eBay Blackthorne (eB) works with other services on a daily basis. eB can interact with eBay, ProStores, your mail provider, and your picture host provider. Before eB can interact with these services, you must provide information about the different accounts you have with them.
You must specify which eBay Seller Account you want to list with. For each eBay User Account you want to list with, you must create a Seller Account in eBay Blackthorne.
From Tools | Options, select Seller Accounts under Accounts in the Options tree.
Click the New button. The New Seller Account window will appear.
Enter the Account Type. To list on eBay, you will need an eBay Seller Account. To list to ProStores, you will need a ProStores Seller Account.
If you are creating an eBay Seller Account, enter the eBay User ID. This is the id on eBay that you want to list to. If you are creating a ProStores Seller Account, then enter the API Entry Point of your ProStores account. See Finding Your API Entry Point if you don't know how to find this value.
Enter your Subscribed User ID. To use eB, you must be subscribed to use it on eBay. With each eBay User ID that is subscribed, you can list with up to five eBay Seller Accounts that you own. Enter the eBay User ID that is paying for the subscription in this box. If it is the same as the eBay User ID, then leave the same as eBay User ID box checked.
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Currently, the only way to subscribe to Blackthorne is through your eBay account. Even if you are only going to be using eB to list to ProStores, you must still have an eBay Seller Account for your subscription. |
Enter the name of your Business. This is the name that will appear on shipping labels and in reports.
Enter your Return Mailing Address. This also will appear on shipping labels and in reports.
Click OK when you are finished.
eB does not store your eBay or ProStores passwords. In lieu of that, you must authorize eB to post listings to eBay or ProStores on your behalf. The Blackthorne Authorization window will appear next. It will be different depending upon the type of account you are creating.
If you are creating an eBay Seller Account, after a few moments, your eBay User ID will appear. Enter the password for that eBay User ID and click Sign in Securely. You may have to scroll down to see this button.
If you are creating a ProStores Seller Account, enter your ProStores Userid and Password.
The Agree and Continue form will appear.
Read the authorization form and then click the Agree and Continue button if you agree. The confirmation window will appear.
Click Close or Done to complete.
eBay Blackthorne allows you to work with only one seller account at a time, or with all accounts visible. See Managing Multiple Seller Accounts for more information.
For each email account you want to send emails with, you must create a Contact Account in eBay Blackthorne. You can also create different email accounts for the same email provider using different email addresses. This lets you easily associate different email address contacts with different listed items.
From Tools | Options, select Contact Accounts under Accounts in the Options tree.
Click the New button. The New Contact Account window will appear.
If your existing mail program supports the MAPI interface, then eB can use your existing mail program to send email. By using your existing mail program, you will get a copy of all emails sent in your "Sent" folder. However, if using Microsoft Outlook, you will also be required to approve each email before it is sent.
If your email provider supports SMTP and can provide you with the SMTP settings for sending emails, then you can set eB to send your emails. This is the faster method of sending emails, but you will have to include yourself in the CC field if you want a copy of any emails that you send.
As a general rule, you should choose Use Blackthorne to send emails without the need of another program if your email provider has an SMTP server setting. Otherwise, use your existing mail program.
If you choose the SMTP method, then enter the Outgoing Mail Server provided by your email provider and click the Test Mail Connection button to make sure it is valid. You can get this from other mail programs you use with the same Email account (here's how to get the information from Outlook, for example), or by asking your mail provider.
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A list of Email Account settings for different email providers is maintained on our Discussion Board. If you are having trouble with your settings, you may want to consult the Email and Picture Host Settings thread. Also, if you successfully enter your settings and they have not already been added to the thread, then we appreciate it if you could post those settings for other users. |
Click the Addressing tab and fill in the requested fields as follows:
From: The email address that you will use to send messages.
Reply-To: The address that you want customers to reply to. This will usually be the same as the one you send from.
CC Carbon-Copy: An e-mail address (other than the main addressee) that is sent a copy of outgoing mail. The CC address is visible to all recipients of the message.CC Carbon-Copy: An e-mail address (other than the main addressee) that is sent a copy of outgoing mail. The CC Carbon-Copy: An e-mail address (other than the main addressee) that is sent a copy of outgoing mail. The CC address is visible to all recipients of the message. address is visible to all recipients of the message. address is visible to all recipients of the message. (Carbon-Copy): An address that you want a copy of your messages sent to. This address will be visible to all recipients of the message.
