How to Use Swapia
Everything you need to sign in, browse, manage listings, message sellers, and understand how local trading works on Swapia.
📝 Creating an Account
You can browse and search items without logging in. Create an account when you want to save favorites, contact sellers, or manage listings in My Items.
- Enter your location: Enter your ZIP code to enable local trading. Click "Auto-detect" for automatic location detection.
- Choose login method:
- 🔵 Google - Quick login with your Google account
- ⚫ GitHub - For developers (also enables AI Agent assistance)
- 📧 Email - Passwordless login via magic link
- Check your email (for email registration): Click the magic link to complete registration.
- Complete! You can now buy and sell items in your local area.
💡 Tip: Auto-detect uses your browser location. If it doesn't work, just enter your ZIP code manually.
👤 Personal vs Business Accounts
Swapia supports two types of accounts. Choose the one that fits your needs:
Personal Account
- ✅ Free to use - No fees
- ✅ Simple setup - Just register and start
- ✅ Default listing limit: Up to 5 active listings
- ✅ Contact method: In-site messaging (email hidden)
- ✅ Best for: Individuals selling personal items
💡 Personal sellers communicate through Swapia's secure messaging system. Your email is never exposed to buyers.
Business Account
- ✅ Free to use - No fees
- ✅ Business profile - Name, address, hours, phone, email
- ✅ Default listing limit: Up to 10 active listings
- ✅ Contact methods: Phone, email, or in-site messaging
- ✅ Best for: Small businesses, shops, resellers
💡 Business profiles are public. Customers can see your business name, address, phone, and hours.
⚠️ Important: Business accounts can display public contact information. If you prefer privacy, use a Personal account.
🏷️ Selling Items
📋 Item Status Explained
Only visible to you. Buyers cannot see draft items.
Use this to save your listing as a draft and publish later.
Visible to all buyers! Your item is live and can be found in search.
This is what you want when ready to sell.
Marked as sold. No longer visible in search.
You can relist it anytime if it's available again.
📝 How to Post an Item
- Log in to your Swapia account
- Open My Items and choose Draft an Item
- Fill in details: photos, title, price, category, condition, description
- Choose delivery: Local Pickup or Shipping
- Click Submit and your item goes to Draft first
🔄 Posting Workflow
💡 Tip: Draft, Active, and Sold each have their own section in My Items, and actions run from the section toolbar after you select cards.
🔍 Finding & Buying Items
- Start with the search controls:
- 🔎 Use keywords first to find specific products
- 📂 Add a category if you want to narrow the results further
- 📍 Add a ZIP code or use Auto-detect to filter by distance
- 📰 Matching results appear immediately below as listing cards
- View item details: Click on any item to see photos, description, condition, and seller info
- Contact the seller: See Contacting Sellers below
- Save favorites: Click the heart icon to save items you're interested in (login required)
- Arrange the deal: Message the seller to agree on price, time, and place
📞 Contacting Sellers
How you contact a seller depends on whether they have a Personal or Business account:
Contacting a Personal Seller
When viewing an item from a Personal seller, click "Contact Seller" to send a message.
- Log in to your Swapia account
- Click "Contact Seller" on the item page
- A conversation opens directly with that listing attached at the top
- Type your message and click Send
- The seller will receive an email notification
🔒 Privacy Protected: Your email address is never shared with the seller.
Contacting a Business
When viewing an item from a Business seller, click "Contact Business" to see:
- 🏪 Business name
- 📞 Phone number (tap to call)
- 📧 Business email
- 📍 Address (tap to view on map)
- 🕐 Business hours
🏪 Public Profile: Business contact information is public. You can call, email, or visit directly.
📧 Email Notifications
Enable or Disable Notifications
Email notifications are enabled by default when you register. You'll receive an email when someone sends you a message on Swapia.
