How To Post a Job on Indeed—A Comprehensive Guide

Indeed is a highly popular free job board that’s currently the most visited job listing website in the United States. It’s a global job board, meaning you can use it to source candidates for any niche—from developers and accountants to florists and mechanics.

While you can post your job vacancy for free, the website offers a pay-per-application model to promote the post and reach more candidates. It also has a subscription model for the resume search feature. In this article, we’ll show you how to post a job on Indeed and manage it as well as explain its pricing model so that you can decide whether it’s worth your investment.

Overview

Indeed is one of the best job boards in the world at the moment, both for finding workers and finding work. It has over 250 million unique visits per month, with over 225 million users uploading their CVs on the website.

As an employer, you can tap into this vast global talent pool by posting a job listing for free. However, the most recent listings always feature at the top of the first page of Indeed’s board, thus pushing your ad to the second and further pages where they have a much lesser chance of attracting candidates. Since a free job post loses visibility quickly, sometimes in a matter of days, you’ll need to sponsor your post to see relevant and high-quality applications rolling in. You’ll have to pay at least $10 per received application for a sponsored post. You can also pay extra to access the resume database and find matching candidates this way.

While it’s one of the most popular online job boards, Indeed has a lot of mixed reviews from companies.

The main issue that keeps emerging revolves around their pay-per-application campaigns for sponsored posts.

You can set a budget limit by selecting the number of applications you want to reach before the promotion stops automatically. The recurring problem for employers is that Indeed continues to bring in applications, and you can find many bad reviews from companies that were charged over the budget they had set.

Indeed Job Posting—Features and Highlights

Check out the table below to learn about all the features Indeed offers:

How To Post Jobs on Indeed—A Step-by-Step Breakdown

To start the process of posting a job ad, you need to visit Indeed for Employers and create an account or sign in if you already have one. Here’s how you can create an account:

• Press the Post a Job button
• Enter your company name and email address

• Confirm your email address and click Continue
• Add the following information:
  • Company size (number of employees)
  • Your name
  • Phone number (optional)
  • How you heard about Indeed
• Press Save and Continue

When you do this, the website will automatically redirect you to the job posting form. If you already have an account, you can skip this section, press the Sign in link, and click the Post Job button.

Drafting a Job Post

Creating a job listing on Indeed is a straightforward process that consists of adding information about the role. There are a few steps you need to take to complete the process:

• Provide some basic information:
  • Country (of the company)
  • Language
  • Company name
  • Company’s industry (and a sub-industry if applicable)
  • Job title
  • Job location type (in-person, remote, hybrid remote, on the road)
• Press Save and Continue

• Add the following details about the job:
  • Job type (full-time, part-time, contract, temporary, internship)
  • Schedule for the job (shifts, weekend availability, etc.)
  • The number of people you want to hire for the position
  • How quickly you want to make the hire (options range from one day to over four weeks)
• Press Save and Continue

• Add information about the salary and benefits:
  • Pay—Choose to display a pay range (minimum, maximum, or the exact amount) and choose the pay rate (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly)
  • Supplemental pay—Signing bonus, commission pay, bonus pay, tips, etc.
  • Benefits you offer—Health insurance, paid time off, 401(k), parental leave, etc.
•  Press Save and Continue

• Write or paste your job description (you can upload a PDF or a DOCX)
• Add any information about COVID-19 precautions in your company (if applicable)
• Add photos and videos of your company (optional)
• Press Save and Continue (you can also preview the post before publishing it)

• Add information about your application preferences:
  • Select if you require a CV (yes, no, optional)
  • Provide an email address where applications are sent
  • Choose whether candidates can contact you
  • Enable or disable Employer Assist (automatically declines unresponded applications after a period you decide)
• Press Save and Continue (you can also preview the post before publishing it)

• Review the information and press Confirm when ready

Key Qualifications

After completing the process, Indeed will present you with some qualifications that other companies hiring for the same position require. You can select a certain qualification as a must-have or a nice-to-have, or you can reject their recommendation. There’s also an option to add criteria of your own or skip the entire section.

You can choose to require applicants to record their answers to screening questions you set or include Indeed’s auto-generated written skill tests.

When you finish with these settings, you’ll see the final screen where you can select a budget for your sponsored post. If you want to post a job ad for free, press the Post without budget button. Your post will be public in 24–48 hours, which is how much it takes for Indeed to review your ad. 

How To Post a Job on Indeed Without Salary

Adding a salary to an Indeed job post is not mandatory, and if you don’t want to reveal what compensation you plan to offer, you can leave those fields empty when creating the listing. 

Keep in mind that the platform’s algorithm will generate an estimate based on similar job listings in the same location, regardless of whether you want to include this information or not. If you don’t add a salary, you risk getting fewer applications from top candidates. You can suffer if what you’re planning to offer is outside the average pay range. If you offer less, candidates will get disappointed, and if you offer more, the top candidates won’t know about it and won’t be motivated to apply.

