How to Post Your First Free Ad
Posting a classified ad should take about five minutes and cost nothing. This guide walks through the whole process on List It Global — creating an account, choosing the right category, pinning your location, writing a listing that sells, and what happens after you hit publish.
What this guide covers
Key takeaways
- Posting is free — no listing fee, no commission, no subscription.
- You need a free account; this keeps spam and fraudulent listings off the platform.
- Every ad is reviewed by a moderator before it goes live.
- Ads run for 60 days, and you are emailed before expiry.
- Have photographs and your price research ready before you start — the form takes minutes, the preparation is what matters.
Before you start: what to have ready
The form itself is quick. What slows people down is stopping halfway to find a charger, measure a table or look up a model number. Five minutes of preparation makes the whole thing painless.
- Photographs — at least six, taken in daylight against a clear background
- The exact model or specification — check the label, the box, or the settings menu
- Measurements — for anything bulky, buyers will ask
- A realistic price — based on what comparable items actually sold for
- Everything included — box, charger, manuals, spare keys, accessories
- Your collection details — roughly where the item is, and whether you can deliver
Ten minutes with a cloth is the highest-return work you will do on the entire listing. Dust and smears read as neglect in photographs, and buyers price that in before they have even asked a question.
Creating your free account
You need an account before you can publish. There are two routes, and both take under a minute:
Sign in with Google
The fastest option. One click, no password to remember, and your email is already verified so you can post immediately.
Register with an email address
Choose a username and password, then click the confirmation link we email you. The link verifies you are reachable, which is what buyers rely on when they message you.
Anonymous posting is the single biggest source of scam listings on classified platforms. Requiring a verified account means every ad traces back to a real, contactable person — and it means buyers can see your history rather than dealing with a stranger who posted five minutes ago.
Create your free account
No fees, no card details, no subscription. Register with an email address or sign in with Google in under a minute.
Choosing the right category
Category choice matters more than most sellers realise. Buyers rarely browse everything — they filter down to what they want, and if your item is in the wrong branch it simply never appears.
There are 478 categories arranged three levels deep. Work from broad to specific:
| What you are selling | Top level | Second level | Third level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Used family car | Vehicles | Cars | Sedans |
| Flat to rent | Real Estate | For Rent | Apartments & Flats |
| Second-hand iPhone | Electronics | Mobile Phones | Smartphones |
| Plumbing services | Services | Home Services | Plumbing |
| Office vacancy | Jobs | Administration | — |
| Dining table | Home & Garden | Furniture | Tables & Chairs |
Go as deep as the tree allows. A listing in Sedans reaches everyone browsing sedans and everyone browsing Cars and Vehicles above it. A listing left at the top level only appears in the broadest, most crowded view.
Posting the same item across several unrelated categories to gain visibility is the fastest way to have your listings removed. Moderators check for it, and it makes the site worse for everyone.
Setting your location
Location is how most buyers filter. They want to know whether they can collect this evening or whether it needs shipping across a border.
You set three things:
- Country — required, chosen from 238 countries
- State or region — required, filtered automatically to your country
- City or address — typed into the map field, with suggestions as you go
The map field pins an exact point, which powers distance search. A buyer looking for items within 50 km will find yours if the pin is accurate and miss it entirely if you have been vague.
Pin the nearest landmark, junction or town centre rather than your front door. That is accurate enough for distance filtering while keeping your home address private. You can always share the exact address once you have agreed a viewing.
Writing the listing
Two fields do the heavy lifting: the title and the description.
The title is a search query
Buyers type what they want. The closer your title matches their phrasing, the more often you appear. Lead with brand and model, then the details people filter on.
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| Phone for sale | iPhone 13 Pro 256GB Graphite, unlocked, battery 91% |
| Table | Solid oak dining table, seats 6, 180 × 90 cm |
| Car cheap | 2016 Toyota Corolla 1.6 petrol, 78,000 km, one owner |
The description answers questions before they are asked
Every question you pre-answer is a message you do not have to reply to. Structure beats prose — buyers scan.
- What it is: full make, model, specification, year
- Condition, with every flaw stated honestly
- How long you have owned it and how heavily it was used
- What is included — and what is not
- Dimensions and weight for anything bulky
- Why you are selling
- Collection or delivery arrangements
- Payment methods you accept
“Upgrading” or “moving house” answers the question every second-hand buyer silently asks: what is wrong with it? One short phrase defuses that entirely.
