Everything you need to go from zero to a completed haul: finding tracked links, choosing an agent, evaluating QC photos, and getting your order to your door.
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The community spreadsheet is where you start. It's a document that aggregates curated W2C (where to cop) links — product URLs on Taobao, Weidian or 1688 that other buyers have already tested and approved. You search for what you want, get a link that points to a known-good seller and batch, and submit that link to your purchasing agent.
Each major agent has its own spreadsheet format. ACBuy, Superbuy, CNFans — each aggregates links formatted for their platform, though any link can be converted using the Link Converter tool. Start with the spreadsheet for whichever agent you plan to use.
What to look for in a spreadsheet entry:
You can't buy directly from Taobao as an international buyer. You need a purchasing agent — a company that buys on your behalf, stores the item in their Chinese warehouse, photographs it for QC review, and then forwards it to your international address.
The right agent depends on your priorities:
Use the Fee Calculator to model your specific haul across agents before deciding.
The item price you see in the spreadsheet is only part of what you'll pay. Total landed cost has four components:
For a ¥300 item shipped to the US via ACBuy on an economy line, expect around $55–70 total. The item price alone would be ~$41 at current exchange rates. Skipping the total cost calculation before ordering is the most common cause of budget surprises.
Copy the product link from the spreadsheet, convert it for your agent if needed using the Link Converter, and paste it into your agent's order submission interface. Specify size, colour, and quantity. Double-check the seller details match the spreadsheet recommendation before confirming.
The agent buys the item on your behalf, pays the seller in CNY from your deposited funds, and arranges domestic delivery to their warehouse. This typically takes 3–10 days depending on the seller's processing time.
When your item arrives at the agent warehouse, you receive a QC photo set before shipment is approved. This is your acceptance decision point. A systematic approach:
For colour-sensitive items: always request one natural daylight photo. Warehouse lighting runs warm and shifts colour perception. A shoe that looks orange-tinged in warehouse light may be the correct colour — daylight photos reveal the truth.
Once you approve QC, you select a shipping line and submit for international forwarding. Use the Shipping Estimator for cost and transit time estimates by destination.
Key decisions: consolidation timing (hold multiple items until they all arrive to save per-item shipping costs), shipping line selection (economy vs express vs standard depending on timeline and budget), and declared value (check current community guidance for your destination's customs norms).
For first-time buyers, agent choice matters more than experienced buyers suggest. The wrong agent for your use case creates friction at every stage — slow QC photos, confusing dispute processes, and weak community support when something goes wrong. KakoBuy and CNFans are the most recommended starting agents in 2026 for buyers whose primary focus is rep items. Both charge 0% fees, have clean English interfaces, and have active rep communities. Use the agent comparison tool to compare storage periods, QC ratings, and fee structures before creating an account.
If you want the widest selection of curated community links, the CNFans spreadsheet guide has the most active community documentation of any 0% fee agent. If you want the easiest interface, the KakoBuy spreadsheet guide covers an agent specifically designed for the rep buyer experience. For buyers who want maximum platform stability and English-language support history, the Superbuy spreadsheet guide covers the agent with the longest Western-facing track record — though its fee structure is less competitive at lower order values.
Most first orders are straightforward. The problems that trip up new buyers are almost always in the QC photo review stage — either approving items they should have questioned, or not knowing what to look for. Before your first QC review, read the QC section of the agent-specific guide carefully. Agent spreadsheet guides on this site include QC checklists and specific things to check for rep sneakers, bags, and clothing. Don't rush the review — the QC photo stage is your only opportunity to catch a quality issue before a package ships internationally.
Shipping is the other common stumbling block. Line selection, declared value, and consolidation all affect your total cost and customs risk. The Taobao shipping guide covers all of this in detail. Run your package through the shipping estimator before submitting — shipping often costs more than buyers expect on their first haul, and getting the estimate right prevents budget surprises at the checkout stage.
The best Taobao agents 2026 guide covers how to evaluate agents as your buying experience grows. Many experienced buyers use 2–3 agents — different platforms have different strengths for different item types or shipping destinations. The Taobao vs Weidian comparison is worth reading once you've completed a few orders and want to understand where the highest-rated batch sellers are concentrated by platform.