eBay API Node.js Item Description Updater

A Node.js application for bulk updating eBay item descriptions using the eBay Trading API. This tool allows you to systematically update item descriptions across multiple listings with custom HTML templates.

Features

• Bulk update eBay item descriptions
• Support for different vehicle types and variants (Car, SUV, Truck)
• HTML template management
• Comprehensive logging with Winston
• Error handling and retry logic
• Support for both sandbox and production environments

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone <repository-url>
cd ebay-api-node

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Set up your environment variables (see Configuration section below)

Configuration

Environment Setup

1. Copy .env.example to .env:

cp .env.example .env

2. Fill in your eBay API credentials in the .env file

eBay API Credentials

You'll need the following credentials from eBay:

• Client ID (for both sandbox and production)
• Client Secret (for both sandbox and production)
• Developer ID
• Application ID
• Certificate ID
• OAuth User Token

Getting OAuth User Token

To get your OAuth User Token, visit the eBay API Test Tool: https://developer.ebay.com/my/api_test_tool?index=0&api=trading&call=GetItem&variation=xml&env=production

Follow the instructions to generate your user token for the Trading API.

Sandbox vs Production

Set the SANDBOX variable in index.js:

• const SANDBOX = true; - For testing with sandbox environment
• const SANDBOX = false; - For production environment

Usage

Basic Structure

The application uses a modular structure with:

1. HTML Templates - Located in 20250918_html/ folder
2. Item ID Arrays - Located in 20250918/ folder organized by vehicle type
3. Main Execution - In the runMain() function

Adding New Item Batches

To add a new batch of items to update:

1. Create HTML Template (if needed):

// Example: 20250918_html/my-new-template-html.js
const my_new_template_html = `
<div>
  <h1>Your HTML Content Here</h1>
  <p>Custom description for your items</p>
</div>
`;

module.exports = my_new_template_html;

2. Create Item ID Array:

// Example: 20250918/my-items/my-item-list.js
const myItemIds = [
  123456789012,
  123456789013,
  123456789014,
  // Add more item IDs...
];

module.exports = myItemIds;

3. Add Imports to index.js:

// Add these imports at the top with other imports
const my_new_template_html = require("./20250918_html/my-new-template-html");
const myItemIds = require("./20250918/my-items/my-item-list");

4. Add to runMain() function:

const runMain = async () => {
  // Add your batch processing code
  logger.info(`updateItemDescription:myItemIds, my_new_template_html`);
  for (const itemId of myItemIds) {
    await updateItemDescription(itemId, my_new_template_html);
  }
  logger.info(`updateItemDescription:myItemIds FINISHED`);
};

Customizing Logger Names

You can customize the logger messages by changing the first parameter in logger.info():

// Example with custom logger name
logger.info(`updateItemDescription:MyCustomBatchName, my_template_html`);
for (const itemId of myItemIds) {
  await updateItemDescription(itemId, my_template_html);
}
logger.info(`updateItemDescription:MyCustomBatchName FINISHED`);

Project Structure

ebay-api-node/
├── index.js                 # Main application file
├── package.json             # Dependencies and scripts
├── .env                     # Environment variables (create from .env.example)
├── .env.example            # Environment variables template
├── README.md               # This file
├── 20250918_html/          # HTML templates
│   ├── 07-car-mirror-html.js
│   ├── 07-car-no-mirror-html.js
│   └── ...
└── 20250918/               # Item ID arrays organized by type
    ├── 07-car/
    │   ├── 07-car-mirror.js
    │   └── 07-car-no-mirror.js
    ├── 10-suv/
    └── 15-truck/

Running the Application

1. Test Mode (Recommended first): Set SANDBOX = true in index.js and run:

   node index.js

2. Production Mode: Set SANDBOX = false in index.js and run:

   node index.js

Example Item Arrays

// Small batch example
const testItemIds = [
  123456789012,
  123456789013
];

// Larger batch example
const carMirrorItemIds = [
  123456789012,
  123456789013,
  123456789014,
  123456789015,
  // ... more IDs
];

Example HTML Templates

// Simple HTML template
const simple_template_html = `
<div style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
  <h2>Product Description</h2>
  <p>High-quality automotive accessory.</p>
  <ul>
    <li>Durable materials</li>
    <li>Easy installation</li>
    <li>Perfect fit guarantee</li>
  </ul>
</div>
`;

// Complex HTML template with styling
const advanced_template_html = `
<div style="max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
  <div style="background: linear-gradient(135deg, #667eea 0%, #764ba2 100%); color: white; padding: 20px; text-align: center;">
    <h1>Premium Vehicle Accessory</h1>
  </div>
  <div style="padding: 20px;">
    <h3>Product Features:</h3>
    <p>Detailed product description goes here...</p>
  </div>
</div>
`;

Logging

The application uses Winston for comprehensive logging:

• Info logs: Item update progress and completion
• Error logs: Failed updates with detailed error information
• Log files: Check the logs directory for detailed execution logs

Error Handling

The application includes robust error handling:

• API errors are logged with full response details
• Network timeouts are handled gracefully
• Individual item failures don't stop the entire batch
• Detailed error logging for troubleshooting

Support

For eBay API documentation and support:

• eBay Developer Program
• Trading API Documentation

License

ISC License