eBay RSS FEEDS FOR SELLERS AND BUYERS

What is RSS?
 
RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication".

RSS is a standardized programming format. It is commonly used for syndicating news headlines so they can be easily distributed to a wide audience.

Personal web-logs are written in RSS format and many webmasters use RSS feeds to provide fresh content to their web sites without having to manually update it.  Almost any type of information can be reformatted and distributed via RSS.

So how do I use it?

In order to access an RSS feed you need an RSS aggregator. Sometimes referred to as an RSS Channel or RSS Reader. (For clarity we’ll use the term RSS Reader.)

An RSS Reader automatically checks multiple RSS feeds for new items on an ongoing basis. The reader will notify you of any updated information without the need to visit the web sites to see if there is any new content.

Some browsers allow adding RSS feeds directly to a personal toolbar and some Readers are integrated into email programs, while others run as a standalone program on your computer.

There are many free, standalone RSS readers available on the web. One such reader is available from (rssreader.com) and is the one the Laundry Bag Store Online uses.

Once you have downloaded and installed a Reader, you need to subscribe to an RSS feed. This is simply a matter of copying the web address (URL) of the feed into the reader. That’s it, the reader does the rest. Anytime any information gets updated the Reader will notify you. The RSS reader we use makes a doorbell sound and pops up a small window whenever our feed or any feeds subscribed to get updated. Make sure whatever Reader you use is capable of understanding RSS version 2.0.

How can Sellers benefit from eBay RSS Listing Feeds?

A feature on eBay allows you get your listings in RSS format. If you have an eBay store you can use the feed to inform your buyers of any new or updated store inventory, auction or buy it now listings and it will also notify you when “Good Till Canceled” store inventory is automatically re-listed.

From the bottom of your Store’s Home Page or from “Selling Manager”, click the “Manage My Store” link. In the left navigation menu under “Store Marketing” click the link labeled “Listing Feeds”.

Enable the radio button titled “Distribute your listings via RSS”. Optionally enable the radio button titled “Make a file of your Store inventory listings available”. Click the “Apply” button to save the changes. It can take up to 12 hours for the listing to be created.

Eventually you will see an orange RSS icon on the bottom left of your store’s home page. 

 How can Buyers benefit from eBay RSS Listing Feeds?

If you’re an eBay buyer you can subscribe to your favorite store’s RSS feeds. Whenever you see the orange icon on the bottom of a store’s home page or any site for that matter, just click on it and then copy the full URL from your address bar into your RSS Reader. You will also see the raw XML code that the feed is programmed in.

You can also right mouse-click on the icon and select “copy” and then paste the URL into your RSS Reader. You Reader will monitor any changes to whatever feeds you subscribe to and notify you.
 
Below is what an eBay store or listing feed typically look like. The entire line is what gets pasted into the “Add a New Feed” area of the RSS Reader.

http://rss.api.ebay.com/ws/rssapi?FeedName=StoreItems&UserId=-1&siteId=0&language=en-US&output=RSS20&storeId=214758761

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Good Luck,

Laundry Bag Store Online