Browse API

Name: Browse API API
Brand: Browse API
Availability: InStock

★ Only Publicly Available OpenAPI DocumentE CommerceStorefrontoauth27 EndpointsREST

For Agents

Search eBay listings by keyword, image, GTIN, or category; retrieve item detail; check vehicle-part compatibility. Application-token discovery, no user consent required.

Quickstart

Get started with Browse API in minutes using your preferred integration method.

# Add to your MCP client config (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf)
{
  "jentic": {
    "url": "https://api.jentic.com/mcp",
    "auth": "oauth"
  }
}

# Then ask your agent:
"search eBay listings by keyword"

# → Jentic returns the GET /events tool with parameter schema, agent executes.

Capabilities

What an agent can do with Browse API API.

Search eBay listings by keyword, GTIN, EPID, charity, or category and refine with aspect filters

Find listings by uploading an image to /item_summary/search_by_image for visual product matching

Retrieve full item detail (title, price, shipping, seller, aspects) by item_id

Expand a parent listing into its variation set via /item/get_items_by_item_group

GET STARTED

Start building with Browse API API

Explore with Jentic

View OpenAPI Document

Jentic publishes the only available OpenAPI document for Browse API, keeping it validated and agent-ready.

Jentic publishes the only available OpenAPI specification for the eBay Browse API, keeping it validated and agent-ready. The Browse API is eBay's primary buyer-side discovery surface — search items by keyword, GTIN, image, category, or aspect, retrieve full item detail by item_id, expand item-group variations, and check whether a part fits a given vehicle through the compatibility resource. It also bridges legacy eBay item-IDs from the Finding API to the new RESTful item_id format. Most operations accept an Application access token, so agents can run product discovery without per-user OAuth.

Use Cases

Patterns agents use Browse API API for, with concrete tasks.

★ Conversational shopping agent

An AI shopping agent takes a user query like 'second-hand mountain bike under £400' and calls /item_summary/search with q, filter (price range), and sort=price. It returns the top results, then on user selection calls /item/{item_id} to render a full product card with shipping cost, seller feedback score, and aspect grid. The whole flow runs on an Application access token — no per-user OAuth required.

Call /item_summary/search with q='mountain bike', filter='price:[..400],conditionIds:{3000}', sort=price, return top 5 with /item/{item_id} detail

Visual search for resellers

Reseller tools let users upload a photo of an item and call /item_summary/search_by_image to find comparable active eBay listings. The endpoint accepts a base64-encoded image and returns ranked matches, which the tool uses to suggest a competitive listing price for the user's own item.

POST a base64-encoded photo to /item_summary/search_by_image and return the median price of the top 10 matches

Vehicle parts compatibility checker

Auto-parts marketplaces use /item/{item_id}/check_compatibility to confirm a part fits a buyer's vehicle before adding it to cart. The endpoint accepts a make/model/year/trim payload and returns a definitive compatibility verdict, so the storefront prevents 'wrong fit' returns that drive negative seller feedback.

Call /item/{item_id}/check_compatibility with make=Ford, model='Focus', year=2018, trim='Titanium' and return the verdict

Legacy ID migration for Finding API consumers

Integrations originally built on eBay's legacy Finding API hold listing IDs in the legacy format. /item/get_item_by_legacy_id accepts the old ID plus an optional variation SKU and returns the full Browse item record with the new RESTful item_id, letting teams migrate their data layer without re-scraping every listing.

For each legacy_item_id in the migration table, call /item/get_item_by_legacy_id and store the new item_id back on the row

AI agent integration via Jentic

An AI agent that helps a user shop on eBay searches Jentic for 'search eBay listings by keyword'. Jentic returns /item_summary/search with its parameter schema. The agent loads the schema, executes the call with an Application access token issued through Jentic's vault, and renders results to the user — no eBay-specific OAuth code in the agent itself.

Use Jentic to search 'search eBay listings by keyword', load /item_summary/search, and execute it with q='vintage camera' and limit=10

Key Endpoints

7 endpoints — jentic publishes the only available openapi specification for the ebay browse api, keeping it validated and agent-ready.

