eBay Integration Guide

Integrate your eBay account with Helm to sync orders automatically, maintain accurate stock levels and manage your listings from one central system

What is eBay

eBay is one of the world’s largest online marketplaces, enabling individuals and businesses to list and sell products globally

Through Helm, sellers can automate their order flow from eBay, synchronise inventory, and manage stock and fulfilment processes with ease

PROS ✅

CONS ❌

Access to a massive global customer base

Requires OAuth authentication and app approval

Real-time syncing of orders and stock

Stock visibility limits may apply unless capped with Max Stock Levels

Supports multiple regions, currencies and listing types

Policy compliance and selling limits may restrict new sellers

Step-by-Step Setup

To integrate eBay with Helm

  1. Log in to eBay Developer Portal
    Go to developer.ebay.com and create or access your application

  2. Register Your Application
    In the eBay Developer Console register a new application
    Ensure the following scopes are enabled:

    • https://api.ebay.com/oauth/api_scope/sell.inventory

    • https://api.ebay.com/oauth/api_scope/sell.fulfillment

    • https://api.ebay.com/oauth/api_scope/sell.account

  3. Get Your App Credentials
    Copy your Client ID and Client Secret

  4. Generate OAuth Redirect URI
    Add the Helm OAuth redirect URI into your app settings on the eBay developer portal

  5. Log in to Helm
    Go to Settings → My Store

  6. Add New Sales Channel
    Click Add New Sales Channel and select eBay from the list

  7. Connect Your Account via OAuth
    Click Connect to eBay and follow the OAuth login flow to grant Helm access

Interaction Settings

Control how Helm manages your eBay integration

INTERACTION SETTINGS

DESCRIPTION

Sync Inventory

Automatically import your eBay product listings into Helm

Sync Stock Levels

Keep stock quantities updated in real time between Helm and eBay

Use Channel Names

Show eBay product names on order records in Helm

Max Stock Levels

Set a maximum number of stock units Helm will report to eBay

Stock Buffer

Reserve a buffer quantity to help avoid overselling

Auto Merge Orders

Merge orders from the same customer/store for easier fulfilment

Order Importing Type

Choose the date and time to begin importing orders from eBay

Final Steps

  • Click Save once all settings are configured

  • Set the channel to Is Active at the top of the screen

Your eBay integration is now live - and you’re ready to Take the Helm

Common Issues

ISSUE

SOLUTION

OAuth Failed

Ensure redirect URI matches and that scopes were approved when registering the app

Orders Not Importing

Confirm integration is active and order statuses are mapped correctly

Stock Not Syncing

Ensure SKUs match between eBay and Helm and stock sync is enabled

Listing Errors

eBay may block certain listings due to category, brand, or compliance restrictions

When Merging eBay Orders in Helm

We normally allow order merging so that multiple orders from the same customer can be combined into a single shipment. This is convenient for packing and can reduce shipping costs, because instead of sending several parcels, you dispatch just one consignment with one label

However, for eBay there is an additional technical nuance which we must handle carefully. eBay often includes a marketplace reference code in address line 2. When two or more eBay orders are placed by the same buyer, those reference codes can differ between the orders even though the rest of the address is identical. If we leave those differing reference codes in place, the system treats the addresses as non‑matching and will refuse to merge the orders

To enable merging orders for eBay, we therefore ignore eBay’s marketplace reference code from address line 2. This normalises the address data so that genuinely identical eBay orders can be merged into a single shipment where appropriate

If you choose not to proceed with this change, eBay orders will behave as non‑mergeable whenever their reference codes differ, even if the rest of the address is the same. If you confirm the change, the reference code will be ignored in address line 2 for merging purposes, allowing eligible eBay orders to be combined into one shipment while the rest of their order data remains intact

If you experience issues and need assistance, contact Helm Support