Auction feature

Accessing TikTok Shop Auction (Countdown Bidding) feature

1. In Seller Center, start by clicking Live & Video-> Live selling->Log into Live Manager (If Seller does not see this entry in Seller Center, Seller can try login to Live Manager via this link: https://shop.tiktok.com/streamer/live/product/dashboard)
2. Go to LIVE Console
3. Check Auction availability

Start Auction with Temporary Listing

⚠️Temporary Listing is currently available to a select group of sellers as we gradually roll out this exciting feature. If you’d like to access Temporary Listing, please follow the steps below or reach out to your account manager for more information. If Temporary Listing is not yet available for you, please jump to Start Auction without Temporary ListingYou can quickly create a listing before or during an auction by creating a Temporary Listing. Temporary Listing allows you to create a new version of your product where the quantity of your product will be displayed, allowing for more efficient auctions, easier order management, and faster order fulfillment.
Step by Step guide to get Auction started with Temporary Listing

1. Go to LIVE Console
2. To add temporary listing: LIVE Console-> Auction-> Add temporary listing.
3. Fill in fields: Product name, Category, Starting Bid (≥ $1), Quantity (up to 300 per product), Package weight and dimensions. ⚠️Important: Avoid using words associated with "Bid" or "Auction" when entering Product name, or the Temporary listing will not pass review.
4. Complete review: under 2 minutes.
5. Set Auction duration (This determines how long the auction will run.)
6. Set time extension for your bidding time

Option 1: No Extension: The auction ends exactly when the timer runs out, regardless of new bids.
Option 2: 5, 7 or 10 seconds extension If a new winning bid comes in just before the timer ends, the auction will automatically extend by 5 or 10 seconds (your choice).
- This gives other bidders a chance to respond before the auction closes.
- Extensions continue until no new winning bids are placed before the timer expires.

7. Go LIVE (Make sure sellers use their cell phones (not PC) to process this)
8. Pin Temporary listing
9. Start bidding
10. Units show sequential numbers (real time) during the auction.
11. Temporary listings can run for up to 300 auctions. For each auction you only need to show the auction number on the product (for example: “Auction #5”). The system will continue numbering automatically across sessions.
12. If you start an auction (e.g., #5) but no one places a bid, the next time you run that auction it will still be #5. If someone wins #5 but fails to complete payment within 15 minutes, the next auction you run will be #6.

Once you create a temporary listing, it automatically appears as an auction item with dynamic quantity tracking. Each individual unit displays with a sequential number that updates in real-time as items sell.
Examples Below

• First unit: Displays as "#1 [Product Name]"
• Tenth unit: Displays as "#10 [Product Name]"

This numbering system helps bidders easily identify which specific unit they're bidding on while providing clear visibility into how many items have already sold from the temporary listing.

Start Auction without Temporary Listing

If sellers find Temporary Listing is not yet available for them, sellers can import their created Auction products into the 'Auction' tab in LIVE Console. Moreover, they're able to adjust the starting bid and auction duration here as well.
Set Auction duration and time extension for your bidding time

Uploading a New Product

Sellers will create a product normally in Manage product, but toggle the "Auction Product" option.
Please make sure you have a starting bid of at least $1.

Bulk Uploading New Products

You can now bulk upload auction products using the standard Excel bulk upload process. Follow these steps:

1. Open your bulk upload Excel sheet
2. In Column AM, mark "Auction product" for each item you want to designate as an auction product
3. Complete all required fields for your products
4. Upload the completed sheet

The auction products will be processed along with your other bulk uploads.

Uploading a SKU-level/Variant Products

You can now use SKU-level and variant products with Countdown Bidding! This works similarly to adding regular products to auctions.
How it works:

1. Select your variants: When adding a product with variants to your upcoming livestream, choose which specific SKUs/variants you want to display (as shown in Image 1)
2. Access variants in LIVE Manager: Click on any SKU that has variants - a dropdown menu will automatically appear showing all available variants for that product (as shown in Image 2)
3. Toggle your selections: Select the specific variants you want to include in your auction
4. Preview: The Pre-Auction View will display your selected variants (as shown in Image 3)
5. During livestream: Once the product goes live, viewers will see the auction with the selected variant clearly labeled and displayed (as shown in Image 4)

Key benefit: Variants are now explicitly shown to bidders, making it clear exactly which version of the product they're bidding on.

Converting an Existing Product into an Auction Product

You can convert any existing product (within eligible categories) into an auction product by toggling the "Auction product" button in your product listing. Converting products should be done before a LIVE to accurately reflect the latest product's status.
Disclaimer:The following product types cannot be converted to auction products:

• Pre-Order products
• Made to Order products
• Back Order products

Surprise Set Feature

Surprise Set Feature availability

⚠️Surprise Set is currently available to a select group of sellers as we gradually roll out this exciting feature. If you’d like to access Temporary Listing, please follow the steps below or reach out to your account manager for more information.

