📅 How to Create an Event
1. Navigate to Events Tab
Click the 📅 Events tab in the top navigation bar (appears for Super Admins or Admins with assigned events).
2. Click Create New Event
You'll see a Create New Event button. Click it to open the event creation form.
3. Fill in Event Details
A form appears with these required fields:
- Event Name - What you're calling your auction (e.g., "Spring Gala 2026")
- Event Date - When the auction is happening
- Auction Start Time - When bidding begins (e.g., 6:00 PM)
- Auction End Time - When bidding ends (e.g., 8:30 PM)
- Timezone - Your location's timezone (defaults to America/Los_Angeles)
4. Save Event
Click the Create Event button at the bottom of the form. The event is now live and ready for items and bidders.
Pro Tip: Start your event with a 30-minute buffer before guests arrive. Gives you time to verify everything loads correctly.
📦 How to Create Auction Items
1. Go to Items Tab
Click the Items tab in the top navigation.
2. Click Create Item Button
Click + Create Item button. A modal dialog opens.
3. Enter Item Title
Fill in Item Title field. Make it clear and specific:
❌ Bad: "Gift Certificate"
✅ Good: "Restaurant Gift Card - $100 at Blue Hill"
4. Write Item Description
In the Description textarea, write 3-5 sentences including:
- What the item is and what's included
- When it can be used (dates, blackout dates)
- Restrictions or conditions
- Who provided/donated it
- Why it's valuable (estimated price, normal retail value)
💡 Tip: Click the Improve description button to use AI to enhance your description automatically.
5. Add Item Photo
Click the upload area and select a high-quality photo of the item. Photos increase bids by 30-40%!
- Use clear, well-lit photos
- Show the actual item (not just a logo or generic image)
- Accepted formats: JPG, PNG, GIF
6. Set Starting Bid
Enter the Starting Bid amount. Typically 40-60% of fair market value.
Item worth $100 → Start at $40-60
Item worth $500 → Start at $250-300
7. Set Minimum Increment
Enter Minimum Increment - the smallest amount the next bid must increase by:
- Items $0-50: Use $2-5 increments
- Items $50-250: Use $5-10 increments
- Items $250+: Use $15-25 increments
8. Set Closing Time
Choose when this specific item's bidding closes. You can use:
- The event's default closing time (all items close together)
- A custom time (stagger items to keep bidding active longer)
9. Optional: Set Fair Market Value
Enter Fair Market Value to show bidders the estimated value. This helps them know if they're getting a good deal.
10. Optional: Set Buy Now Price
Enter a Buy Now Price if you want to allow bidders to skip the auction and purchase immediately at a set price.
11. Save Item
Click Create Item button. Item is now live and visible to bidders.
💡 Pro Tip: Stagger item closing times by 15-30 minutes. Keeps momentum and prevents all items closing at once.
PDF & QR Codes: After creating an item, you can download a professional PDF with QR code for printing and table placement.
👥 How to Add Bidders & Create Users
1. Go to Bidders & Users Tab
Click the Bidders tab in the top navigation.
2. Click Create Bidder
Click the Create Bidder button in the top right. A form appears.
3. Enter Bidder Information
Fill in the following information:
- Full Name (required) - Person's full name
- Phone Number (required) - Their mobile number for SMS alerts
- Email (optional) - Their email address
- User Type - Choose one:
- Bidder: Can place bids and win items
- Viewer: Can see items but cannot bid (good for monitoring)
- Admin: Can manage the auction (event administrators)
4. Save User
Click Create User. The bidder is now added to your event.
Important: Each person can have different phone numbers in different events. The system allows the same phone number across multiple events.
Manage Event Users (For Event Admins)
If you're managing users for a specific event:
- Go to 📅 Events tab
- Find your event in the list
- Click the 👥 Users button for that event
- A modal opens showing that event's users
- Click + Create User to add users specific to that event
💡 Batch Upload: Need to add 50+ bidders? Use CSV batch import (ask your admin for the import template).
