If you sell clothing or shoes on eBay Australia, put 8 September 2026 in your calendar.
eBay’s Australian item description policy now says that, from that date, apparel and footwear listings must specify a supported item condition and a standard size supported by the category. The policy page says it was updated on 15 July 2026 to reflect the new date.
This is not a reason to rebuild your whole store. It is a reason to find the listings using vague values such as “See description”, check any automatic size changes and fix the most exposed stock before the deadline.
What is changing at a glance?
| Change | What eBay says | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Policy date | Supported condition and standard size are required for apparel and footwear from 8 September 2026. | Finish your review before 8 September. |
| Size values | Use a size supported by the listing category, such as an alpha, numeric or region-specific size. | Replace vague text and select the best matching dropdown value. |
| Automatic updates | Since June 2026, eBay has been standardising some high-confidence sizes, such as “small” to “S”. | Verify the changed value against the actual label. |
| Unclear data | eBay names “See description” and “N/A” as examples that need attention. | Do not use the description as a substitute for the Size field. |
| Missing details | Affected listings may be hidden until updated. | Check active stock, not only new listings. |
| New and revised listings | Required item specifics must be completed before a new or revised listing can be published. | Fix templates and third-party workflows as well as live stock. |
Source check: this guide was rechecked on 3 August 2026 against eBay Australia’s live item description policy, listing help, condition guide and item-specifics guidance. Marketplace rules and the choices shown in individual categories can change, so use your own listing form as the final reference.
Which listings should Australian sellers check?
The 2026 policy uses the words apparel and footwear. eBay has not published a complete public list of category IDs for this particular size change, so be cautious with articles that turn it into a much broader rule without evidence.
For a practical audit, start with:
- women’s, men’s, children’s and baby clothing
- vintage and specialty clothing
- dresses, tops, pants, jackets and other apparel
- men’s, women’s and children’s shoes
- both new and pre-owned stock in those categories
- active listings as well as drafts and reusable templates
Do not assume that bags, jewellery and every fashion accessory are included in the 2026 standard-size rollout. Some of those categories were part of an earlier condition-grading change, which is a separate issue.
Existing listings matter. eBay says it may update clear size values automatically, notify sellers about unclear ones and hide affected listings until they are corrected. New or revised listings matter too: eBay’s item specifics guidance says a listing cannot be published or revised when a required item specific is missing.
What counts as a supported eBay size?
A supported size is an option eBay provides for the category. The exact list changes with the type of item, department and size system.
eBay gives three broad examples:
- alpha sizes, with a range such as 2XS to XXL
- numeric sizes
- region-specific sizes where the category offers them
That is not a complete master list. Use the choices in the actual listing form.
The policy says to select the size that most accurately matches the manufacturer’s designation. If the exact size is not available, choose the closest supported option. Keep the evidence a buyer needs in the listing too: photograph the size label, state the tagged size in the description and add measurements for pre-owned or vintage clothing.
Size examples
| Item | Weak Size field | Better treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Men’s T-shirt tagged L | “See description” | Select L, then include pit-to-pit and length measurements in the description. |
| Women’s dress tagged AU 12 | “Medium-ish” | Select the supported AU or numeric size closest to 12 and show the label. Add fit notes separately. |
| Vintage jumper with a faded label | “N/A” | Do not invent a size. Check the category’s supported choices and use the closest defensible option only when the garment gives you enough evidence; explain the uncertainty and include measurements. |
| Shoe marked US 9 | Brand name or model in Size | Choose the supported US 9 or relevant regional option. Keep brand and model in their own fields. |
Measurements are still useful, but they answer a different question. The Size field helps eBay place the listing in filters. The measurements help a person decide whether the garment will fit. A 52 cm pit-to-pit measurement should not be pasted into a field asking for the manufacturer’s size.
If there is genuinely no accurate supported choice, do not make up a value to get past the form. Check the category first and ask eBay Seller Help what it expects for that item.
Which condition should you choose?
Condition choices vary by category. The current eBay item condition by category page lists these clothing options:
- New with tags
- New without tags
- New with imperfections
- Pre-owned - Excellent
- Pre-owned - Good
- Pre-owned - Fair
For shoes, the new-item wording changes to New with box, New without box and New with defects, followed by the same three pre-owned grades. Other categories can show different choices, so use the condition offered in that item’s form.
