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craigslist facts for kids
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Screenshot of the main page on January 26, 2008
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| Type | Private |
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| Foundation date | March 1, 1995 (incorporated 1999) |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Area served | 570 cities in 70 countries |
| Founder(s) | Craig Newmark |
| Key people | Jim Buckmaster (CEO) |
| Services | Web communications |
| Revenue | US$660M |
| Employees | 50 (2017) |
| Written in | Perl |
| Type of site | Classifieds, forums |
| Advertising | None |
| Registration | Optional |
| Available in | English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese |
| Launched | 1995 |
| Current status | Active |
Craigslist is a well-known American company that runs a website for classified advertisements. Think of it like a huge online bulletin board! People use it to find jobs, housing, items to buy or sell, and even to connect with others in their community. It also has discussion forums where people can chat about different topics.
Craig Newmark started Craigslist in 1995. Back then, it was just an email list for his friends. He shared local events happening in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1996, it became a website. Over time, it grew to include many other types of classified ads. By 2000, Craigslist began expanding to cities across the U.S. and Canada. As of 2023, Craigslist was available in 700 cities across 70 countries. It received 560 million visits each month. Most of its visitors, about 90%, are from the USA. In 2022, it was one of the most visited websites in the United States.
Contents
How Craigslist Started
Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist, in 2006
Craig Newmark created Craigslist because he saw how people helped each other online. He felt a bit new to San Francisco and wanted to build something similar for local events. In early 1995, he started an email list for his friends. Most of the first messages were from Newmark himself. They shared social events for people working in software and the Internet in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The number of people subscribing to the list grew quickly. Newmark was surprised when people started using the list for more than just events. For example, people looking to hire for technical jobs found the list useful. This led to adding a "jobs" section. Users kept asking for more categories, so the list of sections grew. The original email system had some limits. So, by June 1995, a new system was set up, and the "Craigslist" mailing list continued. People then asked for a website. Newmark registered "craigslist.org," and the website officially launched in 1996.
In 1999, Craigslist became a private company. Around this time, Newmark realized the site was growing so fast that he could work on it full-time. By April 2000, nine employees were working from Newmark's apartment in San Francisco.
In January 2000, Jim Buckmaster joined Craigslist as the main programmer. He helped create many important parts of the site. These included how it works in different cities, the search engine, and the discussion forums. He became the CEO in November 2000.
The website continued to grow, adding more cities each year. By August 2012, Craigslist had sites in over 700 cities and areas in 70 countries. Some Craigslist sites cover large regions instead of just one city. For example, there are sites for entire U.S. states like Delaware. Some big city sites, like Los Angeles, also let users focus on specific parts of the city.
How Craigslist Works Today
Craigslist headquarters in the Inner Sunset District of San Francisco prior to 2010
Craigslist is still very popular. It gets billions of page views every month. In 2016, it was one of the most visited websites in the United States. It also has millions of unique visitors each month. With over 80 million new classified ads posted monthly, Craigslist is a top service for online classifieds.
In 2009, the site received over 2 million new job listings every month. This made it one of the biggest job boards in the world. The "for sale" and "housing" sections in the largest U.S. cities get hundreds of thousands of new posts daily. The ads range from buying and selling items to community announcements.
In 2019, Craigslist had about 50 employees. Even though it charges very little for most ads (around $5), the company made over $1 billion in revenue that year.
Who Owns Craigslist?
Craigslist does not share much about its money or ownership. However, it is known that the company focuses on helping users. They want to help people find cars, apartments, jobs, and even dates, rather than just making the most money.
Craigslist's main way of earning money is through paid job ads in certain U.S. cities. For a while, the auction company eBay owned about 25% of Craigslist. However, in 2015, eBay sold its share back to Craigslist. This happened as eBay was focusing on its main business. Today, it is believed that the company is mainly owned by its founder, Craig Newmark, and its CEO, Jim Buckmaster.
Rules for Content
Craigslist has rules about what can be posted. In June 2012, Craigslist changed its rules to stop other websites from using its data. Some websites used to combine Craigslist data with maps to make it easier to search for housing. Craigslist filed a lawsuit against one of these sites. Some users were upset because they found these services helpful.
Craigslist App
In December 2019, Craigslist launched its official app. It became available for both iOS (Apple devices) and Android phones.
Website Features
Craigslist is known for its simple, old-school look. Even in 2025, it still has a design that looks like it's from 1995. This simple design has become a very recognizable part of the website.
Connecting with People
Over the years, Craigslist became a popular place for people to meet others. The "Personals" section allowed people to post ads for "strictly platonic" (just friends), "dating/romance," and "casual encounters."
This section was especially helpful for people in the LGBTQ+ community to connect. It was free and open, which made it easier to find others in areas where it might be harder to meet.
However, on March 22, 2018, Craigslist removed its "Personals" section in the United States. This was because of new laws passed by the U.S. Congress. These laws aimed to make websites responsible if their services were misused for illegal activities. Craigslist stated that they could not take such a risk without putting all their other services in danger. They wished happiness to the millions of people who had met through Craigslist.
Reporting Bad Posts
Craigslist has a system where users can report posts that are illegal or inappropriate. This is called "flagging." Anyone can flag a post anonymously, without needing to log in. If enough users flag a post, it is automatically removed. Craigslist also has its own automated systems that flag and remove posts.
Trading and Bartering
Craigslist also has a "barter" option in its "for sale" section. This allows people to trade items or services instead of using money. This growing trend of trading has even been featured on TV shows and blogs.
Craigslist Foundation
In 2001, the company started the Craigslist Foundation. This was a nonprofit organization. It offered free and low-cost events and online tools. Its goal was to help build communities at all levels. Instead of directly giving money to organizations, it helped local groups get started and contribute to their communities.
In 2012, the Craigslist Foundation closed. Its charity work then moved to support other charitable funds.
More to Explore
- List of online marketplaces
See also
In Spanish: Craigslist para niños