eBay listing title character counter
eBay listing titles are limited to 80 characters. The title is the primary field eBay's Cassini search engine uses to match listings to buyer queries, and it is the line shoppers scan in search results. With only 80 characters, every space and word competes, so the title must hold the brand, product type, model, size, and the key attributes buyers actually search, without wasting room on filler or punctuation that adds no search value.
eBay listing title character limit
eBay caps listing titles at 80 characters so results stay scannable, which forces sellers to spend every character on the brand, model, and attributes buyers actually search for.
Examples
Counts use plain character lengthNike Air Zoom Pegasus 40 Men's Running Shoes Size 10 Black White New in Box
Brand New Authentic Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40 Men's Running Shoes Sneakers Size 10 US Black and White Colorway Original Box Fast Free Shipping Best Price
Apple iPhone 13 128GB Blue Unlocked Very Good Condition Battery 89%
Apple iPhone 13 128GB Blue Unlocked GSM CDMA Smartphone Very Good Used Condition Battery Health 89% Includes Charging Cable Fast Free Shipping Great Deal
eBay title character limit FAQ
- How many characters are allowed in eBay title?
- eBay title has a 80-character limit.
- Why does eBay listing title have a character limit?
- eBay caps listing titles at 80 characters so results stay scannable, which forces sellers to spend every character on the brand, model, and attributes buyers actually search for.
- Do spaces count toward the eBay title limit?
- Yes, spaces count toward character limits on all major platforms.
- What happens if I exceed the eBay title limit?
- The platform usually rejects the title or truncates it. Use the counter above to stay safely under 80 characters.
eBay listing title character limit guide
Eighty characters that decide whether you are found
eBay gives you 80 characters for a listing title, and on eBay the title is even more decisive than on most marketplaces because eBay's Cassini search engine leans heavily on it to match listings to buyer queries. If a keyword a buyer types is not in your title, your item often simply does not appear for that search, no matter how good the listing is otherwise. With only 80 characters, that means the title is a ranking instrument first and a label second, and every character you spend on a word nobody searches is a character stolen from a word that brings buyers.
Because the budget is so small, eBay titles reward precision. There is no room for promotional filler like look, wow, or must see, none of which buyers search for, and eBay actively discourages such terms. There is also no benefit to repeating words, since Cassini indexes a term once. The counter above shows exactly how much of the 80 each word costs, which makes it easy to spot the filler that is crowding out a real keyword and to keep iterating until every character is pulling its weight.
What buyers actually search for
Think like a buyer typing into the eBay search box. They search by brand, model or part number, size, color, and condition, often in that rough order. A strong title for a pair of shoes names the brand, the exact model, the gender or fit, the size, the colorway, and the condition: Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40 Men's Running Shoes Size 10 Black White New in Box. Every one of those words is a phrase a buyer might type, and together they let your listing match a wide range of specific searches while still reading clearly. Model and part numbers are especially valuable because they signal an exact match and have less competition.
Match the words buyers really use, not internal jargon. If shoppers search sneakers more than trainers in your market, use sneakers. eBay also offers item specifics, the structured fields for brand, size, color, and so on, and you should fill those completely, but do not rely on them to replace the title: the title still carries the most search weight, and item specifics complement it rather than substitute for it. Condition terms like new, used, or refurbished are worth their characters because many buyers filter and search on them directly.
Write tight, count, and refine
An effective eBay title is a dense, readable string of the exact terms buyers search, arranged so the most important identifiers come first. Lead with brand and model, follow with the defining attributes, and close with condition. Capitalize the major words for scannability, spell sizes and measurements the way buyers type them, and skip punctuation that adds no search value, since commas and dashes consume characters that a keyword could use. The goal is a title where a buyer instantly recognizes the exact item and Cassini can match it to as many relevant searches as the 80 characters allow.
Before you list, paste the title into the counter above to confirm it lands at or under 80 characters, then read it once as a buyer would to make sure it is not just a keyword pile but a recognizable description of a specific item. If you are close to the limit and forced to choose, keep the brand, model, and the single attribute most buyers filter on, and drop the softer adjectives. Revisit underperforming listings and test swapping a low-traffic word for a higher-traffic synonym; on eBay, where the title is the search field, a sharper 80-character title is often the fastest way to lift views and sales.