Configure Auction Experience
Auction experiences enable competitive bidding on products, allowing the market to determine fair prices. This is ideal for high-value items, collectibles, and unique products where demand exceeds supply.
When to Use Auctions
Auctions are best for:
- High-value items - Luxury goods, rare collectibles
- Price discovery - Let the market set the price
- Unique products - One-of-a-kind or limited items
- Charity events - Fundraising with competitive bidding
- Overstock liquidation - Clear inventory at market prices
Creating an Auction Experience
- Navigate to Experiences > Create Experience
- Select Auction from the experience type options
- Complete the auction configuration form
Caption: The auction creation form with all configuration options
Auction-Specific Settings
Auction Type
Choose the auction format:
| Type | API value | Description | Best For |
|---|
| English (Ascending) | english | Bids increase until time expires | Most common, transparent |
| Dutch (Descending) | dutch | Price drops over time until purchase or floor price | Quick sales, perishables |
Pricing Configuration
Caption: Configure pricing rules for your auction
| Field | API field | Required | Description |
|---|
| Auction Type | auctionType | No | english or dutch; defaults to english. |
| Reserve Price | reservePrice | No | Minimum successful price. |
| Minimum Bid Increment | minBidIncrement | No | Minimum increment for English auctions. |
| Start Price | startPrice | No | Starting price for Dutch auctions. |
| Floor Price | floorPrice | No | Lowest Dutch auction price. |
| Price Drop Amount | priceDropAmount | No | Dutch auction drop amount. |
| Price Drop Interval | priceDropIntervalSeconds | No | Seconds between Dutch price drops. |
| Quantity | quantity | No | Quantity available. |
Reserve PriceIf the reserve price isn’t met, the item won’t sell even if there are bids. The reserve is hidden from bidders by default.
"100" or "100.00", when using the Admin API.
Schedule Configuration
| Field | API field | Required | Description |
|---|
| Open At | openAt | No | When bidding opens. |
| Close At | closeAt | No | When bidding closes. |
| Settle At | settleAt | Yes | Settlement timing used for the auction schedule. |
| Auto Extend Seconds | autoExtendSeconds | No | Extension duration for late bidding. |
Auto Extend
Extend the auction when late bidding occurs:
| Setting | API field | Description |
|---|
| Auto Extend Seconds | autoExtendSeconds | Extension duration applied by the auction when late bidding extends the close. |
Payment Integration
Auctions require payment integration to collect from winners.
Stripe Connect
Connect your Stripe account to process auction payments:
- Navigate to Settings > Payments
- Connect your Stripe account
- Enable auction payments
Caption: Connect Stripe to process auction payments
Bidder Requirements
Control who can participate:
| Setting | Description |
|---|
| Audience Restriction | Limit to specific audiences by configuring the sequence. |
| Access Code | Require an access code on the sequence when appropriate. |
| Account Requirement | Use your integration path to require identified consumers for bidding. |
Notifications
Bidder Notifications
| Event | Notification |
|---|
| Bid Placed | Confirmation of your bid |
| Outbid | Someone bid higher |
| Auction Ending Soon | Reminder before close |
| You Won | Congratulations + payment instructions |
| You Lost | Auction ended, you didn’t win |
| Payment Reminder | Reminder to complete payment |
Seller Notifications
| Event | Notification |
|---|
| New Bid | Someone placed a bid |
| Reserve Met | Bidding reached reserve price |
| Auction Ended | Final results |
| Payment Received | Winner completed payment |
Auction Timing
upcoming → active → ended
↓
killed
| State | Description |
|---|
| upcoming | The auction is scheduled but bidding has not opened |
| active | Bidding is open |
| ended | Bidding has closed and winner/payment follow-up can proceed |
| killed | The auction was manually stopped |
Example: Collectible Auction
Scenario
- Item: Signed memorabilia
- Expected value: $500-1,000
- Duration: 7 days
Configuration
Name: "Signed Championship Jersey Auction"
Product: Signed Jersey #23
Audience: All Registered Users
Auction Type: English (Ascending)
Pricing:
Starting Bid: $100
Reserve Price: $500
Bid Increment: $25
Schedule:
Open At: Monday 9 AM
Close At: Sunday 9 PM
Settle At: Sunday 10 PM
Auto Extend:
Auto Extend Seconds: 300
Payment:
Follow your checkout/payment integration after the auction settles
Notifications:
- All bidder notifications
- Seller notifications for new bids
Best Practices
Setting Prices
- Research comparable sales - Check what similar items sold for
- Start low to attract bidders - Low starting bids drive competition
- Set realistic reserves - Too high and you won’t sell
- Consider no reserve - Guaranteed sale, potentially lower price
Auction Duration
| Duration | Best For |
|---|
| 3 days | Low-value items, quick sales |
| 7 days | Standard auctions |
| 10-14 days | High-value items, maximum exposure |
Timing
- Start mid-week - Avoid Monday/Friday when people are busy
- End on Sunday evening - Maximum bidder availability
- Avoid holidays - Reduced participation
Handling Issues
Reserve Not Met
Options when reserve isn’t met:
- Contact highest bidder to negotiate
- Relist with lower reserve
- Accept the highest bid anyway
Payment Failure
If winner doesn’t pay:
- Send payment reminders
- Contact winner directly
- Offer to second-highest bidder
- Relist the item
Disputed Bids
If a bidder disputes:
- Review bid history
- Check for technical issues
- Contact bidder for clarification
- Consider canceling problematic bids
