Craigslist email alerts: how they work, and what to do when they stop
Craigslist lets you save a search and receive new posts by email. It works, within limits: one search per alert, one Craigslist site, on Craigslist's schedule, by email. This page covers what to check when the emails stop, and how to add a watcher that runs on your computer and alerts your phone within minutes.
Check these first
- You are signed in to a Craigslist account. Saved searches and their email alerts belong to an account; a search saved while logged out is not remembered.
- The alert is set on the saved search. Saving a search and turning on its email alert are separate steps.
- The emails are not being filtered. Check spam and promotions folders, and add Craigslist's sender to your contacts.
- The search is on the right Craigslist site. Craigslist is one site per city; an alert on the wrong city site returns nothing useful.
Why alerts still lag when everything is on
Craigslist's alerts are email-only and tell you nothing about whether a post is a repost of something you already saw — sellers routinely delete and re-list to bump a post. Craigslist removed its RSS feeds years ago, so email is the only native option. If you want a push on your phone the minute a genuinely new post appears, you need a watcher of your own.
A second watcher you control
Pouncify is a free Windows and macOS app that watches Craigslist — and Craigslist, OfferUp in the United States and Kijiji in Canada — from your own computer. Tell it once what you are hunting; it checks on the schedule you set, reads each listing's real posting time, and alerts you within minutes of a genuinely new listing on your phone, Telegram, email or Discord. No account with us, no marketplace login required to start, and your searches stay on your machine. Your computer has to be on for the watching to happen.
Questions
Does Pouncify need a Craigslist account?
No. Craigslist search results and posts are public, and Pouncify reads them the way your browser would. There is nothing to sign in to.
Does Pouncify handle Craigslist reposts?
Yes. A post that is deleted and re-listed is recognised as the same item; Pouncify keeps its price history and shows a price change rather than alerting you to a deal that is not new.
Can I get Craigslist alerts on my phone instead of by email?
Yes. Pouncify alerts you by push to its free iPhone and Android app, or on Telegram, Discord or email — your choice. The watching happens on your Windows or macOS computer, which needs to be on.
Download Pouncify Free to start · no account · Windows and macOS
Related: all guides · about Pouncify. Last reviewed: September 10, 2026.