Public Guide

Silent Auction Setup Guide

Use this guide to start a standalone silent auction and publish a bidding page for supporters.

Admin route: /donors/auctionsPublic route: /auction/[org-slug]/[auction-slug]

Before you launch

  • Set your organization donation slug (used in the public auction URL).
  • Create the auction under Donors > Auctions.
  • Set auction status to active when ready to accept bids.
  • Confirm start/end times are correct for your timezone.

Quick start

  1. Go to /donors/auctions and click New auction.
  2. Set auction details and keep Public enabled.
  3. Add donated gifts as items, then click Save items.
  4. Share /auction/[org-slug]/[auction-slug] with your supporters.

Gift item checklist

  • Title
  • Description
  • Image URL
  • Starting bid (USD)
  • Bid increment (USD)

Status rules

Auction status

  • draft: setup mode
  • active: accepts bids
  • closed: no new bids
  • archived: historical

Item status

  • active/featured: accepts bids
  • draft/hidden: not bid-able
  • sold/closed: no new bids

Troubleshooting

Public page shows no auctions

Verify auction is public, status is active or closed, and the current time is within the auction window.

Bid is rejected as too low

Increase bid amount. Minimum bid is based on current bid plus bid increment.

Bidding appears closed

Check auction status, item status, and start/end times.

Need internal setup access?

Staff can manage auctions from the donors module.

Open Auction Admin
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