How to Post an Ad on Craigslist – Money | HowStuffWorks
Craigslist is like the Mom and Pop shop of the internet. It may not look like much, but you’ll be amazed at the things you can find. Craigslist is an internationally popular website used for posting jobs, items for sale, real estate, services and personal ads. Take advantage of this free service by creating your own advertisement. Read the steps listed below and learn how to post an ad on the URL into your on the link, “create a posting, ” that is located on the upper left hand side of the the location that best fits your on the type of post you want to place. Choices include jobs, housing, items for sale, services and personals. Depending on what you choose, you will either be taken to a list of options that apply to your post or a list of specified the option that best applies to your post or the category that best describes your in the applicable fields when you arrive at the window to describe your post. Keep your posting title concise and clear. Ensure that all the fields are fully filled the “continue” on the map to pinpoint your location or type in your exact location – street, cross street, city and postal code – and click the “find” any images that pertain to your the mock ad for incorrect or confusing information and spelling mistakes. If you want to edit the ad, click on the “edit post” button. It will take you back to the previous screen. You can also edit the location and images. If you’re pleased, click the “publish” your email. Craigslist will send you an email that will enable you to publish, edit or delete your posting. The link expires in 30 you’ve clicked the link, it’s time to set up your account. You can either type in a password or go without a the terms of use. If you consent to all the terms, click on the “accept” button. If you don’t consent, click on the “decline” have now posted your ad on You can post an ad on Craigslist without setting up an account, but setting up one will allow you to be able to edit, delete or post more easily. Without that step, if you do need to make changes, you’ll need to use the link that was originally sent to your to Post Using the Craigslist AppDownload the Craigslist mobile app from the Apple Store or Google you install and open the app, tap the “get started” can either share your location or tap “not now. ” You can type in a ZIP/postal code that best fits your posting if you decide not to share your current location. Tap the “choose this location” button if the area on the map matches your current the “post” button (plus sign) on the bottom center of the screen to get started on your milar to the steps above, you can choose an image, fill in the applicable fields that describe your ad and confirm your you’re pleased, click the “publish” button. Your ad on Craigslist will be live. Originally Published: Apr 19, 2011Craigslist FAQHow do I post something on Craigslist for free?
1. Visit 2. Click on the “create a posting” link in the top-left corner. 3. Choose a post category.
4. Enter the details for your post. 5. A link will be sent to your email confirming the post. Once you click on that accepting it, your ad will be live.
What is Craigslist USA? Craigslist was created in 1996 by Craig Newmark, a San Francisco-based computer programmer. He started a free website where people could exchange information, a new concept at the time. Today, it contains sections dedicated to services, items wanted, items for sale, housing jobs, gigs, community service and discussion forums. Craigslist has several versions for other countries as well.
How do I search all of U. S. Craigslist? Craiglist is divided by cities. It doesn’t have a lot of options for searching the entire website at one time. You can do it using Google, entering “” and the name of the item you’re looking for in the search bar. You can also try searching with a third-party tool like or.
Craigslist – Wikipedia
Craigslist reenshot of the main page on January 26, 2008Type of businessPrivately held companyType of siteClassifieds, forumsAvailable inEnglish, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, PortugueseFounded1995; 26 years ago (incorporated 1999)HeadquartersSan Francisco, California, U. S. [1]Area served570 cities in 70 countriesFounder(s)Craig NewmarkKey peopleJim Buckmaster (CEO)ServicesWeb communicationsRevenue US$694 million (2016)Net income US$500 million (2016)Employees50 (2017)URL2]Launched1995; 26 years agoCurrent statusActiveWritten inPerl[3]
Craigslist (stylized as craigslist) is an American classified advertisements website with sections devoted to jobs, housing, for sale, items wanted, services, community service, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums.
Craig Newmark began the service in 1995 as an email distribution list to friends, featuring local events in the San Francisco Bay Area. It became a web-based service in 1996 and expanded into other classified categories. It started expanding to other U. and Canadian cities in 2000, and now covers 70 countries.
