How to Flag ads on Craigslist and get it removed – Posting Bros
Flagging a post on craigslist is simple.
Open the ad you want to flag. Click on “Prohibited” on the upper left side as you can see in the screenshot.
But craigslist do not remove ad by just sending one flag.
Guess what?
Keep flagging it again and again? NO!
How many flags does it take to remove a post?
There is no clear answer to this question. But as a general rule of thumb is, the more people flagging the post from unique IP addresses, the higher the chances are that the ad will be removed. So you have to keep flagging until it gets removed from the site.
We studied and tested craigslist algorithm in term of flagging and removal of ads and wrote a detailed article on how craigslist flagging works.
Let’s get straight to the point.
There are few options you can use to successfully remove un-solicited/spammy ads from Craigslist.
1) Doing it yourself with the help of proxies.
2) Using your Friends and Family
Lets deep dive into each option one by one.
1) Doing it Yourself
If you are living in a small populated area and there are fewer people posting on craigslist, you can flag an ad 2, 3 times to get it removed.
Open the ad click on Prohibited. Open the link on another device if you have like phone or laptop and flag the ad. If you are in the low populated area, it might go with just a few flags. But these areas are quite a few, by in large, you need multiple flags to get ad removed.
However, there are few tactics that can help to flag these ads yourself and take a solo flight!
Tactic #1
You laptop/computer has one unique IP address. Despite how many flags you sent to a single ad, it is counted as just one flag because they are coming from single IP address.
To avoid this, you can use proxies. It is like having pool of different IP addresses that you can access from your device.
Step-1 > Buy proxies from mazgalici. They usually cost just 1$ per proxy. Make sure you get proxies for your country.
Step-2 > Download this FireFox Plugin or Chrome Plugin so you can use these proxies.
Step-3 > Open craigslist ad, flag it and change your proxy. Repeat the same process until it gets removed! You can change your proxy with a simple click using the above mentioned browser plugins. It’s easy.
Key Takeaway:- it is quite rare to get an ad renewed by sending just one flag. ( Unless you go through proxy route) Majority of ads need multiple flags so look for other options.
Tactic #2
There are a bunch of different Facebook groups that people use to share spammy ads to flag. You just need to post the link and other members will be able to flag that for you.
You can use your friends and family circle to flag spam ads on craigslist.
If you can get a dozen people ready to flag ads from unique IP address, you can quite successfully remove a medium type of ads.
Create WhatsApp, Email or Text Messaging group and whenever you find the ad, send it to your friends and family and ask them to flag. if your circle manage to send few flags right after the ad gets posted, you can get it removed.
Pro Tip: You can hire someone to help you with this.
Prons and Cons:- This method is quite unreliable because everyone might not be free to flag ads so you have to send a lot of emails back and forth to get a single ad removed which sometimes doesn’t worth the effort.
But if you want to flag just a couple of ads occasionally, this method might work really well
Conclusion
Flagging other posts on craigslist is quite easy. You just need to be consistent and use proper tools and resources to be successful. Do not use any automated software to flag ads since it is against Craigslist Term of Use. And make sure you only flag ads that fit on criteria which is marked as prohibited by craigslist moderation team.
