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eBay Listing Risk Checker

Paste your title and description. Get every phrase that can get the listing removed, buried in search, or your account restricted — with the eBay policy behind each one.

Nothing you paste leaves this page. There is no upload and no account.

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Findings

Paste a title above and the check runs as you type. It looks for keyword spam, contact details, replica wording, hazardous materials, prohibited categories, condition conflicts, and the title mistakes that cost you search placement.

Free tool · Updated September 2026

What gets an eBay listing removed

Most removals are not judgement calls about your item. They are pattern matches on your text. A phrase like “similar to Lululemon”puts your listing in another brand’s search results, which is the definition of search manipulation, and it does not matter that you were being helpful. A phone number in the description reads as an invitation to transact off eBay whether or not you meant it that way.

This checker reads the same text eBay reads and reports the matches, the policy behind each one, and what to change. It runs entirely in your browser — nothing you paste is uploaded.

What it checks

Search manipulation

Comparison phrases ("style of", "similar to", "inspired by"), brand denial ("not Supreme"), and more than one brand name in a single title. These are the exact patterns eBay's search manipulation policy names.

Off-site contact and payment

Email addresses, phone numbers, social handles, external store links, and named payment apps. eBay.com links are ignored — linking your own eBay Store is allowed.

Replicas and copies

Replica, counterfeit, bootleg, and "AAA quality" wording, plus burned discs, ROM sets, emulators, cracked software, and shared streaming accounts.

Hazmat and shipping

Lithium batteries, aerosols, perfume, nail polish, butane, ammunition, airbags, and pool chemicals — the items that cannot ship by air and need hazmat handling.

Prohibited and restricted

Used cosmetics and personal items, prescription and vape products, ivory, catalytic converters, recalled goods, gift cards, and event tickets.

Search placement and quality

All-caps titles, L@@K and asterisk padding, shipping terms in the title, titles over the 80-character cap, titles that waste it, and a condition field that contradicts the description.

The three mistakes that cost resellers the most

1. Stacking brand names to catch more searches

A title reading “Womens Leggings Similar To Lululemon Nike Yoga Pants” is three violations in one line: two brands the item is not, and a comparison phrase joining them. It also wastes characters that could carry the size, inseam, rise, and fabric — the terms buyers actually type. Removing the spam usually improves placement rather than hurting it.

2. Denying a brand instead of omitting it

“Not Supreme” and “Supreme style” land in the same search results, and eBay’s policy treats a disclaimer exactly like a claim. If the item is not that brand, the brand name does not belong in the listing at all.

3. Contradicting your own condition field

A title that says New With Tags next to a description that mentions a snag is the most common route to an item-not-as-described case. That case counts against your seller metrics even when you refund immediately. Pick the condition that is true and describe the flaw plainly — buyers of used goods expect flaws and punish surprises.

Write listings that do not need fixing

FlowLister builds the title, description, and item specifics from your photos, so the keyword spam and condition conflicts never get written in the first place. Check what you already have with this tool, then let the next hundred listings start clean.

Turn photos into a complete listing →

Frequently Asked Questions

Short answers to common seller questions about this workflow.

The most common causes are search manipulation (brand names in the title that do not apply to the item), replica or counterfeit wording, prohibited and restricted items, hazardous materials listed without the right handling, and sharing contact details that invite the sale off eBay. eBay usually names the policy in the removal email — this checker looks for the text patterns behind those same policies before you list.
eBay's search manipulation policy prohibits brand names, keywords, or category terms that do not apply to the item. In practice that means "style of Nike", "similar to Lululemon", "not Supreme", stacking several brand names in one title, and repeating the same keyword to game Best Match. A disclaimer does not make it allowed — naming the brand at all is what puts you in that brand's search results.
No. eBay's policy on buying and selling outside eBay prohibits sharing contact information in a listing, and it also covers naming external payment methods like Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, or PayPal friends and family. Buyers can reach you through eBay Messages. Listings with contact details are picked up automatically and can cost you seller protection.
No, and no tool can. It reads the text you paste and reports where that text matches a published eBay policy or contradicts eBay's own listing guidance. It cannot see your photos, your category, your account history, or a rights owner's takedown notice. Treat it as a pre-flight check, not a decision from eBay.
VeRO is eBay's Verified Rights Owner programme, which lets brand owners report listings that they believe infringe their rights. A VeRO takedown does not require eBay to decide whether your item is genuine, so selling an authentic item is not a defence on its own. Photographing tags, serials, and hardware — and avoiding authenticity guarantees you cannot back up — is what reduces the risk.
No. Every rule runs in JavaScript in your own browser. There is no upload, no API call, and no account. You can disconnect from the internet after the page loads and the checker still works.
Items with lithium batteries, aerosols, flammable liquids, or compressed gas are restricted on eBay and with carriers, and that includes everyday things like perfume, nail polish, lighters, and cordless tool batteries. The flag is a prompt to check eBay's hazardous materials policy and pick a ground service, not a claim that the item is banned.

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