I remember staring at my phone in 2018, completely baffled. I had just listed a pair of near-mint Lululemon Align leggings—the holy grail of activewear at the time. I priced them competitively. I took decent photos. I sat back and waited for the "sold" notification. Nothing happened. Two days went by, and the listing had three likes and zero offers. When I tried to find my own listing by typing "Lululemon Align size 6" into the search bar, I scrolled for five minutes before I finally found my item, buried under hundreds of other listings that looked worse than mine but were priced higher. That was my wake-up call. I realized that Poshmark isn't a "set it and forget it" platform like eBay or Mercari. It is a social network disguised as a marketplace, and the algorithm rewards activity just as much as it rewards keywords.
Decoding the Algorithm: How Poshmark Search Actually Works
Most people assume that if they type a word into the search bar, the engine looks for the best match based on the title. That is true for Google, but not entirely for Poshmark.
Here is where it gets interesting. The default sort setting on the poshmark app is not "Relevance." It is "Just Shared." This means that if you listed a Gucci bag three weeks ago and haven't touched it since, it is effectively invisible. A user would have to scroll past every single Gucci bag shared in the last three weeks to find yours.
This dynamic creates a high-maintenance environment. I learned this the hard way in 2020. I took a month off from sharing my closet because of a family emergency. I had about 300 active listings at the time. In that month, I sold exactly two items. The month prior, when I was sharing daily, I sold 45 items. The inventory was the same; the visibility was the variable.
The search engine prioritizes:
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Recency of Share: When was the last time you hit that "share" button?
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Title Keywords: Does the text match the query?
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Filter Accuracy: Did you fill out the "Style Tags" and "Color" fields correctly?
The "Just In" vs. "Just Shared" Debate
There is a secondary sort feature called "Just In." This filters by when the item was actually created. Some buyers, myself included, prefer this because it shows fresh inventory that hasn't been picked over yet.
To capitalize on this, you can't just share old items forever. You have to "relist." This involves copying the listing and posting it as a brand new item. I aim to relist anything older than 60 days. It gives the item a "Just In" boost and often puts it in front of a new set of eyes. I’ve had items sit for six months, relisted them, and sold them within an hour. It feels like magic, but it’s just data hygiene.
Mastering the Poshmark App Interface
The poshmark app is built to keep you scrolling. It is designed more like Instagram than Amazon. For a seller, this means your "Covershot" (the first image) is the most critical element of your success.
I used to take photos of clothes laying flat on my beige carpet. They looked sad. The lighting was yellow. I was selling good brands, but my click-through rate was abysmal. I invested $30 in a simple ring light and started hanging clothes against a white wall. The difference was night and day.
Now the tricky part. The app crops photos into a square (1:1 ratio). If you take a vertical photo on your phone and don't crop it yourself, Poshmark will chop off the top and bottom. I can’t tell you how many listings I see where the head of the dress or the hem of the pants is cut off in the thumbnail. If a buyer can't see the whole item in the search results, they aren't clicking.
What is Poshmark Website and Why Should You Care?
A lot of new sellers ask, what is poshmark website functionality compared to the app? Is it worth logging in on a desktop?
Absolutely. While the app is great for listing on the fly (I often list while waiting in the school pickup line), the desktop site is superior for bulk management.
On the website, you can see your analytics more clearly. You can access the "My Inventory" report, which is a CSV file of everything you have for sale. I use this to audit my pricing. If I see items that have been sitting for over a year, I use the spreadsheet to identify them and then go do a massive price drop or relist session.
Furthermore, typing detailed descriptions is agonizing on a phone keyboard. I type 80 words per minute on a laptop. Listing is simply faster on the web.
Selling Clothes on Poshmark: The Description Game
When selling clothes on poshmark, your description is your salesperson. You are not there to answer questions, so the text has to do it for you.
I once failed miserably at this. I listed a vintage wool sweater. It had a tiny, pinhole-sized moth hole near the cuff. I didn't mention it because I thought, "It's vintage, people expect wear." Wrong. The buyer opened a case, posted a photo of the hole, and Poshmark approved the return. I paid for shipping both ways and got a damaged sweater back.
Now, I over-describe. I use the "flaws first" method. If there is a stain, I mention it in the first two sentences.
But beyond flaws, you need keywords for SEO. Don't just write "Blue Dress." Write: "Zara Blue Midi Dress Floral Print Puff Sleeve Cottagecore Summer Wedding Guest."
See the difference? I just hit about six different search queries in one title. "Cottagecore" and "Wedding Guest" are aesthetic keywords that people actually search for.
What Brands Sell Best on Poshmark?
This is the million-dollar question: what brands sell best on poshmark? The answer is fluid. It changes with the seasons and TikTok trends.
In 2019, I couldn't keep Kate Spade purses in stock. Today? They sit. The market is oversaturated.
Currently, the brands that move fastest for me are:
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Lululemon: specifically the "Scuba" hoodies and "Align" products.
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Patagonia: The "Better Sweater" and "Synchilla" fleeces hold value incredibly well.
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Dr. Martens: Heavy to ship, but they sell consistently.
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Reformation: High resale value, but you have to price it right.
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Torrid: Plus-size clothing has a massive, dedicated buyer base on Poshmark because the retail options are often limited or expensive.
I use Closo to automate cross-listing my best brands to Mercari and eBay – saves me about 3 hours weekly by ensuring my high-demand items are visible everywhere.
