Webcast Auction Statuses Defined
There are 5 Webcast Auction Statuses:
- Draft
- Preview
- Live
- Reconciliation
- Archived
Plus two additional phases that divide a Webcast Auction in Live status:
- Webcast Live (Pre-Bidding phase)
- Webcast Live (Live Bidding phase)
Each Webcast Auction status controls certain important Auction conditions, such as Visibility on your Portal and Edibility, among others defined below:
| Webcast Auction Status | Special Conditions and Visibility | Auction Status Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Draft (Webcast Auction status) | Visible on your Portal – No, Auctions in Draft status will not display publicly on your Portal. Item-upload ready – No, Auctions in Draft status will not be listed inside the Create New Items menu. | Draft is a largely redundant Auction status, do not tick Save as Draft when creating or editing a Webcast Auction. |
| Preview (Webcast Auction status) | Visible on your Portal – No, Auctions in Preview status will not display publicly on your Portal. Item-upload ready – Yes, Auctions in Preview status will be selectable inside the Create New Items menu. Accept Bids – No, Auctions in Preview status will not appear on your Portal so cannot accept any Bids. | Preview is the primary status for newly-crated Webcast Auctions. While in Preview status, your Auction will not appear on your Portal. |
| Live (Webcast Auction status) Pre-Bidding phase | Visible on your Portal – Yes1,2,3, Auctions in Live status will display publicly on your Portal. Item-upload ready – Yes, Auctions in Live status will be selectable inside the Create New Items menu. New Items can be created or uploaded-to Timed Auctions in Live status at any point prior to the Auction Ends Date and Time. Accept Bids – Yes, Webcast Auctions in Live status (Pre-Bidding phase) will appear on your Portal so can accept any Bids if Pre-Bidding is enabled. In-Dashboard Invoicing Support – No*, Invoices cannot be generated for Webcast Auctions in the Pre-Bidding phase. | Live is the status your Auction will move-to and remain in once you click the blue Approve button. Once in Live status and before reaching it’s Webcast Start Time, a Webcast Auction will be in the Pre-Bidding phase, and can accept Bids and Auto Bids if Pre-Bidding is enabled. 1A Webcast Auction in Live status will only appear on your Portal if it contains at least one Lot also in Live status. 2A Webcast Auction can be hidden at any time by ticking the Hidden checkbox found inside the Auctions table on the View Auctions page. 3If unhidden and containing Items in Live status, a Webcast Auction will display publicly on your Portal before it’s set Webcast Start Time, allowing your Bidders to view the Auction Catalogue page prior to the Live Bidding phase. |
| Live (Webcast Auction status) Live Bidding phase | Visible on your Portal – Yes1,2,3, Auctions in Live status will display publicly on your Portal. Item-upload ready – Yes4, Auctions in Live status will be selectable inside the Create New Items menu. New Items can be created or uploaded-to Timed Auctions in Live status at any point prior to the Auction Ends Date and Time. Accept Bids – Yes, Webcast Auctions in Live status (Live Bidding phase) will appear on your Portal and can accept Bids on the Lot in the Ring and Commission Bids on upcoming Lots. In-Dashboard Invoicing Support – Yes*, Invoices can be generated for Webcast Auctions in the Live Bidding phase, but under specific conditions. | Live is the status your Auction will move-to and remain in once you click the blue Approve button. Once reaching it’s Webcast Start Time, a Webcast Auction will automatically transition to the Live Bidding phase, and can accept Bids on the Lot in the Ring, and Commission Bids on upcoming Lots. 1A Webcast Auction in Live status will only appear on your Portal if it contains at least one Lot also in Live status. 2A Webcast Auction can be hidden at any time by ticking the Hidden checkbox found inside the Auctions table on the View Auctions page, but we do not recommend doing this during the Live Bidding phase. 3If unhidden and containing Items in Live status, a Webcast Auction will display publicly on your Portal, allowing your Bidders to view the Live Webcast page. 4Additional Lots can be added to a Webcast Auctions during the Live Bidding phase, but we generally recommend finalising your Item list prior to the Webcast Start Time. *Webcast Lots marked as Sold by the Webcast Clerk will automatically move to Sold – Reconciled status, so Invoices can be generated during the Live Bidding phase, but generally we recommend waiting until the Live Bidding phase has fully concluded. |
