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Craigslist · SMS code online
Phone Number for Craigslist Verification
Craigslist asks for phone verification on some posts and new accounts. A phone number for Craigslist keeps your personal number off a public marketplace. TempSMSVerify reserves a number, shows the code in your dashboard and charges you only if it arrives.
United States · +1Quick answer
Can I use a temporary number for Craigslist verification?
Sometimes. Craigslist says it does not support international or VoIP numbers, so a US, Canadian, UK or Australian mobile line is the best bet. Buy a TempSMSVerify number from one of those countries, pick the text option and copy the code. If Craigslist rejects the number and no SMS arrives, you get an automatic refund.
| Billing | Pay only if the code arrives. Automatic, in full, if no SMS arrives before the number expires. |
|---|---|
| Payment | Card via Stripe (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay, Google Pay); Crypto (USDC or SOL on Solana). Minimum top-up $5. Card top-ups carry a 10% processing fee; crypto has none. |
| Subscription | None. Pay per verification; your balance never expires |
| Countries | 140+ countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, India, Germany |
| Developers | REST API plus an SMS-Activate-compatible endpoint. API key available after your first top-up. |
| When Craigslist asks | Some posting categories and new accounts |
| Delivery | Text or voice call (choose text) |
| Rate limit | One code request every 5 minutes |
| Accounts per number | One Craigslist account at a time |
| Number reserved for | up to 20 minutes |
How to verify Craigslist with a temporary number
- 1
Top up
Add at least $5 with Card via Stripe (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay, Google Pay); Crypto (USDC or SOL on Solana). There is no subscription.
- 2
Buy a Craigslist number
Pick Craigslist and the United States, Canada, the UK or Australia if the catalog shows stock.
- 3
Start your post
When Craigslist asks for phone verification, enter the number and choose the text option.
- 4
Wait, do not spam resend
Codes can be requested once every 5 minutes. Watch your TempSMSVerify dashboard.
- 5
Enter the code and publish
Type the code, finish your post, and never share a Craigslist code with a buyer.
How Craigslist phone verification works
Craigslist does not ask everyone for a phone number. It asks during posting, for certain categories and for new accounts, when it wants proof that a person is behind the listing. You choose to get the one-time code by text or by voice call, then enter it to continue.
Craigslist's help page adds a clear safety rule: it asks for a phone code only while you are posting. Anyone who asks for your Craigslist code by email, text or phone is running a scam, usually to hijack a phone number or an account.
Craigslist's number rules
Craigslist states that international and VoIP numbers are not supported, and help guides add that toll-free numbers, some prepaid numbers and numbers with extensions are also refused. Those guides list numbers from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia as accepted.
Craigslist also links a phone number to one account at a time and limits code requests to one every five minutes. Our lines come from mobile number providers, but Craigslist decides what it accepts. When it refuses a number, no code is sent and your balance is refunded.
- Sell furniture or a car without your personal number on a public post.
- Keep a landlord or side-business account apart from your private phone.
- Avoid the 'Google Voice code' scam by never sharing a code with a buyer.
Phone number for Craigslist: errors and fixes
Craigslist's limits are tight, so a careless retry can lock you out for hours.
| Message or problem | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Number not supported | Craigslist treats the number as international, VoIP or toll-free | Cancel after about 2 minutes for a refund and try a US, CA, UK or AU number |
| Please wait before requesting another code | Codes can be requested only once every 5 minutes | Wait the full 5 minutes before a single retry |
| Too many phone numbers tried | Craigslist may limit numbers per account in a set period | Stop and come back later, ideally the next day |
| Number already in use | That number is linked to another Craigslist account | Cancel and buy a different number |
| Code by voice call | The call option was selected | Choose text. Calls do not reach your dashboard |
Pay only if the Craigslist code arrives
Because Craigslist refuses many number types, the billing model matters. TempSMSVerify freezes the price when you buy and charges it only when an SMS reaches the number. If Craigslist declines the number or never texts it, the full amount returns to your balance automatically.
The number stays reserved for up to 20 minutes, which covers one posting session. Buyers will contact you through Craigslist's relay email, so you do not need to put any phone number in the listing itself.
Use Craigslist numbers responsibly
Use TempSMSVerify only for your own Craigslist account and honest listings, and follow Craigslist's Terms of Use. Spam posting, duplicate ads, fake listings, scams and getting around a block break Craigslist's rules and ours. Read our Acceptable Use Policy at /acceptable-use before you buy.
FAQ
Craigslist verification FAQ
Does Craigslist accept VoIP or virtual numbers?
Craigslist's help page says international and VoIP numbers are not supported. TempSMSVerify lines come from mobile number providers, but Craigslist decides what it accepts, and it may still refuse a number. If it does and no SMS arrives, cancel after about 2 minutes and your frozen balance is refunded in full.
Why does Craigslist ask for phone verification?
Craigslist uses phone verification on some posting categories and new accounts to show that a real person is behind a listing and to slow down spam. It asks only during posting. You choose a text or a voice call, and the code unlocks the next step of your post.
Which countries' numbers work for Craigslist?
Craigslist says international numbers are not supported, and help guides list the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia as accepted. Pick one of those four countries in the TempSMSVerify catalog when stock is available. A number from another country will almost certainly be refused before any code is sent.
How often can I request a Craigslist verification code?
Once every five minutes, according to Craigslist. Help guides add that Craigslist may also limit how many different phone numbers an account can try in a set period. Request the code once, wait, and only retry after the five minutes pass. Rapid retries are the most common reason people get locked out.
Someone asked me for my Craigslist code. Is that a scam?
Yes. Craigslist says it asks for a phone code only while you are posting, and any other request is a scam. A common version asks sellers to read back a code so the scammer can register a Google Voice number in your name. Never share a verification code with a buyer.
Do I need to keep the number after my post is live?
Usually not. Buyers reach you through Craigslist's relay email, so the number is only for verification. Craigslist may ask again for a new account or another category, and the old number will have expired. Buy a new one then, or verify with a number you own.
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Create an account, top up and pick a number. Pay only if the code arrives.