Identifying Top Selling Brands on Poshmark
If you are looking for top selling brands on poshmark to flip for profit, you have to look outside the mall.
The "Mall Brands" (Banana Republic, J. Crew, Ann Taylor, Gap) have very low resale value. Why? Because they run 40% off sales constantly. Why would a buyer pay $25 for your used J. Crew shirt when they can get a new one for $30?
I look for brands that never go on sale.
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Vuori: It’s the new Lululemon.
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Hoka One One: Even beat-up pairs sell for $40.
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Johnny Was: Expensive, boho style that has a cult following.
However, there is an exception to the "No Mall Brands" rule. Abercrombie & Fitch. They underwent a massive rebrand a few years ago. Their new denim and bodysuits are highly sought after. If you find old operational Abercrombie (with the moose logo), leave it. If you find the new tag (minimalist font), grab it.
The Role of Pricing in Search
Poshmark allows buyers to filter by price: "Under $25," "$25 - $50," etc. Psychological pricing is huge here.
I often list items at $28 instead of $25. Why? Because when I send an "Offer to Likers" (a tool that sends a discount to anyone who 'liked' your item), I have to drop the price by at least 10%. If I start at $28, I can drop to $25 and still offer discounted shipping. If I start at $25, I have to drop to $22.
Also, be aware of the "over $500" threshold. Any item sold for $500 or more goes to Poshmark HQ for authentication first. This adds safety for the buyer, but adds time to the payout.
Honest Limitations: When Poshmark Search Fails
I have to be honest; the Poshmark search function is sometimes broken.
Because sellers stuff keywords into their listings (a practice called "keyword stuffing"), results can be messy. You might search for "Nike Shorts" and see a pair of generic unbranded shorts with a description that says "Similar to Nike." It is infuriating for buyers.
As a seller, I avoid this. I never write "Not Gucci" or "Like Lululemon." It annoys buyers and can actually get your listing flagged for trademark infringement. I learned this when I listed a generic handbag and wrote "Chanel style." Poshmark took it down within an hour and sent me a warning.
Tools to Optimize Your Poshmark Business
You can do this with just your phone, but a few tools help.
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Canva: I use this to create "Sale" signs or "Bundle and Save" graphics for my closet.
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Scotty Peeler: Essential for removing price stickers from thrift store finds without ruining the package.
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DYMO 4XL: A thermal printer. I used a regular inkjet printer for two years, taping paper labels to bags. Switching to a thermal printer changed my life. No more ink, no more tape.
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Google Lens: I use this constantly to identify style names. If I find a pair of Nikes, I scan the tag or the shoe, and Google tells me it’s the "Air Max 90 in Hyper Grape." Putting that exact model name in the title guarantees you show up in the specific search.
Common Questions I See
"Do I really need to share my closet?"
Yes. There is no way around it. If you don't share, you don't sell. If you have a massive closet (1000+ items), sharing manually can take an hour a day. This is why many large sellers use virtual assistants or automation tools (though be careful, as bots are technically against Terms of Service, though widely used).
"Is the $7.97 shipping fee too high?"
It is a common complaint. Poshmark charges a flat rate of roughly $7.97 (it increases slightly every year) for anything up to 5 lbs. For a heavy pair of boots or a winter coat, this is a steal. For a single pair of earrings? It’s a dealbreaker. This is why "Bundling" is key. I encourage buyers to create a bundle to justify the shipping cost.
Search and the "Offer" Culture
Poshmark is unique because the listed price is rarely the sold price. The search brings them in, but the "Offer" closes the deal.
I would estimate that 80% of my sales come from offers. Either I send an offer to a liker, or they send one to me. When a user "Likes" your item, they are essentially bookmarking it. They are interested, but maybe not at that price. I have a rule: 5 minutes. If someone likes an item, I try to send them an offer within 5 minutes while they are still on their phone. "Hey, I saw you liked this. Here is 20% off and $4.99 shipping." The conversion rate on immediate offers is significantly higher than offers sent 24 hours later.
Handling "Ghost" Inventory
Nothing kills your search ranking faster than canceling an order. If a buyer purchases an item and you have to cancel because you lost it or sold it on another platform and forgot to delete it, Poshmark penalizes you. Your "Ship Time" average goes up, and your reliability score goes down.
I made this mistake early on. I had listed a jacket on both eBay and Poshmark. It sold on eBay. I forgot to delete the Poshmark listing. Three months later, someone bought it on Poshmark. I had to cancel. It was embarrassing, and I swear my sales throttled down for a week afterward.
If you are cross-listing, you need a system. Either use software or be incredibly disciplined. Check out the Closo Seller Hub for guides on how to manage multi-platform inventory without losing your mind.
Conclusion
Mastering poshmark search is about playing the game by Poshmark's rules. It’s a mix of SEO (titles and descriptions) and social hustle (sharing and offering). It requires more active participation than almost any other resale platform.
But the upside is community. People follow you. They return to buy again. I have a lady in Ohio who buys a scarf from me almost every month. You don't get that on Amazon.
Start by auditing your titles. Are they descriptive? Then, commit to sharing your closet at least once a day. It takes five minutes. Do it while you watch Netflix. You will see the difference in your "Likes" almost immediately.
If you find that the manual sharing is burning you out, or if you want to expand your empire to other platforms to increase your sell-through rate, the cross-listing strategies on the Closo Seller Hub
