Searching and filtering listings

Every area page and the nationwide Every listing page has three tools at the top: a search box, a sort menu and a row of category pills. They work together and update the list instantly as you type or tap.

Where can I search listings?

The search box, sort menu and category pills appear on:

• Area pages, such as /marketplace/fl/tampa-bay. The search box says "Search" followed by the area name.
• The nationwide list at Every listing, which covers every live ad in every area.

The Classifieds home page and the state pages don't have a search box. From the Classifieds page, tap Browse all to search everything, or tap a category to jump straight to that category nationwide.

What does the search box match?

Type a word and the list narrows as you type. Search looks for what you typed inside each ad's:

• title,
• description,
• town.

It isn't case sensitive, and it matches parts of words, so "neo" finds "Neocaridina" and "guppy" finds "guppy" and "guppys".

It doesn't search the seller's name, the category name or the metro area name. To narrow by category, use the category pills instead. To search one area, go to that area's page.

Tap the X at the end of the box to clear your search.

Why doesn't my two-word search find anything?

Search matches exactly what you typed, as one piece of text, in that order. "cherry shrimp" finds an ad that says "cherry shrimp", but not one that says "shrimp, cherry red" or "red cherry neocaridina shrimp".

If a multi-word search comes up empty, try one distinctive word, like "cherry", "betta" or "canister". You'll get more results and can scan them quickly.

Filtering by category

Below the search box is a row of category pills. Tap one to show only ads in that category. Tap All to go back to everything.

Each pill shows how many ads it holds on that page, and only categories that actually have ads appear. The number on All is the total on the page.

The twelve categories are:

• Freshwater Fish
• Saltwater & Coral
• Shrimp, Snails & Inverts
• Aquatic Plants
• Tanks & Stands
• Filters, Lights & Equipment
• Hardscape & Decor
• Food & Water Care
• DIY & 3D-Printed
• Free Stuff
• Wanted / ISO
• Everything Else

On a phone, the pill row scrolls sideways. See Listing categories and ad types for what belongs where.

Why aren't all the free (or wanted) ads under Free Stuff?

The Free Stuff and Wanted / ISO pills show ads the seller posted in those categories. Separately, every ad is also marked as for sale, free or wanted when it's posted.

That means a free ad posted in, say, Freshwater Fish shows a green Free tag on its card and a price of "Free", but it appears under the Freshwater Fish pill, not Free Stuff. The same goes for a wanted ad posted in Tanks & Stands: it has a blue Wanted tag but sits under Tanks & Stands.

To find every giveaway, look for the Free tag while browsing, or sort by Price: low to high, which puts free ads first.

Sorting listings

Use the sort menu next to the search box:

• Newest first (the default): most recently posted or renewed at the top.
• Price: low to high: free ads ($0) first, then cheapest to most expensive.
• Price: high to low: most expensive first.

In both price sorts, ads that say "Contact for price" and wanted ads (which have no price) go to the end of the list, since there's no number to sort them by.

Do search, category and sort work together?

Yes. You can type a search, pick a category and choose a sort all at once. For example, on your area page you can pick Aquatic Plants, type "moss" and sort by Price: low to high.

The line above the results tells you what you're looking at, like "6 listings" or "2 listings in Aquatic Plants".

The numbers on the category pills always count every ad on the page, not just the ones matching your search.

Can I share or bookmark a filtered search?

Partly. On the nationwide list, a category can be part of the link: tapping a category on the Classifieds page opens a link like /listings?category=plants, and you can bookmark or share that link to reopen the list with that category picked.

Search words and sort choices aren't saved in the link. If you leave the page and come back, the search box is empty and the sort goes back to Newest first. Category pills you tap on an area page also reset when you leave.

Is there a price range, distance or condition filter?

No. Right now the tools are search, category and sort. There isn't a filter for price range, distance, condition, seller or "photos only".

Some ways to get close:

• Distance: browse the area page closest to you, then check Other areas in your state for nearby areas. The town on each card tells you roughly where the seller is.
• Price: sort by Price: low to high and stop scrolling when prices pass your budget.
• Condition: condition shows on gear cards (New, Like new, Good, Fair or For parts), so you can scan for it.

How many listings does search look through?

Search, pills and sorting work on the ads loaded on that page: up to 500 live ads, the ones most recently posted or renewed. An area page almost always holds every live ad in that area. On the nationwide list, if you're not finding something, try the search on the specific area page instead.

Common problems

"Nothing matches" appears. Nothing on the page fits your search plus the category you picked. Tap All, clear the search with the X, or try a shorter single-word search.

A category pill I expected is missing. Pills only appear for categories that have at least one live ad on that page. If nobody near you has posted in that category, it won't show. Try Every listing for the whole country.

The list says "0 listings in" a category. This can happen when you open a category link for a category that has no live ads right now. Tap All to see everything.

I searched a town name and got ads from somewhere else. Search matches words anywhere in the title and description too, so an ad that mentions a town (for example "pickup in Folsom only") matches even if the seller lives elsewhere.

Search found an ad I know is sold. Sold, expired and deleted ads drop off lists within about a minute. Refresh the page.