I still have a vivid memory of the morning I woke up to two notifications that should have been exciting but instead made my stomach drop. It was 7:00 AM on a Tuesday. Notification one: "Item Sold: Vintage 90s Leather Bomber Jacket ($120) on eBay." Notification two, time-stamped three minutes later: "Item Sold: Vintage 90s Leather Bomber Jacket ($135) on Depop."
I had just double-sold my best piece of inventory. I didn't have two jackets. I had one. I had listed it on both platforms to maximize exposure, but I forgot the golden rule of cross-listing: when it sells on one, you must immediately kill the listing on the other. I had to awkwardly message the Depop buyer, explain my incompetence, refund them, and take a hit to my seller rating.
If I had known how to navigate the app faster—or had a system in place—I could have saved that sale (and my reputation). Managing a digital closet requires digital hygiene. Whether you just realized a stain is permanent, decided to keep the item, or sold it elsewhere, knowing how to delete a listing on depop is a fundamental skill for avoiding the dreaded "ghost inventory" scenario.
The Mechanics: How to Delete Depop Listing on App vs. Desktop
While the interface is intuitive for buying, the selling tools can sometimes feel hidden behind aesthetic minimalism. Depending on where you are working—your phone or your laptop—the process varies slightly.
Deleting on the Mobile App (iOS & Android)
This is where 95% of the action happens.
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Go to Your Profile: Tap the little person icon in the bottom right.
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Find the Item: Scroll through your grid. (If you have hundreds of items, this scrolling can be tedious).
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Open the Listing: Tap the photo.
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The Magic Menu: Look for the three dots (...) or the trash can icon depending on your app version. Usually, it is in the top right corner.
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The Final Blow: Tap Delete Item.
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Confirm: A pop-up will ask if you are sure. Say yes.
Here's where it gets interesting... If you are trying to figure out how to delete a post on depop that has multiple sizes (like if you are selling custom t-shirts), deleting the whole listing removes all sizes. If you just want to remove one size that sold out, you don't delete the listing; you edit the quantity.
Deleting on Desktop (The Web Browser)
For those of us who treat this like a desk job, the desktop site is faster for bulk cleanup.
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Log In: Go to Depop.com.
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Profile: Click your profile picture top right > Profile.
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Select: Click the listing.
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Delete: On the web version, the "Delete" button is often more prominent or tucked under a purely text-based "Manage" menu.
Honest Failure: In 2021, I tried to do a "closet clear out" on my phone while riding the subway. The connection was spotty. I deleted about 20 items. When I got home and refreshed the app on WiFi, 10 of them were still there.
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Lesson: The app doesn't always sync deletions instantly if your data is weak. Always refresh your profile to verify the item is actually gone.
The Strategy: Deleting vs. Marking as Sold
Before you hit that trash can, ask yourself: Why am I doing this? There is a massive functional difference between deleting a listing and marking it as sold.
Option A: Deleting
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What it does: Erases the data from the internet. The photos are gone. The description is gone.
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When to use it:
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You decided to keep the item.
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You noticed a flaw (hole/stain) and can't sell it.
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You are re-listing it to refresh the SEO (more on that later).
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Option B: Marking as Sold
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What it does: Keeps the item in your grid but puts a yellow "Sold" tag on it. It moves to the bottom of your feed.
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When to use it:
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You sold the item on another platform (eBay/Poshmark) but want to show Depop buyers that you are an active, successful seller.
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Opinion Statement: I believe that new sellers delete too much. A sold listing is a trophy. When a potential buyer comes to your shop and sees 50 "Sold" items at the bottom, it proves you are trustworthy. If you delete everything you sell elsewhere, your shop looks empty and abandoned. I only delete if the item was embarrassing or the photos were terrible.
How to Mark an Item as Sold on Depop (The Manual Way)
If you decide you want the "social proof" of a sale without actually selling it through the Depop button (avoiding fees on a transaction that didn't happen there), you need to know how to mark an item as sold on depop.
The Process:
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Tap the item to open it.
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Tap the three dots (menu).
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Tap Mark as Sold.
Now the tricky part... Depop changes this UI frequently. Sometimes the "Mark as Sold" button disappears.
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The Workaround: If you can't find the button, simply click Edit Item.
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Quantity Hack: Scroll down to "Quantity." Change it to "0".
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Save: Save the listing. It will now appear as "Sold Out" to buyers.
My Personal Anecdote: I sold a pair of Doc Martens on Facebook Marketplace for cash. I wanted to keep the listing on Depop to show I sold cool boots. I used the "Mark as Sold" feature. Two weeks later, a user messaged me on Depop asking if I had "another pair just like that." I didn't, but I sourced one a week later and sold it to her. That sale wouldn't have happened if I had deleted the original listing.
The "Ghost Inventory" Nightmare (Why Deleting Matters)
We touched on this in the intro, but "Ghost Inventory" is the silent killer of resale businesses. Ghost Inventory is an item that exists digitally but not physically.
The Scenario: You sell a sweater on Vinted. You forget to delete it on Depop. Three months pass. You forget you even owned that sweater. Suddenly, Ping! "Item Sold on Depop." Now you have to cancel the order.
The Consequence: Depop hates cancellations.
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Refunds: You have to refund the buyer (and often eat the PayPal fee difference if you are on the old system).
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Algorithm: Depop's algorithm punishes sellers with high cancellation rates. Your other items will get less visibility.
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Reviews: The buyer can leave a 1-star review saying, "Seller listed item they didn't have. Waste of time."
