Guide
What is a category search, and when should you use one?
Most alerts start with a keyword: you name a product and hear about listings that mention it. A category search works the other way round. Instead of naming an item, you watch a whole category and see everything new that appears in it. This guide explains when that is the better choice.
What is a category search?
A category search watches a whole category on one marketplace, such as Computers and Software on Gumtree, with no keyword, and alerts you to every new listing that appears in it. On Snaffla you can narrow it with a minimum and maximum price.
It is included on the Pro and Power plans, and each category search uses 5 of your search slots.
How is it different from a keyword search?
A keyword search finds listings that mention the words you chose. A category search finds listings that the seller put in that category, whatever the title says. The first is precise and narrow. The second is broad and shows you things you did not think to search for.
When is a category search the better choice?
When you do not yet know exactly what you are looking for, or when the best deals are the ones you would never have searched for by name.
- You deal in a whole area, such as laptops, tools or games consoles, rather than a single model.
- Sellers often misspell or vaguely describe the items you want, so a keyword would miss them.
- You want to learn what is being listed and at what prices before narrowing down.
- You are watching a small local area where the number of new listings is manageable.
What are the downsides of a category search?
You will see everything new in the category, relevant or not, so a busy category can produce many alerts. A price range is the main way to keep it manageable, and a smaller location radius helps for local categories.
It also costs more search slots than a single keyword search, so it suits a few well-chosen categories rather than many.
Do category searches show whether a listing is a good price?
Category searches alert you to every new listing in the category and do not filter by value. Snaffla still compares each listing with comparable ones and shows the Under Market, At Market or Over Market label where there is enough comparable data, so you can see the price context for each one, but the alert itself is for the listing being new.
How do you choose a good category to watch?
Pick a category you already know well enough to judge a price in a few seconds, then add a price range based on what you would actually buy. Start with one marketplace and one category, look at how many listings arrive over a few days, and adjust the price range or radius until the volume is something you can act on.
More guides
- How to tell if a second-hand listing is under market value
- How to get alerts for new second-hand listings in the UK
- How to find second-hand items worth reselling for profit
- How to spot a risky second-hand listing before you buy
- How to get alerts for new Gumtree listings in the UK
- How to get alerts for new eBay UK listings
Let the alerts find them for you
Save a search once and get notified when a matching listing appears, with its price compared against similar ones.