In March 2008, Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Portuguese became the first non-English languages Craigslist supported. [4] As of August 9, 2012, over 700 cities and areas in 70 countries had Craigslist sites. [5] Some Craigslist sites cover large regions instead of individual metropolitan areas—for example, the U. states of Delaware and Wyoming, the Colorado Western Slope, the California Gold Country, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan are among the locations with their own Craigslist sites. [6] Craigslist sites for some large cities, such as Los Angeles, also include the ability for the user to focus on a specific area of a city (such as central Los Angeles).
History[edit]
Having observed people helping one another in friendly, social, and trusting communal ways on the Internet via the WELL, MindVox and Usenet, and feeling isolated as a relative newcomer to San Francisco, Craigslist founder Craig Newmark decided to create something similar for local events. [7][8] In early 1995, he began an email distribution list to friends. Most of the early postings were submitted by Newmark and were notices of social events of interest to software and Internet developers living and working in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Soon, word of mouth led to rapid growth. The number of subscribers and postings grew rapidly. There was no moderation and Newmark was surprised when people started using the mailing list for non-event postings. [9] People trying to get technical positions filled found that the list was a good way to reach people with the skills they were looking for. This led to the addition of a jobs category. User demand for more categories caused the list of categories to grow. The initial technology encountered some limits, so by June 1995 Majordomo had been installed and the mailing list “Craigslist” resumed operations. Community members started asking for a web interface. Newmark registered “”, and the website went live in 1996. [9]
In the fall of 1998, the name “List Foundation” was introduced and Craigslist started transitioning to the use of this name. In April 1999, when Newmark learned of other organizations called “List Foundation”, the use of this name was dropped. Craigslist incorporated as a private for-profit company in 1999. [7] Around the time of these events, Newmark realized the site was growing so fast that he could stop working as a software engineer and devote his full attention to running Craigslist. By April 2000, there were nine employees working out of Newmark’s San Francisco apartment. [10]
In January 2000, current CEO Jim Buckmaster joined the company as lead programmer and CTO. Buckmaster contributed the site’s multi-city architecture, search engine, discussion forums, flagging system, self-posting process, homepage design, personals categories, and best-of-Craigslist feature. He was promoted to CEO in November 2000. [11]
The website expanded into nine more U. cities in 2000, four in 2001 and 2002 each, and 14 in 2003. On August 1, 2004, Craigslist began charging $25 to post job openings on the New York and Los Angeles pages. On the same day, a new section called “Gigs” was added, where low-cost and unpaid jobs can be posted free.
Operations[edit]
The site serves more than 20 billion[12] page views per month, putting it in 72nd place overall among websites worldwide and 11th place overall among websites in the United States (per on June 28, 2016), with more than 49. 4 million unique monthly visitors in the United States alone (per on January 8, 2010). With more than 80 million new classified advertisements each month, Craigslist is the leading classifieds service in any medium.
The site receives more than 2 million new job listings each month, making it one of the top job boards in the world. [13][14] The 23 largest U. cities listed on the Craigslist home page collectively receive more than 300, 000 postings per day just in the “for sale” and “housing” sections as of October 2011. [15] The classified advertisements range from traditional buy/sell ads and community announcements to personal ads.
In 2009, Craigslist operated with a staff of 28 people. [16]
Financials and ownership[edit]
In December 2006, at the UBS Global Media Conference in New York, Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster told Wall Street analysts that Craigslist had little interest in maximizing profit, and instead preferred to help users find cars, apartments, jobs and dates. [17][18]
Craigslist’s main source of revenue is paid job ads in select American cities. The company does not formally disclose financial or ownership information. Analysts and commentators have reported varying figures for its annual revenue, ranging from $10 million in 2004, $20 million in 2005, and $25 million in 2006 to possibly $150 million in 2007. [19][20][21] Fortune has described their revenue model as “quasi-socialist”, citing their focus on features for users regardless of profitability. Eric Baker of StubHub has described the site as a “potential gold mine of revenue, if only it would abandon its communist manifesto. “[19]
On August 13, 2004, Newmark announced on his blog that auction giant eBay had purchased a 25% stake in the company from a former employee. [22] Some fans of Craigslist expressed concern that this development would affect the site’s longtime non-commercial nature. As of April 2012, there have been no substantive changes to the usefulness, or the non-advertising nature of the site; neither banner ads, nor charges for a few services provided to businesses.