💳 How to Set Up Stripe Payments
1. Sign Up for Stripe Account
Go to stripe.com and click "Start now". Fill in your nonprofit information.
2. Get Your Stripe API Keys
After creating your Stripe account:
- Log into Stripe dashboard
- Go to "Developers" → "API Keys"
- Copy your Publishable Key (starts with "pk_")
- Copy your Secret Key (starts with "sk_")
- Keep these keys safe! They're sensitive credentials.
3. Configure Stripe Keys in Silent Bid Pro
Contact your Super Admin to enter the Stripe keys. This is a one-time setup.
For Super Admins: Go to 👤 Admin Control tab → Event-specific Stripe configuration (if desired). Otherwise, global Stripe keys are used for all events.
4. Test in Sandbox Mode
Before going live, test in Stripe's sandbox:
- In Stripe dashboard, toggle "Test mode" on
- Use test card: 4242 4242 4242 4242 (any future expiry, any CVC)
- Place a test bid and go through checkout
- Verify transaction appears in Stripe dashboard
5. Go Live
When ready, toggle "Test mode" off in Stripe to start processing real payments.
Multiple Events? Each event can use different Stripe accounts (different nonprofits, different organizations). Configure per-event in Admin Control.
🚀 How to Launch Your Auction
1. Verify Everything is Ready
Before launching, check:
- ✓ Event is created with correct date/times
- ✓ All items are added with photos and descriptions
- ✓ All bidders are added
- ✓ Stripe is configured and tested
- ✓ Starting bids are reasonable (40-60% of FMV)
- ✓ Item closing times are staggered (optional but recommended)
2. Create PDF Catalog (Optional)
Generate a professional PDF to send to bidders before the event:
- Go to Items tab
- Find an item and click to edit it
- Click Create PDF Catalog button
- A PDF downloads with all items, photos, and descriptions
3. Share Bidding Link
Send bidders the link to your auction (e.g., https://silentbidpro.com/items.php). They can browse items and place bids.
4. Monitor Dashboard
During the auction, watch the Dashboard for live metrics:
- Active items currently being bid on
- Active bidders in the last hour
- Total bids placed
- Estimated amount raised
- High-traffic items (most popular)
- Recent activity (bids, wins)
5. Close Expired Auctions
When items' closing times arrive, they automatically close. But you can manually close items:
- Go to Dashboard tab
- Click 🏁 Close Expired Auctions button
- System marks all expired items as closed
- Winners are determined
💡 Pro Tip: Announce winning items in real-time during your event. Creates excitement and encourages additional bidding.
💰 How Payments Work (Automated)
1. Winners Are Auto-Invoiced
When an item closes, the highest bidder automatically receives an invoice/payment link via email (if email available).
2. Bidder Checks Out
Winner clicks the payment link and enters their payment details (credit/debit card via Stripe).
3. Payment Processed
Stripe processes the payment securely (2.9% + 30¢ per transaction).
4. Monitor Payments
Go to Transactions tab to see payment status:
- Pending: Waiting for payment
- Paid: Payment successful
- Failed: Payment declined
You can filter by status to see which winners still need to pay.
Manual Follow-Up: If a winner doesn't pay within 48 hours, you can manually send them a reminder link from the Transactions tab.
5. View Bids & Winners
Go to Bids tab to see all bids and winners. Filter by "Winning Bids" to see only the bids that won.
👤 How to Assign Event Admins (Super Admin Only)
1. Go to Events Tab
Click 📅 Events in the navigation bar.
2. Click Assign Admins Button
Click 👤 Assign Admins to Events button. A modal opens.
3. Select Admin & Event
Choose:
- Admin Account - Which admin to assign
- Event - Which event to assign them to
- Role - Either:
- Manager: Can create/edit/delete items and users for this event
- Viewer: Can only view items and users (read-only)
4. Save Assignment
Click Assign Admin. Admin can now manage that event.
One Admin, Multiple Events: You can assign the same admin to multiple events. They'll see all their assigned events in their dashboard.