How to Stop Getting Flagged on Craigslist – Small Business – Chron …
Craigslist’s classifieds service can be a valuable tool in any small business owner’s advertising exposure plan. According to Craigslist, the site experiences monthly traffic of approximately 50 billion page views. Accidental and malicious flagging, though, can cause difficulties. As flagging is performed by Craigslist’s automated system and staff, and other users, you can’t permanently stop all flagging, but you can take certain actions to limit it. Follow Craigslist’s Guidelines Ads are often flagged because they fail to meet Craigslist’s Terms of Service and other guidelines. For example, Craigslist doesn’t want you to post about auctions, bidding or business opportunities involving multi-level marketing, club membership recruitment or up front investments. Ads offering prohibited items, such as weapons, alcohol, tobacco, drugs or hazardous materials are also flagged. Additionally, Craigslist requires that you post in the correct category. Post ads for services under the “Service Offered” option and job opportunities under the “Job Offered” or “Gig Offered” options. To post about an employment-related event, such as a job fair, use the “Events” option. Stop Spammy Behavior Craigslist warns users that it won’t tolerate spam, such as identical or almost identical ads posted in multiple geographic locations, or at the same time, in one area under different categories. Pick one local city or area and one category for your ad and wait at least 48 hours between each new ad posting. If you need wider coverage, Craigslist states in its FAQ that you should take the ad elsewhere. Additionally, never post a phone number containing an odd combination of text and numbers, such as phone number “5five5-one21two. ” Craigslist flags this activity because spammers use this method to try to stop its automated system and staff from detecting their ads. Change Ad Format and Wording Use of text formatting that is too commercial often results in flagging. For example, limit use of ALL CAPS and symbols in the post title and ad text, and sales language meant to coerce, such as “BUY NOW! ” or “Call NOW! Offer ends TODAY!. ” Additionally, triple-check the wording you use to present your service and remove any language that makes your ad seem deceptive or unclear. Ads with similar wording to other user ads are also often flagged. Review the ads in the Services Offered sub-category where you originally posted your ad and then rewrite your ad as needed. Report Flagging Problems Craigslist recommends that you ask other users in the Help Forum (link in Resources) to review and offer advice about a flagged ad before contacting the company. If you still believe a flagging error occurred, use the “Contact Us” form (link in Resources). Pick “Harassment/Flagging” and then “My ad was flagged off and it abides by the terms of use. ” Provide all requested information and then click “Send Email Message. ” Some Craigslist posters flag their competitors’ ads. If you believe a competitor flagged your ad, obtain the posting ID beneath one of his ads and enter it, along with his name and contact information, in the “Describe the Issue” section before you submit the form. Disclaimer Information in this article applies to Craigslist as of November 2013. References Resources Writer Bio Based in Southern Pennsylvania, Irene A. Blake has been writing on a wide range of topics for over a decade. Her work has appeared in projects by The National Network for Artist Placement, the-phone-book Limited and GateHouse Media. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Shippensburg University.
How to Find out Who Flagged My Craigslist | Techwalla
Image Credit: 23d7d4d_101/iStock/Getty Images
Find out if somebody flagged a Craigslist posting if you abruptly stop receiving replies from a posting. Although it isn’t possible to find the specific individual who “flags” a Craigslist ad for removal, knowing an ad was flagged allows you to review the content of the ad and change it to fall in line with Craigslist’s Terms of Use. If you post only content that is consistent with the site’s Terms of Use, anyone’s attempts to flag your posts will be unsuccessful.
Step 1
Click the “My Account” button and input Craigslist account credentials if you use an account. If you don’t, check your email for the message Craigslist sent you when you published an ad you believe to have been flagged.
Step 2
Scroll through the list of ads you’ve published while logged in to your account for the past 180 days. Click the name of the one that displays next to the text “flagged. ” Alternatively, click the link in the email Craigslist sent you to be taken to a page that shows you ad an its current status.
Step 3
Review the ad against Craigslist’s Terms of Use to make sure its content falls in line. If you posted a housing ad and expressed preference toward Christian tenants, for example, this violates the Craigslist’s Terms of Use and must be removed.
Step 4
Re-post the ad with any content that violates the Terms of Use removed. Craigslist doesn’t remove ads that fall completely within its Terms of Use.
Frequently Asked Questions about how many times does a post need to be flagged on craigslist
Why does my post on Craigslist keep getting flagged?
Ads are often flagged because they fail to meet Craigslist’s Terms of Service and other guidelines. … Ads offering prohibited items, such as weapons, alcohol, tobacco, drugs or hazardous materials are also flagged. Additionally, Craigslist requires that you post in the correct category.
Can you find out who flagged Craigslist?
Although it isn’t possible to find the specific individual who “flags” a Craigslist ad for removal, knowing an ad was flagged allows you to review the content of the ad and change it to fall in line with Craigslist’s Terms of Use.
How do I get around Craigslist flagging?
Follow these 6 suggestions to avoid your craigslist posts being flagged.Don’t post the same/similar unit more than once per 48 hours. … Don’t post repetitive content. … Don’t promote your community, instead promote your unit. … Don’t use spammy or salesy words. … Don’t leave out key information. … Don’t over-stylize your ads.
