Use our "View Only Auctions & Items" feature for Live Auctions! 🎁 🎤 👀

We're excited to introduce View Only Auctions & Items - a powerful feature that gives you complete control over which items can be bid on online and which are reserved for in-person events. Perfect for hybrid auctions and live events where you want to showcase items without allowing online bidding.
What's New 🚀
Auction-level bidding control:
 🎯 Set your entire auction to allow or disable online bidding with the "Allow online bidding" toggle, giving you complete control over the bidding experience.
Item-level bidding restrictions:
 🏷️ Mark individual items as "in-person only" to reserve specific prizes for your live event while keeping others available for online bidding.
Hybrid auction support:
 🤝 Seamlessly run auctions with both online and in-person components, showcasing all items while controlling where bidding can occur.
View-only mode:
 👁️ When online bidding is disabled, your auction becomes a beautiful showcase that builds excitement without allowing bids, perfect for promoting your live event.
Admin bid management:
 🧑‍💻 Even with online bidding disabled, administrators can still add bids manually through the dashboard for phone bids or live auction entries.
Flexible visibility options:
 🔍 Combine with existing visibility settings (public/private) to show or hide specific items from public view while controlling bidding access.
How it works 📝
Setting auction-wide bidding:
Navigate to your Auction
 in the dashboard
Find the Auction settings
 tab
Toggle "Allow online bidding"
 on or off
When disabled, the entire auction becomes view-only regardless of individual item settings
Marking individual items as in-person only:
Click to Edit an Item
 in your auction dashboard
Scroll to the bottom and find "Mark as in-person item"
Toggle this setting on to reserve the item for in-person bidding only
Note: This option is only available when auction-wide online bidding is enabled
Managing bids during live events:
Administrators can add manual bids through the dashboard
Perfect for recording phone bids or live auction activity
Maintains complete bidding records within your Givebutter system
Why it matters 📈
View Only Auctions & Items transforms your auction strategy by:
Supporting hybrid events: 
Run sophisticated auctions with both online & live portions
Building anticipation:
 Showcase high-value items that will only be available at your live event
Increasing attendance:
 Create exclusive in-person experiences that drive event participation
Simplifying management:
 Handle all bidding activity within one unified platform
Enhancing flexibility:
 Adapt your auction strategy based on item type, value, or event goals
This feature is especially valuable for galas, benefit dinners, and fundraising events where you want to showcase your complete auction catalog while reserving the most exciting items for the live experience.
For more information on setting up hybrid auctions and managing bidding controls, check out our Help Center article with detailed instructions and best practices.
💡 Tip: Consider marking your highest-value or most unique items as in-person only to create excitement and drive event attendance, while allowing smaller items to generate online competition throughout your campaign.