When creating a new Timed Auction, you must fill in a number of required fields in order to successfully save your Auction and move it to Preview status.
Unlike Items, newly created Auctions in the Webtron Dashboard do not have a Ghost status, meaning after you start creating a new auction, you must fill out all of the required fields.
That being said, the required fields in your Auction can be filled in with placeholders and edited later on. This guide is more focussed saving your Auction in Preview status, and not in Draft status.
Auction Preview Status Explained
So why Preview status for your Auctions? Auction Preview status is defined by 3 key aspects:
- Hidden from your Portal and Bidders
- Fully Editable
- Can receive Items (by CSV Upload or the in-Dashboard Item Creator)
We refer to Auctions in Preview status as being in the second half of the Building stage; you’ve created your auction (first half) and now you are creating or uploading Items for it, whilst also having the option to refine it before it appears on your Portal (Live status).
Auction Draft status is largely redundant, Preview status offers the same feature-set but with the added option of Creating or Uploading Items to that Auction.
Saving your Timed Auction in Preview status
One of the key steps we outline in creating a new Auction is not to tick the Save as Draft checkbox before clicking the green Save Auction button. Ticking Save as Draft will save your new Auction in Draft status, and whilst Draft status is functionally identical to Preview status, it has two key drawbacks:
- Save as Draft does not sidestep required fields, all required fields must still be filled out before clicking Save Auction.
- Auctions in Draft Status do not support Item Creation or Uploads. If your Auction is in Draft status, it will not appear in the Select an Auction dropdown in the Create New Items menu.
When saving your new Auction, do not tick Save as Draft, just click the green Save Auction button at the top-left of the menu. Clicking Save Auction with Save as Draft unticked will save your Auction in Preview status.
If you have ticked Save as Draft and saved your Auction, return to the View Auctions page, click the blue Edit button under the Actions column, then untick the Save as Draft checkbox and click the green Save Auction button next to it. This will move your Auction from Draft to Preview status.
FAQ – Timed Auctions and Preview Status
Q: Why are Save as Draft and Draft status still an option if they are redundant?
A: Save as Draft was made redundant after we overhauled the Required Fields logic back in 2018. Auction Draft status was originally intended to serve as a way to save your Auction without having to fill out the required fields, but user feedback indicated that Auction Preview status and placeholders largely fulfilled this requirement. The Save as Draft checkbox for Auctions will be removed from the Dashboard in a future update.
Q: Why do you sometimes refer to statuses as “Auction Preview status” and “Auction Live status”?
A: Both Auctions and Items share similar Status names, but differ in function. In our Documentation, we sometimes refer to Statuses as “Auction X Status” or “Item X Status” to make the context clearer.
Q: Is it possible to move an Auction in Live status back to Preview status?
A: No, moving an Auction from Preview to Live status is final. Auctions in Live status are still fully editable and can also be manually hidden, so there is no reason to move an Auction back from Live to Preview.
Q: Is it possible to show an Auction in Preview status on my Portal?
A: No, Auctions in Preview status are completely hidden from your Portal, even if the Items for that auction are already in Live status.
Q: Can I view an Auction before it goes Live on my Portal? I want to check it before my Bidders can see it.
A: Sure can, but it must be in Live status. Click here to open our Previewing Hidden Auctions on your Portal guide.