. Either edit the attributes on eBay to match AutoDS.

  2. Or make the changes directly inside AutoDS.

Category errors

Category errors happen when the selected product category is invalid, outdated, or doesn't support certain listing features. The table below shows a breakdown of category errors and their solutions:

Error message

What it means / How to fix it

"The category is not valid, select another category".

The selected category is no longer valid. This typically occurs when eBay updates its category structure and removes or renames specific categories.

Manually select a new valid category in your draft.

Learn more: eBay's category selection and replacement guide.

"It appears that eBay has not suggested a category for this product. You may be trying to upload motors/adult products or your token is invalid. You can try changing the product title or renewing the token. Learn more about the workarounds here".

This error usually occurs when:

  • The product belongs to a restricted category (e.g., Motors or adult items).

  • eBay cannot automatically assign a category.

  • Or your eBay token may have expired (especially in bulk uploads).

To resolve it:

  1. If it's a restricted item, verify that it's allowed via AutoDS.

  2. Manually assign the most relevant eBay category in the draft.

  3. Renew your eBay token in AutoDS: Go to Store Settings, select Renew Token.

"The duration [value] day(s) is not available for this listing type, or invalid for category [category name]".

The selected listing duration is not allowed for the current listing type or category.

  1. Go to the draft settings.

  2. Adjust the duration to a valid value for that category and listing type.

Error 107: "The category isn't valid, select another category".

eBay has changed or removed the category, making it invalid.

  1. Choose a new valid category for the item.

  2. Verify if eBay has recently updated its category mappings.

Error (21916884): "Condition is required for this category".

Some categories require a condition (e.g., New, Used) to be specified.

  1. In the draft settings, ensure that the 'Item Condition' is selected.

Learn more: eBay item conditions by category.

Error (21916260): "Shipping service cost exceeds $XX.X maximum allowed for selected category".

eBay limits the shipping cost in certain categories.

  1. Lower the shipping fee to meet eBay's limit.

  2. Alternatively, build the shipping cost into your product price and offer free shipping.

Learn more: eBay's maximum shipping costs.

Limit and limitation errors

Limit and limitation errors occur when sellers exceed eBay's restrictions on listing quantities, title length, item revisions, or monthly listing allowances. The table below shows a breakdown of limit and limitation errors and their solutions:

Error message

What it means

How to fix it

"In order to maintain a safe trading environment, sellers may only offer a maximum of 100 items per listing"

eBay limits the quantity of items that can be listed under a single listing to a maximum of 100.

  1. Make sure your listing does not exceed 100 items.

  2. If you need to offer more than 100 units, split the items across multiple listings.

"Listing titles are limited to [value] characters"

Your listing title exceeds eBay's allowed character limit (usually 80 characters).

  1. Shorten the title to 80 characters or fewer.

  2. AutoDS automatically applies this limit during listing; however, if you're editing manually, please review the title length.

"Before you can list this item we need some additional information to create a seller's account"

Your eBay account is missing required setup steps, typically an automatic payment method for seller fees.

  1. Log in to your eBay account and complete the seller account setup.

  2. Add a valid payment method so eBay can charge seller fees.

Learn more: Getting started with selling on eBay

"Listing cannot be revised because you have reached the maximum number of revisions allowed"

You've hit the revision limit for that listing. eBay only allows a limited number of edits per listing.

  1. End the current listing.

  2. Create a new listing if you still need to make changes.

"This listing would cause you to exceed the number of items you can list. You can list up to x more items this month. Please consider reducing the quantity or request to list more: Link"

You've reached your monthly listing limit on eBay.

  1. Reduce the quantity of items listed.

  2. Contact eBay to request a higher listing limit.

Learn more: How to handle eBay selling limits

Error (21919107): "The maximum allowed length for the ConditionDescription field is 1000 characters"

The item's condition description exceeds eBay's 1000-character limit.

  1. Edit the condition description to be under 1000 characters.

  2. Watch out for translated text, which can increase the length.

Error 21919188: "It looks like you've reached the number of items you can list. You can list up to N items this month. Request to list more"

You've reached your total listing limit across all eBay sites.

  1. Set the stock quantity to 1 for products to save space.

  2. Contact eBay to request an increase in your monthly listing allowance.

Payment errors

Payment errors appear when your eBay seller account lacks a valid payment method for seller fees, or when there are issues with your PayPal account configuration. The table below shows a breakdown of payment errors and their solutions:

Error message

What it means

How to fix it

Error (640): "We noticed that you don't have a payment method set up with your eBay account. As soon as you take care of this, you'll be able to list more items"

You don't have a valid payment method set up on your eBay seller account. Without one, eBay won't allow you to list products.

