Craigslist has almost everything you are looking for. It doesn’t matter if it’s an apartment, a part-time job, or an Xbox. This popular platform does it all. The biggest drawback is searching through its endless posts for the latest update.
If you’re tired of searching daily to find the perfect thing, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll discuss how to set up alerts for Craigslist.
How to set up email alerts
Craigslist has a system where you can receive email alerts for saved searches. This saves you the hassle of scanning the website daily, where you will surely scroll through hundreds of posts you’ve already seen.
The email alert system is a convenient way to stay on top of what you’re looking for without having to search the site endlessly. But you will need to have a Craigslist account for this to work. To set up an email alert, here’s what you’ll need to do.
- Navigate to Craigslist List and log in with your credentials.

- Conduct your search using as many search criteria options as possible. You will get a list of results that match your search criteria.

- To the right of the “Search window,” click “Save Search.”

- Your browser will navigate to the “Saved Searches” page.

- Tap the box below the “Alert” column to activate this search.

That’s all you need to do. You’ll receive an email from Craigslist when there are new listings that match your search terms. They will be sent to the email associated with your Craigslist account. To limit the number of emails you will receive, it is best to be as specific as possible when setting up alerts.
How to set up push notifications
Craigslist does not have a native push notifications option to receive alerts of new posts. Email alerts work perfectly fine, but if you prefer to receive push notifications on your mobile phone, there is a way to do it. However, it requires leaving the site. The IFTTT (If This Then That) app can be programmed to send you Craigslist search alerts. If this is something you would like to do, follow the instructions below:
- Gonna IFTTT and create an account.

- Once you’re logged in, click “My Applets” and then “New Applet.”

- From the “New Applet” page, tap “+this”.

- Select “Classified” and then “New Search Post.”

- Open a new browser window and log in to your Craigslist List account.

- Do a Craigslist search for what you want to receive notifications about. Copy the URL from the search results.

- Paste the URL into the box on the IFTTT page and press “Create Activator”.

- Click “+it”.

- Choose the SMS option and press “Send me an SMS”.

- Press “Create Action” and then “Finish.”

You will now receive push notifications with clickable links for each new Craigslist posting that matches your search criteria. The app will send them to the phone number associated with your IFTTT account. This method of receiving new posts from search results is ideal for those who prefer to receive alerts on their cell phone.
Search Craigslist using alerts
A more efficient and time-saving way to find what you want on Craigslist without doing daily searches on its website is to set up email alerts. By receiving emails that only contain newly uploaded posts, you can stay up to date with the latest news of what you’re looking for. If you prefer the convenience of SMS push notifications, you can use the IFTTT app.