Anyone who opens the ad can get the number.
A posting is public, and so is the number on it. Give it one you can end, and keep the number your family calls out of it.
A number for Craigslist ads
Get a phone number for Craigslist that rings your real phone.
Put an ExpressNumber number on your Craigslist ad instead of your own. Buyers call it, your phone rings, and you burn the number when the item is gone.
$0 todayLive in about a minute
This is how you get a number for your Craigslist ad.
- Start your 7 days free and open Create a number.
- Name it after the ad, such as Craigslist couch.
- On the posting, tick show my phone number and phone calls OK, then type in the new number.
- Buyers call it and your phone rings. Burn it in one tap when the item is gone.
9:41
Your numbers
Craigslist couch
(415) 555-0137
Forwarding
Craigslist bike
(510) 555-0152
Texts only
Craigslist desk
(650) 555-0129
Blocked
People put a second number on a Craigslist ad for three reasons.
The calls do not stop when the item sells.
A number on an old ad keeps getting calls. Burn the ad’s number the day the couch is gone, and calls and texts to it stop at once.
Each ad gets its own name.
Call one number Craigslist couch and another Craigslist bike. Texts land in your inbox under that name, so you know which ad they are about.
How a call reaches you
The buyer gets the number on the ad. Your phone gets the call.
A buyerReads your ad and calls the number on it.
Calls and texts
Craigslist couchYour number for this ad.
Forwards
Your real phone ringsLike any other call
Texts land in your inboxUnder the name Craigslist couch
The caller only ever sees the number you gave them.
Burn the number when the item is gone.
One number for one ad, from the day it goes up to the day it comes down.
- 1The ad goes upWith the Craigslist couch number on it
- 2Buyers callYour phone rings like any other call
- 3The couch is goneYou take the ad down
- 4Burn the numberCalls and texts to it stop at once
This is what Craigslist and the FTC say about the number on your ad.
Read October 15, 2026, with a link to each page.
Showing a number on a posting is up to you.
The contact info on a posting has a show my phone number box. Ticking phone calls OK puts the word call before the number, and text/sms OK puts the word text.
Craigslist help: Phone/TextThe phone check when you post takes your own mobile.
Some postings need a phone check before they go live. Craigslist says international and VoIP numbers are not supported for it, and the number you check with is not shown on the posting.
Craigslist help: Verifying by PhoneCraigslist only asks for a code while you are posting.
Its help page says any other request for your phone code is a scam.
Craigslist help: Verifying by PhoneEmail replies go through a relay address.
Craigslist creates a randomized email address for each posting, and buyers write to that address.
Craigslist help: CL Mail RelayCraigslist says to meet in a public place.
Its safety page says to insist on a public meeting place like a bank or police department, and not to invite strangers into your home.
Craigslist help: In Person TransactionsThe FTC warns about fake buyers who ask for a code.
Scammers target people selling on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace and ask them for a Google Voice verification code. The FTC says never to share a verification code with someone you did not contact first: that is a scam, every time.
FTC consumer alert: The Google Voice scam, October 29, 2021
Try it free for 7 days.
Then pick the plan that fits how many numbers you hand out.
Basic
7 days free$9.99/mo
- 5 numbers, one for each site, store or dealer
- 100 forwarded minutes a month
- Burn a number in one tap
- Extra numbers $1 a month each
Pro
7 days free$29.99/mo
- 100 numbers
- 1,000 forwarded minutes a month
- A number per vendor, client or listing
- Extra numbers 50¢ a month each
$0 today. Monthly plans, cancel any time.
People ask these questions about a number for Craigslist.
More in the full FAQ.
Create a number in your dashboard and name it after the ad, such as Craigslist couch. It is live in about a minute. On the posting, tick show my phone number and phone calls OK, then type the number in. Calls ring the phone you already carry, and the caller only ever sees the number you gave them.
Use your own mobile for that step. Craigslist says VoIP numbers are not supported for the posting check, and the number you check with is not shown on the posting. The number buyers see is the one you type into the contact info, and that is where your ExpressNumber number goes.
Do not send it. Craigslist only asks for a phone code while you are posting and calls any other request for it a scam, and the FTC warns about fake buyers who ask sellers for a Google Voice code.
No. Your numbers are receive-only: they take calls and texts, and they never make them. You answer calls on your own phone, and you cannot reply to a text from the inbox.
Yes. Every number has three modes: Forward rings your phone and lets texts in, Texts only stops calls and keeps the texts coming, and Block stops both. You change the mode from your dashboard.
More ways to use a number
Every rule on this page comes from a public page you can check.
Each one is linked where it is quoted, and all of them were read October 15, 2026.
Put a number on your ad that you can burn.
Hand out a number you can burn. Keep the one your family calls.
Try it free for 7 days