Why Is Craigslist Canceling My Listing? – Small Business …
If you’re using Craigslist for any aspect of your business — whether selling items or recruiting freelancers — you can make the most of the site by understanding its terms of use. This document, available on the Craigslist site, can give some clues as to why a particular listing might have been cancelled. Flagged Listings Listings may be cancelled if they are flagged by other Craigslist users. Posts can be flagged because they are in the wrong category, discuss another ad, violate the terms of use or are considered to be spam. Posts that appear too frequently or across too many categories may be flagged. Free classified ads that receive sufficient flags are automatically removed, whereas paid adverts are queued up for review. Posts can also be flagged by Craigslist staff or by the network’s automated systems. Deleted and Expired Listings Craigslist postings can be deleted by the user who created them. If one of your ads has vanished suddenly, check that none of your colleagues have chosen to remove it. Listings also expire after a certain amount of time has elapsed, depending on the type of posting and the city it is associated in. Paid job postings, for example, expire after 30 days, while event listings remain on Craigslist until the specified date of the event has passed. Terms of Use Violations Most of the listings that are removed from Craigslist are deleted because they violate the site’s terms of use in some way. Content prohibited from Craigslist by the terms of use includes illegal, offensive, fraudulent and malicious content. In addition, listings that disclose personal, confidential or proprietary information, and listings that promote auto-posting services or unsolicited services, such as cold calling, are also forbidden from appearing on the site. Posting Limitations The Craigslist terms of use cover posting limitations as well as guidelines on what can and cannot be listed. Posts must be associated with the correct local area, and substantially similar content cannot be posted on multiple regional listings or multiple categories simultaneously. Posts that are identical or close to identical may not be posted within the space of 48 hours. The use of any kind of technological hack to circumvent Craigslist’s posting limitations is not allowed, as is posting on behalf of another, using any automated posting means and any content related to affiliate marketing. Each user must use a single verified account. Prohibited Items Certain items are prohibited on Craigslist. These include child pornography, obscene material, offers of illegal prostitution, weapons and related items, items issued to the US Armed Forces that haven’t been correctly disposed of, food stamps and other items received from governmental agencies; fireworks, explosives and other destructive devices; alcohol and tobacco products, controlled substances and illegal drugs (or substances used to make them); blood, bodily fluids, body parts, household pets of any kind, restricted or regulated plants and insects, and pesticides and hazardous substances. Also on the list are illegal telecommunications equipment, stolen property, burglary tools, property with serial numbers removed, fake ID, counterfeit currency and tickets (and the equipment used to make them), tickets you don’t have the right to sell, used or rebuilt batteries, used bedding and clothing (unless sanitized in accordance with the law); non-packaged food items and adulterated food and bulk email and mailing lists containing names, addresses and other personal identifying information. Even the official Craigslist list (in Resources) is not comprehensive. If your posting contains a prohibited item then it’s likely to be deleted. References Resources Writer Bio An information technology journalist since 2002, David Nield writes about the Web, technology, hardware and software. He is an experienced editor, proofreader and copywriter for online publications such as CNET, TechRadar and Gizmodo. Nield holds a Bachelor of Arts in English literature and lives in Manchester, England.
5 Strategies to Prevent Getting Flagged on Craigslist
The Costs & Benefits of Craigslist Advertising
There’s no question that car dealers see huge benefits from advertising their inventory on Craigslist. Dealers who post their new and used cars on Craigslist can successfully drive direct traffic to their website and gain leads from telephone calls and online contact forms. But Craigslist marketing can also cost you: dealers have to find time to manually post their cars and optimize how regularly they re-post. Preventing listings from getting flagged is another major problem for many managers, and it becomes costly for dealerships to repost ads on a daily basis. On top of getting your posts flagged and removed by random Craigslist users, you also have to be wary of competitors who may use black hat tactics like a program to automatically flag Craigslist posts. To avoid having your Craigslist posts flagged, follow these best practice strategies.
Strategy #1: Spread Out Your Craigslist Posting Over Several Days
Depending on your target area, every one of your posts stays live between 7-45 days. For dealerships with a large inventory of cars, it’s best to set up a schedule to spread out your Craigslist posting over several days. This practice regulates the frequency of posting, and prevents flooding Craigslist with your posts, which is often the key reason why listings are flagged for removal or “ghosted”. When a post is ghosted, it means Craigslist receives the listing but does not post it live on the website. A post can also get flagged or ghosted if you list a car that already has a live ad, so it’s best to keep track of your vehicles over a period of time before you post it.
Strategy #2: Post Less Than Your Full Inventory
If you’re trying to post your entire inventory on Craigslist, then your posts will most likely get flagged. Smaller car dealers can get away with listing their entire inventory on Craigslist if they have anywhere between 20 to 100 cars and distribute their posts across different areas and over several days. Larger auto dealers using Craigslist will need to patiently post a fraction of their full inventory during each period, and list a maximum of 80% of their used inventory.
Strategy #3: Use Multiple Unique IP Addresses
Craigslist automatically monitors the IP addresses of where posts originate, so if they notice that too many posts are coming from the same IP, then those listings will get flagged for removal. Craigslist does this to prevent one person from spamming their site with too many ads at once. Many car dealers at single locations only have one IP address to work with, so using the same IP address to post on Craigslist is often the cause of flagged posts. To aggressively advertise on Craigslist, you will need use multiple unique IP addresses. You can do this manually, or make use of an automated Craigslist posting service to do it for you.