The company was believed to be owned principally by Newmark, Buckmaster and eBay (the three board members). eBay owned approximately 25%, and Newmark is believed to own the largest stake. [6][21][23]
In April 2008, eBay announced it was suing Craigslist to “safeguard its four-year financial investment”. eBay claimed that in January 2008, Craigslist executives took actions that “unfairly diluted eBay’s economic interest by more than 10%”. [24] Craigslist filed a counter-suit in May 2008 to “remedy the substantial and ongoing harm to fair competition” that Craigslist claimed was constituted by eBay’s actions as Craigslist shareholders; the company claimed that it had used its minority stake to gain access to confidential information, which it then used as part of its competing service Kijiji. [25][26]
On June 19, 2015, eBay Inc. announced that it would divest its stake back to Craigslist for an undisclosed amount, and settle its litigation with the company. The move came shortly before eBay’s planned spin-off of PayPal, and an effort to divest other units to focus on its core business. [25]
The Swedish luxury marketplace website received a lawsuit filed on July 11, 2012[27] which among unspecified damages also asked for a complete shutdown of [28] As a consequence, the young company was forced to rename to JamesEdition.
Content policies[edit]
As of 2012, mashup sites such as and were overlaying Craigslist data with Google Maps and adding their own search filters to improve usability. In June 2012, Craigslist changed its terms of service to disallow the practice. In July 2012, Craigslist filed a lawsuit against [29] Following the shutdown of, some users complained that the service was useful to them and therefore should have remained intact. [30]
App[edit]
In December 2019, Craigslist introduced a platform for iOS and a beta version on Android. [31]
Site characteristics[edit]
Personals[edit]
Over the years Craigslist has become a very popular online destination for arranging for dates and sex. [32][33][34][35][36] The personals section allows for postings that are for “strictly platonic”, “dating/romance”, and “casual encounters”. [32][33][35][36]
The site is considered particularly useful by lesbians and gay men seeking to make connections, because of the service’s free and open nature and because of the difficulty of otherwise finding each other in more conservative areas. [37]
In 2005, San Francisco Craigslist’s men seeking men section was attributed to facilitating sexual encounters and was the second most common correlation to syphilis infections. [37] The company has been pressured by San Francisco Department of Public Health officials, prompting Jim Buckmaster to state that the site has a very small staff and that the public “must police themselves”. [37] The site has, however, added links to San Francisco City Clinic and STD forums. [37]
On March 22, 2018, Craigslist discontinued its “Personals” section in the United States in response to the passing of the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA), which removes Section 230 safe harbours for interactive services knowingly involved in illegal sex trafficking. The service stated that
US Congress just passed HR 1865, ‘FOSTA’, seeking to subject websites to criminal and civil liability when third parties (users) misuse online personals unlawfully. Any tool or service can be misused. We can’t take such risk without jeopardizing all our other services, so we are regretfully taking craigslist personals offline. To the millions of spouses, partners, and couples who met through craigslist, we wish you every happiness! [38]
Adult services controversy[edit]
Craigslist website as it appeared on September 4, 2010, with black censored box in place of Adult Services
Advertisements for “adult” (previously “erotic”) services were initially given special treatment, then closed entirely on September 4, 2010, following a controversy over claims by state attorneys general that the advertisements promoted prostitution. [39][40]
In 2002, a disclaimer was put on the “men seeking men”, “casual encounters”, “erotic services”, and “rants and raves” boards to ensure that those who clicked on these sections were over the age of 18, but no disclaimer was put on the “men seeking women”, “women seeking men” or “women seeking women” boards. As a response to charges of discrimination and negative stereotyping, Buckmaster explained that the company’s policy is a response to user feedback requesting the warning on the more sexually explicit sections, including “men seeking men”. [41]
On May 13, 2009, Craigslist announced that it would close the erotic services section, replacing it with an adult services section to be reviewed by Craigslist employees. This decision came after allegations by several U. states that the erotic services ads were being used for prostitution. [42]
