Quick Start
Five minutes to a live auction.
Prerequisites
- WordPress 6.0+ with WooCommerce 8.0+ active
- An active license / purchase code (or development mode for local testing)
- HTTPS enabled (or localhost for development)
1. Install and activate
Upload the plugin zip via Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin, then click Activate.
On activation, the plugin creates its database tables (auctions, bids, watchlist, wallet, audit log, etc.) and adds the Auctions menu under WooCommerce → Webkul Addons.
Development mode
For local testing where you don't want to enter a purchase code, contact Webkul support — they can tell you how to enable dev mode for your environment.
2. Open the dashboard
Visit WooCommerce → Webkul Addons → Auctions Dashboard.
You'll see the analytics shell with empty KPIs — that's expected. The dashboard fills in once you publish auctions and start receiving bids.
3. Configure the basics
Open Auctions → Settings and set, at minimum:
| Tab | Field | Value |
|---|---|---|
| General | Default poll interval | 30 seconds |
| General | Anti-snipe window / extension | 60s / 120s (recommended) |
| Bidding | Default bid increment | currency-appropriate (e.g. 1 for USD) |
| Notifications | Customer & admin emails | enable the ones you want |
4. Create your first auction
Auctions → Add Auction, then fill in:
- Product link — pick an existing WooCommerce product, or click Create New to spin one up
- Auction type — start with Standard (Forward)
- Start price — what bidding opens at
- Reserve price — the secret minimum you'll accept (set to start price if you don't want a reserve)
- Bid increment — fixed amount per bid
- Start / End date — when the auction goes live and closes
- Anti-snipe window / extension — last-minute extension protection
Click Publish. The auction is now live (or scheduled, if you set a future start date).
5. Test a bid as a customer
- Open a different browser / incognito window
- Log in as a customer (any non-admin role)
- Visit the auction page on the storefront
- Place a bid above the start price + increment
You should see:
- Live bid counter increment immediately
- Countdown timer keeps ticking
- An "Outbid" email if a second bidder beats the first
- The bid appearing in Auctions → Bids in admin
6. View customer endpoints
While logged in as the customer, visit My Account. You'll see three new tabs:
| Endpoint | Purpose |
|---|---|
My Auctions — /my-account/my-auctions/ | Active bids, won, lost, watchlist |
My Wallet — /my-account/my_wallet/ | Top up, transfer, view ledger |
Withdrawal — /my-account/wkwc_withdrawal/ | Request payout |
Customer endpoints reference →
What to do next
| Goal | Read |
|---|---|
| Brand the bid form, badges, countdown colors | Design Studio |
| Enable anti-sniping, proxy bidding, retraction | Bidding Engine |
| Take fees, listing charges, buyer's premium | Monetization |
| Pay vendors, run a marketplace | Multi-Vendor |
| Detect fraud, block users, enforce KYC | Fraud Detection, Compliance |
| Connect to email / push / Stripe Connect | Integrations |