Strategy #4: Post At Random Times and Strategize for High Traffic Days
Aggressive competitors from the same area may try to use an automated Craigslist flagging program to have your listings taken down. But to use these programs, they’ll have to find and insert the specific URL of the listing into the program. When you post early in the morning or late at night, you make it more difficult for people to directly target your posts. You can post at random times before high traffic days like Friday, Saturday and Sundays to avoid getting flagged by competitors. This also helps you target the days when many customers are on Craigslist searching for cars.
Strategy #5: Use Non-Identifiable Text and Vary Your URLs
The only way an automatic flagging program works is if it has your Craigslist post URL. Others can find your Craigslist posts by doing direct searches for your dealership’s name in the body of your listings. If you include your dealership’s name in either a URL or text-based content within your posts, then those listings have a chance of getting targeted by anyone trying to flag your posts. Instead, use image-based templates that include your dealership name, phone number, and location. Car buyers searching for specific car models can still see everything in your ad, but make it harder for anyone specifically trying to search for your dealership.
The Complete Solution: Using an Automated Craigslist Posting Service
These five strategies can dramatically decrease how often your Craigslist posts are flagged. The longer your listings stay live, the less time you spend posting each and every car in your inventory. Auto dealers that have a large inventory will naturally see higher costs to listing their cars on Craigslist, because it takes more time to deploy these strategies to make sure your posts stay online. For this reason, many large dealerships have chosen to pay for Craigslist posting services. The best Craigslist posting services are systems that help make sure most of your inventory is posted without getting removed or ghosted. Larger dealers who want to optimize selling cars on Craigslist often find that these distribution services are more cost-effective compared to manually listing and monitoring posts one car at a time.
Autofusion only posts on Craigslist for car dealerships.
6 Ways to Avoid Ghosting on Craigslist – Knock CRM
It is undeniable that Craigslist is an essential channel for multifamily property managers because it is a free channel that prospects regularly visit as they look for new apartments. However, it may not seem so “free” when leasing agent time is spent posting and that post is flagged or deleted by Craigslist – a practice known as “ghosting. ” When a post is ghosted, your ad will be visible from your account but will be hidden from public view. Unfortunately, when it comes to posting to Craigslist, there are many things completely outside of anyone’s control. Ghosting happens to be one of them, but we have pulled together some helpful information on how to avoid this. Please keep in mind these are just tips and there are no guarantees – but this will give you the best shot of your posts being seen by prospects! Things to be aware of when it comes to Craigslist flagging and moderation: There is a very active moderation community on CL. These are Craigslist users that review posts, looking for any content that (they perceive) violates the Craigslist terms of use: There are paid services that specialize in flagging posts (their goal is to flag all posts so only their customer’s posts are the only ones left! ) Craigslist utilizes their own manual and automated moderation tools. The exact methods they use are private, but see tips below There is a wide belief that users who have their posts flagged and removed have a lower flagging threshold in the future. This makes it very important to prevent getting these 6 suggestions to avoid your craigslist posts being flagged. 1. Don’t post the same/similar unit more than once per 48 hoursYou are only able to post to the same city / category once every 48 hours for the same item. If the price range is close / identical, it could be perceived as posting the same item. 2. Don’t post repetitive content. This includes:The same body of the ad, including a description or special. You should also avoid posting the same set of photos. Just re-arrange the photo orders, and don’t use more than 8-10. 3. Don’t promote your community, instead promote your unitCraigslist is a marketplace to buy and sell, not advertise. So, ads that aren’t specific in what they are selling, or if there is a “bait and switch”, a post may get flagged for removal. 4. Don’t use spammy or salesy wordsWhile such language doesn’t violate Craigslist Terms of Use, spammy language is often cited as a reason for community moderators to flag posts. 5. Don’t leave out key informationWhile there are no rules on what is required in an ad (other than what is required in the posting process), community moderators often flag posts that are not descriptive of the item (unit) being offered. 6. Don’t over-stylize your adsThis includes using multiple font sizes, bold fonts, underlined fonts, italics, and unnecessary capitalization. While stylizing ads doesn’t violate Craigslist Terms of Use, over-stylized posts may be perceived as coming from a template, which may attract more nclusionFollowing these six steps will give you the best chance of your posts being seen by prospects looking for a new apartment. If you want to learn more about how to better optimize Craigslist content to improve conversion within the channel, check out our post on how to Up Your Craigslist more tips like these, sign up for Knock’s newsletter.
Frequently Asked Questions about why does craigslist delete my posts
Why is Craigslist removing my posts?
Craigslist automatically monitors the IP addresses of where posts originate, so if they notice that too many posts are coming from the same IP, then those listings will get flagged for removal. Craigslist does this to prevent one person from spamming their site with too many ads at once.
How do I stop 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.
Does Craigslist delete posts?
Once you’ve created an ad, you’ll be able to delete it at any time for any reason. After your ad goes live, Craigslist will send an automated email that includes the post’s numerical ID and the title of your ad in the subject line. Here you’ll find a link to your ad as well as a link to edit or delete your post.Nov 11, 2020
