The anatomy of a link
Every useful link in a spreadsheet contains two pieces of information: the marketplace and the product ID. Taobao items look like https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=1234567890. Weidian items look like https://weidian.com/item.html?itemID=1234567890. 1688 items look like https://detail.1688.com/offer/1234567890.html. A Hipobuy link carries the same marketplace and ID in its own format. Strip away the agent part and you have something any agent can read.
| Marketplace | Plain product URL pattern | What to copy |
|---|---|---|
| Taobao / Tmall | item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=NUMBER | The number after id= |
| Weidian | weidian.com/item.html?itemID=NUMBER | The number after itemID= |
| 1688 | detail.1688.com/offer/NUMBER.html | The number before .html |
Turning any link into a Hipobuy link
- Find the marketplace and the ID in the link you have.
- Rebuild the plain marketplace URL using the pattern above.
- Paste it into the search box on hipobuy.com.
- Check the photo, price in yuan and variants match what you expected.
This works for links from closed agents too. CNFans, ACBuy, AllChinaBuy, Pandabuy and Wegobuy links all embed the ID somewhere in the address; look for a long number after id=, itemID= or a path segment.
Why links die
Most dead links are not broken by the agent. Sellers delist products, open new listings for new batches, or close shops. When that happens, search the seller's store on the marketplace for the same product name; you often find a new listing with a new ID. Agent shutdowns kill the agent address but not the product, which is why rebuilding works.
Links from Telegram, Discord and TikTok
'Hipobuy links telegram' and 'enlaces hipobuy' are popular in Spain, and Discord lists dominate in France. Community links are fine as ideas. Two rules keep them safe: only pay through Hipobuy's own checkout, and ignore short links you cannot expand to a visible marketplace ID. Our Discord and Telegram page lists the official channels.
Keeping links alive in your own sheet
Store the plain marketplace URL next to every Hipobuy link. If Hipobuy ever changes format, or you switch agents, nothing breaks. Add a 'checked on' date so you know how fresh each row is. Compare sheet formats in our overview.
Links in our grid
The photos above come from repbuysheet.com. Each product page there shows the price, more real photos and the order links, which work on Hipobuy and other agents. That saves the conversion step entirely.
Common mistakes
- Copying a link with a size variant preselected that you did not want.
- Using a mobile share link (m.tb.cn or similar) that hides the ID; open it in a browser first.
- Pasting a store link instead of a product link.
- Forgetting that prices on Hipobuy are shown in your currency but set in yuan.
Mobile links and short links
Sharing from the Taobao app produces short links and text blocks with a code, which hide the product ID. Open them in a browser first; the full URL with id= appears after redirection. Weidian's app share links usually include the item ID directly. If a link opens a shop rather than a product, you have copied the store address; go into the specific item and copy again.
Checking a converted link
After conversion, compare three things with the original row: the main photo, the price in yuan and the variant list. If any differ, the seller may have changed the listing or you may have picked a related item. When in doubt, open the original marketplace page in a browser translator and compare.
Links and agent coupons
Some links in community sheets carry referral parameters. They do not change the product or its price; they credit the person who shared the link. If you prefer clean links, remove everything after the product ID, or rebuild the plain marketplace URL as shown above. Either way, the product and seller price stay the same.
When you share finds with friends, share the plain marketplace link. It works on whichever agent they use and never breaks when an agent changes its format.
Batch converting a long sheet
For sheets with hundreds of rows, use the spreadsheet itself to extract IDs. In Google Sheets, a formula such as REGEXEXTRACT(A2, "id=(\d+)") pulls the Taobao ID from a link in cell A2, and a similar pattern with itemID= works for Weidian. Then build the plain URL with a simple concatenation. Test a few results before trusting the whole column, because some sheets mix link formats.
Links and privacy
Some shortened links track who clicks them. Expanding a link before opening it, or rebuilding the plain marketplace URL, avoids that. It also makes the link permanent, because short links can expire.
Links that open the wrong item
Occasionally a converted link opens a different product, usually because the seller reused an old listing for something new. If the main photo or title does not match what the sheet described, do not buy. Search the seller's store for the original item name, or pick a similar product from the grid on this page, where each photo is a real photo of the product it links to.
Questions people ask
What is a Hipobuy link?
A link that opens a Taobao, Weidian or 1688 product on Hipobuy. The product ID inside it is what matters.
How do I convert a Taobao link to Hipobuy?
Paste the Taobao product URL into the search box on hipobuy.com. Hipobuy recognises it and opens the item.
Why does a Hipobuy link show 'item not found'?
The seller probably removed or changed the listing. Search the seller's store for the same item.
Are 'hipobuy links telegram' channels safe?
They are community lists. Check each item yourself and never pay anyone outside Hipobuy's own checkout.
Do links from the grid need converting?
No. Each product page on repbuysheet.com shows order links ready to use.