  1. Go to eBay, select Account Settings, then Seller Account.

  2. Scroll down to Payment Methods for Seller Fees.

  3. Add or reconnect your PayPal account or credit card.

  4. If your PayPal is already linked, try relinking it in case the authorization has expired.

  5. After updating, try listing your products again.

Learn more: How to set up automatic payments on eBay

Error (10068): "Email address cannot be used for PayPal payments at this time"

Your PayPal email address is invalid or there's an issue with the associated PayPal account.

  1. Double-check the PayPal email in your eBay Payment Policy for any typos.

  2. Log in to PayPal, verify your account status, and resolve any issues.

  3. If your PayPal account is restricted, eBay won't allow "Immediate Payment Required".

  4. Once resolved, reattempt listing your product on AutoDS.

Error (121): "You will be unable to complete this request until payment is made or a credit card is put on file for automatic monthly billing"

Your account doesn't have a valid payment method on file for seller fees, so eBay is blocking new listings.

  1. Set up automatic payments on eBay.

Learn more: How to set up automatic payments on eBay

"The email address you entered isn't linked to a PayPal account. If you don't have a PayPal account, you'll need to set one up with this email address so that buyers can pay you"

The email address in your eBay Payment Policy is not associated with a verified PayPal account.

  1. Go to PayPal.com and log in to your account.

  2. Verify your email address and link a credit card to complete the verification process.

  3. Return to eBay and add the verified PayPal account to your seller profile.

  4. Then reattempt uploading your listings.

"eBay Error: Missing Information on Your eBay Seller Account"

Your eBay seller account isn't fully set up, specifically regarding your payment method. Without a valid and active payment method, eBay will block any attempts to upload listings.

  1. Go to: My eBay, then Selling, then Payments, then Payment Method.

  2. If you already have a bank account connected, try reconnecting it. eBay might have revoked your bank account authorizations, and they need to be renewed.

  3. After reconnecting, return to AutoDS and attempt to upload your item again.

Alternatively:

  1. Go to: eBay, then Account Settings, then Seller Account, then Payment Methods For Seller Fees.

  2. Make sure you've selected and saved a valid payment method here as well.

Note: If you attempt to add a payment method without a seller account, eBay will display the message: "No seller account on eBay."

If you don't have a seller account, create one before adding a payment method.

Learn more: How to set up automatic payments on eBay

General errors

General errors encompass a wide range of technical and operational issues that don't fit into other specific categories. The table below shows a breakdown of general errors and their solutions:

Error message

What it means

How to fix it

"eBay error: we were unable to update the listing because it is not supported by our API"

The listing was created through another software that uses a different API method than AutoDS.

  1. End the listing directly on eBay.

  2. Re-upload the item using AutoDS only.

"eBay error: you can not edit this product as it has bid or active 'best offer' or is ending soon"

eBay doesn't allow edits on auction listings with less than 12 hours left or fixed-price listings with active offers.

  1. Check your eBay account for active bids or offers.

  2. Respond to any offers or wait until the auction ends.

  3. For future listings, use fixed-price with "Good 'Til Cancelled" and disable offers.

"Validation of the authentication token in API request failed"

Your AutoDS authentication token for eBay has expired.

  1. Go to your AutoDS Store Settings.

  2. Re-authorize your eBay account by refreshing the token.

Learn more: How and when to refresh your token on AutoDS

"Buyers love large photos that clearly show the item, so please upload high-resolution photos that are at least 500 pixels on the longest side"

Your listing images are too small. eBay requires a minimum of 500 pixels on the longest side.

  1. Edit your product photos to meet eBay's image size requirements.

  2. Upload updated images and relist the product.

"Your listing cannot contain javascript ('.cookie', 'cookie(', 'replace(', IFRAME, META, or includes), cookies or base herf"

Your product description contains prohibited HTML or JavaScript code.

  1. Remove any unsupported scripts or custom code from the listing description.

"A mixture of Self Hosted and EPS pictures are not allowed"

You used both eBay-hosted (EPS) and self-hosted images in the same listing, which is not supported.

  1. Use either all EPS images or all self-hosted images.

  2. Start by uploading one image successfully, then add others.

"You entered more pictures than allowed"

You exceeded eBay's limit of 12 images per listing.

  1. Reduce the number of images to 12 or fewer before uploading.

"Enter a full UK/US Postal Code/ Please enter a valid postal code error"

The postal code field in your eBay Business Shipping Policy is missing or incorrect.

  1. Update the policy to include a valid postal code.

"XML Error Text: nested exception is: org.xml.sax.SAXParseException: An invalid XML character (Unicode: 0x3) was found in the CDATA section"

There are invalid or special characters in your listing text — often from copy-pasting into the description or headers.

