If you’re new to using Craigslist, you may have heard that the Craigslist search tools are the only way to search Craigslist in the entire country. On Craigslist.org you are limited to searching one location page at a time. The fastest way to search all of Craigslist is with a search tool. Although they are not mandatory, they have their advantages.

So what are the benefits of being able to search Craigslist across the country?

More purchase options

When you expand your shopping radius across the country, you get a lot of results. For example, your local Craigslist page may have had 5 blenders for sale, but a national search may return up to 500. You would need to do a mail delivery which Craigslist warns may be a scam. You may find that you’re fine with smaller, cheaper items like the blender mentioned above.

Best deals and discounts

When you have more shopping options, you automatically get better prices. The cheapest blender you can find on your local Craigslist page is $15. I guarantee someone else has a blender listed for $5 or even free somewhere else. Depending on how far away the blender is, even with shipping it may be cheaper. In terms of good prices and Craigslist, you never know what’s around the corner or across the country unless you look.

Hardest to find items are now easier to find

If you’re looking for something in particular, like a used college book or a limited edition action figure, your local Craigslist page may not have what you need. In that case, it is best to broaden your search. You can’t broaden your search much further than searching Craigslist across the country. Once again, you need to consider shipping costs and risks. However, hard-to-find items are hard to find, so broaden your search to get the best results.

If you like the benefits of being able to search Craigslist across the country, you can do so with a Craigslist search tool. There are many Craigslist search tools available online. What you want to look for is a tool that gives you options. A software program that allows you to search Craigslist across the country, the entire state, or just select a few cities is recommended. Other notable features worth looking out for include the ability to save your searches, set price ranges, remove items from your list, and answer ads right from the program window.