Creating a Surprise Set

Surprise Sets let you create exciting mystery auctions where bidders compete for entry into a curated prize pool rather than specific items.
How It Works: Set up a prize pool containing multiple products of varying values - for example, a Pokemon Surprise Set might include everything from standard Booster Packs to high-value Super Premium Collections (SPCs). Winners receive a randomly selected item from your defined prize pool, creating anticipation and engagement that keeps bidders coming back.
There are two entrances to creating a Surprise Set in LIVE Console:

1. From the new Surprise Set tab:

2. From the Auction tab:

Setting Up Your Surprise Set

Step 1: Click "Create Surprise Set" to open the setup window.
Step 2: Configure your auction basics:

• Name your Surprise Set
• Set the starting bid amount
• Add products to your prize pool

Step 3: Complete item details for each product:

• Enter quantities available
• Add shipping information (weight and dimensions)

⚠️ Please note, you are only able to add 500 units per item. The maximum bid for each Surprise set item is $100.
Once complete, your Surprise Set is ready to auction!

Surprise Set User Experience

During the Auction: Your live Surprise Set displays with quantity tracking (just like Temporary Listings), so bidders can see how many prizes remain in the pool.
The Big Reveal: When someone wins, the excitement really begins! A spinning prize wheel appears showing all available prizes, then dramatically stops to reveal their specific win. Other remaining prizes stay visible in the background, building anticipation for future bidders.

⭐ Key Steps to Take Before Your First Auction ⭐

Before Auction

Make sure you enable Combined Shipping

Enable combined shipping for auction products to incentivize multiple purchases when buyers bid on several items. Here's how to set it up:
Seller Center -> Fulfillment settings -> Automated order combination

Enabling Time Extension for your Auction

Want to keep the fun going? Turn on Time Extension for your products in the Auction settings to reset any bids that occur in the last 10 seconds. Transform your auctions into must-watch events with Time Extension!

Decoupling LIVE events with Auction and Surprise Set:

You can now start Auctions and Surprise Sets directly from the LIVE console—no need to create a LIVE event first.
⚠️Important to know that LIVE Event Takes Priority:If a LIVE event is about to start (within 10 minutes) and Auction products have already been added to the event, the settings and products from the LIVE event will automatically replace what’s in the LIVE console.
Best PracticeDelete any old or unused LIVE events to avoid conflicts or accidental overwriting of new Temporary Listings or Surprise Sets.

Maintaining at least one Non-auction listing

To ensure claimed Coupons can be redeemed for auctions, sellers must maintain at least one non‑auction listing. This is a required operational step.

Running an Auction

During an auction, you can adjust the order of auction products to be sold, see the live view of a product card (time left in auction, current winning price, bid count).
💡 Pro Tip: Auctions are most engaging and exciting when the timer creates a sense of urgency for users. We recommend setting auction timers to create optimal urgency without users feeling too rushed or too bored.
💡 Pro Tip: While having a higher starting bid may appear safer, we recommend using a lower starting bid (e.g. $1 or $5) to promote bidding engagement. Lower starting bids attract more initial bidders, creating momentum and often driving final prices higher than auctions with high starting bids.
💡 Pro Tip: For seamless auction management, track each temporary listing's quantity number using simple sticky notes. Write the item number (e.g., "#1", "#2", "#3") on individual notes before starting your auction session.
This simple prep step lets you run consecutive auctions without interruption - just grab the next numbered note and keep the momentum going!

Post-Auction

Once auctions are completed, you can view the payment status of each order in the Auction -> Sold items tab.
💡 Pro Tip: To make order-fulfillment smoother, we've added the winning bidder's username for easier order matching.

What customers see during TikTok Shop Auction

Shopping Experience

Coupons now work during Auctions — customers can claim exclusive discounts while they bid!

How can a customer claim it?

Buyers can tap the shopping bag (or Pink Voucher) or at the product detail page to claim the available Coupons — apply it instantly to eligible items while the Auction is live!

How can customers check whether a coupon is claimed or applied?

Customers can see the coupons being claimed after clicking on the Claim button, and after they win the bid at the order detail page.

Live Card View

Users will see the following prior to entering a LIVE room:

• Product being sold
• Remaining time left on auction
• Current winning bid

Live Payment Registration

Prior to participating in any Live Auction, users are required to have an active card on file. Please note that the payment setup process takes about ~2 minutes and users should be advised to be setup prior to entering a Live bid.

Live Bidding View

The auction style itself is an English auction-the bidder with the highest bid at the end of the auction will win the auction (no extensions). If an auction ends with no bids, the seller can choose to re-run the auction.

Coupons now work during Auctions — Sellers can now leverage coupons during Auction and shorten redemption windows to drive urgency.

⚠️Important: To ensure claimed Coupons can be redeemed for Auctions, sellers must maintain at least one non‑auction listing. This is a required operational step.

Overall Auction Best Practices

Before Auction

Pre-Auction Pre-heating is crucial for maximizing auction performance as it drives awareness and builds anticipation before the livestream begins. Early promotional posts across social platforms help boost traffic by raising awareness and building excitement.

Do's

Promote Livestreams Ahead of time

The most common pre-heating platforms for Livestream/Auction promotion include TikTok videos, Discord Community Updates, Instagram Stories, and Email/CRM channels.