On September 4, 2010, Craigslist closed the adult services section of its website in the United States. The site initially replaced the adult services page link with the word “censored” in white-on-black text. The site received criticism and complaints from attorneys general that the section’s ads were facilitating prostitution and child sex trafficking. [43][44]
The adult services section link was still active in countries outside of the U. [45] Matt Zimmerman, senior staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said, “Craigslist isn’t legally culpable for these posts, but the public pressure has increased and Craigslist is a small company. ” Brian Carver, attorney and assistant professor at UC Berkeley, said that legal threats could have a chilling effect on online expression. “If you impose liability on Craigslist, YouTube and Facebook for anything their users do, then they’re not going to take chances. It would likely result in the takedown of what might otherwise be perfectly legitimate free expression. “[46]
On September 8, 2010, the “censored” label and its dead link to adult services were completely removed. [47][48]
Craigslist announced on September 15, 2010, that it had closed its adult services in the United States; however, it defended its right to carry such ads. Free speech and some sex crime victim advocates criticized the removal of the section, saying that it threatened free speech and that it diminished law enforcement’s ability to track criminals. However, the removal was applauded by many state attorneys general and some other groups fighting sex crimes. Craigslist said that there is some indication that those who posted ads in the adult services section are posting elsewhere. Sex ads had cost $10 initially and it was estimated they would have brought in $44 million in 2010 had they continued. [49][50] In the four months following the closure, monthly revenue from sex ads on six other sites (primarily Backpage) increased from $2. 1 to $3. 1 million, partly due to price increases. [51]
The company makes efforts to fight prostitution and sex trafficking, and in 2015, Craig Newmark received an award from the FBI for cooperation with law enforcement to fight human trafficking. [52][53][54][55][56]
On December 19, 2010, after pressure from Ottawa and several provinces, Craigslist closed ‘Erotic Services’ and ‘Adult Gigs’ from its Canadian website, even though prostitution was not itself illegal in Canada at the time. [57]
When the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act was signed into law on April 11, 2018, Craigslist chose to close its “Personals” section within all US domains to avoid civil lawsuits. [58] About their decision, Craigslist stated “Any tool or service can be misused. We can’t take such risk without jeopardizing all our other services. “[59][60]
Flagging[edit]
Craigslist has a user flagging system to quickly identify illegal and inappropriate postings. Users may flag postings they believe to be in violation of Craigslist guidelines.
Flagging does not require account login or registration, and can be done anonymously by anyone. [61] Postings are subject to automated removal when a certain number of users flag them. The number of flags required for a posting’s removal is dynamically variable and remains unknown to all but Craigslist staff. [61] Some users allege that flagging may also occur as acts of vandalism by groups of individuals at different ISPs, but no evidence of this has ever been shown. Flagging can also alert Craigslist staff to blocks of ads requiring manual oversight or removal. [61]
Flagging is also done by Craigslist itself (Craigslist’s automated systems) and the posts will never appear on the search results. [62]
Bartering[edit]
Craigslist includes a barter option in its “for sale” section. This growing trade economy has been documented on the television program Barter Kings and the blog one red paperclip. [63][64]
Criticism[edit]
In July 2005, the San Francisco Chronicle criticized Craigslist for allowing ads from dog breeders, stating that this could encourage the over-breeding and irresponsible selling of pit bulls in the Bay Area. [65] According to Craigslist’s terms of service, the sale of pets is prohibited, though re-homing with small adoption fees is acceptable. [66]
In January 2006, the San Francisco Bay Guardian published an editorial claiming that Craigslist could threaten the business of local alternative newspapers. [67]
L. Gordon Crovitz, writing for The Wall Street Journal, criticized the company for using lawsuits “to prevent anyone from doing to it what it did to newspapers”, contrary to the spirit of the website, which bills itself in a “noncommercial nature, public service mission, and noncorporate culture”. [68]
This article was a reaction to lawsuits from Craigslist which Crovitz says were intended to prevent competition. Craigslist filed a trademark lawsuit against the Swedish luxury marketplace website on July 11, 2012, [69] forcing the company to rename to JamesEdition.
