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How to Hide Items from View Until Your Auction Is Live

TL;DR

You can hide auction items by saving them as drafts or using scheduled visibility. When your auction goes live, the items will automatically appear for bidders to view and bid on.

Author: Tom Kelly 2 min reads

Why You Might Want to Hide Items

Hiding items before the event starts can help you:

  • Build anticipation and unveil everything at once.
  • Prevent early bidding or confusion.
  • Finalize descriptions, images, and pricing privately.
  • Control your auction’s launch timing strategically.

Step 1: Log In to Your Event Dashboard

  1. Log in to your auction dashboard.
  2. Select the event you want to manage.
  3. Go to the Items tab.

Step 2: Create or Edit Items

  • Add new auction items with titles, descriptions, images, and bid settings.
  • Instead of publishing immediately, keep the visibility off or in draft status.
  • You can also edit existing items to change their visibility status.

Step 3: Use the “Draft” or “Hide” Option

  • Find the “Visibility” or “Publish Status” setting in the item editor.
  • Choose Draft or Hidden instead of Published.
  • Save your changes.

When items are hidden or in draft mode:

  • Admins can see them in the dashboard.
  • Bidders cannot see them on the public auction page.

Step 4: Schedule Visibility (Optional)

Some auction setups allow you to schedule when an item becomes visible.

  • Set the start date and time for the item to appear.
  • The platform will automatically display it when your auction opens.

This is useful if you want items to unlock gradually or at the exact launch moment.

Step 5: Publish Items When You’re Ready

  • When your auction goes live, open the item editor.
  • Switch the status from Draft/Hidden to Published.
  • Or, if scheduled, the system will make them visible automatically.

Your bidders will now see and bid on the items in real time.

Step 6: Confirm Visibility

  • Use the Preview feature to view the auction as a guest.
  • Verify that only intended items are visible.
  • Make final adjustments to any remaining drafts.

Pro Tips for Managing Item Visibility

  • Keep draft mode active for incomplete or sponsor-pending items.
  • Schedule high-value items to appear mid-auction to drive engagement.
  • Double-check visibility before launch to avoid accidental early reveals.
  • Use item categories to control how listings are grouped.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hide items before the auction starts?

Yes. You can save items as drafts or hide them from the public page until your event goes live.

Will bidders see hidden or draft items?

No. Hidden or draft items are only visible to admins in the dashboard.

Can I schedule when an item becomes visible?

Yes. You can set a future date and time for the item to automatically appear to bidders.

Can I preview hidden items as an admin?

Yes. Admins can view all items, including drafts, through the event dashboard preview mode.

What happens if I forget to publish an item?

The item will remain hidden and won’t appear to bidders until you manually change its status to Published.

Can I make some items visible before the event starts?

Yes. You can choose to publish certain items early to generate interest while keeping others hidden.

Will scheduled items show up in previews?

No. Scheduled items remain hidden until their scheduled time but can be previewed in admin mode.

Can I bulk hide or publish items?

Yes. Use the bulk action menu to change the visibility of multiple items at once, saving time during setup.

Does hiding items affect their bidding settings?

No. All bid settings remain saved. Once the item is published, it’s ready for bidding with no further setup needed.

Can I hide items again after they’re published?

Yes. You can revert an item to hidden or draft status at any time to remove it from the public auction page.

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Tom Kelly

Tom Kelly

Tom Kelly, TEDx speaker and CEO of CharityAuctions.com, helps nonprofits raise millions through auctions and AI. He hosts The Million Dollar Nonprofit podcast and inspires leaders to live their legacy, not just leave it.

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