How to sell on Alibaba.com: who qualifies, the five steps, the membership and your first listings
Por Oleksandr Shaniuk · fundador de Sellura · Actualizado el 1 de noviembre de 2026
Alibaba.com sells to businesses, so you sell on it as a business: open an account, pass Business Verification, buy a supplier membership for your region, post your products and answer buyer inquiries. In the US the membership starts at $2,799 a year, only a US-registered business entity with a Certificate of Registration may join, individuals are not eligible, and you must be able to supply wholesale quantities. Outside the US Alibaba.com prints no prices: membership pricing and benefits vary by region, and a local account manager quotes them (Alibaba.com's seller pages, read 1 November 2026).
- US membership from
- $2,799
- a year, Starter plan
- Who may sell (US)
- Companies
- US-registered, individuals not eligible
- Product name
- 128
- characters at most
- Product keywords
- 3
- per product, no commas inside one
Your listings are written for buyers who compare suppliers: a product name of up to 128 characters, exactly three product keywords, attributes and a description of up to 50,000 characters. Below: who qualifies, the five steps, what the plans cost and include, the listing fields, and what happens once inquiries start.
Who can sell on Alibaba.com
A business that can sell in bulk. Alibaba.com's how-to-sell page starts with Business Verification, which it says "confirms your company and contact person are real and legitimate", and its pricing page says a local channel partner supports onboarding and verification during setup. The buyer on the other side is a business too: an importer, a wholesaler, a retailer or a brand sourcing stock.
- US suppliers: "A U.S.-registered business entity with a Certificate of Registration. Individual sellers are not eligible." You must also be able to supply wholesale quantities.
- Everywhere else: plans and prices vary by region, and Alibaba.com's global pricing page sends you to your local account manager for the rate.
- Verification badges: outside the US, the Verified Supplier plan adds verified video shooting and SGS or TÜV assessment reports, Alibaba.com's pricing page shows.
Sources: Alibaba.com Seller: How to sell (Open an account, Business Verification), checked 1 November 2026 · Alibaba.com Seller (US): criteria to sell as a US supplier, plans and onboarding, checked 1 November 2026 · Alibaba.com Seller: Pricing (plans vary by region, local channel partner for onboarding), checked 1 November 2026
Alibaba.com's five steps, account to first order
Alibaba.com lists five steps. In the US the order is slightly different: you buy the supplier package first, then complete Business Verification, and Alibaba.com says your account manager uploads your catalogue and gets you live in about two weeks.
Open an account
Sign up, complete Business Verification and choose the selling plan for your region.
Post your products
One by one or the whole catalogue in bulk. Alibaba.com says its suggestions help with titles, images and keywords as you list.
Create your storefront
A multi-page store that Alibaba.com displays in 18 languages.
Reply to inquiries
Alibaba.com tells suppliers to respond within 4 hours, from the My Alibaba dashboard or the AliSupplier app.
Protect orders and payments
Turn on Trade Assurance after signing up. Alibaba.com says it is available in select countries.
Sources: Alibaba.com Seller: How to sell (the five steps, 18 languages, respond within 4 hours, Trade Assurance in select countries), checked 1 November 2026 · Alibaba.com Seller (US): purchase the package, complete business verification, live in about two weeks, checked 1 November 2026
What the membership costs
Alibaba.com charges a yearly membership rather than a fee per listing. Its US page prints three plans, and its global pricing page names the plans elsewhere, Gold Supplier Basic, Gold Supplier Plus and Verified Supplier, with no prices.
| Plan | Price | Keyword advertising credits | RFQ quotes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | Price$2,799 a year | Keyword advertising credits500 | RFQ quotes20 a month |
| Growth (the one Alibaba.com recommends) | Price$3,799 a year | Keyword advertising credits500 | RFQ quotes40 a month |
| Advertising Pro | Price$8,299 a year | Keyword advertising credits5,000 | RFQ quotes40 a month |
Alibaba.com Seller (US), read 1 November 2026: "Pricing shown is for the U.S. market." The page prints no unit for the advertising credits.
Alibaba.com seller fees: every plan, commission, Trade Assurance and ads →
Sources: Alibaba.com Seller (US): Starter, Growth and Advertising Pro plans, checked 1 November 2026 · Alibaba.com Seller: Pricing (Gold Supplier Basic, Gold Supplier Plus, Verified Supplier), checked 1 November 2026
Your first product listings
A business buyer reads a product page the way an engineer reads a datasheet, and Alibaba.com's fields are built for that. The name says what the product is and its key specs, the three keywords are three different phrases a buyer would type, and the attributes and the description carry every fact a buyer compares.
