Yahoo Auction (ヤフオク) HTML Product Description Templates That Sell

Most Yahoo Auction sellers type their product descriptions in plain text — a block of unformatted Japanese that buyers skim past in seconds. The listings that actually get bids look different. They have clear sections, bold headings, organized specs, and sometimes a product video thumbnail that catches the eye.

Yahoo Auctions Japan still supports HTML formatting in the product description field, and it is one of the few auction platforms that does. Using even basic HTML — headings, bold text, a simple table for specs — makes your listing look more professional and easier to read.

The difference matters most on mobile. Over 70% of ヤフオク traffic comes from the Yahoo! JAPAN app, and a wall of plain text on a phone screen is hard to read. A well-structured HTML description with clear sections and spacing keeps buyers scrolling instead of tapping back.

You do not need to know how to code. This guide gives you copy-paste templates and explains exactly which tags Yahoo allows and which ones it blocks.

Yahoo Auctions Japan restricts which HTML tags you can use. This is for security — they block anything that could run scripts or hijack the page. Here is what works and what does not.

Allowed tags:

• Text formatting: <b>, <strong>, <i>, <em>, <u>, <big>, <small>, <tt>
• Layout: <p>, <br>, <div>, <center>, <hr>, <blockquote>, <pre>
• Font styling: <font> with color, size, and face attributes
• Tables: <table>, <tr>, <td>, <th> — up to 4 levels of nesting
• Lists: <ul>, <ol>, <li>
• Links and images: <a> for links, <img> for images (maximum 7 per listing)
• Style attribute: Inline style="" works on most tags for color and basic properties

Blocked tags:

• <script>, <style>, <form>, <iframe>, <embed>, <applet> — all blocked
• <h1> and <h2> are automatically converted to <h3>
• <marquee>, <sup>, <sub>, <s>, <strike> — not supported

Important limits:

• Do not nest <font> tags inside each other — Yahoo strips them and your text disappears
• Tables nested more than 4 levels deep get deleted entirely
• Images are capped at 7 per description (use Yahoo's photo uploader for additional product photos)

To use HTML, click 「HTMLタグ入力」 (HTML tag input) at the top of the product description editor when creating a listing. This mode is available to Yahoo Premium members only.

Here is a basic product description template designed for ヤフオク. It uses a 600-pixel max width so it reads well on phones, has clear sections with bold headings, and includes a specs table.

<div style="max-width:600px; margin:0 auto; font-size:14px; line-height:1.8;">

<p><b style="font-size:18px;">商品名をここに入力</b></p>

<p>商品の概要を1〜2文で。状態、特徴、おすすめポイントなど。</p>

<hr>

<p><b>■ 商品詳細</b></p>
<table border="1" cellpadding="8" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tr><td width="30%"><b>ブランド</b></td><td>ブランド名</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>型番</b></td><td>型番を入力</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>サイズ</b></td><td>サイズを入力</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>状態</b></td><td>新品 / 未使用 / 中古美品 / 中古</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>付属品</b></td><td>箱、説明書、保証書など</td></tr>
</table>

<hr>

<p><b>■ 商品の状態</b></p>
<p>傷や汚れの有無、使用頻度、動作確認の結果などを正直に記載。</p>

<hr>

<p><b>■ 発送について</b></p>
<ul>
<li>発送方法：ゆうパック / ヤマト運輸 / ネコポス</li>
<li>送料：出品者負担 / 落札者負担</li>
<li>発送日：お支払い確認後、1〜2営業日以内</li>
</ul>

<hr>

<p><b>■ 注意事項</b></p>
<ul>
<li>ノークレーム、ノーリターンでお願いします</li>
<li>写真をよくご確認の上、入札してください</li>
<li>24時間以内のご連絡、3日以内のお支払いをお願いします</li>
</ul>

</div>

Copy this into the HTMLタグ入力 editor, replace the placeholder text with your product details, and you have a clean listing that looks professional on any device.

Why 600 pixels? Yahoo Auctions uses the same HTML for both desktop and the smartphone app. At 600px wide, your layout fits phone screens without forcing horizontal scrolling. Wider layouts break on mobile and make your listing look sloppy.