  1. Remove any special characters or corrupted formatting from the listing.

  2. Re-upload the item.

"The shipping service is not available for this item location. Select a different service"

The shipping service you selected is not valid for the item's set location.

  1. Choose a different shipping service or adjust the item's location.

  2. Refer to your shipping policy for valid options, especially when dropshipping.

"You must accept the International Selling Agreement before you can list this item on a site other than where you registered or with international shipping options"

You haven't agreed to eBay's International Selling Agreement, which is required to offer international shipping or list on another country's site.

  1. Log in to your eBay seller account.

  2. Review and accept the International Selling Agreement.

"This item cannot be accessed because the listing has been deleted or you are not the seller"

The product was deleted or you don't have permission to manage it.

  1. Check on eBay if the listing was deleted.

  2. Remove the item from AutoDS monitoring.

"Missing required field 'Item Location'"

Your eBay shipping policy does not include the 'Item Location' field.

  1. Add the 'Item Location' field in your shipping policy.

  2. Apply the updated policy to your listings.

"Authorization token is hard expired. The user needs to generate a new token for this application"

Your AutoDS token is permanently expired and must be fully reauthorized.

  1. Go to AutoDS, select Store Settings.

  2. Click "Edit Store".

  3. Generate a new eBay token.

"If the original item was not listed as a Multi-SKU item, you cannot change it to be a Multi-SKU item during relist (or revise)"

eBay does not allow converting a single-SKU item to Multi-SKU in a relist or revise.

  1. End the current listing.

  2. Create a new listing with the correct SKU type.

"No rate table has been created. Please create the rate table"

You're using a shipping policy that references a rate table which hasn't been created.

  1. Go to your eBay shipping settings.

  2. Create or assign a valid rate table for your policy.

"This Listing is a duplicate of your item: [item (item number)]. Use multi-quantity fixed price listing to list these items"

You're trying to list a duplicate item that's already active in your eBay store.

Locate the original listing and increase the quantity, instead of creating a duplicate.

"Only Single item can be sold in auction-style listings. Switch to FixedPrice format to sell multiple items"

eBay allows only one item per auction-style listing. You can't sell multiple items this way.

Use the Fixed Price format to list multiple items in the same listing

"Internal error to the application"

This is a temporary eBay server or network issue.

Wait a few minutes and try uploading again.

"Package weight exceeds 150lbs. Please switch to Freight shipping for large items over 150 lbs"

Your listing includes a package weight over the 150-pound limit.

  1. Update the shipping policy to support freight shipping.

  2. Or reduce the item weight to below 150 lbs if applicable.

"Invalid value for [product identifier]"

The UPC, EAN, or ISBN entered is not valid.

  1. Check and correct the product identifier.

  2. If not available, leave the field blank.

Error (21919303): "The item specific MPN is missing"

The Manufacturer Part Number (MPN) is missing from the item specifics.

  1. Add the correct MPN in the listing.

  2. Or use "Does Not Apply" if the item has no MPN.

Error (21919309): "%Specific should contain only one value. Remove the extra values and try again"

You added multiple values to a field that accepts only one.

  1. Keep only one value per specific.

  2. If listing multiple options, use "/" (e.g., Red / Green / Blue).

Error (640): "A hold has been placed on your eBay account"

Your eBay account has been temporarily suspended or restricted.

  1. Log in to eBay and check your messages.

  2. Follow the instructions provided by eBay to remove the hold.

Learn more about account holds on eBay.

Errors (21919326, 21919302): "ISBN (EAN, UPC) has an invalid value of 'N'"

You entered "N" as the value for a product identifier (ISBN, EAN, or UPC), which is not recognized by eBay.

  1. Replace the invalid value with a valid identifier.

  2. If you don't have one, leave the field blank or use the option "Does Not Apply".

Error (21919067): "It looks like this listing is for an item you already have on eBay. We don't allow listings for identical items from the same seller to appear on eBay at the same time. If you'd like to list more than one of the same item, create a multi-quantity fixed price listing"

You already have a live listing for this item, and eBay doesn't allow duplicate listings for identical products.

  1. Update the quantity on the existing listing.

  2. Avoid uploading the same item more than once.

Error (21920272): "Users with a low feedback rating are not allowed to list an item with Fixed Price format"

Your eBay account does not yet meet the minimum feedback or age requirement for fixed-price listings.

  1. Make sure your account is at least 14 days old.

  2. Increase your feedback score to 30+.

  3. Complete ID verification on eBay.

Error (21916293): "Lvis validation blocked"

The listing was blocked due to policy violations, restricted content, or listing limits.

