How to keep junk out of eBay alerts with excluded keywords and filters

How excluded keywords match

An excluded keyword is checked against the listing's title. If it appears there as whole words, whatever its capitals, the listing is left out. Plurals count too. Separate words or phrases with commas.

Whole words means a keyword doesn't catch the inside of a longer word:

• stand drops "charging stands" but not a console listed as "Standard Edition".
• box drops "boxes" but not "Xbox".
• case drops "cases" but not "showcase".

Phrases are still safer than single words, as a title can mention a word without being junk. The deal feeds use box only and empty box instead of box, and case for and clear case instead of case, so a listing that mentions its original box still gets through.

Excluded keywords only read the title. A fault mentioned only in the description still gets through, so treat them as a way to cut noise, not as a safety check.

Exceptions: keeping what you want

An exception keeps a listing even when its title has an excluded keyword. Exclude charger and add the exception with charger, and "MacBook Air charger" goes while "MacBook Air M2 with charger" stays.

Exceptions only overrule excluded keywords. Price limits, conditions, item location, excluded sellers and seller feedback still apply.

Which filter removes what

Price limits

• Minimum price is the quickest way to lose cheap accessories. The graphics cards feed uses $300, which keeps out cables, fans and accessories that mention a model.
• Watch out for auctions. A limit is compared with the current price, so a new auction with a low starting bid falls below a minimum price. If you're after auctions, try a separate alert with no minimum and only auction notices on.
• Maximum price is what you'd pay. Limits look at the item's price without shipping, and each post shows shipping where eBay quotes it.
• Best Offer maximum, under Advanced on the website's alert form, is a separate, higher limit for listings that take offers, since you can offer less than the asking price. With a maximum of $400 and a Best Offer maximum of $500, a $480 listing is posted only if it takes offers.

Condition, category, location and sellers

On the website's alert form, Simple has the condition sets and the category. The single conditions, item location and seller filters are under Advanced.

• Item condition. There are 17 to choose from, with one-press sets: Any condition, New only, Used only and Not for parts. A listing with no condition only comes through if Unspecified is ticked. Sellers choose the condition themselves, so it's a filter and not a promise.
• Category. It's picked from eBay's suggestions for your keywords. When accessories are listed in a different category from the item, choosing the item's own category removes them without any excluded keywords.
• Item location. Anywhere in the world, or only items located in the marketplace's own country.
• Minimum seller feedback. This is the feedback score on the seller's eBay profile, not the percentage. A high minimum also hides honest new sellers, so set it to suit what you're spending.
• Excluded sellers. Their listings are never sent. Block seller on a post adds one, with an Undo, and offers to block that seller on all your alerts. You can see that list, and take names off it, in the alert manager and in Account settings.

Tune it as listings arrive

1. Start with few filters. Each one can hide something you wanted, so add them as you see what comes through.
2. Use View results before you wait. In the alert manager, it shows up to 5 of the newest listings the alert matches right now, and what its filters leave out.
3. Press Exclude a word when junk gets through. It asks for a word or phrase, and adds it to the alert's excluded keywords.
4. Look at Left out now and then. It lists the newest listings the alert found but its filters dropped, and why. If something good is in there, narrow the word or add an exception. eBay's own search applies the price, condition, location and excluded seller filters, so listings those remove never reach the bot and aren't shown there.
5. Don't worry about a flood. Changing a filter doesn't post listings that were already up before the alert's last check.

Worked example: a graphics card alert

The graphics cards feed searches eBay's graphics cards category with a $300 minimum, and its excluded keywords include box only, empty box, for parts, not working, broken, laptop, backplate and bracket. Here's how those filters treat a few titles, which are made up to show the rules.

You can start from this alert and change anything in it before saving.

On a plain eBay search

eBay's own search can exclude words too. Its Advanced Search has an "Exclude words from your search" box, and its help for sellers gives the example iPhone XS Max 64GB -cover, with a minus sign in front of the word. The same advice applies: pick words that only junk listings use.