Why can't I see my listing in the Search Results? A Community Help Guide

[Jeet0]

Hello,

Questions regarding "Lisiting not appearning in Search Results" are very common and I'd like to share some reasons why this could be happening and how you can view your listing on searching.

Before getting to the details, it is important to understand how search results are determined. The linked article talks about how Airbnb's complex ranking system uses different factors to reward hosts that deliver a great experience to guests. Focus on these factors to optimize your listing.

Let's understand why you might not be able to see your listing in the Search Results:

1) Your location might have more than 300 listings. For ease of display, Airbnb only displays 300 listings at a time and thus some listings, beyond 300, might not appear during a general location search without any filters.

However, if you make use of the multiple search filters that Airbnb has to offer (like Dates, No. of Guests, Room type, Price Range etc.) then you can perform a more specific and narrowed down search which might reduce the search results and your listing will then show up if it matches the filter criteria.

*Please note that, most guests make use of the filters while searching for a vacation home.

2) You can also make use of the map by zooming in closer to your location if your looking at a very large area. Use the '+' button to zoom in and '-' to zoom out. Reducing the area will further reduce the results and you will be able to see your listing. Don't forget to click on the "Redo Search Here" button on the top.

If your listing still continues to not appears,

3) Check if it is "Listed" and not in the "Delisted" mode. To do this, visit your Dashboard >> Your Lisitng >> Manage Listing and Calendar. Expand the Menu options by clicking on the grey icon with 3 horizontal bars on the left top. Look up at the bottom of the Menu that emerges to see if your listing is active. It should appear as "Listed" with a green dot. If it doesn't click on the drop down menu and change it to listed.

4) Still can't see it? Ask the Community to see if any of the members are able to see it on searching with relevant filters.

4) Yet no luck? Please get in touch with Airbnb and they shall definitely resolve your problem.

Happy Hosting 🙂

Jeet

Updated - additional information added:

For hosts searching for your Instant Book listing, @Clare0 has created a great guide here in the Community Center sharing an overview of how this works. To view her guide take a look here. 

[Clare0]

@Michael883  the listing that I see associated with your profile is www.airbnb.com/rooms/3074524.  Is this the one that you wanted to be active? Do you still have the web link to the listing you deleted?

If so, I can't think of any reason why your listing is not appearing in search results other than the fact that you are using Apple's logo as your profile picture.  It is possible that someone might have objected to this and flagged your listing to be reviewed by Trust and Safety and it has been made unavailable pending review.   I would suggest that you change your profile picture to one that shows your face. 

[Michael883]

Yes, that is the listing, and it is actually 'Active', just not being referenced by the search engine. Unfortunately I don't have a link to the deleted listing. I will happily change my photo, but if this had been objected to and a review in process would I not have been notified by email by Airbnb? And why would they not say so when I wrote to and called the help centre (on several occasions) to ask for help? I specifically asked them if there was a problem with the content of my listing that needed to be changed and they replied that no, the listing was ok and visible to users. Incidentally on a number of occasions I was told that the problem was passed onto "somebody else", who would investigate and get back to me...until now nobody has, neither by phone or by email.

[Clare0]

@Michael883  I'm just guessing about the Apple logo profile.  If, in fact, your listing was flagged for review by Trust and Safety, they should reach out to you, but they might have a back log.  Do you know how long your listing hasn't appeared in search results?

[Michael883]

My last booking request was on 30 May, and I have had zero page consultations since 31 May. So I'm guessing it stopped appearing in search results some time then. I have been contacting Airbnb since Thursday evening about this but they refuse to acknowledge there is a problem. Surely if the listing was flagged for review the Help Centre staff would have access to this information and be able to advise me?

[Susie5]

@Michael883, I checked today and you come up on the first page of listings on just "Nice, France".  I didn't input any dates or other filters. Here's the screenshot:

I have to say only one of these photos is attractive to me at all....they are all gray gray gray, colorless, etc. and unremarkable. who cares about a gray couch, of which there are two?  Only the one with the view of the sea would appeal to me. 

[Michael883]

Hi again Clare,

As you've now taken this up in the Airbnb 'Help' department, could you let me know what the outcome is and how quickly somebody will be getting back to me? I've been on this merry-go-round a few times already and so far nobody has got back to me with an explanation or solution. It's very simple: either they need to tell me what needs fixing so I can fix it, or put my listing back in the search results as it was until recently. Either way, I expect the courtesy of a call or an email which I haven't been given yet.

Thank you in advance for your assistance

[Michael883]

Also, I have been doing a lot of seaching trying to figure this out, and I noticed that if I search in the immediate vicinity of the apartment, while mine will not be proposed as one of the search results, if I look at a neighbouring property, mine will sometimes be featured in the 'Similar Accommodation' bar at the bottom of the page. This would seem to indicate that it is not undergoing a "Trust & Safety" review.

[Fiona107]

MIchael I think you are right, the person I spoke to in Airbnb was very agressive and didn't listen to what I was saying when I explained that we did not use filters and could not see my listing (see my previous posting) I think there is a problem or a deliberate strategy.  Thanks for posting I too am very surprised that I don't get local bookings as there are lots of weddings and parties and people are usually looking for additional accommodation for friends and family. Truth will out eventually. Airbnb need to look at this if they have not deliberately programmed to get the results we are experiencing.

[Michael883]

Thanks Fiona, there is some (small) comfort in knowing that we are not alone in this situation. But it's extremely frustrating that there is no support from Airbnb when something goes wrong and no avenue to lodge an official complaint. The fact that they categorically refuse to accept that this problem exists and to look into it does seem to indicate that it's part of some wider strategy.

[Susie5]

@Michael883, I find your listing on page 15 (of 17) using an incognito window in Chrome. (searching for some dates in July for 1 person).  I see a couple of reasons why you might not be getting too many bookings. The photo you use as your primary one is kind of dark and unremarkable, and could be absolutely anywhere in the world - and gives no hint that you are in one of the most beautiful locations in the world!

I also think using the black logo instead of a photo is not very friendly - there are 300 other apts. which came up in my search, and people are looking for some more friendly face or something beautiful. I'd suggest updating your photos, changing your logo and photos to something more beautiful, at least a nice photo of the sea for example.  We are reluctant to book guests who use a photo of their dog for their logo photo, the same goes both ways I think. Plus I'm not an Apple fan...:)

Hope things are going better for you now! Susie

[Less0]

Check all your settings from a desktop computer 

[Ria16]

Very helpful thanks. You can also google your place and it comes up in five different languages which I thought was cool. 🙂 

[Beth44]

Thanks for the tips. One thing I have noticed, as my town,s Airbnb's have increased,(the 300 threshold mark was good to know), is that Instant Book appears to be an automatic filter. Is this the case? If so I do not accept Instant Booking and have noticed that my listing seems to be buried a few pages in, in spite of 3 years of 4.7 star ratings and Superhost status.

[Susie5]

@Beth44, yes, the IB filter is automatic (and a lot of places come up, so you wouldn't even notice it was on!)  I don't use IB myself, but luckily I still manage to get a lot of bookings. But for someone struggling to be seen, it seems that turning on IB (possibly for just a short while) might increase their visibility significantly, especially in a crowded market....

[Reinier3]

Hi there,

Thank you for all your efforts to help me out ( I am completely new here ) .

Unfortunately so far ( 2 weeks of struggling ) I still have the problem that I can not be found.Also there is no phone nr. here on Bali which is not helping . If I call the Netherlands or England they ask for the verified tel. nr. that goes for those countries,so also not helping.

Jeet sent some great hints,but still not enough.

This is Reinier,listing 19879477

Thank you !