How To Remove Salary From an Indeed Job Posting

Have you already posted a job ad with information about the salary and now want to remove those details? You can do so by editing your post. To do that, you need to:

• Visit the Jobs dashboard
• Navigate to the job post you want to change
• Select the settings menu (three dots on the far right) and click the Edit job button
• In the Job details section, select edit Pay (click on the pencil icon next to it)

• Leave the salary information field empty (delete the amount that’s written)

Indeed Pricing

Indeed allows you to post a job for free, but the visibility of a free post goes down quickly, and you’ll receive applications only from the most resilient jobseekers that are willing to scroll through multiple pages of search results. If you want to increase your reach and, in turn, the number and quality of applications you receive, you’ll need to pay up. According to Indeed, sponsored job posts are 4.5x more likely to result in a hire.

A sponsored post costs $10+ per received application, depending on your company’s location and industry.

You can set your budget by selecting a limit of acquired applications. For example, you can choose to stop promoting your post when you receive 50 applications. A $15 per application rate would cost you $750. You also have the option to leave the promotion running until you decide to pause or close the job. The final fee depends on the number of applications you’ve received while your ad was active.

Aside from increasing your visibility, a sponsored post offers the following:

• Enable the “Urgently hiring” label
• Reject unwanted applications and don’t get charged for them
• View matching candidates instantly and invite them for an interview—You only get charged if the candidate accepts your invitation
• Reject unfit candidates automatically by adding Deal Breaker qualifications

Resume Search Pricing

While a sponsored post matches you with qualified candidates, i.e., Indeed suggests candidate profiles that may suit you, it doesn’t allow you to conduct a resume search. To do that, you need to pay a separate subscription model. Indeed offers two subscription plans you can choose from:

Which plan you choose depends on your budget and the company size (if you hire ten or fewer people a year, you probably don’t need the Professional plan). The Standard plan also comes with a 14-day free trial during which you can contact up to 20 candidates.

How Indeed Compares to Other Job Boards

Indeed is the most popular job board in the United States, and it’s also available in over 60 other countries. It has an impressive number of candidates you can source and offers the chance to post a free job ad. Still, Indeed isn’t the only option out there, and you don’t have to limit yourself only to one job board. Let’s see how Indeed compares to:

1. LinkedIn
2. Monster
3. Dice

Indeed vs. LinkedIn

While Indeed is popular in the U.S., LinkedIn is the most commonly used job board worldwide. It’s actually a professional social network where companies can post job listings. If you’re a U.S.-based company, you can find local talent on LinkedIn and hire freelancers and remote workers from all over the world.

Both job boards offer free job postings with the option of sponsoring them. Check out the table below to find more information about the two platforms:

Indeed vs. Monster

A decade ago, Monster was the superior job board and far more popular than Indeed. Indeed has since surpassed Monster, primarily because it’s far cheaper for employers even if they sponsor their every job ad. Despite its diminished popularity, Monster is present in over 50 countries worldwide and is still considered an industry giant. Here’s how the two compare:

Indeed vs. Dice

Like Monster, Dice is also a pay-to-post job board that has significantly fewer users. Still, unlike Indeed, it’s a niche job board that caters to IT and tech companies. If you’re looking for a developer, IT product manager, analyst, or communication specialist, Dice might be your first option. While you may not receive as many applications as you would with Indeed, the applications will come from candidates who are already familiar with the industry and have relevant experience and qualifications.

Check out the table below to see how Indeed compares to Dice:

Indeed Job Posting—Frequently Asked Questions

Check out the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions employers have regarding Indeed.

Do You Have To Pay To Post Jobs on Indeed?

No. While there’s an option to get a sponsored post that more than quadruples your reach, you can post a job ad for free.

How Can I Change a Paid Job Posting to a Free Job Posting on Indeed?

If you want to stop paying for your job posting, you can go to the Jobs dashboard and click Remove plan next to the job ad for which you wish to cancel the promotion. By doing this, you won’t pay for new applications, but your job posting will go down in search results.

Is There a Way To Add My Own Questions on an Indeed Job Posting?

During the Applicant Qualifications section of the job posting, you’ll be prompted with a set of predefined questions from Indeed, which you can use as skill tests and screening questions. Under the Browse Questions and tests section, select Create custom question—this will allow you to write your own question.

How Long Until You Can See Your Job Post on Indeed?

Indeed usually takes from 24 to 48 business hours to review a job ad and make it public.

How Long Does Indeed Keep the Job Posting Active?

Your job post will remain active until you pause or cancel it. Indeed won’t stop candidates from seeing your post, although it will fall back in search results after two or three days. You’ll need to sponsor the post if you want to keep your visibility up.

Can I Post Job Postings on Indeed With Images?

Yes. You can add images and videos to your job posting that can promote your employer brand and present the working environment in your company. You will have the option to add images on the same screen when you add a job description.

How To Manage Your Indeed Job Posts

Indeed has a dashboard for employers from which you can edit, pause, and close your job posts. You can also start a promotional campaign, search resumes, and review candidates. If you need help with handling certain aspects of Indeed, check out our other guides:

• Indeed job posting cost
• How to delete a job posting on Indeed
• How to make your job posting stand out on Indeed
• How to hide a salary on an Indeed job posting

What Are Some Alternatives to Indeed?

Posting a job ad on Indeed will likely get applications going your way. Still, you can find less-popular job boards that can help you hire candidates from your niche or find passive talent who aren’t actively searching for a new job. Check out the following job boards you can use besides Indeed:

• Ladders
• ZipRecruiter
• Google for Jobs
• Mashable
• Craigslist
• Careerjet
• Juju
• Facebook
• Snagajob
• CareerBuilder

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