I use Closo to automate this specific headache. When I sell something on eBay, Closo automatically pulls the listing from Depop. It saves me about 3 hours weekly of paranoid inventory checking and ensures I never have to send that awkward "So sorry, I actually don't have this" message again.
The Refresh Strategy: Deleting to Relist
Advanced sellers know how do i delete a listing on depop not just to remove items, but to revive them. The Depop feed is chronological. Old items get buried.
The "Relist" Method:
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Copy: Copy the description of your old item. Screenshot the photos.
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Delete: Delete the old listing (which has 2 likes and has been sitting for 6 months).
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Post: Create a brand new listing with the same info.
Why do this?
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Freshness: It appears at the top of the "Just In" search results.
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Algorithm Boost: New listings get more push than edited old listings.
Parenthetical Aside: (I used to do this manually every Sunday. I would spend 4 hours deleting and reposting my stale inventory. It worked—sales usually bumped 20% on Mondays—but it was soul-crushing work. Now I use automation tools to do the "delist/relist" cycle, but the principle remains the same.)
When You Can't Delete: The "Sold" Item Policy
Common question I see... "How do I delete a sold item?"
The Answer: You usually can't. If you sold an item through Depop (the buyer paid in-app), that listing is a permanent financial record.
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Reason: Taxes and Disputes. Depop needs that record in case the buyer opens a case in 30 days, or for IRS reporting (1099-K forms).
The Exception: After a very long period (often 6+ months), some users report being able to delete old sold listings, but generally, they are there to stay.
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Visual Cleanup: If you hate how your sold items look, you can move them to the bottom of your closet by editing your active items (which bumps active ones to the top), naturally pushing the sold ones down.
Managing Multi-Size Listings
If you are a boutique seller or sell deadstock sneakers, you might have one listing with multiple quantities. Scenario: You have 5 Mediums and 2 Larges. You sell out of Larges. Do not delete the listing.
How to adjust:
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Go to Edit Item.
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Go to Quantity/Sizes.
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Change "Large" to 0.
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Leave "Medium" at 5.
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Save.
Result: The listing stays active. Buyers see "Medium" available, but "Large" is greyed out. If you delete the listing, you lose the "likes" and the placement in search for the Mediums too.
Common Issues: Error Messages and Glitches
Sometimes, you tap delete, and the app says "Something went wrong."
Why this happens:
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Active Offer: If a buyer has sent an offer on the item, or you have sent an offer to likers, the item is technically "locked" in a negotiation state in some backend versions of the app.
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Fix: Wait for the offer to expire (24 hours) or decline the offer, then delete.
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Cart Hold: Someone has the item in their bag. (Rarely stops deletion, but can cause glitches).
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Connectivity: As mentioned, weak WiFi.
Honest Failure: I once had a "zombie listing." I deleted it. It came back. I deleted it again. It came back. It turned out I had listed it via a third-party cross-listing tool that was set to "auto-sync," and the tool kept forcing it back onto Depop because I hadn't deleted it from the tool.
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Lesson: If you use software like Vendoo or Closo, make sure you delete from the "master" inventory, not just the marketplace.
People always ask me...
"Can I archive listings instead of deleting?"
People always ask me this. Unlike Instagram, Depop does not have a true "Archive" feature where it hides the post privately.
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The Alternative: You can mark it as "Not for Sale." This keeps the data but stops people from buying it. This is useful if you are going on vacation or want to pause an item without losing the likes.
"Does deleting items hurt my shop rating?"
Common question I see. No.
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The Reality: Deleting unsold items is healthy. It cleans up your shop. Deleting items after a sale (by cancelling the order) definitely hurts you. But curating your active inventory by removing stale items is good practice.
"If I delete a listing, do I lose the photos?"
Yes. Once you confirm delete, those photos are wiped from Depop's server.
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The Fix: Always keep your original photos on your phone or in Google Photos until the item is sold and shipped. I have a folder on my phone called "Inventory" where I keep photos for 6 months, just in case I need to re-upload or fight a dispute.
Conclusion
Knowing how to delete a listing on depop is about more than just removing a picture. It is about inventory management, social proof, and protecting your seller rating from double-sales.
Whether you are "cleaning house" to make your shop look more aesthetic or frantically removing an item you just sold on eBay, speed and accuracy matter. Don't let your digital closet become a graveyard of items you no longer have.
If you are ready to stop managing this manually and want to sync your sales across Depop, Poshmark, and eBay automatically, check out our guide on Inventory Management for Multi-Platform Sellers. And if you want to know which other platforms you should be selling on, read our breakdown of The Best CrossListing Apps for 2025.
FAQ
Here's something everyone wants to know: Can I restore a deleted Depop listing?
No. Once a listing is deleted on Depop, it is permanently removed. There is no "Trash" or "Recycle Bin" folder to recover it from. If you accidentally delete an item, you will have to create a brand new listing, re-upload the photos, and write the description again. This is why many sellers recommend keeping photos saved on your phone.
Common question I see: Should I delete sold items on Depop?
Generally, you cannot delete items that were sold through the Depop app (using the "Buy" button). These serve as a permanent record of the transaction. However, if you marked an item as sold manually (for a sale outside the app), you can delete it. Most sellers advise keeping sold items visible as they act as a portfolio of your past sales, building trust with new buyers.
People always ask me: Why can't I delete my listing?
If you encounter an error when trying to delete, check if there is an active offer on the item. Sometimes, the system prevents deletion while an offer is pending. Decline the offer or wait for it to expire. Alternatively, check your internet connection or try deleting the item from the desktop website instead of the mobile app.
