Create item promotions on eBay by setting discount rules, budget, and inventory criteria to attract buyers and increase sales.
Create item promotion through the eBay Marketing API.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| request | Yes | Create item promotion request body |
Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
v1.14.1Input schema / properties / promotionRemoved value: -{
- "additionalProperties": {},
- "description": "Promotion configuration with discountRules, inventoryCriterion, etc.",
- "type": "object"
-}Input schema / properties / requestAdded value: +{
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "description": "Create item promotion request body",
+ "properties": {
+ "applyDiscountToSingleItemOnly": {
+ "type": "boolean"
+ },
+ "budget": {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "currency": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "value": {
+ "type": "string"
+ }
+ },
+ "type": "object"
+ },
+ "couponConfiguration": {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "couponCode": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "couponType": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "maxCouponRedemptionPerUser": {
+ "type": "number"
+ }
+ },
+ "type": "object"
+ },
+ "description": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "discountRules": {
+ "items": {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "discountBenefit": {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "amountOffItem": {
+ "$ref": "#/properties/request/properties/budget"
+ },
+ "amountOffOrder": {
+ "$ref": "#/properties/request/properties/budget"
+ },
+ "percentageOffItem": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "percentageOffOrder": {
+ "type": "string"
+ }
+ },
+ "type": "object"
+ },
+ "discountSpecification": {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "forEachAmount": {
+ "$ref": "#/properties/request/properties/budget"
+ },
+ "forEachQuantity": {
+ "type": "number"
+ },
+ "minAmount": {
+ "$ref": "#/properties/request/properties/budget"
+ },
+ "minQuantity": {
+ "type": "number"
+ },
+ "numberOfDiscountedItems": {
+ "type": "number"
+ }
+ },
+ "type": "object"
+ },
+ "ruleOrder": {
+ "type": "number"
+ }
+ },
+ "type": "object"
+ },
+ "type": "array"
+ },
+ "endDate": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "inventoryCriterion": {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "inventoryCriterionType": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "inventoryItems": {
+ "items": {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "inventoryReferenceId": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "inventoryReferenceType": {
+ "type": "string"
+ }
+ },
+ "type": "object"
+ },
+ "type": "array"
+ },
+ "listingIds": {
+ "items": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "type": "array"
+ },
+ "ruleCriteria": {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "excludeInventoryItems": {
+ "items": {
+ "$ref": "#/properties/request/properties/inventoryCriterion/properties/inventoryItems/items"
+ },
+ "type": "array"
+ },
+ "excludeListingIds": {
+ "items": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "type": "array"
+ },
+ "markupInventoryItems": {
+ "items": {
+ "$ref": "#/properties/request/properties/inventoryCriterion/properties/inventoryItems/items"
+ },
+ "type": "array"
+ },
+ "markupListingIds": {
+ "items": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "type": "array"
+ },
+ "selectionRules": {
+ "items": {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "brands": {
+ "items": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "type": "array"
+ },
+ "categoryIds": {
+ "items": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "type": "array"
+ },
+ "categoryScope": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "listingConditionIds": {
+ "items": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "type": "array"
+ },
+ "maxPrice": {
+ "$ref": "#/properties/request/properties/budget"
+ },
+ "minPrice": {
+ "$ref": "#/properties/request/properties/budget"
+ }
+ },
+ "type": "object"
+ },
+ "type": "array"
+ }
+ },
+ "type": "object"
+ }
+ },
+ "type": "object"
+ },
+ "marketplaceId": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "name": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "priority": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "promotionImageUrl": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "promotionStatus": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "promotionType": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "startDate": {
+ "type": "string"
+ }
+ },
+ "type": "object"
+}Input schema / requiredPrevious value: -[
- "promotion"
-]New value: +[
+ "request"
+]v1.8.10Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
The annotation readOnlyHint: false correctly aligns with 'Create' with no contradiction, but the description adds only 'through the eBay Marketing API' as additional context. It discloses nothing about side effects, what a successful creation returns, failure modes, or why a create might be rejected for a mutation of this complexity.
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
The single sentence contains no filler and front-loads the action verb. However, for a tool with a deeply nested schema, one sentence feels under-sized rather than proportioned to the complexity, though it wastes no words.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
Given the high schema complexity (multiple nested undocumented objects), minimal annotations, and no output schema, one sentence is severely inadequate. An agent cannot determine the intended use of discountRules versus couponConfiguration, valid promotionType or marketplaceId values, how inventoryCriterion selection works, or what the response looks like.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
While schema coverage is nominally 100%, the request parameter's description ('Create item promotion request body') is a restatement of the tool purpose and explains nothing about the many nested fields like budget, discountRules, inventoryCriterion, and couponConfiguration, which are undocumented in the schema. The tool description itself adds zero parameter semantics, and these complex nested objects are not self-explanatory from types alone.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
The description uses a specific verb ('Create') and a clear resource ('item promotion'), and naming the eBay Marketing API adds context. It distinguishes from the get/update/delete item-promotion siblings by stating the create action, but it does not differentiate itself from the near-identical sibling ebay_create_item_price_markdown_promotion.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
The description provides no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives such as ebay_create_item_price_markdown_promotion, ebay_update_item_promotion, or ebay_get_promotions. There are no prerequisites, exclusions, or selection conditions stated.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.