You can automate eBay searches by saving a filtered search on eBay or by turning its URL into a scheduled monitor. eBay saved searches provide email notifications. A monitor such as TruffleHunt adds a selectable checking schedule, new-listing and fixed-price price-drop tracking, and configurable alert delivery.

Start with one search you already know how to judge. The useful result is a shortlist you can review, not a promise that every alert will be a bargain.

Start with eBay's saved-search option

  1. Search eBay for the item or model you want.
  2. Apply the relevant condition, buying-format, category, and price filters.
  3. Select Save this search above the results.
  4. In Saved searches, check the envelope control if you want email notifications.

eBay's saved-search instructions explain that notifications go to your registered email address. They do not specify a guaranteed delivery interval. Try this option first if email notifications meet your needs.

Use a separate monitor when you want to choose a checking cadence, watch price changes, or receive alerts in Telegram or Discord. You can keep the native saved search alongside it.

Build a search worth monitoring

Choose a specific product before copying the URL. For a used camera lens, include its model and mount rather than the broad term “camera lens.” Review the results for accessories, incompatible versions, and damaged examples.

Set the condition and buying format deliberately. Buy It Now listings suit a fixed-price buying workflow. An auction's current bid is not its final sale price. Your maximum item-price filter also needs room for shipping and any other buying costs.

Use eBay Advanced search when you need more search controls. Then copy the results-page URL from your browser, rather than an individual listing or a My eBay account page.

Turn the URL into a TruffleHunt hunt

A hunt is a saved search that TruffleHunt checks through eBay's official Browse API. You can create a persistent hunt after connecting your own eBay developer credentials. If registration offers you the separate free 48-hour hunt, you can try that onboarding route without API keys or a card; continuing the hunt afterward requires your own developer connection.

  1. Open New hunt and paste your results URL into eBay search URL.
  2. Read Detected from URL. Check the keywords, buying format, condition, item-price range, item location, and marketplace against your original search.
  3. Read any message saying that some filters could not be applied. A website filter is not automatically supported by the API monitor. Adjust the search before relying on it.
  4. Give the hunt a recognizable Label, such as “Used XF 35mm lenses.”
  5. Choose an available Polling cadence and review the estimated API usage. Confirm the search marketplace.
  6. New listings are enabled in this editor. Select Price drops if you also want eligible fixed-price decreases, then select Create hunt.

Once the hunt has checked, review its actual results. Similar search criteria do not guarantee that eBay's website and Browse API return an identical set of listings. Tighten the query if the monitored results miss your intended product.

Choose cadence and delivery separately

  • Forager: the permanent free plan supports up to three active hunts, one connected eBay account, checks as often as every 30 minutes, and email alerts.
  • Hunter: checks as often as every five minutes and supports email, Telegram, and Discord.
  • Hunter Pro: checks as often as every minute and supports the same delivery channels, with additional account and multi-region capabilities.

These are minimum selectable checking intervals, not a guarantee that you will see every listing within that time. API limits, account errors, scheduler delays, and notification delivery can affect timing. A listing can also sell between checks.

In Settings → Alerts, connect your destination and enable the events you want. For Telegram, follow the Telegram alert setup guide. Choosing Telegram does not make a 30-minute hunt check every minute.

Keep the alerts useful

Review noisy results before adding more hunts. In the hunt's advanced settings, add negative keywords for unwanted titles. This extra filter checks title words; it cannot inspect photographs or determine whether a seller described the item accurately.

For price changes, compare the item price plus the shipping amount available to the monitor. A $140 item with $35 shipping costs more on that basis than a $155 item with confirmed free shipping. Unknown shipping is not free, and tax, import charges, repairs, and resale fees still need a separate check.

TruffleHunt records changes it observes while monitoring. It does not reconstruct every earlier sale or price adjustment. The price-change tracking guide explains that distinction.

Review the listing before you buy

Open the current eBay listing from an alert. Confirm the exact variant, condition, seller feedback, return terms, shipping to your address, and final checkout cost. Use comparable sold items separately if you need a resale estimate.

TruffleHunt monitors listings and sends alerts. You make the buying decision; it does not automatically buy items or place bids.

Create an account to monitor your first eBay search. Check the onboarding offer shown at registration, or use permanent Forager with your own developer connection. Compare the ongoing options on the pricing page before choosing a faster cadence or additional channels.