Update 10/28
uBuyFirst Keyword Search Complete Guide #

You may try our keyword assist ChatGPT Agent.

Understanding Keyword Search Operators #

Your keyword searches use specific operators to find exactly what you’re looking for on eBay. Understanding these operators gives you precise control over your search results.

Core Operators Reference #

Operator	Function	Example	What It Finds
Space	AND (requires all terms)	iPhone 11 Pro	Listings with “iPhone” AND “11” AND “Pro” anywhere in title
Comma ,	OR (any option)	(gold, silver, bronze)	Listings with “gold” OR “silver” OR “bronze”
Quotes “”	Exact phrase	"iPhone 11 Pro"	Listings with exact phrase “iPhone 11 Pro” in that order
Parentheses ()	Groups OR conditions	(new, mint, used)	Groups multiple OR options together
Minus –	Excludes terms	iPhone -cracked	Listings with “iPhone” but NOT “cracked”

How Operators Work Together #

Combining AND with OR #

iPhone (11, 12, 13)

Meaning: Must have “iPhone” AND (either “11” OR “12” OR “13”)
Finds: iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13
Won’t Find: Samsung 11, just “11” alone

Using Quotes for Exact Phrases #

"iPad Pro" 12.9

Meaning: Must have exact phrase “iPad Pro” AND “12.9”
Finds: iPad Pro 12.9, iPad Pro with 12.9 screen
Won’t Find: Pro iPad 12.9 (wrong word order)

Comma-Separated Items in Parentheses #

(iPhone, Samsung, Google)

Meaning: Any ONE of these brands
Finds: Listings with iPhone, Samsung, or Google

⚠️ Note on Recent eBay Change (October 2025): When using commas with multi-word phrases inside parentheses, eBay now treats each phrase as an exact match. For example, (iPhone 11 Pro, Samsung Galaxy) will only match the exact phrases “iPhone 11 Pro” or “Samsung Galaxy” in that specific order.

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Building Effective Searches #

Basic Search Structure #

The typical search follows this pattern:

[Required Terms] (Option1, Option2) [More Requirements] -[Exclusions]

Example Breakdowns #

Example 1: Searching for Specific iPhone Models #

iPhone (11, 12, 13) Pro -cracked -parts

What This Means:

• Must have: “iPhone”
• Must have: “11” OR “12” OR “13”
• Must have: “Pro”
• Must NOT have: “cracked” or “parts”

Example 2: Searching for Jewelry #

gold (ring, rings, bracelet, bracelets) 14k -plated

What This Means:

• Must have: “gold”
• Must have: “ring” OR “rings” OR “bracelet” OR “bracelets”
• Must have: “14k”
• Must NOT have: “plated”

Example 3: Using Exact Phrases #

("One Touch Ultra", "OneTouch Ultra") strips

What This Means:

• Must have: Exact phrase “One Touch Ultra” OR “OneTouch Ultra”
• Must have: “strips”

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Advanced Search Patterns #

Pattern 1: Multiple Variations of Products #

When searching for products with multiple acceptable names:

("iPad Pro 12.9", "iPad Pro 12.9-inch", "iPad Pro 12.9"")

This ensures you catch all common listing variations.

Pattern 2: Combining Requirements with Options #

Nike (Jordan, "Air Max", Dunk) (10, 10.5, 11) -womens

What This Means:

• Must have: “Nike”
• Must have: “Jordan” OR “Air Max” (exact) OR “Dunk”
• Must have: “10” OR “10.5” OR “11”
• Must NOT have: “womens”

Pattern 3: Complex Searches with Multiple Criteria #

(gold, silver) (necklace, chain, pendant) (14k, 18k, 925) -plated -filled

What This Means:

• Must have: “gold” OR “silver”
• Must have: “necklace” OR “chain” OR “pendant”
• Must have: “14k” OR “18k” OR “925”
• Must NOT have: “plated” or “filled”

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Understanding Your Search Results #

How to Read What Your Search Actually Does #

Single Terms vs Phrases #

• iPad Pro 12.9 = Must have all three words anywhere
• "iPad Pro" 12.9 = Must have “iPad Pro” together, plus “12.9”
• ("iPad Pro 12.9") = Must have exact phrase “iPad Pro 12.9”

Comma Placement Matters #

• iPhone 11, 12 = Searches for “iPhone 11” together, OR just “12”
• iPhone (11, 12) = Searches for “iPhone” AND (either “11” OR “12”)

Understanding Parentheses Groups #

• (iPhone 11 Pro, Samsung Galaxy) = Exact phrase “iPhone 11 Pro” OR exact phrase “Samsung Galaxy”
• (iPhone, Samsung) (11, 12) = (iPhone OR Samsung) AND (11 OR 12)

