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Sunday, December 16, 2007

How to avoid flagging on craigslist

Flagging is a wide controversial feature of craigslist.org.

Following are some tips to reduce flagging by the visitors:
  • Make the ads non-commercial looking
  • Make the ads local looking
  • Choose the appropriate category. Don't post to non-related sections.
  • Use as many different titles as possible. Titles should match with the theme of the respective category.
  • Use as many different descriptions as possible.
  • Avoid using a particular word or phrase in the titles and descriptions. So avoid using your telephone number, website address, email address or company name in each and every posts. Make some variations in this regard. In one posting you can use telephone number, in another posting you can use website address etc...
  • If you want to receive emails from the visitors use craigslsit's anonymous email feature.
  • If you see a sudden increase in flagging then take a hold on posting for few days and restart again.
  • Read this Unofficial craigslsit Flag FAQ carefully. It will help you greatly to understand why your ads are getting flagged by the visitors.
  • Post your question regarding flagging problem in craigslsit flag help forum. You can also contact craigslsit's support directly if you feel that your ads are being flagged while you are obeying craigslist's TOS. Here is the contact form.
  • Finally, don't post too many. Leave some room for other posters.

35 comments:

Unknown said...

Those tips are rendered pretty much useless by the serial hackers who have managed to automate the flagging process so they can take an ad down within minutes. Flaggers have their own websites http://www.flagger.org and http://www.craigsflagger.com and it is now possible with the new CL posting limits to have all your ads flagged off and not be able to post again until another day. The limits don't consider how many ads yo have active, just how many times you attempt to post. Of course, they don't limit the number of times you get to flag. There are people on Erotic Services selling outright sex, while legit, but sensual masseurs with the tamest ads get targeted and removed.

I have repeatedly asked craig to require a verification word, so people won't be able to automate and abuse the flagging process, but he refuses to do it. Fairness is not a concern on CL, and their system not only allows people to be victimized, it enables and encourages it.

Anonymous said...

I agree CAPTCHA should also be incorporated into flagging process. Instead of showing CAPTCHA each time to flag, it may be shown randomly as MySpace do during sending friend request.

Anonymous said...

anyone know a way around the phone verification system on cl

Anonymous said...

Where have you found "phone verification system on cl" ?

I didn't see anything like that on craigslist. Is it recent inclusion?

Rhazula said...

I once posted an ad and was flagged down in less than 10 minutes.

Anonymous said...

Yes, phone verification is realitively new, about the beginning for 2008 I think. I believe that I read that it is only for adult services area. Don't use it so don't know. Probably trying to keep down illegal activities.

Anonymous said...

Phone verification is just for the erotic services section. It was started in March, 2008 as an attempt to cut down on the large amount of spam in that section created by the auto-posters. If you want to remain anonymous and still post in that section, buy a disposable cell phone for $20 and use that for the verification.

Anonymous said...

The phone verification was extended yesterday to all services categories and is causing major backups in the system.

Anonymous said...

I guess craigslist will implement phone verification in all the categories in the near future.

Anonymous said...

It is not just phone verification in the "erotic" section of Craigslist that has been effected by this policy, but all the services now have been effected, e.g. Labor/Move , skilled trade, household,computer, etc..

For individuals who needed to post several ads per day to compete with the incredible number of ads that are posted for labor and household services offered, and who were not spammers, this policy is a disaster. This policy not only cuts out the honest individual workers ability to compete, the same workers who get part time work from their ads, but it allows the commercial spammers to control the board using deceptive methods to bypass the verification system, e.g. getting multiple yahoo accounts and using friends home phone numbers to retrieve the verification code number. All in all this phone verification system has "Nothing" to do with abuses in the "erotic" section, or it wou

Anonymous said...

People are already selling phone verified craigslist accounts for $5 to $10 each.
They are advertising on craigslist itself to sell those. I have seen dozens of such ads on craigs list.

John & Heather Wyant said...

These auto posters are a great tool, just dont spam with them. I use this software all the time for my real estate business. You can Download a Free Craigslist Auto Poster trial at: Craigslist Auto Poster Software and Demo

Unknown said...

CL Phone Verify would like to announce the launch of our site, you can purchase your craigslist verified accounts at http://www.clphoneverify.com , get them for under $5 each.

Anonymous said...

I have discovered a simple process anyone can use to create an unlimited number of “authenticated by phone” craigslist user accounts.

There are no special software or hardware requirements. You don’t even need a phone. All you need is a computer, an internet connection and the ability to play/hear small .wav audio files.

How many numbers you create depends on how much time you are willing to invest. Creating one account, from start to final verification, takes less than two minutes.

Visit our website: http://www.powerpostings.com

Powerpostings.com said...

1) Unique Email address: Try to use a different email address for each posting.

2) Unique description: You need to change the ad description each time. Otherwise, simply it is not possible to post the same ad over and over again.

3) I.P. address: Change your I.P. as frequently as possible. Craigslist allows to post about 10-20 ads per day from an I.P. If more is posted then it is blocked for few hours to few days, even permanently if abused recurrently.

4) Titles: Using a lot of different titles are also helpful. Particularly, it reduces user flagging. And obviously user flagging leads to staff deletion.

5) Time gap: Don’t post more than 10-20 ads at a time. Give some time gap between each batch of postings.
more…

Summary:

You do need invest on Craigslist Posting but not on things can’t bring you value! Ask a professional before you make purchase decision! I will suggest www.Powerpostings.com you can get what you need by paying less!