| Reconciliation (Webcast Auction status) | Visible on your Portal – Yes1, Auctions in Reconciliation status will display publicly inside the Past Auctions section on your Portal. Item-upload ready – No, Auctions in Reconciliation status will not be selectable inside the Create New Items menu. Accept Bids – No, Auctions in Reconciliation status are Auctions that have concluded. If available in the Past Auctions section, each of the Items for this Auction will not show any Bid buttons on your Portal. In-Dashboard Invoicing Support – Yes*, Invoices can be generated for Webcast Auctions in Reconciliation status. | Reconciliation is the status your Auction will move to and remain in once you click the blue Reconcile button. Auctions in Reconciliation status cannot be edited or returned to Live or Preview status. 1The Past Auctions section on your Portal can be fully hidden, or you can hide individual Auctions from it by ticking the Hidden checkbox inside the Auctions table on the View Auctions page. *Reconciliation is the primary status for using the in-Dashboard Invoicing. The Vendor+ Xero Invoicing Module also requires your Auction be moved to Reconciliation status before that Auction becomes available as a selectable option inside the module. |
| Archived (Webcast Auction status) | Visible on your Portal – Yes1, Auctions in Archived status will display publicly inside the Past Auctions section on your Portal. Item-upload ready – No, Auctions in Reconciliation status will not be selectable inside the Create New Items menu. Accept Bids and Purchases – No, Auctions in Reconciliation status are Auctions that have concluded. If available in the Past Auctions section, each of the Items for this Auction will not show any Bid or Purchase buttons on your Portal. In-Dashboard Invoicing Support – No*, existing generated Invoice from Reconciliation status can be edited, but new Invoices cannot be generated for Timed Auctions in Archived status. | Archived is the status your Auction will move to and remain in once you click the blue Archive button. Auctions in Archived status cannot be edited or returned to Reconciliation, Live or Preview status. 1The Past Auctions section on your Portal can be fully hidden, or you can hide individual Auctions from it by ticking the Hidden checkbox inside the Auctions table on the View Auctions page. *Archived is the primary status for Auctions that have fully concluded their Invoicing phase. |
Auction Status Rules
Editing Webcast Auction Details is restricted to Auctions in Draft, Preview and Live status
Auctions in Draft, Preview, and Live can be fully edited, Auction Title, Description, Bid Extension timeframe, Buyer’s Premium and Taxes, Start and End Dates and Times, Staggering rate and timeframe, Document attachments, and additional details can all be changed at any time.
Auctions in Reconciliation and Archived status cannot be edited, their details, Items, and results are locked.
Creating and Uploading Lots is only available to Webcast Auctions in Preview and Live status
Items/Lots cannot be created or imported for an Auction in Draft status. An Auction must be in Preview or Live status to enable the Create New Items menu and Upload Items import.
Generating Invoices should only be done once a Webcast Auction is in Reconciled status
You can Generate Invoices while a Timed Auction is still ongoing or in Live status, but we recommend waiting until the Auction has concluded and you have moved the auction from Live to Reconciliation status. This will ensure Bidders who have won multiple Items will receive a single Invoice containing all Items, and unsold Items will be moved to the Line Items menu, enabling you to add unsold Items to a new Invoice if needed.
Auto-Reconciliation Warning – Webcast Lots that are marked as Sold by the Webcast Clerk automatically move into Reconciled status, meaning you can generate an Invoice that will include that Lot as a Line Item, however, any further Lots that Bidder wins will be added to a separate Invoice.