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Common Use Cases by Category #

Electronics #

# Graphics cards with multiple model names
(RTX3080, RTX3090, "RTX 3080", "RTX 3090") -mining

# Gaming consoles with accessories  
PlayStation 5 (console, controller, bundle) -broken -parts

# Laptops with specific specs
(Dell, HP, Lenovo) laptop (i5, i7) 16GB -refurbished

Collectibles #

# Trading cards with grades
Pokemon Charizard (PSA10, "PSA 10", BGS10) -replica

# Vintage items with era descriptors
vintage (1950s, 1960s, "mid century") clock

# Comics with multiple numbering systems
"Amazing Spider-man" (#1, "number 1", "issue 1")

Medical Supplies #

# Testing supplies with brand variations
("One Touch", OneTouch) Ultra strips 

# Generic and brand name medications
(metformin, Glucophage) 500mg

# Medical equipment
(wheelchair, "wheel chair") (electric, power, motorized)

Jewelry & Precious Metals #

# Scrap precious metals
scrap (gold, silver, platinum) (10k, 14k, 18k, 925) -plated

# Specific jewelry types
(mens, men's, unisex) ring size (9, 10, 11) -costume

# Watches
(Rolex, Omega, "Tag Heuer") watch -replica -style

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Best Practices #

1. Exclusions Always Go Last #

✅ Correct: iPhone 12 Pro -cracked -locked
❌ Wrong: -cracked iPhone 12 Pro -locked

2. Use Quotes When Word Order Matters #

• Product names: "iPhone 11 Pro" not iPhone 11 Pro
• Specific models: "GTX 1080 Ti" not GTX 1080 Ti
• Brand phrases: "Louis Vuitton" not Louis Vuitton

3. Consider Common Variations #

Instead of just iPad Pro, consider:

("iPad Pro", "IPad Pro", "I Pad Pro")

4. Group Similar Terms #

Instead of multiple searches, combine:

(ring, rings, band, bands) instead of separate searches

5. Character Limit: 350 Characters #

If your search is too long, split it into multiple saved searches rather than compromising specificity.

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Testing Your Searches #

How to Validate Your Keywords Work as Intended #

1. Set a Fixed Result Count
   • Set results to 50 or 100
   • Run your search
   • Review if results match your intent
2. Check Title Matches
   • Look at the actual titles returned
   • Ensure they contain what you expect
   • Identify any unwanted results
3. Compare Variations
   • Try with and without quotes
   • Test different parentheses groupings
   • See which returns better results
4. Monitor Over Time
   • Save result counts
   • Check weekly if finding expected items
   • Adjust if missing deals

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Troubleshooting #

Too Many Results #

• Add more specific requirements
• Use exact phrases with quotes
• Add price limits or condition requirements
• Include more exclusions

Too Few or No Results #

• Remove quotes to broaden search
• Check for typos in exact phrases
• Reduce the number of required terms
• Split complex searches into simpler ones

Wrong Items Appearing #

• Add exclusions with minus sign
• Use quotes for exact matching
• Be more specific with requirements
• Check if parentheses are grouped correctly

Missing Expected Items #

• Consider alternate spellings/names
• Remove overly restrictive quotes
• Check if exclusions are too broad
• Test individual components of search

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Quick Reference Card #

Most Common Patterns #

Basic:           term1 term2 term3
With OR:         term1 (option1, option2)
Exact phrase:    "exact phrase here"
With exclusion:  term1 term2 -excluded
Complex:         (opt1, opt2) (opt3, opt4) -excl

Remember #

• Spaces = AND
• Commas = OR
• Quotes = Exact phrase
• Parentheses = Group conditions
• Minus = Exclude (must be last)

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Additional Resources #

• Live Chat Support: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm EST
• Video Tutorials: Available in the Help section
• Example Library: Browse successful search patterns by category
• Community Forum: Share and discover search strategies

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Last Updated: October 2025 | Version 2.0

Old Version:

Keywords Parameters #

Basic Operators #

• White Space – AND (requires all words)
• Comma – OR (matches any option)
• Quotation Marks – EXACT MATCH (preserves word order)
• Parentheses ( ) – Groups terms together for OR operations
• Minus sign (-) – Excludes terms

Using Parentheses for Grouped Searches #

• Single words in parentheses: (gold, silver, bronze) – Finds listings with ANY of these words
• Multi-word phrases in parentheses: Due to recent eBay changes, use quotes for exact phrases
  • ❌ Avoid: (iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro) – Now requires exact phrase match
  • ✅ Better: ("iPhone 11 Pro", "iPhone 12 Pro") – Ensures proper matching
  • ✅ Best: iPhone (11, 12) Pro – Extracts common terms when possible

