How to calculate eBay sell-through rate

Sell-through rate (STR) compares how many listings sold with how many are still for sale. Resellers use it to decide whether an item is worth buying.

The formula

Sell-through rate = sold listings ÷ active listings × 100

Use the same search words and filters for both numbers. eBay’s sold results cover roughly the last 90 days, so the rate describes that window.

Some sellers divide by sold + active instead, which keeps the result under 100%. Either works if you use one method consistently.

Getting the two numbers

Active count: search normally and read the number next to “results for”.
Sold count: open Filter, turn on Sold Items, and read the result count again. You need to be signed in; since July 2026 eBay only shows sold listings to signed-in users.

Worked example

Search	Sold (90 days)	Active	Sell-through
Example item A	600	1,200	50%
Example item B	4,100	3,500	117%

Item B sold more units in 90 days than are listed right now, so a new listing is likely to sell quickly.

Reading the result

There is no official scale. A common rule of thumb among resellers:

Sell-through	What it usually means
100% or more	Very fast. Demand is higher than current supply.
50–100%	Fast. Most listings sell within the window.
20–50%	Moderate. Price and condition decide who sells.
Under 20%	Slow. Expect to wait or to price below the median.

Common mistakes

Mixing search words. “levis 501” and “levis 501 vintage” give different pools. Keep them identical.
Counting Best Offer prices. When an item sells through an accepted offer, eBay shows the original price crossed out. The real sale price is hidden, so leave those out of price averages.
Reading too few results. A 90% rate from 9 sold and 10 active is noise. Look for dozens of sales.

Let the browser do it

SoldScope, a free Chrome extension, calculates the sell-through rate and the median sold price on every eBay search, excluding Best Offer prices, and can sort the page by most sold.

Add SoldScope to Chrome — free

Tracking what you actually made after fees? See the Reseller Profit Tracker spreadsheet.