GET/category_tree/{category_tree_id}/get_category_subtree
This call retrieves the details of all nodes of the category tree hierarchy (the subtree) below a specified category of a category tree. You identify the tree using the category_tree_id parameter, which was returned by the getDefaultCategoryTreeId call in the categoryTreeId field.
Note: This method can return a very large payload, so gzip compression is supported. To enable gzip compression, include the Accept-Encoding header and set its value to gzip as shown below: Accept-Encoding: gzip
Input
Resource URI
This method is supported in Sandbox environment. To access the endpoint, just replace the api.ebay.com root URI with api.sandbox.ebay.com
URI parameters
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| category_tree_id | string | The unique identifier of the eBay category tree. The category tree ID for an eBay marketplace can be retrieved using the getDefaultCategoryTreeId method. Occurrence: Required |
| category_id | string | The unique identifier of the category at the top of the subtree being requested. Metadata on this category and all its descendant categories are retrieved. Note: If the category_id submitted identifies a leaf node of the tree, the call response will contain information about only that leaf node, which is a valid subtree. Occurrence: Required |
HTTP request headers
All requests made to eBay REST operations require you to provide the Authorization HTTP header for authentication authorization.
The table below shows additional HTTP request headers that are either required, conditionally required, or strongly recommended for this method. Other standard HTTP request headers- opens rest request components page (not in this table) can also be used, but they are optional.
| Header | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Accept-Encoding | string | This header indicates the compression-encoding algorithms the client accepts for the response. This value should be set to gzip. For more information, refer to HTTP request headers. Occurrence: Optional |
OAuth scope
This request requires an access token created with the client credentials grant flow, using one or more scopes from the following list (please check your Application Keys page for a list of OAuth scopes available to your application):
https://api.ebay.com/oauth/api_scope
See OAuth access tokens for more information.
Request payload
This call has no payload.
Request fields
This call has no field definitions.
Output
HTTP response headers
This call has no response headers.
Response payload
Response fields
| Output container/field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| categorySubtreeNode | CategoryTreeNode | Contains details of all nodes of the category subtree hierarchy below a specified node. This is a recursive structure. Occurrence: Always |
| categorySubtreeNode.category | Category | Contains details about the current category tree node. Occurrence: Always |
| categorySubtreeNode.category.categoryId | string | The unique identifier of the eBay category within its category tree. Occurrence: Always |
| categorySubtreeNode.category.categoryName | string | The name of the category identified by categoryId. Occurrence: Always |
| categorySubtreeNode.categoryTreeNodeLevel | integer | The absolute level of the current category tree node in the hierarchy of its category tree. Occurrence: Always |
| categorySubtreeNode.childCategoryTreeNodes | array of CategoryTreeNode | An array of one or more category tree nodes that are the immediate children of the current category tree node, as well as their children, recursively down to the leaf nodes. Occurrence: Conditional |
| categorySubtreeNode.childCategoryTreeNodes.category | Category | Contains details about the current category tree node. Occurrence: Always |
| categorySubtreeNode.childCategoryTreeNodes.category.categoryId | string | The unique identifier of the eBay category within its category tree. Occurrence: Always |
| categorySubtreeNode.childCategoryTreeNodes.category.categoryName | string | The name of the category identified by categoryId. Occurrence: Always |
| categorySubtreeNode.childCategoryTreeNodes.categoryTreeNodeLevel | integer | The absolute level of the current category tree node in the hierarchy of its category tree. Occurrence: Always |
| categorySubtreeNode.childCategoryTreeNodes.childCategoryTreeNodes | array of CategoryTreeNode | An array of one or more category tree nodes that are the immediate children of the current category tree node, as well as their children, recursively down to the leaf nodes. Occurrence: Conditional |
