Parts compatibility allows you to list parts that fit a variety of vehicles. It's also a great way for buyers to find parts that fit their vehicles. Using the compatibility feature you can create one listing describing a single part and add a complete list of compatible vehicles. This eliminates the need to list one part multiple times to ensure all compatible vehicles are found in search.
To add compatibility information, create a new item or chose an existing item and select a category that supports compatibility:
If the selected category supports compatibility, the Compatibility button will become active in the Item Details view. If the category also supports eBay catalog information, the Catalog button will become active as well:
From here, you can either select an item in the eBay catalog that already contains the compatibility information or specify the compatibility information manually.
To use eBay catalog information, click on Catalog. Enter the search words (this could be a part type, brand, part number …) and click Search:
In the Search Results window, select the product that best describes your item:
Once you have selected the product in the catalog, you can specify additional characteristics about your item and verify the compatibility information. When finished, click Save:
Catalog and compatibility are mutually exclusive concepts, therefore once you assign catalog information to an item, you cannot assign compatibility information until you remove catalog data from the item first. This is why the Compatibility button is grayed out when an item has catalog data.
To clear the catalog information from an item, select the item in the grid, click Catalog and select Clear Catalog:
To clear catalog information on several items, select them in the grid and chose Items Actions | Clear Catalog Information.
To specify compatibility information without using eBay Catalog information, click on Compatibility:
Check the years and vehicle models your item is compatible with. You can sort the list of vehicles by either make (Make/Model option) or model (Model/Make option). When using the Make/Model sort, clicking on <Make> (All Models) selects all models for that make. For example, selecting Cadillac (All Models) selects all Cadillac models.
Click on Create Compatibility. The grid on the right will generate compatibilities based on your year and model selection. Notice the All value in Trim and Engine fields:
To add an optional note, type it directly in the Notes field.
You can expand a model to all trims, all engines or all trims and engines. Select one or several models to expand, right-click and chose one of the following options: Expand all Trims, Expand all Engines, Expand all Trims and Engines.
Expand all Trims will show all trims available in a model, leaving "All" in the Engine field.
Expand all Engines will show all engines available in a model, leaving "All" the Trim field.
Expand all Trims and Engines will show all possible combinations between trims and engines.
In the example below we have expanded 2005 Cadillac Escalade to All Trims and Engines:
When you add a note and then expand a row, the note will be copied to all expanded rows.
To collapse an expanded list, highlight one or several rows, right-click and chose Collapse all Engines or Collapse all Trims and Engines. You can highlight any row of the expanded list to collapse the entire list back. If a list does not collapse, there are missing compatibilities on the Removed Compatibility tab (see below).
When you collapse a row that contains a note, the collapsed compatibility will retain the note from the row you have selected. Other notes will be ignored.
From here, select all trims and engines that do not apply to your item: select one row and use <Ctrl> or <Shift> keys for multiple row selection. Then right-click and chose Remove Selected Compatibilities:
Removed compatibility will move to the Removed Compatibility tab. To bring removed compatibilities back to the Compatibility in Use tab, select the rows, right-click and chose Restore Selected Compatibilities:
Once the grid on Compatibility in Use tab contains all compatibility information for you item, click Save.
In some categories that have clearly defined specifications, like tires and wheels, you will be asked to provide details about the part itself rather than specifying vehicle compatibility information. To do that, select the appropriate category and click on Item Specifics:
2. Check the appropriate Item Specifics and click Save:
This section explains how to import compatibility data from a flat file in Blackthorne. For more information on flat file import in general, see Importing from a Flat File.
The flat file with compatibility data should contain one line specifying the item to be imported followed by one or several lines of its compatibility information, one compatibility per line.
To differentiate between an item and its compatibility, the file should also contain a field called Import Level. This field is mandatory if you are importing compatibility data and should specifically be named Import Level. The item should have the value 1 in Import Level field and each compatibility the value 2.
The actual format of a compatibility should be as follows: Year = value1 | Make = value2 | Model = value3 | Trim = value4 | Engine = value5 | Notes = value6
You can specify the value "all" for trims, engines or both. Leaving trims, engine or both blank is equivalent to specifying "all". The following are examples of valid compatibility formats:
Year=2001|Make=Volvo|Model=S80|Trim=2.9 Sedan 4-Door|Engine=2.9L 2917CC I6 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated|Note=California
Year=2001|Make=Volvo|Model=S80|Trim=|Engine= All
Year=2001|Make=Volvo|Model=S80
Year=2001|Make=Volvo|Model=S80|Trim=All|Engine=2.9L 2917CC I6 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated
Another mandatory field when importing compatibility information is the category number. The category number should be specified on the item level. If the specified category doesn't support compatibility, the entire item including all compatibilities will be dropped during import.
Here is an example of a flat file with compatibility information:
IMPORT LEVEL,TITLE,PRICE,QUANTITY,CATEGORY NUMBER,COMPATIBILITY
1,Hitachi Alternator 100 amp,30,2,33573,
2,,,,,Year=2009|Make=Honda|Model=Civic
2,,,,,Year=2001|Make=Volvo|Model=S80|Trim=2.9 Sedan 4-Door|Engine=2.9L 2917CC I6 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated
1,Battery Cables,5,1,33574,
2,,,,,Year=2010|Make=Honda|Model=Civic
This section explains how to update compatibility data from a flat file in Blackthorne. For more information on flat file update in general, see Updating from a Flat File.
The file format for the update will be the same as for the import (see Importing Compatibility Information from a Flat File), except that the category number field is not mandatory and you can create an additional Import Action field. Import Action field is optional but if it exists it should specifically be called Import Action. The possible values for this field are Add and Replace. Add will add the compatibility data from the flat file to the compatibility data that already exists on the item/listing in Blackthorne. Replace will replace the compatibility data that exists on the item/listing in Blackthorne. If the Import Action column is absent in the flat file, the Add action is assumed.
Here is an example of a flat file for an update:
IMPORT LEVEL,IMPORT ACTION,EBAY ID,CATEGORY NUMBER,COMPATIBILITY
1,,273595124405,33573,
2,Add,,,Year=2009|Make=Honda|Model=Civic
2,Add,,,Year=2001|Make=Volvo|Model=S80|Trim=2.9 Sedan 4-Door|Engine=2.9L 2917CC I6 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated
1,,983585174764,33574,
2,Replace,,,Year=2009|Make=Honda|Model=Civic|Trim=Sport Sedan 4-Door|Engine=1.8L 1799CC I4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
2,Replace,,,Year=2009|Make=Aston Martin|Model=DBS|Trim=Base Coupe 2-Door|Engine=6.0L 5935CC V12 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated
In this example, the first two fitments with the Add action (lines 3 and 4) will add to existing fitments on the listing #273595124405 in Blackthorne. The fitments with the Replace action (lines 6 and 7) will replace the ones that already exist on the listing #983585174764 in Blackthorne.