Adding photographs
If you change one thing about how you list, change the photographs. Buyers scroll fast and the first image decides whether they stop.
Daylight, never flash
Near a window or outdoors on an overcast day. Flash flattens detail and makes everything look worse than it is.
Clear the background
A plain wall, floor or table. Clutter reads as a careless seller.
Six to eight angles
Front, back, both sides, top, any model or serial plate, and a close-up of the most important detail.
Photograph the flaws
Counterintuitive but essential. A buyer who sees the scratch and comes anyway is a buyer who completes.
Lead with your best shot
The first image is your thumbnail across the whole site. Make it the clearest, best-lit one you have.
Buyers of second-hand goods want to see your item in its condition. A catalogue image suggests you are hiding something, and it is a common reason for a listing being rejected at moderation.
Setting your price
Price determines whether an item sells more than anything else. The common mistake is pricing on what you paid rather than what the market currently pays.
Research sold prices, not asking prices. Asking prices tell you what optimistic sellers hope for; sold prices tell you what buyers actually paid. In a soft category those two numbers can differ by 40%.
Illustrative pattern showing how pricing relative to comparable sold items affects response rates. Actual results vary considerably by category, condition and location.
You also choose a currency. Prices display in whatever currency you select, so international buyers can see immediately what an item costs them.
No genuine enquiries in two weeks means the price is wrong or the photographs are. Exposure is rarely the problem. Drop 10–15%, or reshoot in daylight, and refresh the listing.
Ready to post?
478 categories, 238 countries, and no fees at any point. Your ad reaches buyers worldwide within minutes of approval.
What happens after you publish
Your ad does not appear instantly, and that is deliberate.
Submission
You receive an email confirming the ad has been received and is awaiting review.
Moderation
A moderator checks the listing against our content rules — correct category, no prohibited items, genuine photographs. This is usually quick.
Approval
You are emailed the moment it goes live, and the ad becomes visible and searchable worldwide.
Enquiries
Buyers message you through the contact form on your ad, and messages arrive in your inbox. You can also display a phone number, revealed only to logged-in users.
Moderation exists because unmoderated classified sites fill with scams within weeks. The short wait is what keeps the platform worth using for everyone.
Managing your ad
Everything lives in your account panel under My Ads.
| Action | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Edit | Change price, swap photos, add detail. Edits are re-reviewed. |
| Mark as sold | The moment money changes hands, so enquiries stop. |
| Renew | Near the 60-day expiry, if the item is still available. |
| Delete | Withdrawing entirely. |
Ads run for 60 days. You will be emailed before expiry so nothing disappears without warning. If an item has not sold, refreshing it with better photographs and a revised price works considerably better than reposting the identical listing — the market already saw that version and passed on it.
Frequently asked questions
Is posting really free?
Yes. No listing fee, no commission on what you sell, no subscription. Whatever you agree with your buyer is what you keep.
How many ads can I post?
There is no cap. Post one item or fifty.
Why is my ad not visible yet?
Every ad is reviewed before publication. You will be emailed as soon as it is approved.
Can I edit an ad after publishing?
Yes, from My Ads in your account panel. Edits are re-reviewed before the changes go live.
How do buyers reach me?
Through the contact form on your ad, which arrives in your inbox. Displaying a phone number is optional and only visible to logged-in users.
Can I sell to buyers in other countries?
Yes. Your ad is visible worldwide. Shipping, customs and payment are arranged between you and the buyer.
What am I not allowed to sell?
Weapons, illegal drugs, counterfeit goods, stolen items, adult services, endangered wildlife and anything prohibited by law. The full list is in our Terms and Conditions.
Start with one item
The hardest part is beginning. Pick the most obvious thing you no longer need, clean it, photograph it properly in daylight, look up what similar items actually sold for, and post it. Twenty minutes end to end, and nothing to lose if you decide to adjust the price a fortnight later.
Post your first ad in five minutes
Free to list. Free to sell. No commission, ever. Reaching buyers across 238 countries and 3,047 regions.
You can also search listings worldwide without creating an account.