BCC (Blind Carbon-Copy): An address that you want a copy of your messages sent to. This address will be invisible to all other recipients of the message.
Click the Advanced tab. The settings on Advanced tab will be different depending upon whether you selected to use a MAPI or SMTP connection. Fill in the fields as follows:
MAPI
Send HTML vs. Text Emails Only - MAPI does not support the ability to send HTML emails. When sending through MAPI, the text version of the email is sent, and the HTML version is sent as an attachment. If you do not want the attachment sent, then select Send Text-Only Emails, otherwise select Send HTML Emails.
SMTP
Secure Password Authentication - If your mail server requires Secure Password Authentication, then enter your email user name and password provided by your email provider.
Outgoing Mail Server Port Number - Most mail servers work on port 25. If your email provider uses a port other than 25, enter it here.
Delay between emails - If you send a large number of emails simultaneously, your server may think they are spam and will block them. If that happens, try setting the delay to five seconds, or ask your ISP Internet Service Provider - a company that provides internet access and space on their web server to upload pictures, etc. what an acceptable figure would be (be sure to tell them you're running a legitimate business).
Click OK when you are finished.
After you have correctly entered all the Contact Account settings and clicked OK, the final form asks you to name the Contact Account. Give it a descriptive name that describes what you will use it for. You may also want to include the email address associated with it in the name.
Pictures can be hosted by eBay using eBay Picture Services (ePS) or with a Picture Manager account. You can also host pictures on your own web space if you have it. If you use ePS, then you do not need to set up a picture host. If using Picture Manager and/or your own web space, you will need to set up a picture host for each location you upload pictures to. When creating an item, it is then very easy to identify where you would like the pictures for that item uploaded.
From Tools | Options, select Picture Hosts under Accounts in the Options tree.
Click the New button. The New Picture Host window will appear.
Start by selecting whether you will Create new FTP Picture Host, or a Create new Picture Manager Host. To create a Picture Manager Host, one of your Seller Accounts must have a Picture Manager subscription on eBay. If not, this Picture Manager option will be disabled. Depending upon the option selected, the rest of the process will be different.
Fill in the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) settings as follows (your web space provider can help with any settings you don't know):
Username/Password - The user name and password you use to access your picture hosting server.
Host Address - The FTP File Transfer Protocol: Another Internet protocol similar to TCP/IP, but specially suited to large file transfer. Blackthorne uses FTP to upload photographs to servers.TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol: The unwieldy name given to the set of protocols that unrelated computers use to communicate with each other. Without TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol: The unwieldy name given to the set of protocols that unrelated computers use to communicate with each other. Without TCP/IP, there would be no Internet., there would be no Internet., but specially suited to large file transfer. Blackthorne uses FTP File Transfer Protocol: Another Internet protocol similar to TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol: The unwieldy name given to the set of protocols that unrelated computers use to communicate with each other. Without TCP/IP, there would be no Internet., but specially suited to large file transfer. Blackthorne uses FTP File Transfer Protocol: Another Internet protocol similar to TCP/IP, but specially suited to large file transfer. Blackthorne uses FTP to upload photographs to servers. to upload photographs to servers. to upload photographs to servers. (File Transfer Protocol) address of the server you use to host your pictures. This is usually something like ftp.myserver.com or www.myserver.com.
Test Connection - Click this button to verify that your username, password and host address settings are correct.
Host Subdirectory - The subdirectory (sub-folder) that you upload the pictures to. The most reliable way to set this option is to use the "Browse" button to connect to your FTP File Transfer Protocol: Another Internet protocol similar to TCP/IP, but specially suited to large file transfer. Blackthorne uses FTP to upload photographs to servers.TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol: The unwieldy name given to the set of protocols that unrelated computers use to communicate with each other. Without TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol: The unwieldy name given to the set of protocols that unrelated computers use to communicate with each other. Without TCP/IP, there would be no Internet., there would be no Internet., but specially suited to large file transfer. Blackthorne uses FTP File Transfer Protocol: Another Internet protocol similar to TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol: The unwieldy name given to the set of protocols that unrelated computers use to communicate with each other. Without TCP/IP, there would be no Internet., but specially suited to large file transfer. Blackthorne uses FTP File Transfer Protocol: Another Internet protocol similar to TCP/IP, but specially suited to large file transfer. Blackthorne uses FTP to upload photographs to servers. to upload photographs to servers. to upload photographs to servers. site and select the subdirectory. This will help accurately set the Host Subdirectory and the Path is relative box.