In 2012, Craigslist sued PadMapper, a site that hoped to improve the user interface for browsing housing ads, and 3Taps, a company that helped PadMapper obtain data from Craigslist, in Craigslist v. 3Taps. This led users to criticize Craigslist for trying to shut down a service that was useful to them. [30]
Nonprofit foundation[edit]
In 2001, the company started the Craigslist Foundation, [70] a § 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that offers free and low-cost events and online resources to promote community building at all levels. It accepts charitable donations, and rather than directly funding organizations, it produces “face-to-face events and offers online resources to help grassroots organizations get off the ground and contribute real value to the community”.
Since 2004, the Craigslist Foundation has hosted eight annual conferences called Boot Camp, an in-person event that focuses on skills for connecting, motivating and inspiring greater community involvement and impact.
The Craigslist Foundation is also the fiscal sponsor for Our Good Works, the organization that manages, an application that distributes volunteer opportunities across the web and helps people get involved in their communities. [71]
As of summer 2013, the Craigslist Foundation’s functions are mostly moved to and the is no longer updated. has shut down. [72] Its website is gone, and its Facebook page has not been updated since 2017.
In popular culture[edit]
Films[edit]
24 Hours on Craigslist (2005), an American feature-length documentary that captures the people and stories behind a single day’s posts on Craigslist
Due Date shows one of the lead characters, Ethan (Zach Galifianakis), buying marijuana from a dealer through the site.
The Craigslist Killer (January 3, 2011), [73] a Lifetime made-for-TV movie featuring the story of Philip Markoff, who was accused of robbing and/or murdering several prostitutes he met through Craigslist’s adult services section.
Craigslist Joe (August 2012), a documentary featuring a 29-year-old man living for 31 days solely from donations of food, shelter, and transportation throughout the U. S., found via Craigslist[74]
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016), a comedy based on a real Craiglist ad placed by two brothers who wanted dates for their cousin’s wedding that went viral in February 2013, which they then turned into a book, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates: And a Thousand Cocktails. [75]
Television[edit]
The American comedy series Bored to Death revolves around a fictional Jonathan Ames (played by Jason Schwartzman) who posts an ad on Craigslist advertising himself as an unlicensed private detective.
The premise of the sitcom New Girl centers around a girl (Zooey Deschanel) who looks on Craigslist to find new roommates. She misunderstands one of the listings and ends up moving in with three men, when she had intended to find female roommates.
The American television mockumentary comedy sitcom Modern Family in the 10th episode of the third season “Express Christmas” mentions Craigslist when Phil Dunphy played by Ty Burrell buys a signed Joe Dimaggio card for his father-in-law Jay played by Ed ONeill. [76]
Theatre[edit]
In November 2007, Ryan J. Davis directed Jeffery Self’s solo show My Life on the Craigslist at off-Broadway’s New World Stages. [77] The show focuses on a young man’s sexual experiences on Craigslist and was so successful that it returned to New York by popular demand in February 2008. [78]
Video games[edit]
2008’s Grand Theft Auto IV features a parody of Craigslist called ‘Craplist’, which can be accessed by the player through the game’s in-game internet feature. The player can browse the site and view numerous satirical adverts.
Songs[edit]
In June 2009, “Weird Al” Yankovic released a song entitled “Craigslist”, which parodied the types of ads one might see on the site. The song was a style parody of The Doors and featured Doors member Ray Manzarek on the keyboards.
