Selling items on Facebook Marketplace can be a great way to declutter and make some extra cash. However, it can be frustrating when your listings seem to take a long time to get reviewed and posted. There are a few main reasons why it may be taking longer than expected for your Facebook Marketplace listing to go live.
High Volume of Listings
Facebook Marketplace has exploded in popularity over the past few years. Millions of people now use Marketplace to buy and sell locally. With such a high volume of new listings being submitted every day, it’s not surprising that it may take some time for Facebook’s systems to review each one.
Every new listing needs to be checked to ensure it follows Facebook’s commerce policies and rules. Human reviewers and automated systems screen for prohibited, dangerous, or inappropriate items. They also check for signs of scams and spam. With so many listings to get through, some may experience delays before being approved.
Tips for avoiding delays:
- Carefully review Marketplace commerce policies before listing
- Provide clear, detailed photos and descriptions
- Don’t try to sell prohibited items
- Check spelling and grammar to avoid looking suspicious
Issues With Your Listing
Sometimes a Facebook Marketplace listing can trigger extra scrutiny if something seems off to the reviewers. Listings may be flagged for review if:
- The photos are blurry, dark, or don’t match the item description
- The item description is vague, misleading, or suspicious
- Prohibited, dangerous, or highly regulated items appear to be for sale
- Contact information, external links, or promotional language is included
- The listed price seems unrealistic or like a scam
When a listing gets flagged, it goes into a deeper review process. Human reviewers will thoroughly check it over before approving or rejecting it. This manual review takes longer, which results in a delay before your listing goes live.
How to avoid problems:
- Use clear, well-lit photos that accurately depict the item
- Provide plenty of details in your description
- Avoid selling weapons, drugs, alcohol, animals, or other prohibited items
- Set a fair price consistent with the item’s condition
- Don’t include external website links or contact info
Account History Issues
Your individual account history can also impact how quickly your listings get reviewed. If your account is brand new or has a history of violations, your listings may go through additional scrutiny.
Here are some risk factors that could delay reviews:
- A new Facebook or Marketplace account
- Previous instances of reported or removed listings
- Community standards or commerce policy violations
- Signs of spam or abusive behavior
- Listing the same item multiple times
Facebook wants to prevent bad actors from abusing Marketplace. Accounts with a negative history undergo more stringent reviews. To speed up your reviews, maintain your account in good standing by following all policies.
Tips for keeping your account in good standing:
- Read and follow all Facebook commerce policies and rules
- Respond promptly and politely to any inquiries
- Avoid re-listing the same item multiple times
- Don’t engage in spammy or abusive behavior
- Provide accurate information and descriptions
Item Category Triggers Extra Review
Certain item categories tend to prompt longer reviews, even without other issues. High-risk, regulated, or frequently counterfeited items include:
- Electronics
- Designer clothing and accessories
- Collectibles like trading cards
- Tickets to events
- Jewelry
- Gift cards
Scammers often try to sell knock-offs or stolen goods in these categories. Detailed reviews help catch prohibited and fraudulent listings. But this means longer wait times before your listing goes live.
For event tickets, Facebook needs to check that you actually have the tickets and aren’t just taking payment. Electronics listings get screened for stolen merchandise or counterfeit goods. It just takes longer to validate legitimate listings of high-risk items.
How to speed up the process:
- Provide as much detail as possible to validate authenticity
- Use clear, well-lit photos showing identifying markings
- Note condition flaws to show the item is genuine
- Respond promptly to any requests for more information
- Avoid frequently counterfeited brands if possible
Regional Differences
Review times can vary significantly depending on the country and region your Marketplace account is based in. Developed countries with more Facebook resources and staff tend to have faster review speeds. Longer delays are common in developing markets.