These detailed pre-owned grades are not new in September 2026; eBay introduced them earlier. The September policy date makes it more important that an apparel or footwear listing has a supported condition and that the selection agrees with the item, photos, title and description.
The difference between the pre-owned grades should come from the item, not the price you hope to achieve:
- Excellent: previously worn and in excellent condition; any signs of wear should still be shown and described.
- Good: gently used and in good condition; signs of wear and imperfections should be shown and described.
- Fair: significantly visible imperfections or wear, all of which should be shown and described.
Use eBay’s pre-loved fashion condition guide when you are unsure. It covers issues such as stains, pilling, loose stitching, odour, pet hair, tears and broken fasteners.
A condition dropdown is not the whole condition report. If the cuff is frayed, show the cuff. If a button is missing, say which button. “Pre-owned - Good” does not cancel the need for a clear flaw photo.
The 8 September 2026 seller checklist
This is the order I would use for a small Australian resale store. It deals with the listings most likely to cause trouble before polishing optional details.
1. Make an apparel and footwear queue
Open Seller Hub → Listings → Active and filter by the relevant clothing and shoe categories. Work in batches you can verify properly—perhaps 25 or 50 one-off items—rather than selecting hundreds and applying one guessed value to all of them.
If you have only a few listings, My eBay is fine. Open the item, choose More actions → Revise, correct the fields and save.
2. Find missing and vague sizes first
Look for:
- a blank Size field
- “See description”
- “N/A” or “Not applicable”
- custom wording that is not in eBay’s supported list
- measurements, brand names or product types in the Size field
- a regional size stored without its region where the form offers one
eBay says Seller Hub and My eBay can show tasks for Required, Required Soon and recommended item specifics. Those are a useful starting point, but they are not a substitute for looking at your actual fashion inventory.
3. Check any automatically standardised size
eBay began standardising high-confidence values in June 2026. A simple change from “small” to “S” may be fine. Still compare it with the tag and the item.
Pay more attention to:
- vintage garments whose tagged size does not match modern fit
- imported items with US, UK, EU or Asian sizing
- petite, tall, curve or maternity ranges
- footwear with several regional sizes on the same label
- listings created years ago with custom text
Use the manufacturer’s marked size in the supported field. Put fit guidance and measurements in the description. Our Australian size conversion charts can help explain equivalent systems, but a conversion chart should not overwrite the label without a clear note.
4. Select a real condition
Sort or scan for blank, old or generic condition values. Inspect the item or the original photos before choosing a grade.
Do not bulk-change every old “Pre-owned” listing to Excellent. A mixed rack of second-hand clothing usually contains mixed conditions. If you cannot confidently grade an item from its photos, put it aside for a physical check.
5. Make the listing agree with itself
Check that the selected size and condition match:
- the title
- item specifics
- the written description
- label photos
- measurement photos
- flaw photos
An AU 12 in the Size field and “size 10” in the title creates doubt. So does an Excellent condition grade beside an undisclosed stain. eBay’s policy requires the listing details and images to match the item.
6. Save, then spot-check the buyer view
After each batch, open a sample of revised listings as a buyer would. Confirm that the size appears correctly, the condition is visible and your photos and description survived the bulk edit.
For a larger catalogue, keep a simple count:
| Batch | Listings checked | Size fixed | Condition fixed | Physical recheck needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women’s dresses | 25 | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| Men’s shirts | 25 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Shoes | 18 | 6 | 5 | 3 |
That little record stops the same half-finished audit being restarted next week.
7. Fix templates, imports and third-party tools
If you create eBay listings through an API, spreadsheet or another tool, check that it sends the standardised size values eBay now accepts. eBay specifically calls this out in its listing guidance.
Do not assume correcting the active listing fixes the saved template that created it. Test one new draft before using the workflow for a large batch.
How to bulk-update without making a bigger mess
Seller Hub lets you select active listings and choose Edit. eBay’s item-specifics page also describes bulk editing and a download/update/upload spreadsheet process. Some advanced Seller Hub Reports functions require a Pro plan, so the exact options can differ by account.