A pretty template is not enough. What you write inside it determines whether buyers trust your listing and place a bid. Here are the principles that experienced ヤフオク sellers follow.

Lead with the key selling point. Do not start with boilerplate terms and conditions. Start with what makes this item worth bidding on — the brand, rarity, condition, or included accessories. The first two lines are what buyers see before they expand the description on mobile.

Be specific about condition. Vague descriptions like "used, good condition" invite questions and hesitation. Instead: "Used for approximately 6 months. Small scuff on bottom-left corner (see photo 4). All buttons and ports function normally. Battery holds full charge." Specificity builds trust.

Include searchable keywords naturally. Yahoo Auction search checks both the title and description. If your item is a camera lens, mention the mount type, focal length, compatible camera bodies, and common abbreviations (e.g., both "EF" and "キヤノン"). Do not keyword-stuff — just make sure a buyer searching any reasonable term would find your listing.

Structure information in this order:

1. Product name and headline summary
2. Detailed specifications (table format)
3. Condition details with honest notes on any flaws
4. Shipping method, cost, and timing
5. Payment and return policy

This mirrors how buyers evaluate listings. They want to know what it is, what shape it is in, and how much shipping costs — in that order.

End with a positive note. Japanese auction etiquette matters. Close with something like 「ご不明な点がございましたらお気軽にご質問ください」(feel free to ask if you have any questions). It signals approachability and professionalism.

Photos show what an item looks like. Video shows how it works — a mechanical watch ticking, an amplifier powering on, a handbag's zippers and compartments in motion. For certain categories, video is the difference between a winning bid and a passed listing.

The problem: Yahoo Auctions blocks <iframe>, <embed>, and <script> tags, so you cannot embed a video player directly in your product description.

The workaround is a clickable thumbnail — an image that links to an externally hosted video player. When a buyer clicks the image, the video opens in a new tab. Here is how it looks in HTML:

<a href="YOUR_VIDEO_PLAYER_URL" target="_blank">
  <img src="YOUR_THUMBNAIL_URL" width="600" alt="商品動画を見る">
</a>

You need two things: a hosted video player with a shareable URL, and a thumbnail image that signals "click to play."

eCommercePlayer handles both. Upload your video (or audio, if you are selling instruments or vinyl), and it gives you a hosted player page plus a thumbnail image with a play button overlay. Paste those URLs into the template above and you are done.

The free plan includes 5 media clips, which is enough to test whether video makes a difference for your listings. For a full walkthrough of the video setup process, see our step-by-step guide to adding video to ヤフオク listings.

Audio works the same way. If you sell musical instruments, audio equipment, or records, a clickable thumbnail that opens an audio player lets buyers hear the item before bidding. This is especially effective for guitars, turntables, and vintage audio gear.

If you do not want to write HTML by hand, several free Japanese tools generate ヤフオク templates for you:

• オークファン出品テンプレート — fill in a form, get formatted HTML. Good for beginners.
• おーくりんくす オークションプレートメーカー — over 2,000 design templates. Works on mobile.
• オクのミカタ — clean templates with extra image slots.

These tools generate the HTML for you. Paste the output into the HTMLタグ入力 editor and customize the text.

A few final tips:

• Preview before publishing. Yahoo's listing preview shows exactly how your HTML renders. Check it on your phone too — open the preview URL in your mobile browser.
• Save your template as a 定型文 (boilerplate). Yahoo Auctions lets you save description templates. Create one per product category (electronics, clothing, collectibles) so you are not starting from scratch every time.
• Keep it simple. Fancy colored backgrounds and decorative borders looked impressive in 2010. In 2026, clean text with good structure outperforms visual clutter — especially on mobile where loading speed matters.
• Add a video thumbnail at the top of your description, just below the product name. It is the single most impactful visual upgrade you can make. See our product video shooting guide for filming tips specific to ヤフオク categories.

A well-formatted listing does not guarantee a sale. But it removes friction — buyers can find the information they need, trust that the seller is professional, and bid with confidence. That is what good HTML does for your ヤフオク business.