Free custom auction templates for eBay

This page contains a free custom auction template generator. The custom templates use CSS style codes using methods detailed in the Style codes page. This template maker also has an option for adding the listing's text and a photo gallery containing up to 20 image links. Once saved the templates may be edited using an HTML editor such as the free HTML-kit editor.

Design selections

Below is the colour picker and a schematic diagram of the custom design template along with the design options. For colours, select the item then pick a colour using the colour picker. Click the Set Colour button to update the code and diagram. In addition there are areas to enter the description text and also provision for adding photographs. When completed go to the code-view panel to copy the code.

Important! For best results the template should have a fixed width to suit the width of the widest photo. Also, the tallest photo and caption combination needs to be the first item in the gallery, this is to allow the Ebay page to expand to the maximum required height.

Copying the code.

To create or update the code click the Make Code button, this will load the code into the code-view panel. The template may then be previewed by clicking the Preview button, this will either open a pop-up window or new tab. The design can be changed by going back to the design area, then click the Make Code button to update the code and the Preview button for a new preview.

When satisfied with the design click the Select All button to highlight the code. Copy the code by right-clicking on the highlighted area and then select copy, alternatively use Ctrl-C keys to copy the code.

Once the code has been copied open a new blank text or HTML document using notepad or an HTML editor, paste in the code and save the document. The template has now been created, now make a second copy for use as a back-up.

Guidance notes

Setting colours.

To set a colour, select an item from the list then pick a colour using the colour picker. Click the Set Colour button to update the code and diagram. The colour code numbers in the colour picker and the set colour list are editble and can also be set by typing in a colour hex code.

Colour Schemes

There is also a selection of pre-made colour schemes to choose from. Just click a swatch to change the colour scheme.

Background images.

In the Background Selector click on the required image. The image will then appear in the schematic diagram and it's url in the url box. The background tile will be displayed as actual size in the schematic diagram and so may appear to be out of scale. To remove a background click the No Background button. It is also possible to use externally hosted background graphics, just paste the background's url in the url box and then click the Set url button (it may takes a few seconds for the image to load into the schematic diagram).

Adding text.

The auction listing title text can be typed or pasted into the Title Text box.

The auction description text can be typed or pasted into the Description Text box. This text is not formatted and will appear as a block. Formatting can be done by adding HTML tags. There are a few HTML tag buttons in the description text header that can be used. Within the text select where the tag needs to be inserted then click the tag button.

The BR, line break, does not require a closing tag. The other HTML tags require both an open and a close tag. Click a button once to open a tag, click it again to close the tag, the Close Tags button will close all open tags. For information about HTML tags see the HTML codes page.

Photo sizes

For best visual effect the photo's should be of similar size in width and height. Next best is to have photo's the same width or the same height. Widths of up to 600px are good for Ebay auctions, a width 600px is ideal if the gallery is used in a template with a width of 940px.

There is information about how to resize photographs in the image editing page.

Adding images and captions.

Enter the number of images required, from 0 to 20, and then click Update. This will create the image fields with caption fields below. If required each photograph can have a caption below it. Add the image's url's and caption, if no caption is required leave the caption field empty.

The template is designed to use an external image hoster for storing the auction photos. One image hoster that can be used for storing auction photographs is Photobucket . Upload the photo to Photobucket and they will supply the url/address for it. This image shows the links as provided by Photobucket, the Direct Link is the one to be used.

Information; Photobucket have made more changes. Login to your account and go to the Library. Move the mouse pointer to the top right corner of the required image. In the pop-up window select Get links and in the next pop-up window copy the Direct link.

The image link will look something like;    http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o47/eporium/jktwmk2.jpg , this is the type of link that should be pasted into the image link area.

Adding a template to an auction

To access the HTML insertion area in Ebay's selling form first select Advanced Sell and then continue to the description area.
Note; The sell screen may differ from that shown below as Ebay tend to change their layouts often.

The HTML code can then be copied and pasted into the Ebay HTML area, as shown below. Note; click the "Save Draft" button immediately after pasting.

It is also possible to switch to the description area's standard view, shown below, to write the description.

Important; If the standard view is used when editing text be aware of how the Enter key works. As well as starting a new line it can also repeat the HTML coding and cause unwanted effects to the page design. So, to start a new line use the Shift + Enter keys.