In 2006, composer Gabriel Kahane released an album of his satirical art songs for voice and piano, entitled “Craigslistlieder”, using excerpts from real Craigslist ads as text. [79]
Media[edit]
Craigslist received attention in the media in 2011 and 2014 when it was reported that convicted murderers had used the platform to lure their victims. [80][81]
The site has been described by Martin Sorrell as “socialistic anarchist”. [82]
See also[edit]
eBay
Facebook Marketplace
Mercari
OfferUp
References[edit]
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^ “‘My Life on the Craigslist’ Returns Feb. 15, 22 & 29”. Broadway World. January 23, 2008. Retrieved May 8, 2008.
^ Midgette, Anne. “Gabriel Kahane, a genre bender musician”. The Washington Post. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
^ “‘Craigslist Killers’ Miranda and Elytte Barbour Sentenced to Life in Prison”. September 18, 2014. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
^ “Files tell more about ‘Craigslist killer'”. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
^ Terazono, Emiko (June 20, 2006). “Sorrell warns of e-communities ‘threat'”. Financial Times. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
Further reading[edit]
Gale Directory of Company Histories, “craigslist” (2007) online
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Craigslist.
Official website
Company blog
Craigslist Foundation
“Why Craigslist Is Such a Mess”. August 24, 2009.
Newman, Lily Hay (January 30, 2015). “Police Stations Increasingly Offer Safe Haven for Craigslist Transactions”. Slate.
Best 10+ Craigslist Personals Alternatives and Replacements …
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When Craigslist closed its personals section, many people mourned the loss of their favorite online dating platform. While Craigslist is known for its traditional classified listings, many people used Craigslist to find local dates, casual meetings, and more. The platform was simple to use, and best of all, it was free.
If you miss the personal ads from Craigslist, you’re in luck. After the website was shut down, a whole crop of new personals sites popped up to take its place. On this list, you’ll find several Craigslist personal alternatives to find everything found on Craigslist personal ads.
Top Three Alternatives
AdultFriendFinder
Ashley Madison
Seeking
1. AdultFriendFinder
Pros:
Huge user base of open-minded individuals
Lots of extra dating features
Cons:
Potential for inactive or scam accounts
Old school website design
If you’re interested in sites like Craigslist, it’s safe to say you may want to spice up your love life. If that’s the case for you, AdultFriendFinder will have a lot to offer. This site was created specifically for any type of relationship that might be slightly unconventional.
AFF is one of the best Craigslist personals replacements because of its open-minded community. If you’re dating preference is off the beaten path, you don’t have to worry about getting judged on this dating site. Like Craigslist, the users on AFF are looking for a wide variety of different things, making it perfect for people with specific relationship interests.
Aside from classic dating features, AFF also has plenty of extra features for its users. You can browse and write user blogs, as well as forums. You can also check out the live cam feature for some added fun.
Best Feature on AdultFriendFinder:
If you’re interested in finding casual dating, AFF has you covered. Just click the tab on the top of the page to find a multitude of offerings.
2. Ashley Madison
Sleek, user-friendly interface
Available as a mobile app
It’s only suitable for married dating
History of security issues
Although Ashley Madison is not technically a listings site, it’s a surprisingly great Craigslist personals alternative. That’s because Ashley Madison is used primarily for married dating. Believe it or not, many people used Craigslist personals for that very reason, making this an excellent replacement for the popular listings site.
When it comes to non-traditional online dating platforms, Ashley Madison provides one of the best user experiences around. Both the app and the website give users simple, easy navigation. You can enjoy features such as online chatting, virtual gifts, and more.
New users can get started on Ashley Madison for free. To access premium features, you’ll have to upgrade to a paid account.
Best Feature on Ashley Madison:
The best feature of Ashley Madison is the ability to filter your search results. Unlike other dating apps, you don’t have to rely on a matching algorithm to make connections. You can use the search function to find matches with similar interests.
3. Seeking
Users on Seeking are interested in open or non-traditional relationships
Seeking has been around and trusted for over 15 years
Seeking is not free to use but the perks are worth the price
Not all users are vetted
When you’re looking to fill a need that Craiglist casual encounters offered, Seeking is a one-stop shop. Since its inception, Seeking was founded on mutually beneficial relationships. This site has long been the go-to spot for people looking to have a unique dating experience.