Promote Specific Products Ahead of time

Promoting specific products and exclusive discounts draws more users in and creates transparency in the product assortment before a livestream. Being specific about products/rewards can be the reason why certain viewers join your stream and consequently make a purchase!

Don'ts

Don't Create Auction Products Last Minute

Avoid creating auction products immediately before your livestream, as all newly created auction items must still go through the standard product review and approval process. Build buffer time into your preparation schedule to ensure products are approved and ready before going live, preventing delays or cancellations that could disrupt your auction flow.

During Auction

Do's

Promote a neutral and unbiased auction environment

Maintain fairness and transparency throughout all auctions by treating every bidder equally, clearly stating all terms and conditions upfront, and avoiding any actions that could favor specific participants. This builds trust with your community and ensures a legitimate auction experience that encourages repeat participation and positive word-of-mouth promotion.

Provide transparency in the auction process

Clearly communicate all auction mechanics and winner selection methods to participants before and during the livestream. This openness builds credibility with your audience and reduces disputes while ensuring bidders fully understand how the auction operates and what to expect throughout the process.

Pin Product Card

One of the most important actions during an Auction is to pin the Product Card continuously on screen, so viewers immediately know what's being auctioned when they join the livestream. Without a persistent product display, new users entering mid-auction often assume nothing is happening and leave, resulting in lost potential GMV and reduced engagement.

Don'ts

Don't offer or solicit bids:

FAQ

Auction FAQs

1. Is there a limit for Auction bids?

A: Yes. It is $43,500 (pre-tax)

2. Is there an Auction template available?

A： Not yet. Sellers must create a temporary listing each time they set up an auction. We are developing a template/save option to enable faster setup in a future release.

3. Can LIVE coupons be applied for Auctions?

A：Yes! Sellers can enable Coupons to be claimed for Auctions. Buyers claim via the shopping bag, the Pink Voucher, or the product detail page and can apply the coupon instantly to eligible items if they win. Coupons can be claimed and applied during Auctions to drive urgency and more competitive bidding.

4. Will Temporary listings sync with my inventory (including ERP/WMS) directly?

A：No. Temporary listings are separate and do not sync with your standard product inventory.

5. What’s the maximum number of variant each Temporary listing can add?

A：You can add up to 300 variants per temporary listing. Multiple temporary listings are allowed.

6. How does the sequencing of Temporary listing work? What happens when a buyer wins the bid but has payment fail issue?

A: Temporary listings can run for up to 300 auctions (for 300 variants). For each auction you only need to show the auction number on the product (for example: “Auction #5”). The system will continue numbering automatically across sessions.If you start an auction (e.g., #5) but no one places a bid, the next time you run that auction it will still be #5. If someone wins #5 but fails to complete payment within 15 minutes, the next auction you run will be #6.

7. Will Temporary listings be available before or after the LIVE auction session?

A：No. Temporary listings are available only during the live auction session

8. Are all Auction items final sale?

A: Auction items will follow the return and refund rules of the category they belong to (please review the relevant category return policy.), as per https://seller-us.tiktok.com/university/essay?knowledge_id=177312262014766&lang=en

9. Some buyers say they are not able to place a bid. What can they do?

A. Step-by-step checklist for buyers:
1) Update the TikTok app: Install the latest version from the App Store / Google Play. Older versions may not have the auction feature or could cause issues.
2) Check TikTok notifications and messages: Look in the in-app Inbox and your registered email for any notices about account restrictions or verification requests
3) Verify account requirements: Confirm the account meets any region, age, or verification requirements for bidding. Make sure a valid payment method is set up.
4) Basic troubleshooting: Restart the app or device. Exit and re-enter the live session. Switch between Wi‑Fi and mobile data to rule out connectivity problems.
5) Contact Support: If the above steps don’t work, open a ticket with TikTok Support and include screenshot or short recording showing the issue/error, App version, device model, OS version, and account username, and time of the issue and the name of the shop that had the live.

Surprise Set FAQs

1. What is the maximum bid amount for Surprise Set?

A: The maximum bid is $100 (before taxes). This is a fixed limit for all Surprise Set auctions.

1. How many entries can each surprise set hold?

A. 500

2. What happens if the winner fails to complete payment?

A: The auction is immediately canceled. Unlike regular auctions, there is no 15-minute grace period to fix payment issues. The item will be returned to the available pool.

3. Does Surprise Set automatically run consecutive bidding rounds?

A: No. Each round of auction must be run manually - the system does not support automatic consecutive bidding rounds.

4. Can I switch between Surprise Set and regular auctions?

A: Yes. You can freely switch back and forth between the same Surprise Set and other auction items during your live session.

5. Can I run multiple Surprise Sets simultaneously?

A: No. Only one Surprise Set can be active at any time. Starting a new Surprise Set will automatically terminate the previous one. However, you can pause or switch between your current same Surprise Set and other auction items.

6. How many Surprise sets can sellers create for each live event?

A: A seller can create up to 10 Surprise sets per live event. However, only one Surprise Set can be active at any time.

Additional Resources

February 11, 2026 Seller Training Recording
After adding a product!
What is auction?