Craigslist Ad Keeps Getting Flagged
How to Stop Getting Flagged on Craigslist – Small Business …
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.
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.
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 craigslist ad keeps getting flagged
How do I stop getting flagged on Craigslist?
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.
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.
What happens if your Craigslist post is flagged?
Free classified ads sufficiently flagged are subject to automated removal. Postings may also be flagged for removal by CL staff or CL automated systems. Millions of ads are removed by flagging monthly, nearly all of which violate the CL terms of use.