Seeking is a great option to replace Craigslist’s personal ads because all the users are very upfront with what they are looking for in a relationship. Just like Craigslist personals, you’re free to look for a non-traditional dating experience, without fear of judgment.
Now, the one main area where Seeking differs from Craigslist is the price. While Craigslist was essentially free to use, Seeking does charge a monthly subscription to use premium features. The upside is that you’ll have access to a plethora of excellent dating features such as video chat, user verification, and more.
Best Feature on Seeking:
As mentioned, Seeking recently added video chat to its list of premium features. This feature makes it incredibly easy to stay in touch with your online connections, even when you can’t meet in real life.
4. Pernals
A modern approach to adult classifieds
Intuitive, user-friendly platform
The application glitches at times
Paid membership can get pricey
Pernals is an exciting new option for those of you who miss Craigslist personals. This classifieds site is the most modern of all the options on this list. You can download it as an app for any mobile device. You’ll find that the user interface is sleek and intuitive, even for beginners. For that reason, you’ll find younger users in their 20’s and 30’s than on a typical classifieds site.
Pernals was created specifically to be the new Craigslist personals and is widely considered the best alternative to the much-missed personals site. As a new user, you can download the application and begin posting ads for free. You can also browse through listings in your area to see who is nearby. Because this site is available in app form, you’ll also get cool features such as built-in messaging.
Best Feature on Pernals:
Pernals is one of the only Craigslist personal alternatives that have a dedicated mobile app. Members can download the dating platform onto any Apple or Android device. This is a great feature a lot of dating sites don’t have.
5. Doublelist
It’s free to use
Great for the straight and LGBTQ community
Smaller cities may not be included
There is no screening for new members
Doublelist may be the best Craigslist personal alternative out there. This classified ads site is fully dedicated to personal listings, so you don’t have to weed through anything else. Just like Craigslist, you can find listings for men seeking women, men seeking men, women seeking women, and more. It’s one of the most inclusive personals sites for gay, lesbian and bisexual singles.
Unlike Craigslist, you do need an account to get started on Doublelist. Once you’re signed up, you can post ads and check out the various ads sections to find dates in your city. Doubelist is free to use, making it an excellent Craigslist personals alternative.
Best Feature on Doublelist:
Doubelist has several listing categories that make it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for. You can find everything from a casual encounter to a friendship depending on which category you choose.
6. Oodle
The dedicated personals section makes it easy to find casual dates
It’s a full classified site just like Craigslist
You need an account to post on the site
Some ads are pulled without warning
Oodle is another excellent option for anyone who loves Craigslist personals. This personals ads site is fully dedicated to listings, giving its members the classic classified listings experience. Oodle is just about as close to a Craigslist replacement as you can find. The site has all of your classic listings such as rentals, cars, and services, as well as personal listings.
Similar to Craigslist personals, this classified site has a huge selection of cities to choose from. In addition to a huge selection of U. S. cities, Oodle also has options for members in the United Kingdom, India, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. If you live in a small town or rural area, this is a good choice for you.
You can browse listings without an account, but you’ll need to sign up to post in the ads section. Luckily, it’s free to post a personal ad.
Best Feature on Oodle:
If you’d like to find someone while you’re traveling, Oodle is the way to go. As mentioned, this site is active in multiple countries, so you can find a date as you travel.
7. Bedpage
Very popular website for dating listings
Huge number of cities to choose from
Lots of fake, spam accounts
Posting ads is not free
Bedpage is ideal for those of you who used to turn to Craigslist to find a partner. Bedpage is a free classified site with a robust personal ad section. Regardless of your sexual orientation, you can easily find someone in your city using this website.
Now, as with any site like Craigslist, you’ll need to be on the lookout for spam accounts. This classifieds site doesn’t have a particularly good screening system for new users, so you may run into fake accounts from time to time.
Other than that, out of all the sites on this list, Bedpage comes the closest to the Craigslist experience. You can sign up for this site for free, however, you’ll have to pay a small registration fee to post your ads.