Anonymous said...

i've had long running emails with Craig Newmark( personally, i don't think it's him, just one of the many minions who work there) about the vicious nasty flagging that goes on in the personals section. Alot of it is the 'christian right' moralists and just psychos let loose. He plays every twisting game and lies about either not understanding or knowing. Obviously, there is something nasty going on in Craigslist itself and Newmark has to be quiet as it's running out of control and ultimately will destroy his credibility

Anonymous said...

I have been trying to sell a vehicle in the motorcycle/scooter section of CL and all of them get flagged. Some even before they post. Once I recieved a flag notice before I recieved a posting notice. How does that happen? They flagged all my posts in various catagories all the way back to June 10th. About 60 in all....So, I dont know what to do.. All my posts fall within guidlines.

Anonymous said...

I"ve had the same insta-flag issue for the past couple of weeks. Different IPs, different email addresses, different ads, even for stupid things like a half bucket of drywall primer.

ONce I try to repost the ad, the system says "I already have a similar ad up" and it's there, but when I go to my self-publishing email, it says it's flagged.

Help!!

Anonymous said...

If we want to get rid of autoflaggers we probably need to get rid of the spammers I'm sure they're one in the same...I think Craigslist can do this in a simple way...Make Craigslist email everypost and if they receive in "instant" automatic reply (usually an ad) they should get flagged down

Anonymous said...

very easy to get around the posting limits and backtracing. I have 40 email accounts and drive around town with a laptop. There are hundreds of open wifi connections all over.Just hunt them out.

AND dont be stupid and check any of your email accounts from your own connection at home.

Anonymous said...

IHAVE BEEN FLAGGED FROM C/C FOR TWO WEEKS I HVE GONE OVE RALL MY ADS NO BREAKING THE RULES OR TERMS. I CANT STAY UP FOR MORE THAN 1 HOUR SLOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYIN THIS IN MY AREA. I HAVE USED DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS . EMAILS. CELL NUMBERS FOR CONTACT INFO. DIFFERENT LAPTOPS STILL NO AD STAYS UP.. WHAT CAN I DO? HAS THIS EVER HAPPEN TO ANYONE? I NEED ADVISE?

Anonymous said...

OPPS I AM TALKING ABOUT C/L I WROTE C/C SORRY

Joseph C. said...

I find multiposting works great as long as you keep your ads unique. The best way to do this is using an ad/article spinner and writing nice ads. I rarely have problems with flagging. A nice spinning application is http://eye-spin.com - quite affordable and allows you to track your craigslist ads with a small tracking code.

Anonymous said...

someone should make a free or cheap (1$:D) ad flagging software and spread it all over the net and force craigslist to put word verification or something for the flagg button..i post legit ads and they get flagged by idiots all the time

Anonymous said...

Do not purchase from CLPHONEVERIFY - They are now selling accounts that break just shortly after their 72 HOUR refund policy. Their customer service is awful. NOT NOT ORDER FROM THEM!! Also.. stay away from their other website: http://autoposterpro.com/ - STAY AWAY!

Unknown said...

Haha, flag software is against Craigslist TOS, but paying people to flag isn't as long as those people are doing it in good conscience. One example of this kinda action is shown on craigshitmen.com

Anonymous said...

We have made few cragslist software.
pls. see
http://scrappingexpert.com.

we can also create flagging software for craigslist.
We would not prefer to do that as it is against c/l Terms.

But If anyone of you is serious about asking c/l to put captcha please contact us we both will contact c/l and give them auto flagging code for freet.

The Jenkins said...

How do we really know that you know what you're doing? Don't you think you should be more careful before passing on so much "free advice" I think you should post your qualifications.

keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

Don't post SPAM. Don't post crap. Don't post deceptive ads. You won't get flagged. I've posted a fair number of ads on CL for both free items and for sale and never been flagged.

I've also flagged ads, for example obvious car dears posting as FSBO, 2004 Prius for $2,000, pets for sale (prohibited), etc.

Comply w/ CL's terms of service and you won't get flagged.

Anonymous said...

I had a similar problem, there were times i were in a wifi area creating a username with C/L and flagged that a profile has already been created which sucks. the ad was for lots of free stuff and shopping coupons at http://www.friizii.com

Unknown said...

I've been posting on CL for several years, never spammed, never posted crap ads.
Just posted for what I needed or wanted to sell according to TOS.
Just recently posted one ad got it flagged, rewrote it according to help forum people got it flagged, again and again.

Got sick of it and went here.

http://neverflagged.com

NOT ONE PROBLEM POSTING - good bye
craigslist - have had it with socialism.

Anonymous said...

Hi,
We do have craigslist antiflagging software.

thanks,
Contact us

Nikki Yeager said...

Ah! I agree with "Some"! I posted a completely legitimate ad looking for an intern for my social media company. It was flagged and removed 10 times. Apparently I wasn't offering enough money for a college student to work 2-5 hours a week. Which is absurd!

Anyways, I posted this blog and got a ton of email responses. Thought you may be able to relate to my experience http://www.nikkiyeager.com/apps/blog/show/2586623-mourning-the-death-of-craigslist

Anonymous said...

My solution is to not use Craigs List at all. I use a better site. www.cerberusads.com

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