• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

AreWeConnected.com

Custom WordPress Websites that Rock!

  • Home
  • About
    • Hire a Tech Dude!
    • Recommendations
    • Add your testimonial
  • WordPress
    • Custom WordPress Website Build
    • The Managed EVERYTHING Website!
    • Making your site “SECURE”
  • FAQ
    • Making Your Site SECURE
  • BLOG
    • Posts about WordPress
    • Guest Post and Comment Policy
  • Contact

How to subscribe to a Craigslist search

Technology, Uncategorized · January 6, 2014

85
SHARES
FacebookTwitterSubscribe

Unfortunately, once you search for something on Craigslist you can’t ‘save‘ the search and more importantly you can’t ‘subscribe‘ to that search.  How would you like to be notified when something first get’s posted to Craigslist, automatically?  Wouldn’t that be cool?  I’ve been asked no fewer than three times this week how to do this.  That begs to be a blog post, so here you go!

rss symbol

The secret is RSS.  It’s that funny little radar looking orange symbol.  It stands for Real Simple Syndication.  It’s really just a cool output of your blog posts, search results, and even Facebook notifications.  RSS is the technology we need to bring a page from somewhere (like Craigslist) and use it somewhere else.

For this you’ll need a few things.

1.  The Chrome Browser.  It’s ok, you don’t have to give completely up on Internet Exploder (yet) but for this you’ll need to use the Chrome Browser.  Here’s a LINK if you need it.

2.  An RSS Reader.  Up until the demise of the Google Reader I would have said the best reader out there was Google’s.  For over a year now I’ve been using Feedly and couldn’t be happier!  It’s free and works perfectly on all my computers, tablets and phones.  If you’ve already downloaded Chrome here’s your LINK to the app in the Chrome Store.

That’s all you need.  (I told you it was easy)  In fact, you could go directly to Feedly.com and skip the Chrome browser altogether but where’s the fun in that?

Now, let’s go do a search on Craigslist.  I’ve been looking for a truck so I’ll use it as an example.  Here’s the actual search LINK.  Today, there’s only a single truck that fits my search.  The Search Results Page looks like this:

My search for a truck on Craigslist

Save the linkScroll to the bottom of the page and you’ll see a little orange RSS Craigslist RSS.  Don’t click on it or you’ll get a page of funny looking code (technically it’s an .xml file).  It’s the RSS output we’re looking for.

Instead, right click on it and save the URL.  Chrome uses the term “Copy Link Address”.

Next head over to your Feed Reader (Feedly) and click on the “Add Content” button on the top left.  Enter the link you just copied from Craigslist and click enter.

Adding a Feed to Feedly

Click the + button to add the feed to your Reader.  On this screen you’ll have the ability to add it to a folder of similar feeds and rename it.  I have feeds covering a wide variety of subjects so each of my feeds goes into a specific folder.

My Feedly Folders

The Magic

As new posts happen over on Craigslist that match my search I don’t need to go recreate that search.  Instead they’ll show up right here in my Feed Reader.

In this same way I am constantly staying on top of multiple Craigslist searches, blog posts from sites I like, news events from the interwebs, and even Facebook Notifications.  I read over 200 posts a day from various sources without going to the actual site!  Next, you’ll want to learn the “Scoble Method”  of Feed Reading.

Now start to think about all the ways you can have searches working for you.  Want to see if someone posts something about a lost puppy – you can save that search!  Looking for a place to live?  Save that search!

RSS to Email

The next question you are going to ask is can I get this sent to my email instead?  Yes you can.  Why you would want to makes no sense to me but yes you can.  Start an account at IFTTT.com (stands for IF THIS, THEN THAT) and then look for an RSS to Email Recipe.  Here’s one https://ifttt.com/recipes/99479 Follow the directions connecting your RSS to your email (it’s simple) and you’ll be notified via email instead.

Once you get started with RSS you’ll wonder why so many others don’t.

BTW: The RSS for this site is https://areweconnected.com/feed/

Want to get deep?  http://davewiner.com/  is someone you should follow.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Mike Mueller
Connected?
Mike Mueller
VP of Happiness at AreWeConnected.com
A former professional hand model, Mike builds Custom WordPress Websites that rock!


He's an avid hockey fan, rides a mountain bike, sometimes rides a road bike, has a few motorcycles (he had a really fast one, bought a cool orange one, rode a really slow one, and now,a perfect "BDR Weapon"). If that isn't enough, he makes cheese and sourdough bread, loves strong beer and good red wine, and poorly plays the Mandolin.
Mike Mueller
Connected?
Latest posts by Mike Mueller (see all)
  • The Ultimate Guide to Writing the Perfect Blog Post - March 14, 2023
  • 8 Questions Your Web Developer Should Have Asked - April 27, 2021
  • Slack, Chat or Discord? - April 6, 2021
85
SHARES
FacebookTwitterSubscribe
New Comment Policy:
If you see something, say something!
(shamelessly borrowed from Homeland Security but really, let's bring commenting on posts back!)

Filed Under: Technology, Uncategorized

Previous Post: « Social Media. Is There Such A Thing As TMI?
Next Post: Picking a font for a website »

Primary Sidebar

Who runs this Pop Stand?

Mike Mueller
Mike@AreWeConnected.com
PH: (925) 456-4567

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Look, it’s Just a Newsletter!

  • While I might write a bunch, the newsletter is set to go out only on Wednesdays. That's it!  Just one day a week! Can you handle that?
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

FREE Downloads

Icon
1843Small Biz Websites Built so far…

Let's Build Yours!

Expert Google Workspace help

Get Started and then hire the right help!

Lighten up!

Search: (anything)

Sign In / Up

  • Account
  • Website Management Subscription
  • The Managed EVERYTHING Website!

Who to host with?

It's the #1 question I'm asked - where to find inexpensive shared hosting. Here's who I recommend.
Data Servers are a HUGE drain on the power grid. Here's a host that sources 300% of it's power from Wind and Solar! On top of that, their service ROCKS!
Check out GreenGeeks

Need more power?

WPEngine has it!

Hacked?

Sucuri Security
Creative Commons License
This site was built, is hosted, and backed up, and maintained by Mike Mueller. AreWeConnected is about the open sharing of ideas without a hidden agenda. Assume any link on this site is an affiliate link, Clicking on affiliate links costs you nothing extra (probably saves you $) and helps support this site.
PRIVACY POLICY

MANAGE YOUR ACCOUNT

...another Custom Wordpress Website by Mike Mueller Hi!