Online product listings: GB and NI safety checks
Check the product rules for each destination before publishing. Prepare clear product identification, manufacturer and relevant operator contacts, and safety warnings for review. Confirm which details must appear before purchase, then match them to the supplied goods. Ask Cambridge China Bridge to coordinate factory evidence.
Start with the product and customer destination
Record the exact product, intended users, sales channel and delivery destinations. The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 continue to apply in Great Britain. Northern Ireland has a different general product safety framework. Treat each destination as a separate review, even when the goods come from the same factory.
Use the UK compliance finder to organise the enquiry. Ask your reviewer to identify the applicable product rules, scope exclusions and requirements for information visible before purchase. Keep the official page, review date and approved wording with the listing record. For products without a matching standard, see our guide to product safety without applicable standards.
Separate online information from physical labels
For electrical equipment and toys intended for Great Britain, confirm with the relevant product safety authority which physical placement requirements apply to manufacturer and importer identification, product references and English safety information. Our product label guide covers those checks. Review the product, retail pack and accompanying documents alongside the online offer.
Ask specifically which warnings and identity details must be displayed before an online purchase. A requirement to label the goods does not, by itself, answer that question. For toys, use our toy warnings and online sales guide to structure the category review. Avoid copying a generic warning from another seller. For blinds, see our guide to child strangulation checks. For camping appliances, see our camping gas stove safety checks.
Check Northern Ireland operator arrangements
For products covered by Northern Ireland's general product safety framework, responsible-operator contact and other details must appear on the product, its packaging, the parcel or an accompanying document. If you appoint an authorised representative under that framework, it must be based in Northern Ireland or the EU.
Ask the reviewer to confirm the responsible operator, its establishment and its duties for your supply route. Then confirm the online-offer requirements separately, including manufacturer contacts, any responsible-person contacts, product identification and warnings. Read our responsible person guide before choosing someone to fill that role.
Prepare a listing checklist for approval
Use the checklist below to collect information for review. It is a preparation checklist, not a universal legal template. Have the reviewer mark which fields are compulsory in the online offer for each destination and product category. For precious-metal jewellery, see our guide to displaying the hallmarking Dealer’s Notice.
Request exact text and photographs from the factory rather than a statement that the product is compliant. Resolve differences between the listing, labels, instructions and product documents before publication. Keep manufacturer, importer, seller and responsible-operator identities in separately labelled fields.
| Field | What to collect | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Product identity | Product photograph, type, model and applicable identifiers | The image and description match the variant being sold |
| Manufacturer | Name or registered trading identity, postal address and electronic contact | The identity matches the product evidence and the contact works |
| Relevant operator | Role, business identity, postal address and electronic contact | The reviewer confirms the correct operator and destination requirements |
| Safety information | Approved warnings, user restrictions and relevant safety instructions | The wording matches the actual product and is readable before ordering |
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Check the customer view before publishing
Preview the offer on a phone and a computer. Select each variant and follow the purchase journey. Check that identifiers, contact details and warnings remain visible and readable where approved. Do not rely on an unreadable packaging photograph or information entered only in the seller dashboard.
Save the approved customer view and assign someone to update it when the product, factory, operator or warning changes. If the official guidance does not settle an online-display question, send the product description and proposed offer to a competent adviser before publishing. Cambridge China Bridge can help gather matching factory photographs, labels and product documents through its staff in China.
Frequently asked questions
What safety information should my product listing show?
Prepare product identification, manufacturer and relevant operator contacts, and approved warnings. Confirm the compulsory online fields against the product rules for each destination before publishing.
Can I use the same listing for Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Review both destinations separately. You can maintain a shared listing if the approved information covers both. Check that the customer view still shows the correct details for each product variant.
Is a photograph of the product label enough?
Do not assume so. Ask the reviewer to confirm the permitted presentation. Check that all approved information is readable on the customer page, including on a phone.
Does my sourcing agent count as the responsible operator?
Ask for confirmation of the legal role, establishment and duties for your product and supply route. A sourcing agreement alone should not be treated as confirmation that the operator arrangement is suitable.