Text guides

Online selling

Describe the item, show its condition and answer the questions a buyer needs answered. Use the platform's current instructions for listings and fulfillment.

12 practical tasks. Each guide includes a sample request and a way to check the answer.

Collect the facts for an accurate product listingFill in a facts sheet while the item is in your hands, then write the listing from it. Record the exact identity, measurements, materials, condition and included parts, and mark anything you could not confirm.
Describe the condition of a used item clearlySay what you tested, what you saw and what you could not check. "Powers on, all four buttons respond, scratch about an inch long on the left side" gives a buyer something to weigh. "Good condition" does not. Tie each statement to something you observed.
Plan product photos that answer buyer questionsPlan photos around the questions a buyer will ask, with one view for each. Typical questions cover size, labels, condition, flaws and what is included. A written list before you start helps you avoid missing a view or showing something private.
Write size details a buyer can useMeasure the item yourself, write each value with its unit and say where the measurement starts and ends. A tag reading "Large" is a label, not a measurement, so list both and keep them separate. Buyers can then compare against something they own.
Answer a buyer's question without guessingAnswer with what you have verified and say plainly what you have not. If a buyer asks whether the item fits or works with something, check before saying yes. A short reply that names its source holds up better than a confident one you cannot back.
Confirm the details of a custom orderWrite down every choice the buyer made, repeat it back to them and get clear approval before you start. Put the exact text, dimensions and materials in one place. Personalized items are hard to resell, so a mistake is costly to both sides.
Explain product variants without confusing buyersA buyer comparing options needs to see what changes the purchase. List only the real differences, such as size, material, included items or intended use, and state shared facts once. Build the comparison from your verified item records, not from memory.
Make a packing checklist for a specific orderBuild the checklist from the order record, line by line, before you pull any stock. Each item gets a quantity, any required accessory and a protection note. Extras, such as a free sample, go in a separate section so they are never mistaken for requirements.
Explain processing time separately from delivery timeProcessing time is your shop's preparation interval before handoff to a carrier. Delivery time is the carrier's estimate after handoff. Present them as two stages, drawing the first from your current fulfillment policy and the second from the carrier's own estimate.
Correct an error in an item listingPreserve a copy of the incorrect listing, then correct or pause it promptly once you verify the error. Tell affected buyers what changed and which confirmed options apply to their orders. Check the shop policy alongside applicable marketplace rules and other requirements before describing those options.
Make a product catalog index for a small shopAn index gives each product one code, one canonical name and one set of source facts, with a note on where each listing lives. When a detail changes, update the index first and then every listing, so channels do not drift apart.
Hand off open shop orders before time awayFor every open order, record its stage, what you actually promised the buyer, the next action and the person responsible. Write only confirmed promises. If no one is authorized to act on an order, say so in the handoff instead of leaving it to guesswork.

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