Here are the average Facebook Marketplace review times for different regions:
| Region | Average Review Time |
|---|---|
| United States | 2-8 hours |
| Canada | 8-24 hours |
| Western Europe | 24-48 hours |
| Australia / New Zealand | 8-48 hours |
| East Asia | 48-96 hours |
| Central & South America | 48-168 hours |
| Middle East & Africa | 96-240 hours |
As you can see, listings in the US and Canada get reviewed much faster than other parts of the world. Review speed is linked to Facebook’s staffing, resources, and priority in each region.
What can you do?
- Factor the average regional review times into your expectations
- List only allowed, non-restricted items
- Provide detailed descriptions and photos
- Don’t resubmit listings multiple times
- Be patient and understand reviewers are very busy
How to Check Your Listing Status
Wondering what’s going on with your Facebook Marketplace listing? Here are some ways to check its status:
Look for notifications
Facebook may send you email or in-app notifications about your listing review status. For example, they may request more information or alert you if the listing was rejected.
Visit the Listings Manager
In Facebook Marketplace, go to the “Listings Manager” section. Here you can see all your pending, active, expired, and rejected listings.
Check the listing visibility
Search for your listing as if you were a buyer. If you can’t find it, it’s likely still awaiting review.
Try listing again
If your listing seems to be stuck for a long time, try deleting it and re-listing the item. Just avoid listing it multiple times simultaneously.
Follow Up if Your Listing is Rejected
If your Facebook Marketplace listing gets rejected, don’t panic. There are steps you can take:
Read the rejection reason
Facebook should send you a notification explaining why your listing was rejected. Read this carefully to understand the issue.
Double check the rules
Review Marketplace commerce policies again for anything you may have missed. Make sure you aren’t trying to sell a prohibited item.
Edit and re-submit
Fix any issues with your listing and try submitting it again. Improving photos, descriptions, and prices can help.
Submit an appeal
If you believe the rejection was an error, you can submit an appeal to Facebook. Explain clearly why your listing should be allowed.
Contact Marketplace support
Reach out to Facebook Marketplace support for personalized help understanding a rejection.
When to Follow Up on a Delayed Review
If your Facebook Marketplace listing seems to be stuck in review for an unusually long time, it’s reasonable to follow up. Here’s when to reach out:
- It’s been over 48 hours with no update
- Significantly longer than the average regional review time
- You’ve received inquiries from interested buyers
- Other recent listings were reviewed faster
- You need to sell the item urgently
However, avoid pestering Facebook unless absolutely necessary. Flooding them with inquiries can flag your account and lead to even longer delays. Have patience and only follow up if there are serious concerns.
How to follow up politely:
- Be calm and patient in your communication
- Explain your listing has been pending an unusually long time
- Ask if they need any additional info from you
- Mention interested buyers if applicable
- Thank them for their help speeding up the process
Speed Up Future Facebook Marketplace Reviews
Once your current item finally gets reviewed, there are ways to prevent such long delays for future listings:
Strengthen your account standing
- Follow all Facebook rules and guidelines
- Build up a history of good reviews as a buyer and seller
- Respond promptly if issues arise on previous sales
- Avoid reporting buyers unless absolutely necessary
Optimize your listings
- Write detailed titles and descriptions
- Use clean photos that accurately match the item
- Price fairly based on condition and local market
- Omit contact info, external links, promotions
- Be honest – don’t exaggerate or misrepresent
Stick to lower-risk item categories
- Avoid electronics, designer goods, collectibles
- Sell books, furniture, toys, household items instead
Pre-screen listings
- Carefully re-read commerce policies before listing
- Have someone else review your listing to catch issues
- Test visibility by searching as a buyer
With flawless listings and a solid account history, your future Marketplace reviews should happen much quicker. But have patience, some delays are inevitable when reviewing millions of listings.
Conclusion
Facebook Marketplace is an extremely popular platform, so new listings can take some time to review. Factors like your account history, item category, and region can all impact review speeds. While delays can be frustrating, have patience and focus on creating great listings that easily pass the automated and human reviews. With persistence and care, you’ll get your listings approved and start connecting with local buyers in no time!