Listings/items not showing up in search results June 2021

[ghost-star]

Not sure if this is a new glitch. To be honest, not sure if this is a glitch at all or if this is something new eBay is trying out...

I recently realized that only a select few of my items are showing up in specific keyword searches. For instance, I currently have about a dozen listings for "J.Crew glen plaid suit," but when I use that search, only two of my listings show up. This glitch occurs with all other keyword searches as well, consistently showing only a select few of the many listings I have that perfectly match those keywords and category selections (color, size, etc.).

I'm thinking maybe it's because I have several similar listings and the algorithm doesn't want any one seller overloading a specific search? No idea, really. Just a wild guess. All of my listings, although similar, are selling either different colors or sizes. (And before anyone suggests that I group these items into a single listing with size or color "variations," this option isn't optimal for specific categories, such as dress shirts or suits.)

Anyone else experiencing this? I've been at this for a couple days now and still can't figure it out. I no longer bother calling eBay about these glitches because they take weeks to months to correct them (if they correct them at all), but if no one has an answer, I might have to do just that. 

Thanks in advance,

ghost-star

[ghost-star]

Just to clarify... I am referring to the general eBay search, NOT a search within my specific store. When I search in my store, all matching listings show up perfectly. But when I use those same keywords in the general eBay search, only a small fraction of my matching listings appear in the search result.

[eburtonlab]

I currently see eleven results of yours when searching j.crew glen plaid suit:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=j.crew+glen+plaid+suit&_sacat=0

[ghost-star]

Thanks for letting me know. Are you using eBay mobile or desktop? Because I've noticed that all the glitches I experience is on the desktop version but not on the mobile version. 

[ghost-star]

Hmm... I used your hyperlink and it seems to work. So strange. I'll play with this a little more. But I thoroughly made sure that there were no variables ticked on the left bar when I performed the search, so I can't imagine why my previous experiences were problematic. 

[eburtonlab]

You are most welcome.

I performed my search using Firefox on a Windows 10 machine, though the image I posted is actually from a different browser -- Avast Secure Browser -- so I could manipulate the settings and display a large number of results without changing the settings in my primary browser.

[ghost-star]

I figured out the problem (actually, a customer service rep figured it out). Apparently, if you search for items using your selling account, eBay filters out many of your own listings in the search results. I find that very odd and don't really understand the benefits. I'd think it just causes a lot of confusion and needless worry. 

[highlido]

I have a similar issue where I can see some of my items but they disappear$319.27Should be right there under $299 but it is NO WHERE on this page when I sort price plus shipping lowest first. Just totally gone . 

[public-direct]

I've had this same problem until someone suggested I had the items in an incorrect category. After changing that, the items finally showed up. I doubt this is your case but might be worth a look at.

[donsdetour]

Try misspelling on of the words and see what happens:::

Yes the search has been messed up for a long time...

[velvet@ebay]

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@ghost-star wrote:

Not sure if this is a new glitch. To be honest, not sure if this is a glitch at all or if this is something new eBay is trying out...

I recently realized that only a select few of my items are showing up in specific keyword searches. For instance, I currently have about a dozen listings for "J.Crew glen plaid suit," but when I use that search, only two of my listings show up. This glitch occurs with all other keyword searches as well, consistently showing only a select few of the many listings I have that perfectly match those keywords and category selections (color, size, etc.).

I'm thinking maybe it's because I have several similar listings and the algorithm doesn't want any one seller overloading a specific search? No idea, really. Just a wild guess. All of my listings, although similar, are selling either different colors or sizes. (And before anyone suggests that I group these items into a single listing with size or color "variations," this option isn't optimal for specific categories, such as dress shirts or suits.)

Anyone else experiencing this? I've been at this for a couple days now and still can't figure it out. I no longer bother calling eBay about these glitches because they take weeks to months to correct them (if they correct them at all), but if no one has an answer, I might have to do just that. 

Thanks in advance,

ghost-star

---

Hey @ghost-star! I see that customer support let you know that it was because you're searching for your own items and I'd be happy to elaborate, as that is somewhat the case. It really has everything to do with the search algorithm and not so much that we officially filter out sellers listings.

Given you're regularly searching your own items, and not buying them, the algorithm will think you're not interested in those items. That means they're going to stop being served up to you, or they may be low in your results if they do appear.

If you look with an incognito window, not signed in to your account, on a mobile site, app, etc. then you'll notice that the results will vary. This is due to the algorithms for each platform/device and past search history. Just know that in the end, buyers searching for items like yours will see them! 😊 

[ghost-star]

Thanks for the info. But I have a suggestion. If a search result (after selecting specifics) results in fewer than, say, two dozen items, have the algorithm show all the results. There's absolutely no point in hiding any matching listings when the result total is so small. I mention this because I deliberately selected a bunch of item specifics to narrow down the search to pretty much my own items. And because the search engine removed my items, there were only a handful of items (maybe 3 or 4) in the results for many of my searches. That should never be the case. 

[sports_cards_artifacts_and_collectibles]

I am noticing when I bid on an item or view an item, there are no other similar items shown below. There are no items to view, which is not cool because I always go from one item to the next similar items based on my interests.

[sports_cards_artifacts_and_collectibles]

I have not listed items in quite a while, so I have not experienced your issue.

[goofyglassgirl]

I'm also having an issue with seeing my listings. I have tried going incognito, making sure I was signed out, using different devices and different browsers. I only offer US shipping and do not offer local pick up. I can wait out the 24 hours but I have this strong feeling that it won't show at all.