  1. Review your title and description for prohibited keywords or links.

  2. If the issue persists, contact eBay Seller Support.

Error (73): "The price in the listing is either invalid or below the minimum price of 1,00 EUR"

Your product price is too low and violates eBay's minimum price policy.

Update the listing price to meet or exceed the minimum required value.

Error (10007): "Sorry, something went wrong. Please wait a moment and try again"

Temporary eBay server-side error.

  1. Wait a few minutes and try uploading again.

  2. If the issue persists, contact support.

"The Australian site (ebay.au) doesn't have Zero insertion fee listings available. Allow paid insertion"

Your eBay account is not eligible for free listings on the Australian site (eBay.au). Only residents in Australia may qualify for limited zero-fee listings.

  1. Enable paid insertion fees.

  2. Or remove Australia as a listing site.

"Failed upload item Ebay Short Response: Errors: The location provided in exclude ship to location is unknown. Please use 2-character ISO codes for countries and full names for regions/continents. See API documentation for further details"

You used an incorrect format for excluded shipping locations.

  1. Use 2-character ISO codes (e.g., US, CA, UK) for countries.

  2. Use full names for regions or continents.

"Error - Auto decline amount cannot be greater than or equal to the Buy It Now price. Error - The Best Offer Auto Accept Price must be less than the Buy It Now price / This item cannot be accessed because the listing has been deleted or you are not the seller"

These errors occur when Auto Accept or Auto Decline settings conflict with the Buy It Now price or with the price AutoDS is trying to set. eBay rejects the listing update if the new price is lower than your Auto Decline threshold.

  1. Go to your eBay account, select Active Listings.

  2. Locate the product and click Revise.

  3. Uncheck the following settings: Automatically accept offers of at least, and Automatically decline offers lower than.

  4. Save changes and return to AutoDS.

  5. Force reprice the item.

"The system can't import products into the not approved eBay store"

Your eBay store is not yet approved or is missing essential setup steps.

  1. Log in to your eBay account.

  2. Complete the approval process according to eBay's instructions.

Learn more: How to create an eBay seller account

"The category selected is not a leaf category"

You selected a broad category, but eBay requires a leaf-level category (the most specific subcategory). Example: If you're listing high-heeled shoes, choosing "Women's Clothing and Shoes" then "Women's Shoes" instead of "Women's Clothing and Shoes" then "Women's Shoes" then "High Heels" will cause the error.

  1. Use the manual category selection tool in AutoDS.

  2. Drill down to the final, most specific category option for your product.

"Product's images failed to upload. Try to re-upload the product by downloading the images to your PC, delete them and re-add them to the product"

The image upload failed due to a technical issue or rejection by eBay.

  1. Download the product images to your computer.

  2. Delete the current images in the draft.

  3. Re-upload the images from your PC.

  4. Ty uploading the product again.

Note: If the error continues after following the steps above:

  1. Create a new Payments Policy in your eBay Business Policies.

  2. Select the correct payment methods.

  3. Make it your default policy.

  4. Once the new policy is synced with AutoDS, apply it to your listings.

  5. In most cases, this resolves the issue, especially if it's caused by a policy sync glitch.

Best Offer feature errors

Best Offer feature errors occur when there are conflicts between your Best Offer settings and the Buy It Now price, or when you attempt to edit listings with pending offers. The table below shows a breakdown of Best Offer feature errors and their solutions:

Error message

What it means

How to fix it

"You can not edit this product as it has bid or active 'best offer' or is ending in 12 hours"

For auction listings, eBay does not allow edits if there are fewer than 12 hours before the auction ends.

For fixed-price items, you might have a pending best offer from a customer that must be resolved before making changes.

  1. Go to your eBay account and check if there is an open bid or best offer on the listing.

  2. If there is, make sure to respond to it before attempting to edit the listing.

  3. If this is a monitoring error, wait at least one hour for the system to complete a scan and reprice your listing.

"The 'Best Offer' Auto Accept Price must be less than the Buy It Now price"

You enabled Auto Accept/Auto Decline, but the calculated selling price that AutoDS tried to apply conflicts with your Auto Accept price.

For example, if Auto Accept is set to $10 and AutoDS tries to update Buy It Now to $8, eBay rejects it because $8 is lower than your Auto Accept setting.

  1. Disable Auto-Decline/Auto-Accept on your listings when using repricing tools.

  2. Wait one hour for the system to complete a monitoring scan and reprice your listing.

  3. This way, buyers can still submit offers, but AutoDS will be able to update your listing price correctly.

Steps to disable on eBay:

  1. Uncheck: Automatically accept offers of at least.

  2. Uncheck: Automatically decline offers lower than.

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