Why is the same size fine in another category?

Because the allowed values belong to the category. Clothing, footwear and accessories each have their own lists.

Can I add a value eBay does not have?

Not for a constrained specific. You have to choose from the list, or choose a different category.

What about Asian sizes?

Convert them to the market you are selling in. Putting an Asian size in an eBay size field misleads the buyer and causes returns even when eBay accepts it.

Guides 5 min readUpdated 25 September 2026

eBay says your value is not valid for that item specific

is not a valid value for the item specific

eBay refuses a listing because "XXL" or "US 9.5" is not a valid value for an item specific. The size is real, the buyer would understand it, and eBay still will not have it.

eBay does not accept a typed size. It accepts a size from its own list for that category, and that list changes depending on two fields you may not have set.

Set Department and Size Type first

Department is who the item is for — Men, Women, Boys, Girls, Unisex Adult. Size Type is the cut — Regular, Plus, Big & Tall, Petite, Juniors.

These two decide which sizes are legal. A men’s 4XL is a Big & Tall size; ask for it under Regular and every attempt is refused. The message blames the size, but the wrong field is Size Type.

Translate, do not retype

Rejected	Accepted	Rule
XXL	2XL	eBay numbers the doubled sizes
XXXL	3XL	Same rule
XXXXL	4XL	Same rule
US 9.5	9.5	The market is set by the site you are listing on
4XL Waist 111 cm	4XL	Measurements belong in the description

Finding the values eBay will accept

eBay publishes, per category, which specifics it wants and which values each one takes. That is the authoritative list, and it is the one to check against rather than guessing.

It is also why the same size can be fine in one category and refused in another: the list belongs to the category, not to eBay as a whole.

Stopping it happening on every import

Doing this by hand once is annoying; doing it for forty variations is why people give up. The translation is mechanical, so it is worth having software do it: ask eBay for the category’s own list, match each supplier value against it, convert the ones that follow a known rule, and show you only the ones that genuinely need a decision.

Questions

Why is the same size fine in another category?: Because the allowed values belong to the category. Clothing, footwear and accessories each have their own lists.
Can I add a value eBay does not have?: Not for a constrained specific. You have to choose from the list, or choose a different category.
What about Asian sizes?: Convert them to the market you are selling in. Putting an Asian size in an eBay size field misleads the buyer and causes returns even when eBay accepts it.