Certain listings not showing up in search results, why?

[ksedar]

I was wondering if anyone has had this issue.  I sell a lot in flatware and I noticed a drop off in sales yesterday and today.  I did a search for the exact title of a few of my listings and they come back showing that they found one result but they don't show the result to me, they just show all listings that are "similar" or use less words.  I see that my listing has returned one result that is exact but ebay isn't showing it to click on it.  I took a photo to show.  This is true of almost all the silverware listings.  I tried to end and sell similar but the listings still aren't showing up for me.  Is this a glitch, or a restriction?  I haven't been told I'm restricted in any way and my jewelry listings are showing up for me, just not the silverware listings.  Some do but most of them don't? any insight would be great!  Thanks!

[donsdetour]

To be honest this has been going on since the item specifics update.

Its a mess and they will say it is not....yet it is.

Oh well the user agreement does not guarantee your item will ever show up.....  makes one wounder especially with the pay to play ( promotions) game....

Best bet is the indexing is a wreck is what I am and have been thinking. Tests tend at this as the reason as well.

[ksedar]

also this is happening with select listing in the dishes catagories, but not with all of them.  I can't find a common thread or reason why certain ones are shown and others not.  All listed very recently and I am not even getting the "new listing" perk, it is just showing that they found a result but isn't showing it to be clicked on.

[findingtime]

This is happening for me on my Chromebook too.  My search stated 4 items found but only 1 was showing.  The other listings do show up on my mobile phone though.

[fern*wood]

I wouldn't be too concerned about that search result, since no buyer would search using every word in your title.  I just searched using "gorham cavalier salad forks" and yours was the top one with the "New Listing" showing.  The new listing thingy will only show if you sort in the "List View" format.

[ksedar]

Yes but what I am saying is that my listings are not showing up at all for me, with any wording or combination of wording or even the exact wording.  At least for me its not showing.  But you say you searched for the Gorham salad forks and they did indeed show up for you?  I was wondering if ebay shows me different things that are not mine own listings then, different from what they would show another person who put the exact thing in?  Very wonky stuff going on.

[ksedar]

I just did a search on my phone and my listings are showing for the salad forks.  What the heck is going on here?  I'm on a imac using chrome??

[books_n_more]

Same thing here.  Chrome/Firefox seem to be hiding some of my listings, but my phone shows them.  However, when I check in private/incognito mode, they work.  I think it is something to do with cookies. 

[books_n_more · Accepted solution]

I read in another thread that it is down to adblock affecting sponsored/promoted listings.  I've paused my promotions campaign and that sorted it out.  

[dariudaudery_0]

I have an issue searching for items between what i have listed so eBay has allot of problems related to the search.

The odd thing about searching my own items in my Store is that i can find them by using 1 word, but not by using another word. Come on eBay how is that possible... 

[ksedar]

I do use the promoted listings standard.  Are you saying to unpromote everything and that fixed the problem?

[myhomeschooldelights]

@ksedar 

@fern*wood 

@findingtime 

tyler@ebay

jasmine@ebay

I am experiencing the same problem.  Books category.  If I do a general ebay site search for a specific listing of mine it will not come up in the list of results, but if I go back to the top of the screen and click on the "advanced" search icon and from that page click "search" again, it shows up.  This is without adding any advanced parameters or changes at all from the general search I just did.

Additionally if I go to my eBay store and search for the same listing, it says 1 listing found, but then the page is completely blank - no listing shown.

I use chrome also, and desktop.  Another thread mentioned trying another browser with success and also clear cache/cookies and ad blockers.  But....seems like a glitch to me if a listing is searched for by its title and is not in the list of results, but then is if advanced search is used.  Doesn't address the store result though.

I have reported both of these issues to the eBay for Business FB page but they have not helped.

[ksedar]

WOW!  I turned off my own adblocker and all my listings that are promoted are now showing up for me.  How insane.  Thank you @books_n_more .  You solved it!

[skeletonstore]

You can't sandbox your own listings.  Ebay also doesn't always show yours or anyone else's listings and they've said as much many years ago they would sometimes omit listings from results.  When I search for just the 1st 2 words I see your listing.  Search engines are complex and not organic.  Google does the same thing and actually hides search results they don't like.  In ebay's case they hide things because they think a certain buyer is interested in something else.  It can all come down to chance though because let's face it life sometimes hides buyers as well.  Too many search terms can confuse search engines these days.  Page views are fake too.  The only page views that count are the ones where the right person views your item and you smell the fragrance of swiped plastic so to speak.  In my experience ebay will show your listings regularly to such beings if you list dozens of items a day and always make yourself available to answer questions,  ship orders immediately(not an hour later,  not tomorrow but immediately).  

[myhomeschooldelights]

@ksedar 

I found @books_n_more post (accepted already as the solution) to be spot on.  I tried disabling my ad blocker and it completely solved the 2 issues I previously reported - I use Chrome and did not try a different browser or clear cache, etc.    I simply disabled Ad Blocker + and the listings showed up in the general search AND also in my own store, whereas they had not appeared in either place before.  These are promoted listings.  

So, we could unpromote, like you say, and I think it would fix the problem for now, or disable Ad blocker.  If a buyer uses an Ad blocker, then I suspect they will not see the listings.  

tyler@ebay

jasmine@ebay