Welcome to Finding on eBay!

Before you begin looking for what you want, it’s helpful to know some basic information about finding on eBay.

• Finding – Basic Steps

• Key Concepts about Finding Items on eBay

• Where to Learn More about Finding Items

Finding – basic steps

No matter what you’re looking for, your journey will start in one of two ways: by searching or browsing. Learning how to effectively search and browse will make your finding experience more pleasant. The basic steps for finding an item on eBay are:

• Step 1: Search or browse.

• Step 2: Review your results.

• Step 3: Refine your results.

• Step 4: Buy your item.

Step 1: Search or browse
To begin finding items on eBay, you need to decide whether you want to search or browse. Each method has its advantages, depending on what you’re looking for.

Search
If you’re looking for a specific item, searching can help you find it fast. When you search on eBay, you enter two or three descriptive words about the item into a search box, and you receive search results that match those words. Searching also offers advanced options and commands that allow you to narrow your search in a variety of ways.

To start searching, do any of the following:

• Visit eBay's Homepage, type two or three words that describe the item you are looking for in the search box, and click the Search button. For example, to search for a DVD player, type new DVD player and click the Search button or press the Enter key.

  Note: Pressing the Enter or Return key on your keyboard does the same thing as clicking the Search button.

• See Tips for Searching to learn more tips.

• Know about advanced search options to find exactly what you’re looking for.

Browse
If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, or if you just want to scroll through items, browsing is the way to go. When you browse on eBay, you click through categories and lists of items, exploring as you go, until you find something you're interested in. Learn about the different ways to browse.

Step 2: Review your results
When you search and browse for items, you get a list of results that includes a lot of information about each item. You can view your search results as a List, a Gallery, or as Snapshots. Learning about your search or browse results will help you understand what you are seeing.

Step 3: Refine your results
Searching and browsing on eBay can sometimes be overwhelming due to the large number of items found. You can reduce the number of your results by using links and other search options to filter and sort the information. Learning about refining and sorting your search results will help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

Step 4: Select and view the item page
You can click the title in search results to see the seller’s listing. The item page shows you the details about the item, and contains important information about shipping and payment methods. You can also learn about the seller’s reputation and how your purchase is protected. After you read the information, you can keep looking through your search results list, or decide to bid on or buy the item. Learn more about the item page.

Key points about finding items on eBay

When finding items on eBay, keep in mind the following:

• eBay sellers have thousands of items, so finding what you want can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. You can save time finding what you want by using advance search options and search commands to make your search more precise.

• Sellers listing items on eBay may think differently from buyers. When searching for an item, try to think of the different ways a seller might list the item. For example, think of different keywords for an item like sofa or couch; different spellings for a description of an item like gray and grey; or even common misspellings for an item like setee instead of settee. Learn more by reading Tips for Searching.

• Use the eBay resources that are available to help you find an item, including advance search options, search commands, and search tips.

Where to learn more about finding items

To learn more about finding items on eBay:

• Connect with other buyers from the eBay Community.