What does "Best Match" even mean and how can I set default sort to Price, lowest first?

[atikovi]

When you search with a few key words and get back hundred or thousands of results, they are always sorted by "Best Match". What determines the best match to your search words? I don't notice any pattern that the results match anything I searched on. How can I set the default sort to Price, lowest first instead of "Best Match"?

[missjen831]

I think best match are the listings eBay thinks best match your search and I think part of the criteria they use are how “special” the sellers are—there are things sellers do that earn them better placement and whatnot. I haven’t been able to set a default search in years, it always reverts to best match. 

[woodland_gnome · Accepted solution]

To set defaults in search results, start from a succesful search result (one that returns at least 1 actual match with your keywords, as opposed to 0 found but then they put close ones after that) and click the "View" button towards the top right of the results, then choose "Customize" and the default sort order is a drop down menu, select  your choice and make any other changes to the default then Apply Changes at the bottom.  Mine has stuck at what I set it for years now, but sometimes there is a format change and you have to go through the process again.

[southern*sweet*tea]

@atikovi

I've had my default search set to nearest zip for like, forever.

Do a search, any search will do.

Click view>customize

A little window will pop up in the center of the page. Set it up however you want, be sure to click "apply changes".

[atikovi]

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@woodland_gnome wrote:

To set defaults in search results, start from a succesful search result (one that returns at least 1 actual match with your keywords, as opposed to 0 found but then they put close ones after that) and click the "View" button towards the top right of the results, then choose "Customize" and the default sort order is a drop down menu, select  your choice and make any other changes to the default then Apply Changes at the bottom.  Mine has stuck at what I set it for years now, but sometimes there is a format change and you have to go through the process again.

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Excellent advice.