Do you post on Craigslist with a proxy server and Find that you always get ads flagged no matter what you do and no matter what section you post in? Have you thought that perhaps there was a connection between ads being flagged and the use of a proxy for posting? This first assumption is one that many Craigslist users make and is that their ad was flagged due to some proxy or IP detection spam filter on Craigslist. Usually this isn't the problem and the actual caused is much simpler.



If you get ads flagged off of Craigslist, don't assume it is because you posted with a proxy. If ads are flagged on Craigslist it is usually due to two main reasons. The first is because visitors to Craigslist considered your ad spam or inappropriate, it has nothing to do with any kind of Craigslist detection. The main problem with Craigslist is that it is user moderated. What does this mean for anyone who uses the classified website frequently? It means the users are the ones who control what is and isn't permitted. Visitors to Craigslist are able to flag ads they consider spam through buttons that are placed in each ad. If enough users consider your ad to be inappropriate they flag it as spam and it is deleted. All it takes for an ad to be flagged is enough viewers of your ad to vote it as spam and it is automatically flagged. Once an ad is flagged, nothing can be done about it. It is deleted automatically and you have no way of unflagging or having it undeleted. The ability for viewers on Craigslist to flag ads causes some people a lot of pain. This is abused by many and you may even find that one of your competitors may be deliberately flagging your ads because you are a threat to their business.

There is another second reason that causes ads to be flagged and is one that not many people stop to consider. This is based on the actual content of your ad. Many sections on Craigslist use spam filter rules. If you post an ad that contains specific words or phrases that have been blacklisted by Craigslist, you may find that your ad is automatically flagged and deleted. This happens because each time you post an ad, Craigslist automatically scans the ad using software filters. If any phrases or words are detected that are in blacklisted by Craigslist, your ad is automatically deleted. It appears as though your ad went live and is visible on Craigslist, but if you try to search for the ad you will never find it. To avoid this happening to your ads, make sure you post ads in their correct classified section and try to keep your ads short and to the point.

Usually one of the above reasons is why your ad was flagged. Posting ads that are spammy or may be considered as spam or your competition flagging your ads trying to stop you from posting. It usually is not due to your Craigslist proxy.