eBay Title Template for Resellers: 80-Character Formula

A practical eBay title template for resellers, with copy-ready formulas for clothing, shoes, hard goods, electronics, media, and collectibles.

By Chris Taylor, founder of FlowLister and active eBay reseller.

I'll show you my title formula, then give you three real titles I used on items that sold this month. Steal them.

Titles aren't where I get clever. They're where I cram in as many real facts as I can before I hit 80 characters. Hype words don't work because nobody types "amazing" into eBay search.

Three titles I used this month

Shoes (sold $69.99): "Brooks Brothers Mens 9 D Brown Leather Penny Loafer Slip On Made in USA EUC" — brand, gender, size, width, color, material, style, country, condition. 76 chars.

Vintage hat (sold $29.99): "Vintage Stetson Fedora Mens 7 1/4 Brown Wool Felt Wide Brim Western Cowboy Hat" — vintage cue, brand, item type, gender, size, color, material, style words buyers actually search. 78 chars.

Watch (sold $28.99): "Vintage Timex Womens Gold Tone Stretch Band Day Date Indiglo Watch Working" — vintage cue, brand, gender, color/finish, band style, key features, tested status. 74 chars.

What goes first matters

For branded shoes I lead with brand and model. For vintage decor I sometimes lead with "Vintage" because that's the first thing those buyers type. For electronics I lead with model and spec — nobody searches "Apple iPad," they search "iPad Pro 11 256GB."

If the title reads like a string of keywords with no logic, buyers feel it even if they can't articulate why. Make it sound like a person wrote it.

Brand first when the buyer would search by brand (most clothing, shoes, electronics).
"Vintage" first when that's the actual hook (mid-century decor, vintage Timex, old Stetson).
Item type early — eBay needs to know if it's a loafer or a sneaker.
Condition cues like NWT, sealed, open box, EUC only when buyers actually search them.
If a word doesn't change what shows up in search, cut it.

Letting AI write the title

AI gets titles right when I give it good photos — a label shot, a size tag, a model number, any flaw close-ups. If the photos are clear, FlowLister's draft is usually 80-90% there.

Then I read the title and ask: can I prove every word from the item in front of me? "Made in USA" only stays if the shoe actually says Made in USA. "EUC" only stays if it's actually excellent. If I can't prove a word, I cut it.

Copy-ready 80-character title worksheet

Paste the formula into your workflow and fill only the fields the item actually proves.

Brand or maker:
Exact item type:
Model, style, pattern, or series:
Size, width, capacity, or compatibility:
Material or color:
Condition or proof term:
Remove filler until the title is under 80 characters.

Copy-ready title formulas

Clothing: Brand + gender/department + item type + size + material/style + color + condition cue.
Shoes: Brand + model/style + gender + size + width + color + material + condition cue.
Hard goods: Brand + item type + model/series + material + size/capacity + use case.
Electronics: Brand + model + storage/size/spec + generation + included accessories + condition.
Media: Title + format + edition + year/region + condition + notable inclusion.
Collectibles: Brand/maker + character/theme + item type + year/era + size + material + condition.

Relevant Reads From Around the Web

eBay Canada Seller Centre: Item specifics: Official explanation of why item specifics help eBay match listings to buyer filters.
Frooition: eBay SEO guide: Current guide for title, item specifics, images, descriptions, and seller signals.
3Dsellers: eBay title optimization: Helpful title-focused guide for using the 80-character limit with buyer-search terms.

How to use this guide

Use this page as a practical checkpoint inside your eBay listing workflow. Start with the section that matches your bottleneck, follow the related FlowLister reading, then use the template or video path before your next listing batch.

Use the videos when you need to see the workflow in motion.
Use the internal links when you need deeper listing guidance.
Use the outside reads to cross-check eBay rules and seller best practices.
Use FlowLister when you are ready to turn item photos into review-ready drafts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Short answers to common seller questions about this workflow.

80 characters. Use them for facts buyers actually type into search, not adjectives.

No. My Brooks Brothers loafer title was 76 chars and it sold in eight days. Don't pad with filler just to hit 80.

Yes, when I give it clear photos of the label, size tag, and any model markings. Then I read the draft and cut anything I can't prove from the item itself.