Setting Up TikTok Shop Countdown Bidding (Auction)

Before running an Auction

Creating a Live event

Prior to setting up an auction, sellers must create a Live event through a LIVE room in advance.

Creating a Temporary Listing (Please check with your Account Manager to see whether you are eligible for this feature)

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. To create a temporary listing, visit the LIVE Console and click "Add auctions" -> "Add temporary listing"
Once a temporary listing is created, fill in the Product Name, Product Category, Starting bid, Quantity count, and package weight per unit. Upon creation, our team will promptly review (<2 min) your product.
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.

Setting Up Auctionable Product

How to Add a Bidding Product

If sellers find Temporary Listing is not yet available for them, the 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.

Uploading a New Product

Sellers will create a product normally in Manage product, but toggle the "Auction Product" option.
Disclaimer: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

Enabling 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 a Time Extension Product

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!

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 between 15-30 seconds 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.

User Experience

Shopping Experience

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.

Overall Auction Best Practices

Pre-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: