Finding listings near you

The Near me button on the Classifieds page takes you straight to the metro area closest to you, so you don't have to pick your state and area by hand. It uses your browser's location, and it only works if you allow that.

How do I find listings near me?

1. Go to Classifieds.
2. Tap Near me near the top of the page.
3. If your browser asks to share your location, choose to allow it.
4. The button shows Finding… for a moment, then you land on the area page closest to you.

From there you can search, filter by category and sort. See Searching and filtering listings.

How does Near me pick my area?

Each metro area has a center point. Near me compares your location with every area's center and picks the closest one in a straight line. It then opens that area's page.

A few things follow from that:

• It always picks exactly one area, the nearest center, even if that area is in a neighboring state.
• If you live between two areas, you may land in the one that's slightly closer as the crow flies rather than the one you think of as home.
• It doesn't filter ads by distance. It just takes you to an area page, which lists every live ad in that area.

If it picks the wrong area, see What if Near me picks the wrong area?

Is my location saved or shared?

No. Your location is used only inside your browser to work out which area is closest. It isn't sent to Underground Aquarium, isn't saved to your account and isn't shown to anyone. The list of areas is already on the page, so the match happens on your device.

The site asks for an approximate location, not a precise one, which is plenty for picking a metro area.

What happens if I block location?

If you tap Near me and location is blocked for the site, you'll see:

"Location is blocked for this site. Pick your state below instead."

Nothing else happens, and the rest of the page works normally. Scroll down to Pick your state, choose your state, then choose your area.

If you want to use Near me later, you'll need to allow location for the site in your browser settings. Most browsers let you change this from the icon at the left end of the address bar, or from the site settings in the browser's menu. On a phone, you may also need location turned on for the browser app itself in your phone's settings.

Other messages you might see

• "This browser can't share your location. Pick your state below." Your browser doesn't support location sharing. Use Pick your state instead.
• "Couldn't get your location. Pick your state below instead." Your browser tried but couldn't find you in time, for example because location services are off, the signal was weak, or it took longer than about 10 seconds. Try again, or pick your state.
• "Couldn't work out your closest area. Pick your state below." Your location came through but couldn't be matched to an area. Pick your state by hand.

What if Near me picks the wrong area?

Pick the right one by hand:

1. On the area page you landed on, tap All of followed by the state name at the top.
2. Tap the area you want.

Or go back to Classifieds and use Pick your state. If the right area is in the same state, it's also listed under Other areas in at the bottom of the area page.

Near me picks by distance to each area's center, so if you're close to a state line or between two metro areas, it can land you next door. It's worth checking Other areas in your state for nearby ads too.

Why is the Near me button missing?

The button only appears when the site has location points for its metro areas. If it isn't showing, browsing by state works just the same:

1. Go to Classifieds.
2. Scroll to Pick your state and tap your state.
3. Tap the metro area closest to you.

Does Near me remember my area?

No. Each time you tap it, it asks the browser for your location again. Your browser may reuse a location it found in the last several minutes, so it's quick the second time.

To get back to your area fast, bookmark your area page (for example /marketplace/ca/sacramento).

Is the Near me on the home page the same thing?

No. The Near me button on the home page, next to the fish store search, finds fish stores near you, not classified ads. See Finding a fish store. The classifieds Near me button is on the Classifieds page.

I landed on an area with no ads. Now what?

If nobody has posted in your area yet, the page says "Nothing posted in" followed by the area name. Try:

• Other areas in your state, listed at the bottom of the page.
• Every listing, which shows every live ad nationwide. Some sellers are willing to meet partway.
• Posting a Wanted ad in your area so sellers can find you. See Posting a classified ad.

Common problems

I tapped Near me and nothing seemed to happen. Look just under the button for a message in yellow text. It explains what went wrong, usually that location is blocked or couldn't be found. If you see Finding…, give it up to about 10 seconds.

My browser never asked for permission. You may have blocked or allowed location for the site before, and the browser remembered. Check the site's location setting in your browser.

It sent me to an area in the next state. That area's center is closer to you than any area in your own state. Use Pick your state to choose your home area.

I'm on a computer and it's way off. Computers without GPS often estimate location from your internet connection, which can be miles off. Pick your state and area by hand.