- Go to Messages
- Find the toggle switch at the top: Email notifications
- Toggle it ON or OFF as needed
What You'll Receive
- New message alerts: Get an email when someone sends you a message
- Message preview: See a preview of the message content
- Quick link: Direct link to the conversation
⚠️ Not receiving emails? Check your spam/junk folder. If you find Swapia emails there, mark them as "Not Spam" to ensure future emails go to your inbox.
📱 Install Swapia on Your Phone
You can add Swapia to your phone's home screen so it opens more like an app. The setup is a little different on iPhone and Android.
iPhone / iPad
- Open Swapia in your iPhone browser.
- Tap the Share button in the browser toolbar.
- Scroll down in the share sheet and tap Add to Home Screen.
- Edit the shortcut name if you want.
- Tap Add.
- Open Swapia from your home screen like an app.
On iPhone, browser support is based on Apple's WebKit rules. If you do not see a direct install button inside the page, use the browser share menu instead.
Android
- Open Swapia in Chrome or another supported Android browser.
- If Swapia shows an Add to Home Screen or install prompt, tap it.
- If there is no in-page prompt, open the browser menu.
- Tap Install app or Add to Home screen.
- Confirm the install.
- Launch Swapia from your home screen or app drawer.
Android usually has a more direct PWA install flow than iPhone. In many cases, the browser can show a dedicated install button.
Why You Might Not See the Install Option
- You are on a desktop or tablet-sized window where the mobile install prompt is hidden.
- You already installed Swapia on that device.
- You dismissed the install prompt earlier in the same browser session.
- Your browser cache is stale and needs a refresh.
- Your browser does not expose the install prompt the same way as Chrome on Android.
Tips After Installation
- Open Swapia from the home screen shortcut for the most app-like experience.
- If the icon or app content looks outdated, close the app and reopen it after refreshing the website once in the browser.
- Keep browser storage enabled so Swapia can use cached resources and load faster.
Tip: On iPhone, if you use Chrome and do not see the in-page install prompt, open the browser menu or share controls and add Swapia to your home screen from there.
💡 Tips for Better Experience
- ✅ Add multiple photos - Items with more photos sell faster
- ✅ Be descriptive - Include details about condition, flaws, size, etc.
- ✅ Price competitively - Check similar listings to set a fair price
- ✅ Respond quickly - Quick replies lead to more sales
- ✅ Use your real location - Helps buyers find items near them
- ✅ Enable email notifications - Never miss a message from a buyer
- ✅ Check messages regularly - See Messages
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is it free to use?
Yes, Swapia is free to use. There are no fees for listing or buying items.
What's the difference between Personal and Business accounts?
Personal accounts are for individuals selling personal items. Business accounts are for small businesses with public contact options. By default, Personal accounts can have up to 5 active listings and Business accounts up to 10. See User Types for details.
How does local trading work?
When you enter your ZIP code, we show you items near you. You can arrange to meet locally for pickup or shipping.
Can I sell internationally?
Yes, if you offer shipping as a delivery option. However, most transactions are local for safety and convenience.
Is my email address visible to other users?
For Personal accounts: No. All communication happens through our secure messaging system. For Business accounts: Yes, you can choose to display your business email publicly.
How do I get notified of new messages?
You'll see a badge on the Messages link. You can also toggle email notifications in the Messages page to receive alerts by email.
⚠️ Not receiving emails? Check your spam/junk folder. If you find Swapia emails there, mark them as "Not Spam" to ensure future emails go to your inbox.
Why does My Items look different now?
My Items is organized into separate Draft, Active, and Sold sections instead of a single filter view. Select the cards you want, then use the action buttons at the top of that section.
What if I have issues with a transaction?
Contact the seller through our messaging system. For disputes, contact our support team at support@swapia.net.
How do I delete my account?
Contact support@swapia.net to request account deletion. We will remove all your data within 30 days.
📧 Need Help?
If you have any questions or need assistance, don't hesitate to contact us.
📧 Email: support@swapia.net
🌐 Website: Current Swapia site