METHOD

PATH

DESCRIPTION

GET

/item_summary/search

Search listings by keyword, GTIN, category, or aspect with sort and filter

POST

/item_summary/search_by_image

Search listings by uploaded image

GET

/item/{item_id}

Retrieve full detail for a single listing

GET

/item/get_item_by_legacy_id

Translate a legacy Finding API item ID to the RESTful item_id

GET

/item/get_items_by_item_group

Return all variations under a parent item group

POST

/item/{item_id}/check_compatibility

Check whether a vehicle is compatible with an automotive part

GET

/item

Batch-fetch multiple items by item_id list

GET

/item_summary/search

Search listings by keyword, GTIN, category, or aspect with sort and filter

POST

/item_summary/search_by_image

Search listings by uploaded image

GET

/item/{item_id}

Retrieve full detail for a single listing

GET

/item/get_item_by_legacy_id

Translate a legacy Finding API item ID to the RESTful item_id

GET

/item/get_items_by_item_group

Return all variations under a parent item group

Why though Jentic?

Three things that make agents converge on Jentic-routed access.

Credential isolation

eBay OAuth 2.0 Application credentials are stored encrypted in the Jentic vault (MAXsystem). Agents receive scoped access tokens for the buy.browse scope only — the raw client secret never enters the agent's context.

Intent-based discovery

Agents search by intent (e.g., 'search eBay listings by keyword') and Jentic returns the matching /item_summary/search or /item/{item_id} operation with its required parameters, so the agent calls the right endpoint without browsing eBay's docs.

Time to first call

Direct integration: 2-4 days for OAuth client-credentials flow, search-filter syntax, and aspect-refinement parsing. Through Jentic: under 1 hour — search, load schema, execute.

Related APIs

Alternatives and complements available in the Jentic catalogue.

Alternative

eBay Item Feed Service

Item Feed Service downloads bulk catalogue files; Browse is the live per-item lookup surface.

Use Browse for real-time, low-volume search and item lookup. Switch to Item Feed Service when ingesting tens of millions of items.

Complementary

eBay Buy Marketing API

Buy Marketing returns ranked best-sellers; Browse returns full per-item detail.

Use Buy Marketing to identify what's hot, then call Browse /item/{item_id} for the full attribute set on each candidate.

Complementary

eBay Developer Analytics API

Developer Analytics tracks Browse API quota burn.

Use Developer Analytics before launching a heavy Browse-driven crawl to confirm enough remaining quota in the buy.browse window.

FAQs

Specific to using Browse API API through Jentic.

Why is there no official OpenAPI spec for the Browse API?

eBay does not publish an OpenAPI specification. Jentic generates and maintains this spec so that AI agents and developers can call the Browse API via structured tooling. It is validated against the live API and kept up to date. Get started at https://app.jentic.com/sign-up.

What authentication does the Browse API use?

The Browse API uses OAuth 2.0. The /item_summary, /item_summary/search_by_image, and /item endpoints accept an Application access token issued via the Client_Credentials grant — no user consent required. Through Jentic, the OAuth client secret sits in the MAXsystem vault and the agent receives a scoped access token only.

Can I search eBay listings by image with the Browse API?

Yes. POST a base64-encoded image to /item_summary/search_by_image and the API returns ranked active listings that match the image, sorted by relevance. It is the same matching engine eBay uses for its own visual search feature.

What are the rate limits for the Browse API?

Browse falls under eBay's Buy APIs application-level quota. The default limit is published per partner and visible live through the Developer Analytics API — call /rate_limit and inspect the buy.browse entry to see your current limit, remaining, and reset window.

How do I retrieve a single item's full detail through Jentic?

Search Jentic for 'get eBay item detail by ID', load the /item/{item_id} operation schema, and execute it with the item_id. Install with pip install jentic. Sign up at https://app.jentic.com/sign-up.

Can the Browse API check whether a part fits a vehicle?

Yes. POST to /item/{item_id}/check_compatibility with the vehicle's make, model, year, and trim, and the API returns a compatibility verdict. The endpoint only applies to listings in eBay Motors categories where the seller has supplied compatibility data.

How do I migrate from the legacy Finding API to Browse?

Use /item/get_item_by_legacy_id — pass the legacy item ID (and optional variation SKU) and the API returns the full Browse item record with the new RESTful item_id. Run it once per row in your data layer to backfill new IDs without re-scraping listings.