eBay is beginning to test "Custom Item Specifics," a feature that lets sellers create custom product attributes. eBay's search technology uses Item Specifics to help shoppers narrow down products to those they are looking for with attributes such as brand, color and size. Currently sellers are limited to using item specifics predefined by eBay, but the company will begin testing custom attributes that sellers can create during the listing process.

eBay will test Custom Item Specifics in 90 categories, less than 1 percent of categories on the site, in categories that currently do not offer Item Specifics except for "Item Condition." eBay's system will then begin recommending sellers use certain Custom Item Specifics during the listing process as it learns which ones have been used for similar items that have successfully sold.

Significantly, eBay's search engine will consider Custom Item Specifics when shoppers search by "title and description." Because of this, Custom Item Specifics will be subject to eBay's keyword spamming policy.

Custom Item Specifics will be available for sellers listing in selected categories through the Sell Your Item form and through the API in the next few days. They'll be added to Turbo Lister a few weeks later. eBay said if the test goes well, it will expand it to more categories in the next few months.

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