Product Spotlight: Tools to match your pace
Momentum is one of the biggest drivers of success on Whatnot.
The sellers seeing the most growth aren’t just bringing great inventory, they’re keeping their shows moving. The right pacing, smooth transitions, and showing up where buyers are already looking all add up to more engagement and more sales.
This month’s updates are designed to give you more control over that experience, reduce friction, and capture demand as it happens.
Keep the pace: more flexibility
One of the clearest patterns we’re seeing across the marketplace is how much pacing matters.
Sellers are already optimizing for speed, but today’s timer options can force tradeoffs. Go too slow, and you risk losing energy between bids. Go too fast, and you may not give buyers enough time to engage. Finding the right rhythm really comes down to what works best for you and your buyers, and it varies by category. In faster-moving categories like Food and Drink or Womenswear, where the average auction configured is less than 10 seconds, buyers prefer a quick pace and the energy it brings. In other categories, like Luxury Handbags or Sneakers, buyers value having a bit more time to look closely and make a purchase.
The data shows a clear shift. Across millions of auctions in the last two months, 47% of sellers run at 10 seconds or less, and most sellers operate in the 5 to 15 second range. Speed also drives performance. Shorter auctions generate higher sales per hour, with 5 second timers leading and 10 second timers close behind.
To support this, we introduced a 7 second auction timer designed to balance speed and buyer engagement. Adoption has been strong among high-velocity sellers. In the past week, 17,000 sellers used 7 second auctions, driving $14 million in sales, and using it for about 30% of their auctions.
Our goal is to help you maintain momentum, reduce gaps between bids, and take more control over pacing.
How to use it: If your shows already move quickly, experiment with shorter timers to keep energy high and maximize throughput.
Show up where buyers are already looking: new subcategories
We’re expanding the marketplace with more inventory, more variety, and more ways for sellers to stand out in their niche. By adding and refining categories each month, we’re making it easier for more types of products and sellers to succeed live, moving toward becoming the best place to sell anything live.
As part of this, we’re continuing to improve subcategories so sellers can better position their inventory and capture demand. Here’s what’s new:
Men's Fashion: Men's Formalwear
Home & Garden / Electronics: Home Appliances
Books & Movies: Movie Memorabilia
Toys & Collectibles: RPG & Miniatures
Bags & Accessories: Vintage Bags
These categories are already coming to life. In Movie Memorabilia, sellers are listing cinematic collectibles, from The Lion King to Harry Potter IMAX editions. In Vintage Bags, demand spans everything from Coach Rogue to Brighton handbags. And with wedding season around the corner, Men’s Formalwear is right on time, with buyers already looking for white linen blazers, navy suits, and classic dress shoes.
How to use it: Be as specific as possible when listing. The closer your category matches what buyers are searching for, the more likely your inventory is to surface at the right moment.
Learn from what’s working: seller-driven tips
Some of the most valuable insights don’t come from us, they come directly from you. At our Seller Summita few weeks ago, one theme came through clearly: small adjustments in how you run your show can have an outsized impact. From pacing and structure to how you present items, the details matter.
Here are three patterns we consistently heard from top sellers:
Plan your show structure. People decide fast whether to stay or scroll. Start like the room is already full. A simple formula sellers use: quick intro, share your story and experience, shout out repeat buyers, express gratitude, and ask questions. Repeat that throughout your show. This gives new viewers a reason to trust you as they join.
Go live longer and more often. Avoid ultra-short shows unless they’re a true “flash” moment, like dropping a limited item or running a big giveaway. Instead, run 45 to 120+ minute streams consistently, often several times per week, rather than one very long session. This approach builds momentum and re-engages buyers, since each new show sends a fresh notification.
Use a range of tactics to engage buyers. Growth comes in waves, not a straight line. The biggest shows happen when you layer tactics: prompt buyers to bookmark your show, use strong thumbnails with real images of your inventory, and boost key moments like big items or giveaways. Promote tools can deliver about 2.6x return on spend, but very short shows of 10 to 15 minutes tend to underperform, so it is best to use promotions on longer shows.
How to use it: Small changes to how you open, run, and promote your show can drive more engagement without changing what you sell.
Happy Selling!
– Whatnot Product Team
