Connect With Sellers & Your Community
YardShoppers has a full built-in messaging system, a friends list, public profiles, emoji reactions, read receipts, and more â so you can connect with local sellers and neighbors without ever leaving the app.
đŦ Real-Time Messaging
YardShoppers has a full real-time messaging system built in. No phone numbers, no email chains â just clean, fast conversations right inside the platform. Every message is delivered instantly via live database subscriptions.
Open any listing detail page and tap 'Message Seller.' This creates a conversation thread between you and the seller. You must be logged in to send messages â sign up free in seconds.
Messages are delivered instantly via live database subscriptions. You'll see new messages appear in real time without needing to refresh the page.
The Messages icon in the navigation bar shows an orange badge with the number of unread conversations. You'll always know when someone has replied.
When a conversation is started from a specific listing, that listing's title appears in the message thread header â so both parties always know what item or sale the conversation is about.
Use the search bar in the Messages sidebar to quickly find a specific conversation by the person's name.
YardShoppers sends platform notifications (announcements, account alerts, promo codes) through a special Official thread with a golden tag badge. It'll always be clearly labeled.
đ¨ī¸ Inside a Conversation
Here's what you'll see when you open a message thread:
Your sent messages appear on the right side of the thread in green bubbles.
The other person's messages appear on the left in gray bubbles.
Messages are grouped by date with banners like 'Today,' 'Yesterday,' or the specific day name so you always know when something was sent.
A 'Seen at [time]' receipt appears below your messages once the other person has opened and read them.
In the message input box, press Enter to send. Press Shift + Enter to add a new line within your message without sending it.
Hover over any message to reveal the reaction picker. React with đ đ â¤ī¸ đ đŽ đĸ â reactions appear as badges below the message with a count.
đĄī¸ Blocking & Safety
Your safety and comfort come first. YardShoppers gives you full control over who can message you.
Inside any conversation, tap the three-dot menu (âŽ) in the thread header and select Block. The block is mutual â neither of you can message the other, see each other's listings, or interact on the platform.
Changed your mind? Open the same three-dot menu and select Unblock to restore the ability to communicate.
Blocked users won't appear in your conversation list and you won't appear in theirs. Their listings won't show up in your searches either.
If a seller is posting fraudulent, inappropriate, or misleading listings, use the Report button on the listing detail page. Our admin team reviews every report.
đ¤ Friends
YardShoppers has a full friends system so you can stay connected with fellow sale-goers, neighbors, and sellers you trust.
â Sending a Friend Request
Open a message conversation with anyone and tap the three-dot menu (âŽ) in the thread header. Select Add Friendto send a friend request. You can also view someone's public profile and tap the Add Friend button there.
đŦ Managing Friend Requests
Go to /friends (Friends icon in the nav) to manage all your friend activity. The Requests tab shows:
- âIncoming Requests â Accept or Decline with one tap. An orange badge shows how many are waiting.
- âOutgoing Requests â Cancel a request you sent if you change your mind.
đĨ Your Friends List
The Friends tab shows all your accepted friends, sorted alphabetically, along with how long you've been friends. From here you can:
- âTap Message to jump straight into a conversation
- âTap View Profile to see their public profile page
- âRemove a friend if you no longer want to be connected
- âSearch your friends list by name
đ¤ Public User Profiles
Every YardShoppers user has a public profile page at /profile/[id]. Here's what you can see and do there:
The user's profile photo (or initials if no photo is set) and their display name.
Their general city and state â never a street address.
How long they've been on YardShoppers, shown as a relative time (e.g., 'Member for 2 years').
How many listings they've posted in total â a quick trust signal.
An optional bio the user has written about themselves.
If they've received ratings on their listings, their average star rating is shown â so you know you're dealing with a trusted seller.
Depending on your relationship, you'll see buttons to: Add Friend / Cancel Request / Accept & Decline / Message + Remove + Block / Unblock. Guests see a 'Log In to Connect' prompt.
A link at the bottom of the profile takes you directly to a filtered browse page showing only that person's active listings.
đ Notification Preferences
You control exactly what YardShoppers notifies you about. Manage your notification preferences from Dashboard â Notifications. You can turn on or off notifications for:
When someone sends you a message.
When someone sends or accepts a friend request.
When someone rates one of your listings.
When someone comments on your listing.
New sale alerts based on your alert preferences.
Important updates and news from YardShoppers.
The Notification Bell
The bell icon in the top navigation bar is your notification center. It shows a badge count of unread notifications. Click it to see a dropdown of recent activity â new messages, friend requests, ratings, comments, and platform announcements â all in one place without leaving the page you're on.