Keywords in filters

Keyword groups help make filters more precise.

With the new keyword system:

• keywords inside the same group use OR logic
• different groups use AND logic
• excluded keywords always remove matching items
• matching is case-insensitive

Open Keywords in the filter form to add required groups, excluded keywords and additional text criteria.

How it works

An item must match:

1. at least one keyword from each group
2. none of the excluded keywords

Example

If a filter has:

• Group 1: nike, adidas
• Group 2: hoodie, sweatshirt
• Excluded keywords: kids, fake

Then a listing can match if it contains:

• nike hoodie
• adidas sweatshirt

But it will not match if it contains:

• kids
• fake

So this setup means:

• (nike OR adidas)
• AND (hoodie OR sweatshirt)
• AND NOT (kids, fake)

Important rules

1. Keywords in the same group are alternatives

Use one group for words that mean almost the same thing, or for different ways sellers might describe the same item.

Example:

• Group: hoodie, sweatshirt, pullover

The item only needs one of them.

2. Different groups narrow the search

Use multiple groups when you want to combine conditions.

Example:

• Group 1: nike, adidas
• Group 2: vintage
• Group 3: jacket, coat

The item must match:

• one brand from Group 1
• and vintage
• and one clothing type from Group 3

3. Exclusion lists

An excluded keyword blocks the listing, even if it matches all your groups.

Add one or more lists with Add an exclusion list. Each list excludes its words in the title and description, or only in the title when you tick Title only. You can mix both.

Example: excluding case with Title only keeps e-readers whose description mentions a free case, but drops listings that only sell the case.

Example excluded keywords:

• kids
• damaged
• replica

4. Matching is case-insensitive and accent-insensitive

Uppercase, lowercase, and accents do not matter.

For example:

• Nike, NIKE, nike
• Pokémon, pokemon

These are treated the same.

Additional text criteria

When creating or editing a filter in the web app, open the Keywords section. Below the excluded keywords, you can also set these optional criteria:

• Maximum description length: enter the maximum number of characters allowed in the item’s description. Descriptions longer than this are excluded. For example, a limit of 500 allows descriptions of 500 characters or fewer. This limit applies to the description only, not the title. Leave the field empty to allow descriptions of any length.
• Exclude items with emojis: turn this on to exclude items when an emoji is detected in their title or description.
• Exclude items with hashtags: turn this on to exclude items whose title or description contains a hashtag with at least three characters after the #, such as #nike or #vintage.

These criteria apply in addition to your keyword groups, excluded keywords and other filter criteria. An item can match all your keyword groups and still be excluded by one of these settings. Save the filter after making changes.

Best practices

• Put synonyms or close alternatives in the same group
• Put separate requirements in different groups
• Use excluded keywords to remove common false positives
• Start simple, then add more groups only if needed

On your phone

Souk added to your home screen (PWA) or opened in the browser edits keyword groups and exclusion lists just like on a computer. The old native app cannot edit them: open the filter in Souk on the web.

Common questions

• Why am I not getting results?

  The filter may be too restrictive.

  Remember that every group must match. If you add too many groups, very few items may qualify.

• Why am I getting too many results?

  Try:

  • splitting broad keywords into better groups
  • adding another required group
  • adding excluded keywords for common unwanted matches

• Can I manage keyword groups from mobile?

  Yes, with Souk in your phone’s browser or added to your home screen (PWA). The old native app does not support them.