eBay Automated Feedback: Seller Settings Explained (2026)
Sellers can use eBay's automatic feedback settings to leave positive buyer feedback after payment or after the buyer leaves positive feedback first. That is different from eBay automated feedback, which eBay may add to a seller's account when a completed transaction has no buyer feedback, tracking shows on-time delivery, and eBay sees no reported issue.
By Chris Taylor, founder of FlowLister and a working full-time eBay reseller
Automatic feedback settings vs eBay automated feedback
The names are easy to confuse. Automatic feedback settings are seller-controlled preferences that leave positive feedback for buyers. eBay automated feedback is feedback eBay may add to a seller when a transaction is completed, the buyer has not left feedback within seven days of tracked delivery, and eBay sees no indication of a transaction issue. Tracking must also show that the item was delivered on time.
What it is not:
- Seller settings leave feedback for buyers. They do not automate the buyer's rating of the seller.
- They are not a feedback solicitation tool. The settings leave an outgoing positive comment; they do not ask the buyer to review the seller.
- Not a way to leave negative feedback — sellers cannot leave negative feedback for buyers regardless of channel. eBay's current policy permits seller feedback for buyers to be positive only.
One more thing worth being explicit about: turning on auto feedback does not change what feedback your buyers can leave for you. It only handles your outgoing ratings. The practical differences are detailed below.
Sellers: how to enable automatic feedback
eBay's current help page documents this path:
- Open eBay's automatic feedback settings help page or go directly to your Selling preferences.
- In All listings and orders, select Edit next to Automate feedback.
- Choose After the buyer has paid or After the buyer has paid and left you positive feedback.
- To change the positive comments, select Edit stored comments, make the changes, and save them.
- Select Save to finish.
If the labels differ in your account, use eBay's linked help page as the source of truth; the setting is not documented under Seller Hub Marketing.
Choosing your trigger — the only real decision
eBay gives you two trigger options, and the difference matters:
Trigger A — Buyer has paid for the item
Feedback fires immediately after payment clears.
This is the simplest option and follows eBay's recommendation to leave buyer feedback as soon as payment is made. It acknowledges the part of the transaction a seller is permitted to rate: the buyer's completed purchase.
Trigger B — Buyer leaves positive feedback first
Feedback fires only after the buyer rates you positively.
This option responds automatically when the buyer leaves positive feedback. If the buyer does not leave positive feedback, the automatic comment will not fire and the seller must leave any buyer feedback manually.
Choose the payment trigger if your goal is to thank every paid buyer consistently. Choose the payment-plus-positive-feedback trigger if you want the automation to respond only after the buyer has rated the transaction. Outgoing positive feedback is not leverage in a return or claim.
Default vs custom message templates
eBay lets sellers edit a range of stored positive comments and uses those comments randomly when automatic feedback is left. Its current public help page does not state a fixed number of default or custom comments, so use the limits shown in your account rather than relying on an old numeric cap.
Templates I rotate in my own store (free to copy):
Default — short & professional
“Thank you for your purchase! Fast payment, smooth transaction, A+ buyer.”
Catch-all default. Works in every category. Boring but never offensive.
Warm — repeat-buyer friendly
“Thanks for shopping with us — really appreciate your business and hope to see you again. Five-star buyer!”
Best for stores with high repeat-buyer rate (clothing, collectibles).
Specific — for higher-priced items
“Thank you for your purchase and prompt payment. A smooth transaction with an excellent buyer.”
A neutral option for higher-value orders without making shipping claims.
Bulk-shop friendly
“Thank you for your order. Easy transaction and prompt payment. A+ buyer.”
A short, neutral option for stores processing many orders.
Trading card / collectible specific
“Thanks so much for your purchase. Hope you enjoy the addition to your collection. A+ buyer!”
A category-specific option that does not make delivery promises.
Keep it short, never sarcastic, never use ALL CAPS, never include a sales pitch. The feedback message is shown publicly — it's a long-term reputation artifact, not a marketing channel.
What the public settings actually control
eBay's current documentation lists two trigger choices and stored positive comments. It does not document separate skip controls for returns, cases, or buyer messages.
- After payment: leave positive buyer feedback after payment is confirmed.
- After payment and positive feedback: wait until the buyer has also left positive feedback for you.
- Stored comments: edit the range of positive comments that eBay uses randomly.
- Manual exceptions: feedback is still manual when the buyer did not pay, and when the buyer did not leave positive feedback under the second trigger.
Sellers can only leave positive feedback for buyers. If a buyer violates policy, report the buyer through eBay instead of placing a negative comment inside a positive rating.
Does automatic feedback boost your seller score?
Not directly. Automatic feedback saves time and eBay says leaving feedback for a buyer can encourage prompt feedback in return, but eBay does not publish a guaranteed completion-rate lift. Outgoing buyer feedback is not a Top Rated eligibility metric or a documented Best Match ranking input.
- Top Rated criteria include sales history, transaction defects, cases closed without seller resolution, late shipments, on-time validated tracking, and policy compliance.
- Feedback reputation remains visible to buyers, but eBay says negative or neutral feedback does not affect seller performance.
- Service quality still determines the experience buyers rate: accurate descriptions, on-time shipping, careful packaging, and prompt issue resolution.
Treat automation as a consistency tool, not a ranking tactic. Do not offer discounts, free items, or other incentives in exchange for positive feedback; eBay classifies that as feedback manipulation.
Do not confuse the two feedback features
eBay uses similar names for two different mechanisms:
| Aspect | Automatic feedback settings | eBay automated feedback |
|---|---|---|
| Who controls it | The seller | eBay |
| Who receives it | The buyer | The seller |
| Trigger | After payment, or after payment plus positive buyer feedback | No buyer feedback within seven days of tracked delivery, with on-time delivery and no indication of an issue |
| Where to manage it | Selling preferences → All listings and orders → Edit next to Automate feedback | Not seller-controlled |
| Result | A stored positive comment is left for the buyer | Positive feedback is added to the seller's account |
Quick recap — what to do today
- Open eBay's automatic feedback settings from Selling preferences
- Under All listings and orders, select Edit next to Automate feedback
- Choose the after-payment or payment-plus-positive-feedback trigger
- Edit stored positive comments if needed
- Save
The setup takes only a few minutes. Its defensible benefit is consistent outgoing buyer feedback without a per-order task; do not treat it as a guaranteed ranking or Top Rated shortcut.
Official eBay sources
- Automatic feedback settings — current setup path, trigger choices, and stored comments.
- Leaving feedback for buyers — positive-only seller feedback and the 90-day window.
- Leaving feedback for sellers — eBay's separate automated-feedback criteria.
- Seller standards policy — the actual Top Rated and seller-performance criteria.
- Feedback manipulation policy — prohibited incentives and artificial score-building.
Frequently Asked Questions
Short answers to common seller questions about this workflow.