| categorySubtreeNode.childCategoryTreeNodes.childCategoryTreeNodes.category | Category | Contains details about the current category tree node. Occurrence: Always |
| categorySubtreeNode.childCategoryTreeNodes.childCategoryTreeNodes.category.categoryId | string | The unique identifier of the eBay category within its category tree. Occurrence: Always |
| categorySubtreeNode.childCategoryTreeNodes.childCategoryTreeNodes.category.categoryName | string | The name of the category identified by categoryId. Occurrence: Always |
| categorySubtreeNode.childCategoryTreeNodes.childCategoryTreeNodes.categoryTreeNodeLevel | integer | The absolute level of the current category tree node in the hierarchy of its category tree. Occurrence: Always |
| categorySubtreeNode.childCategoryTreeNodes.childCategoryTreeNodes.childCategoryTreeNodes | array of CategoryTreeNode | An array of one or more category tree nodes that are the immediate children of the current category tree node, as well as their children, recursively down to the leaf nodes. Occurrence: Conditional |
| categorySubtreeNode.childCategoryTreeNodes.childCategoryTreeNodes.leafCategoryTreeNode | boolean | A value of Occurrence: Conditional |
| categorySubtreeNode.childCategoryTreeNodes.childCategoryTreeNodes.parentCategoryTreeNodeHref | string | The href portion of the getCategorySubtree call that retrieves the subtree below the parent of this category tree node. Occurrence: Conditional |
| categorySubtreeNode.childCategoryTreeNodes.leafCategoryTreeNode | boolean | A value of Occurrence: Conditional |
| categorySubtreeNode.childCategoryTreeNodes.parentCategoryTreeNodeHref | string | The href portion of the getCategorySubtree call that retrieves the subtree below the parent of this category tree node. Occurrence: Conditional |
| categorySubtreeNode.leafCategoryTreeNode | boolean | A value of Occurrence: Conditional |
| categorySubtreeNode.parentCategoryTreeNodeHref | string | The href portion of the getCategorySubtree call that retrieves the subtree below the parent of this category tree node. Occurrence: Conditional |
| categoryTreeId | string | The unique identifier of the eBay category tree to which this subtree belongs. Occurrence: Always |
| categoryTreeVersion | string | The version of the category tree identified by categoryTreeId. It's a good idea to cache this value for comparison so you can determine if this category tree has been modified in subsequent calls. Occurrence: Always |
HTTP status codes
This call can return one of the following HTTP status codes. For an overview of the status codes, see HTTP status codes in Using eBay RESTful APIs.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 200 | Success |
| 400 | Bad Request |
| 404 | Not Found |
| 500 | Internal Server Error |
Error codes
For more on errors, plus the codes of other common errors, see Handling errors.
| Code | Domain | Category | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62000 | API_TAXONOMY | APPLICATION | There was a problem with an eBay internal system or process. Contact eBay developer support for assistance. |
| 62004 | API_TAXONOMY | REQUEST | The specified category tree ID was not found. |
| 62005 | API_TAXONOMY | REQUEST | The specified category ID does not belong to the specified category tree. |
| 62006 | API_TAXONOMY | REQUEST | Missing category ID. |
| 62008 | API_TAXONOMY | REQUEST | The specified category ID is the root for the category tree. Please use {categoryTreeHref} to retrieve the entire tree. |
Warnings
This call has no warnings.
Samples
New to making API calls? Please see Making a Call.
Note: Identifiers, such as order IDs or user IDs, and personal data in these samples might be anonymized or may no longer be active on eBay. If necessary, substitute current, relevant eBay data in your requests.
Sample 1: Get a subtree of a category tree
This sample retrieves the complete content of a subtree of an eBay category tree, using the category tree node that contains the specified category as the root of the desired subtree.
Input
Use the category_tree_id path parameter to specify the category tree, and use the category_id query parameter to specify the category in the category node at the top of the subtree being requested.
GEThttps://api.ebay.com/commerce/taxonomy/v1/category_tree/0/get_category_subtree?category_id=11450
Output
A successful call returns the complete category subtree specified, from the specified category node to all leaf nodes of the subtree. In this sample, the returned category subtree contains almost 600 categories, so the response shown here has most of the nodes removed for easier viewing.