Ebay search engine algorithm changed to be too general: PLEASE COMPLAIN ABOUT IT!

[paytonrules2003]

Some time during the past week or so eBay has changed its search engine algorithm so that anyone searching for a specific item will get hundreds of results instead of the few that actually apply. This has the result of frustrating potential buyers and harming both sellers and buyers.

For example a search for "November 1977 Byte Magazine" yields 326 results and the only way you can pare it down is to use the left side categories. Many buyers will not have the patience or skill to do this and will give up instead of being able to compare price and condition and make a purchase.

Worse, the results are not even close to what someone is looking for: Different years, different titles, some things that are not even magazines!

A week ago you would have simply gotten the 5 relevant results you needed.

Another example: 1958 Pennsylvania Railroad Brochure now yields an incredible 211 results, 99% of which are not from that year.

Why would anyone think this is a better way to do search? Please complain as the only way to get this changed back is to make your voices heard in large numbers!

[eburtonlab]

How are you searching, exactly?

When I search for November 1977 Byte Magazine on eBay I get six results:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=November+1977+Byte+Magazine&_sacat=0&_sop=10

Five results for 1958 Pennsylvania Railroad Brochure :

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=1958+Pennsylvania+Railroad+Brochure&_sacat=0&LH_Title...

If you are using a saved search, try creating a new search; from time to time eBay changes categories around causing some old searches to break.

Or you may have run into a temporary glitch.

If you do run into a search that seems to be returning too many results that do not match, you can try changing your sort order to Best Match to rank the results by relevance. Or else put one of your keywords in quotes to eliminate keyword substitutions. Make sure you are not inadvertently searching item descriptions in addition to title and item-specifics.

[paytonrules2003]

Clicking on your links returned 326 results for the first and 212 for the second

[paytonrules2003]

Putting quotations around one item in the keyword phrase does help. Thank you for that. Again, this is something we never had to do in the past.

[eburtonlab]

Clicking on your links returned 326 results for the first and 212 for the second

What browser are you using? Do you get different results if you use a different browser or sign out of your account? Or if you clear your cache and manually delete just your eBay cookies?

There may be an issue with your browser interfering with your search results.

[historical-treasures-rare-coins]

I am having the exact same problem. It started a little over a month ago. Ebay changed something, and it is very frustrating. 

Those search terms above give me 100s of results. This is happening on both the ebay app and on safari browser. 

[pusscollectibles]

This has gotten really bad as of late. Even if I'm super specific I end up with 800 results, none of which is what I wanted.

[eburtonlab]

I am having the exact same problem. It started a little over a month ago. Ebay changed something, and it is very frustrating.

Those searches that worked for me last month are now producing hundreds of results that do not appear to be relevant, so you may be correct.

If adding quotes around one of your keywords works for you, as it does for me, then that would seem to indicate that the problem is related to keyword substitution or one of the other "smart" search features.

Use quotes to solve your immediate search issue, and report the problematic searches to eBay using the "Feedback" link in the lower right corner of the search results page when using a desktop browser.

[eburtonlab]

Even if I'm super specific I end up with 800 results, none of which is what I wanted.

What are you searching for? Does the addition of quotes around one of your search keywords help your search?

[simba6]

Same here.

[cosmokazi]

The new algorithm searches "Any words" in my search instead of "All words." For instance, I look for a model rocket made by Estes, called Tartar. So, I normally get results back that only have listings with the Estes Tartar model rocket in them. However, I now get 59 items that contain the word "tar." Like Tar Heels, which is only part of my search term! Yes, I could put "Estes Tartar" in quotations, but it will only search for those 2 words in that order and next to each other. If someone lists an Estes Tartar rocket as "Estes Model Rocket," it will not appear in my search results! When I select "All words," it should look for ALL WORDS in the description! This is so frustrating!

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p3519243.m570.l1312&_nkw=estes+tartar&_sacat=0

[eburtonlab]

For instance, I look for a model rocket made by Estes, called Tartar. So, I normally get results back that only have listings with the Estes Tartar model rocket in them. However, I now get 59 items that contain the word "tar." Like Tar Heels, which is only part of my search term!

That sounds like a faulty keyword substitution issue.

As a workaround, try putting just one of your keywords in quotes to avoid any substitutions:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=estes+%22tartar%22&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0

Let eBay know about the faulty substitution by using the "Feedback" link on the search results page of the problematic search. The more users report such things, the more likely eBay is to look into the issue and ultimately fix it.

[historical-treasures-rare-coins]

Thanks. I submitted a feedback response to ebay as you suggested. 

It seems that the more words there are in a search, the more results Ebay provides (most are completely irrelevant). 

This is completely backwards and frustrating for both buyers and sellers. The more specific the search, there should be LESS results. 

This is definitely affecting my sales since buyers can not as easily find my specific items that they would have wanted. Search results are completely cluttered with non-wanted items.  Putting a word in quotes definitely helps, but 99% of buyers don’t know to do this. 

Ebay…….please fix the broken search engine!

[eburtonlab]

Thanks. I submitted a feedback response to ebay as you suggested.

You are welcome -- thanks for submitting that report. I still hold out hope that if enough users report such issues eBay will address this problem.

It seems that the more words there are in a search, the more results Ebay provides (most are completely irrelevant).

This is completely backwards and frustrating for both buyers and sellers. The more specific the search, there should be LESS results.

Adding additional keywords should result in fewer results returned, and usually that is the case. There are a few minor exceptions where that may not happen.

Since each keyword should appear in all the returned results, adding an extra keyword should eliminate any previous result not containing that keyword, and nothing should be added that was not already present in the previous results. That is how it usually works.

Regarding the exceptional cases: Certain keywords can cause a search to be steered into a particular category. Sometimes adding more keywords causes the search to be kicked back into "all categories" once more; in that case more keywords can result in more results (in more categories). And if a search finds no results at all, eBay may drop some keywords or substitute keywords to widen the search and find something to show a potential buyer.

But in general, adding more keywords should return fewer results as you would expect. If the search is working correctly.

[the_riel_deal]

This is a nightmare, i have dozens of saved searches for very specific/rare items... instead of a couple emails a week i am now getting dozens of emails every single day, each filled with hundreds of useless search results. 

Off to see if I can submit a complaint somewhere right now.