Alibaba.com's 2026 supplier guide asks for natural names with the root word in them and tells suppliers to avoid keyword lists and prohibited terms. Its older training adds two rules: don't repeat keywords in the name, and never use only a brand name or a model number as the name.
| Field | Alibaba.com's limit | What goes in it |
|---|---|---|
| Product name | Alibaba.com's limit128 characters | What goes in itThe product, then the specs buyers filter by, then its use, each word once |
| Product keywords | Alibaba.com's limit3, no commas or semicolons inside one | What goes in itThree different searches for the same product |
| Attributes | Alibaba.com's limit50 characters per value | What goes in itMaterial, size or capacity, colour, power, the standard it meets |
| Description | Alibaba.com's limit50,000 characters, HTML allowed | What goes in itWhat it is and what it is for, then the full specifications |
| Images | Alibaba.com's limitUp to 6 | What goes in itThe product itself, its details and its packaging |
Alibaba.com Open Platform, Create a new product listing (listing/v2) and the older alibaba.icbu.product.add, read 22 October 2026, and its 2026 supplier guide (dated 1 Sep 2026).
Alibaba Product Keywords: how to choose all three → · Alibaba product description: the 7–8 modules buyers read →
Sources: Alibaba.com Open Platform: Create a new product listing (product name 128, description 50,000, attribute value 50, 6 images), checked 22 October 2026 · Alibaba.com Open Platform (older API): alibaba.icbu.product.add (at most 3 keywords, no , or ;), checked 22 October 2026 · Alibaba.com seller guide: product listing optimization, July 2026 update (title up to 128 characters, avoid keyword lists; Korean, dated 1 Sep 2026), checked 1 November 2026 · Alibaba.com supplier training: Product Name (no repeated keywords, not only a brand or model number), checked 22 October 2026
Once you are live: inquiries, RFQs and Trade Assurance
On Alibaba.com a sale usually starts as a conversation. Buyers send inquiries about a product, or post a Request for Quotation that suppliers answer from a monthly quota set by their plan, and the order follows once price, minimum quantity and lead time are agreed.
- Inquiries: answer within 4 hours, Alibaba.com says, from the dashboard or the AliSupplier app.
- RFQs: 20 quotes a month on the US Starter plan and 40 on Growth and Advertising Pro.
- Trade Assurance: Alibaba.com's order protection, covering on-time shipment, payment and disputes. Activate it after signing up, where your country has it.
- Your facts, not Alibaba's: minimum order, price tiers, lead time, samples and certifications are fields only you can fill truthfully. A product that gets views and no inquiries usually has a gap there, not in its keywords.
Alibaba SEO: the product name, the keywords and what business buyers compare →
Sources: Alibaba.com Seller: How to sell (reply to inquiries, Trade Assurance), checked 1 November 2026 · Alibaba.com Seller (US): RFQ credits per plan, checked 1 November 2026
What Sellura does here, and what it doesn't
Sellura writes the text of an Alibaba.com listing for a business buyer from a description of your product: a product name of about 100 characters with the product and its specs, each word once, exactly three product keywords that are three different searches, up to ten "Name: value" attribute lines from the facts you gave, and a description that opens with what the product is and what it is used for. It never invents a minimum order, a price, a lead time, a certification or a factory claim. Each generation comes back with a 0–100 score that is deterministic, the same listing always gets the same number, and each weak factor comes with one fix written for that listing.
The score and the name preview are free on every generation, with no card, and so are the title checker and the Listing checker, which takes a pasted name and description. A credit unlocks one finished listing: Starter is $15 a month for 25 credits or $150 a year, and Pro is $24 a month for 65 credits plus bulk, or $240 a year. Sellura doesn't buy or manage your membership, pass verification, answer inquiries or track rankings, has no research database or ads analysis, and is not affiliated with Alibaba.com.
Write the Alibaba.com listing, score and name free → · Plans and credits →
FAQ
Can I sell on Alibaba.com as an individual?
How much does it cost to sell on Alibaba.com?
Is selling on Alibaba.com free?
How long does it take to start selling on Alibaba.com?
How long can an Alibaba.com product name be?
How many keywords can I add to an Alibaba.com product?
Check you qualify before you pay: a registered business that can supply wholesale quantities, and in the US a Certificate of Registration. Pick the plan for your region, $2,799 a year at the US entry level, pass Business Verification and post products a buyer can compare: a name of up to 128 characters, three different keywords, honest attributes and a full description. Then answer inquiries within 4 hours. Sellura drafts the name, keywords, attributes and description with a free 0–100 score and name preview, and a credit buys the finished listing.
Abre el generador de Alibaba.com.