The safe bulk method is:
- Filter to one narrow group, such as men’s shirts.
- Export or record the item numbers before editing.
- Show the Size and Condition columns together if the editor allows it.
- Change only values that are genuinely shared.
- Save a small batch.
- Open several revised listings and verify the result.
- Continue only when the first batch is clean.
Bulk editing is good for removing a repeated bad value. It is poor at deciding whether 40 different used garments are Excellent, Good or Fair.
Common mistakes to avoid
Waiting for a warning email
eBay may notify sellers about unclear values, but the absence of a message does not prove every listing is clean. Review the inventory you know is apparel or footwear.
Treating “may be hidden” as “will be deleted”
eBay’s wording is that affected listings may be hidden until updated. It does not say every incomplete listing will be ended or deleted on 8 September.
Guessing a size from measurements alone
Measurements can show likely fit, but they are not a manufacturer’s size designation. If the label is missing and the form has no truthful option, investigate rather than turning a chest measurement into a made-up tag size.
Hiding flaws behind a condition grade
Choose the closest condition and disclose the flaw in words and photos. Accurate condition information can reduce avoidable returns and gives a buyer a fair chance to decide.
Confusing the 2025 condition rollout with the 2026 size rule
The three pre-owned grades were introduced earlier. The current deadline is about using a supported condition and standard size for apparel and footwear. They are related, but not the same announcement.
What this means for eBay-to-Depop cross-listing
Clean source data helps when you reuse an eBay listing elsewhere, but the marketplaces do not share identical fields.
Fix the eBay listing first. Confirm the actual item, label, size, condition, measurements and flaws. Then adapt those facts to Depop’s current categories and fields rather than copying every dropdown value blindly.
Listalong is our own tool. It does not repair an eBay listing, validate eBay policy compliance or guarantee that a size conversion is correct. It can reuse available details from selected active eBay.com.au fashion listings as the starting point for a Depop listing that you review before publishing.
That order matters:
- correct the physical item record
- correct the eBay source listing
- prepare the Depop version
- review the Depop category, size, condition and wording
- publish only when both listings describe the same item honestly
If Depop is new to you, read How to start selling on Depop after eBay. For photos that work on both platforms, use the Depop listing photo guide.
Final pre-deadline check
Before 8 September, make sure:
- active apparel and footwear listings have been reviewed
- Size uses a supported category value, not vague custom text
- any automatic size change matches the actual label
- Condition uses a current option offered by the category
- title, specifics, description and photos agree
- flaws are shown and described
- measurements are in the description, not used as a substitute for Size
- saved templates and third-party workflows use supported values
- a sample of revised listings has been checked in the buyer view
This is also a sensible listing-quality exercise. Complete size and condition data helps buyers filter confidently, while clear photos and measurements reduce the chance that the right buyer abandons the item. For the wider sales check, use our guide to why eBay sales may be slow in Australia and the best tools for improving eBay sales.
Frequently asked questions
What changes on eBay Australia on 8 September 2026?
From 8 September 2026, eBay Australia’s item description policy requires apparel and footwear listings to specify a supported item condition and a standard size supported by the category.
Will eBay hide every clothing listing with a missing size on 8 September?
eBay does not say every affected listing will be hidden on that exact day. Its current creating and revising help pages say listings with unclear or missing size or condition details may be hidden from September 2026 until updated.
What clothing sizes does eBay accept?
It depends on the category. eBay gives alpha sizes, numeric sizes and region-specific sizes as examples. Select the supported value that best matches the manufacturer’s designation and keep measurements in the description.
Can I use “See description” or “N/A” as the size?
No. eBay identifies both as unclear or unsupported. A description and measurement chart can help the buyer, but they do not replace a required Size item specific.
How can I update listings in bulk?
Filter apparel or footwear in Seller Hub’s Active listings, select a manageable group and choose Edit. Depending on the account, eBay also provides item-specific bulk editing or spreadsheet download and upload options. Verify a small batch before applying wider changes.
Does Listalong fix eBay size and condition fields?
No. Correct and verify the eBay source listing first. Listalong can then reuse available details to prepare selected fashion listings for Depop, where you still review the category, size, condition and copy before publishing.