Best Feature on BedPage:
One very cool feature on Bedpage is Bedpage Pro. This premium version of the popular classified site gives users the ability to video chat, send and receive pictures, and more.
8. Locanto
Available as a mobile application
Free to use
Members report their ads being moved to different categories
Too many fake ads and scammers
Locanto is another traditional classifieds site with an excellent personal ads section. You can use locanto to find used cars and trucks, housing, and events. Of course, if you’re reading this article, you’re interested in the personals section. Locanto personals are extremely similar to Craigslist personals.
Members can find both long-term and short-term relationships as well as alternative relationships. Locanto has several categories to help you find exactly what you’re looking for, such as casual dating, and virtual adventures. The best part is, Locanto is free which makes it easy for users to post as often as they want to.
Best Feature on Locanto:
Locanto gives its members the ability to find partners with similar sexual preferences.
9. OutPersonals
Made just for the LGBTQ+ community
Lots of international listings
Not available as an app
The interface could use an update
OutPersonals is the best Craigslist alternative for gay singles. This personal ads site is best for finding casual dating in your city
This site is like a cross between a classic dating site and a personal site. Users get the convenience of personal ads, with added features made specifically for dating. Features like the live chat option allow users to connect and flirt directly on the platform.
This personals site has a diverse user base so you can meet members from a variety of cultural backgrounds. In fact, you can check out listings from cities around the world. OutPersonals is totally free, but you’ll need to set up an account to get started.
Best Feature on OutPersonals:
OutPersonals has a number of online chat rooms that are great for making quick connections. Users can join a chatroom to chat with other users who are currently online.
10. AdsEncounters
Made specifically for personal ads
Great for nontraditional dating
High male to female user ratio
The user support could be better
AdsEncounters is a Craigslist personal alternative that has gained a lot of popularity. Unlike other classified ads sites that list everything from rentals to pets, AdsEncounters is strictly for personal ads.
The personals section on this website is absolutely massive. Some of the listings you can search for on AdsEncounters are:
Men seeking men
Men seeking women
Women seeking men
Women seeking women
Women seeking groups
Men looking for couples
As you can see, this is a great personal site for finding nontraditional dating and relationships. Aside from casual dating, you can also find serious relationships. People even use this platform for social networking and making new friends. New users can get started on AdsEncounters at no charge.
Best Feature on AdsEncounters:
One of the coolest features of AdsEncounters is the ability to find local events. Users can post events where singles can meet and get together. You can also find fetish events such as parties and more.
What happened to Craigslist personals?
Craigslist personals had a thriving community of online daters before it was shut down. The platform made it easy for users to find a one-night stand or even true love.
Craigslist personals had all kinds of unique features such as the “missed connections” section where members would post about people they had encountered in real life. People loved Craigslist personals for the open-minded and laid-back environment not found on serious dating sites.
Although the removal of Craigslist personals was controversial, it looks like the change is here to stay. Luckily, there are tons of alternatives to Craigslist for those of you who loved the personals section.
How to Use Personal Ads Safely
When it comes to using sites like Craigslist, there are quite a few safety concerns to be aware of. If you’re new to using online personals and Craigslist alternatives, you’ll have to look out for scammers and fake accounts.
Here are a few tips for using personal ads safely:
Never give out your financial information to strangers online.
Always keep your personal information private. Things like your personal phone number, home address, and place of work should not be shared online.
If you choose to meet up with someone in person, be sure to meet in a public place for your first meeting.
Always take your form of transportation to a date, rather than sharing a car.
Tell your friends or family that you’re going on a date and let them know when you expect to be home.
If a user profile looks too good to be true, it probably is. Listen to your instincts.
Craigslist Personals Alternatives- Final Thoughts
If you’re in search of a great alternative to Craigslist personals, look no further. Check out the dating sites above to find the best sites like Craigslist personals. Each dating site on this list is ideal for finding a casual relationship or date in your area. Remember to keep the safety tips in mind, and enjoy these excellent sites!
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