Just getting started?

On the eBay Home page, you'll see this box:

Type in words that name or describe the item you're looking for (these are called "keywords"). Then click the Find It button to see the results!

The search entry box is also on most other eBay pages and it might look like these:

If you don't see it, click the Search button at the top of any eBay page. The following Search page will open:

Tabs (the boxes in grey at the top) on this page offer various ways to search. Here's what you'll find when you click the tabs:

• Search and Advanced Search: In addition to typing in matching words, you can use many other options to make your search more precise. For example, you can specify that the items fall within a price range you set.

• By Seller: If you want to find items from a particular seller, enter their User ID here to see all the items they're currently selling.

• By Bidder: You can enter someone's User ID to see all the items they're bidding on.

• Search Shops: eBay Shops are special pages featuring all the items offered by an individual seller, including Buy It Now items not found in regular eBay searches. You can use the options here to find these items. Or, find a Shop you'd like to visit by entering the Shop name.

I got a list of search results. Now what?

Look over the list of items. If you see one you're interested in, click on the item title. You'll get a full description of the item provided by the seller, and you'll be able to bid on or buy it right away (if the Buy It Now option is offered).

If you want to narrow or change the way results presented

Try these options on the results page:

• Use the Matching Categories feature.
  Look on the left side of the page for a list of categories in which the current search results were found. Click on the category that most interests you to see the most relevant items matching your search.

• Use the Display filters and options on the left side of the page.
  For example, to see only items that accept PayPal as a payment method, click on "PayPal items".

• Sort items by Price or Time Left.
  Click on "Sort by items" links or the "Price" and "Time Left" column headings if these criteria are important to you.

If you're getting too many results

Try your search again using these techniques:

• Use more options on the main Search page.
  Go to the main Search page by clicking the Search button at the top of any eBay page. On the Search or Advanced Search tab, try more of the options. For example, if you're searching for clocks but are not interested in antique clocks, you could type antique in the "Words to Exclude" box so that clocks with antique in their title do not appear in your results.

• Be more specific by including extra words.
  For example, a search for Beatles poster will return fewer, more targeted listings than a search for Beatles.

• Specify a date, color, or brand.
  For example, to find a particular Barbie item, don't just type Barbie in the search box. If you're looking for a Barbie dress made in the 1960s, enter: Barbie dress 196* (learn more about using an asterisk for wildcard searches in search commands). If you want only red dresses, type: Barbie red dress. Remember: be specific!

If you're getting too few or unexpected results

Try your search again using these techniques:

• Search titles and descriptions to get more matches.
  Search always looks for your keywords in the title of the items for sale. Click on Search titles and descriptions under the search box to also search item descriptions. You'll usually get many more results.

• Try different search words.
  There are many words to describe any item. Imagine which words a seller might use for the item you're seeking. Try several different combinations.

• Try search items available to the UK
  If you are searching from the homepage, click onto the button Items worldwide below the search box to find any item for sale listed by sellers located not just in the UK but worldwide. You can also from the search results page click onto the Search items available to United Kingdom link on the top right of the page.

Other search tips

• Be careful when using and, or, and the.
  eBay's search engine searches for and, or, and the just like it would any other word. Use and, or, and the only if you're searching for items containing these words, such as Diana Ross and the Supremes or Truth or Dare (to search for one term and/or another, learn eBay's search commands).

• Don't use extra punctuation.
  Only use punctuation in your search if you expect it to be in the item title or description you're searching. Examples include t-shirt, N-Sync and Dr. Watson (learn the search commands for punctuation commands that narrow your search).

• Consider browsing.
  If you're not searching for something specific, try browsing the category listing pages for surprising discoveries.

• Try Want It Now
  If you're looking for a hard-to-find item, tell millions of sellers what you're looking for by creating a Want It Now post

Related Help topics

• Search by Keyword
• Search Tips
• How to Find Items: Overview