eBay Motors has a distinct category hierarchy in which items are listed, and categories and their IDs are not the same as on any other eBay marketplace.

To retrieve all available eBay Motors categories issue a GetCategories call. Be sure to specify the eBay Motors US marketplace instead of the main eBay marketplace. To do this, specify a value of 100 in the X-EBAY-API-SITEID header (for the XML API) or in the request URL (for the SOAP API).

When retrieving the eBay Motors category hierarchy and related category data using GetCategories, GetCategoryFeatures, and the getItemAspectsForCategory method of the Taxonomy API, you need to specify the numeric ID of the eBay Motors US vertical instead of the main eBay marketplace. To do this:

  • Specify a value of 100 in the X-EBAY-API-SITEID header (for the XML API) or in the request URL (for the SOAP API)

  • Set CategorySiteID to "100"

    Note: CategorySiteID is applicable only when issuing a GetCategories call.

Similarly, when listing an eBay Motors US item (e.g., using AddItem,) you need to specify the eBay Motors marketplace instead of the main eBay marketplace. To do this:

  • Pass a site ID of 100 as described above
  • Set Item.Site to eBayMotors

The following example shows a typical GetCategories request, using the XML API.

GetCategories Request (XML API) 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<GetCategoriesRequest xmlns="urn:ebay:apis:eBLBaseComponents">
  <RequesterCredentials>
    <eBayAuthToken>YOURTOKENHERE</eBayAuthToken>
  </RequesterCredentials>
  <CategorySiteID>100</CategorySiteID>
  <DetailLevel>ReturnAll</DetailLevel>
  <ViewAllNodes>true</ViewAllNodes>
</GetCategoriesRequest>

As usual for this call, the response should be stored locally. In most cases, eBay Motors categories are associated with specific makes and models (e.g., "Pontiac : Trans Am"). You will use a category ID to identify the make and model in Item.PrimaryCategory.CategoryID when you list the item.

The following example shows the Pontiac category and the Trans Am category in the GetCategories response for the eBay Motors US marketplace.

  • Category 6377 (Pontiac) specifies the make.
  • Category 6427 (Trans Am) specifies the model, and it also specifies that its parent ID is 6377 (Pontiac), so we know the make.

GetCategories does not specifically indicate "make" or "model", but for vehicles the leaf category is the model. (The example also shows that 6377's parent is 6001, which is Cars & Trucks, so we know this is a vehicle category.)

Categories in the GetCategories Response (XML API) 

<CategoryArray>
  <Category>
    <BestOfferEnabled>true</BestOfferEnabled>
    <AutoPayEnabled>true</AutoPayEnabled>
    <CategoryID>6377</CategoryID>
    <CategoryLevel>3</CategoryLevel>
    <CategoryName>Pontiac</CategoryName>
    <CategoryParentID>6001</CategoryParentID>
    <Expired>false</Expired>
    <IntlAutosFixedCat>false</IntlAutosFixedCat>
    <LeafCategory>false</LeafCategory>
    <Virtual>false</Virtual>
    <SellerGuaranteeEligible>true</SellerGuaranteeEligible>
    <ORPA>false</ORPA>
    <LSD>true</LSD>
  </Category>
  <Category>
    <BestOfferEnabled>true</BestOfferEnabled>
    <AutoPayEnabled>true</AutoPayEnabled>
    <CategoryID>6427</CategoryID>
    <CategoryLevel>4</CategoryLevel>
    <CategoryName>Trans Am</CategoryName><CategoryParentID>6377</CategoryParentID>
    <Expired>false</Expired>
    <IntlAutosFixedCat>false</IntlAutosFixedCat>
     <LeafCategory>true</LeafCategory>
    <Virtual>false</Virtual>
    <SellerGuaranteeEligible>true</SellerGuaranteeEligible>
    <ORPA>false</ORPA>
    <LSD>true</LSD>
  </Category>
</CategoryArray>

List eBay Motors items in two categories

The rules for listing in one or two categories depends on the category:

  • In the US, vehicles can only be listed on eBay Motors and in only one category (i.e., not in two categories).

    You cannot list eBay Motors US vehicles on international marketplaces or on the main US marketplace.

    If you want to list cars, motorcycles, boats, or other vehicles on an international eBay marketplace, list them in the regular automotive or vehicle categories for those marketplaces.

    For a list of categories that support vehicles on an international marketplace, use GetCategories or look at the list of categories posted on the appropriate marketplace.

    Use GetCategoryFeatures to determine whether an international marketplace's automotive categories also support custom Item Specifics. Use the getItemAspectsForCategory method of the Taxonomy API to retrieve required/recommended/optional item specifics.

    Note: The category_tree_id path parameter must be set to 100 (used for Motors/P & A categories) in order to retrieve a Part & Accessories category.

  • On the eBay Motors US marketplace, Parts & Accessories can be listed in two categories.

    Furthermore, to make it easier for buyers to find Parts & Accessories, you can combine a Motors Parts & Accessories category and an eligible eBay category as the primary or secondary category, as long as the primary category is associated with the listing marketplace. Most eBay categories are eligible to be combined with Motors Parts & Accessories categories (Real Estate, Mature Audience, and Business & Industrial categories are excluded).

    For example, if you are listing a Harley Davidson shirt on the main eBay US marketplace (site ID 0), you can specify an eBay clothing category as the primary category, and specify a Motors Parts & Accessories category as the secondary category. We'll look for the secondary category ID on eBay first. If we don't find it there, we'll look for the ID on the Motors marketplace. (Leaf category IDs are unique across the US and eBay Motors US marketplace.)

    Conversely, if you are listing the shirt on the eBay Motors US marketplace (site ID 100), you can specify a Parts & Accessories category as the primary category, and specify an eBay clothing category as the secondary category. In this case, we'll look for the secondary category ID on the Motors marketplace first. If we don't find it there, we'll look for the ID on the main eBay marketplace.