Exclusions (Negatives) #

• Use minus sign (-) to exclude terms
• Examples:
  • iPhone 11 -Pro – Finds iPhone 11 but NOT Pro models
  • Any characters after the “-” will be removed from results
  • You can combine exclusions with other parameters

Example Search Term Keywords: #

Basic Examples:

• iPhone 11 Pro – Will search for listings with iPhone, 11 AND Pro in the title (any order)
• iPhone 11,iPhone 11 Pro – Will search for listings with iPhone 11 OR iPhone 11 Pro
• "iPhone 11 Pro" – Will search for exact match in title for iPhone 11 Pro (that specific order)

Advanced Examples with Parentheses:

• gold (rings, chains, bracelets) – Finds gold rings OR gold chains OR gold bracelets
• ("iPad Pro 12.9", "iPad Mini 6") – Finds exact matches for either model
• iPhone (11, 12, 13) Pro -cracked – Finds any iPhone Pro model 11-13, excluding cracked items

Important Note: Due to recent eBay API changes, avoid putting multi-word phrases with spaces inside parentheses unless they’re also in quotes. When in doubt, extract common words or use separate searches.

When making changes, it’s best to test and duplicate a keyword to a folder called “Test” and make small modifications while monitoring results.

eBay Search Update: Important Changes to Keyword Searches (October 2025) #

What Changed #

eBay recently modified how their search system interprets keywords when you use parentheses with commas. This specifically affects searches where you have multiple words separated by spaces within comma-separated terms.

The Specific Issue #

Previous Behavior (Before October 2024): #

When you searched for (iPhone 11 Pro, Samsung Galaxy):

• eBay would find listings containing ALL those words ANYWHERE in the title
• Words could appear in ANY order
• Example: (iPhone 11 Pro) would match “Pro 11 iPhone” or “11 iPhone Pro”

Current Behavior (After October 2024): #

When you search for (iPhone 11 Pro, Samsung Galaxy):

• Each comma-separated phrase now requires an EXACT MATCH
• (iPhone 11 Pro) will ONLY match “iPhone 11 Pro” in that exact order
• Won’t match variations like “11 Pro iPhone” or “iPhone Pro 11”

What’s Affected ❌ #

Problematic patterns that need fixing:

• (iPad Pro 12.9, iPad Pro 6th gen) – Multi-word phrases with commas
• (gold diamonds, silver rings) – Any combination with spaces between words
• (One Touch Ultra, testing strips) – Product variations with spaces

What’s NOT Affected ✅ #

These patterns still work perfectly:

• (gold, silver, bronze) – Single words separated by commas
• ("iPad Pro 12.9") – Phrases already in quotes
• (iphone11pro, iphone12) – Terms without spaces
• (GTX-1080, RTX-3090) – Terms with dashes but no spaces

How to Fix Your Searches #

Option 1: Extract Common Words #

Before: (gold diamonds, gold rings, gold chains)
After: gold (diamonds, rings, chains)

Option 2: Use Quotes for Exact Phrases #

Before: (iPad Pro 12.9, iPad Mini 6)
After: ("iPad Pro 12.9", "iPad Mini 6")

Option 3: Split Complex Searches #

If your search is too complex or the word order varies in listings, create separate searches for each product type.

Real Examples #

❌ Broken Search	✅ Fixed Search	Why It Works
(gold diamonds, gold gemstones)	gold (diamonds, gemstones)	Extracts common word “gold”
(iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro)	("iPhone 11 Pro", "iPhone 12 Pro")	Quotes preserve exact matching
(One Touch Ultra, Accu-Chek Guide)	Create 2 separate searches	Different product lines work better separately

Why Most Users Are Unaffected #

• Standard product names: Most products like “iPhone 11 Pro” are consistently named
• Single-word searches: Most power searches use single keywords with commas
• Already using quotes: Many advanced users already protect phrases with quotes
• Actual impact: Only about 4% of searches are affected

Quick Check: Do You Need to Fix Your Searches? #

Your search needs updating if it has ALL of these:

1. ✓ Uses parentheses with commas
2. ✓ Contains multiple words with spaces
3. ✓ Doesn’t use quotes around phrases

Example of affected search: (laptop bag 15 inch, messenger bag leather)
Example of unaffected search: (laptop, messenger, leather, 15inch)

Need Help? #

If you’re unsure whether your searches are affected:

1. Check if you’re getting fewer results than expected
2. Look for the pattern: parentheses + commas + spaces between words
3. Contact support with your specific keyword for personalized assistance

Note: This change is on eBay’s side, not uBuyFirst. We’re here to help you adapt your searches for optimal results.

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Last Updated: October 2024