- Categories
- Computers and Electronics
- Internet
- Social Media
- Social Networking Services
- Craigslist
Download Article
Explore this Article
methods
1Using a Web Service
2Using Google
Other Sections
Related Articles
References
Author Info
Last Updated: November 5, 2020
Download Article
Do you use Craigslist on a regular basis, but are frustrated by the lack of nationwide searching? Are you looking for that hard to find item that could be anywhere in the country. Let’s face it, the Craigslist website isn’t exactly the most functional out there. Luckily there are a variety of ways to search the entire Craigslist database for that special something (or someone). Follow this guide to learn how.
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:
Using a Web Service
Download Article
1
Find a Craigslist searching tool. There are several websites will search through all regions of Craigslist. These sites vary in the amount of control they offer, but all will allow you to search Craigslist nationwide. Some of the more popular sites include:[1]
- Search Tempest
- ad hunt’r
- Search All Junk
- DailyLister
2
Enter your search term. Some websites will just provide results for the specific term across all of Craigslist, while others will allow you to specify categories and regions.
- For Search Tempest, enter the postal code and the radius you want your search to encompass. If you’d like, you can use the Preferences section to change to a state, region, or worldwide search. You can choose categories and sub-categories before you begin your search.
- For ad hunt’r, you’ll need to enter your search first. After the results are returned, you will be able to use the filters on the left side of the page to narrow your results to specific areas and categories.
- Search All Junk is a barebones search site. Enter your search, and then use the tabs at the top of your results list to view different regions. You cannot search through specific categories.
- Daily Lister allows you to search and specify the category. Once you have a list of search results, you can use the menu at the top to specify the region. You can also choose to search by just the title or the whole post. DailyLister does not search outside of the US.
Advertisem*nt
3
Browse the results. Each service will return results in a different order, and many let your further refine your search. Use the tools available to narrow your search down to something useful for you.
Advertisem*nt
Method 2
Method 2 of 2:
Using Google
Download Article
1
Use advanced search operators. Google can do way more than just search, and with a little trick, can do a search of Craigslist on a nationwide scale.
- This method also works with Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines.
2
Enter your search criteria. In the search field, enter what you're looking for—whether jobs, merchandise, or love—it's all the same to Google!
3
Follow your search word or words with "site: craigslist.org". This will focus the search for information on Craigslist and all of its subdomains.
4
Use additional modifiers to narrow your search. You can add additional search criteria by using search operators. Some of the most useful for Craigslist include:
- Price range – Enter in two prices separated by “..” For example: “Panasonic TV $400..$500 site: craigslist.org” will only return results that list a price in that range.
- Zip code – Add a zip code to the end of the search to narrow your results down by location. For example: “Panasonic TV $400..$500 site: craigslist.org 90210” will return results that match the price range and that appear near Beverly Hills, CA.
- Exclude words – You can remove words from your search to exclude results that you don’t need. For example: “Panasonic TV $400..$500 site: craigslist.org 90210 -used” will return results that match the price range in Beverly Hills that aren’t used.[2]
Advertisem*nt
Community Q&A
Search
Question
How do I search all of Craigslist for a certain item by owner only?
Community Answer
You can do that with AllofList.com. For example to search all Craigslist cars for sale by owner just select cars/trucks from the drop down menu and search.
Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHowYesNo
Not Helpful 4Helpful 1
Question
How do you find either the phone number or email address when they're not shown in the ad even when you click on REPLY?
DIGIBANKS
Community Answer
Sometimes websites have hidden information in their HTML code that isn't visible on the front end. You could try inspecting the website's HTML code (right-click and select "Inspect" on most browsers) to see if there's any contact information buried in there. Some ads might have a contact form that you can fill out instead of directly displaying an email address or phone number. You could try submitting the form and seeing if the ad poster responds.
Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHowYesNo
Not Helpful 0Helpful 0
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Advertisem*nt
Tips
Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Submit
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
You Might Also Like
Advertisem*nt
References
About This Article
wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 24 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 382,735 times.
How helpful is this?
Co-authors: 24
Updated: November 5, 2020
Views:382,735
Categories: Craigslist
In other languages
Russian
Dutch
- Send fan mail to authors
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 382,735 times.
Is this article up to date?
Advertisem*nt
