Using keywords effectively
How include and exclude keywords work to refine your alerts.
Keywords let you fine-tune which listings trigger your alert. There are two types:
Include keywords
These terms must appear in the listing title for it to match. For example, if you're looking for Nike Air Max 1 specifically, add "Air Max 1" as an include keyword.
### Examples
| Looking for | Include keyword |
|---|---|
| Levi's 501 jeans | 501 |
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | Pro Max |
| North Face Nuptse jacket | Nuptse |
| Vintage band tees | vintage |
Exclude keywords
These terms must not appear in the listing title. Use them to filter out irrelevant results. For example, if you're looking for Air Max 1 but keep seeing Air Max 90 and Air Max 97, add "90" and "97" as exclude keywords.
### Examples
| Problem | Exclude keyword |
|---|---|
| You want real items but keep seeing replicas | replica, rep, inspired |
| You want a jacket but keep seeing gilets | gilet |
| You want trainers but keep seeing football boots | football, boots |
| You want a bag but accessories keep showing up | keyring, wallet, purse |
Common mistakes
- Using the brand name as an include keyword — You don't need to add "Nike" as a keyword if you've already selected Nike as your brand filter. Adding it as a keyword could actually cause you to miss listings that mention the model name but not the brand (e.g. "Air Max 1 OG" without "Nike" in the title).
- Being too broad — Adding "shoes" as a keyword won't help much if your category is already set to trainers. Think about what makes your specific item unique.
- Being too narrow — Adding "Nike Air Max 1 OG Red Anniversary 2023 UK9" as a single include keyword is unlikely to match any listing. Sellers rarely write titles that specific. Keep keywords short and focused on 1–2 words.
- Forgetting spelling variations — Sellers don't always spell things consistently. If you're searching for "dungarees", consider that some listings might say "pinafore" instead. You may need separate alerts for different terms.
- Excluding too aggressively — Adding common words like "new" or "size" as exclude keywords will filter out almost everything. Only exclude terms that are genuinely irrelevant to your search.
Tips
- Be specific — The more targeted your keywords, the less noise you'll get.
- Use exclusions — Trouve will suggest common exclusion terms when you're setting up keywords. We recommend adding at least a few to keep your notifications relevant.
- Combine with other filters — Keywords work alongside category, size, brand, condition, and price filters. The more filters you use, the more precise your results.