Path is relative - This option is checked by default. If the Host Subdirectory path you entered is relative to the default directory Another name for a folder or sub-folder, either on your hard drive on on your FTP server. The terms "folder," "directory," "sub-folder," and "sub-directory" are used interchangably. you log in to, then keep this box checked. If you entered an absolute path from the root of your FTP File Transfer Protocol: Another Internet protocol similar to TCP/IP, but specially suited to large file transfer. Blackthorne uses FTP to upload photographs to servers.TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol: The unwieldy name given to the set of protocols that unrelated computers use to communicate with each other. Without TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol: The unwieldy name given to the set of protocols that unrelated computers use to communicate with each other. Without TCP/IP, there would be no Internet., there would be no Internet., but specially suited to large file transfer. Blackthorne uses FTP File Transfer Protocol: Another Internet protocol similar to TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol: The unwieldy name given to the set of protocols that unrelated computers use to communicate with each other. Without TCP/IP, there would be no Internet., but specially suited to large file transfer. Blackthorne uses FTP File Transfer Protocol: Another Internet protocol similar to TCP/IP, but specially suited to large file transfer. Blackthorne uses FTP to upload photographs to servers. to upload photographs to servers. to upload photographs to servers. site, then uncheck this box. If you use the "Browse" button to select your subdirectory, this box will be correctly set for you.
Pictures Web Address -This is the HTTP Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol: the file-transfer protocol that allows the World Wide Web to exist. Invented in its entirety by a character named Al Gore (played by Tim Berners-Lee). (Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol) version of the host address, with the relevant subdirectory tacked on the end. It is the URL that points to files that have been uploaded to your FTP File Transfer Protocol: Another Internet protocol similar to TCP/IP, but specially suited to large file transfer. Blackthorne uses FTP to upload photographs to servers.TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol: The unwieldy name given to the set of protocols that unrelated computers use to communicate with each other. Without TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol: The unwieldy name given to the set of protocols that unrelated computers use to communicate with each other. Without TCP/IP, there would be no Internet., there would be no Internet., but specially suited to large file transfer. Blackthorne uses FTP File Transfer Protocol: Another Internet protocol similar to TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol: The unwieldy name given to the set of protocols that unrelated computers use to communicate with each other. Without TCP/IP, there would be no Internet., but specially suited to large file transfer. Blackthorne uses FTP File Transfer Protocol: Another Internet protocol similar to TCP/IP, but specially suited to large file transfer. Blackthorne uses FTP to upload photographs to servers. to upload photographs to servers. to upload photographs to servers. space. Your ISP Internet Service Provider - a company that provides internet access and space on their web server to upload pictures, etc. can help you with the first part, but if you organize your space on the server by creating your own subdirectories, you might have to supply the last part of the address yourself. In short, it is the internet URL path to your images minus the image name itself.
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A list of Picture Host settings for different web space providers is maintained on our Discussion Board. If you are having trouble with your settings, you may want to consult the Email and Picture Host Settings thread. Also, if you successfully enter your settings and they have not already been added to the thread, then we appreciate it if you could post those settings for other users. |
Click the Advanced tab and enter the settings as follows:
FTP Port - Most ftp servers work on port 21. If your web space provider uses a port other than 21, enter it here.
Use a passive data connection - Most ftp servers use a passive connection. Leave this box checked unless your web space provider tells you otherwise. Also, if you are having trouble uploading through a firewall, try unchecking this box to see if it solves your problem.
Automatically Upload/Do not Upload - When submitting listings, eB will ensure your images are uploaded. If you upload your images manually and do not want eB to upload your images automatically, check the Do not upload... option.
Click OK to save your settings and enter a name for your Picture Host in the window that appears.
From the dropdown, select the eBay Userid that has the Picture Manager subscription you want to use.
Enter the Folder Name of the folder the pictures should be uploaded to. You can use the Browse button to view your folders on Picture Manager and choose from the available list.
Click OK to save your settings and enter a name for your Picture Host in the window that appears.
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Carol uses Picture Manager to host her pictures. Some of her items are always listed. She doesn't want to accidentally delete those pictures, so she created a folder called Permanent for those pictures. All the others she puts in a folder called Scratch. She then created two Picture Manager Picture Hosts. One points to her Permanent folder and one to the Scratch folder. She can now easily assign the location of her uploaded images when creating an item. |
