User Guide for CS-Cart Auction

Once the addon is installed successfully, we need to configure the settings of the addon.

General Settings (CS-Cart Auction Add-on)

• Bid History Limit: Sets how many bidding records are displayed per user in the auction product’s bid history tab.
• Max Auction Bid Limit: Defines the maximum number of auctions a user can participate in; set to 0 for unlimited bidding.
• Max Purchasing Days Limit: Sets the number of days a winner has to purchase the product after winning the auction; 0 means no limit.
• Mail to Last: Determines how many recent bidders receive email notifications after a new bid is placed.
• Show Auction Winner: Controls whether the auction winner is visible to other users in the auction history tab.

• Show Auction Products Price: Click on the check box to enable to show auction products price to bidder.
• Enable Automatic Bid: Allows users to enable automatic bidding to place bids without manual input.
• Enable Live Update for Auction: Automatically refreshes bid price, countdown timer, and bid history every 5 seconds on the product page.
• Display Message to Winner: Shows a custom winning message to the user after they win the auction.
• Auction Product Status (After Sale/Winner Declared): Automatically hides the auction product once it is purchased or a winner is declared.
• Show Bidder Name: Controls how bidder names are displayed in the auction history (first 3 characters, full name, or email if name is empty).
• Cron Job Setup Note: Ensure a cron job is configured properly to handle auction completion, winner declaration, and system automation tasks

The dashboard also displays key financial insights such as live bid pool value and settled revenue from completed auctions, helping measure real-time engagement and actual earnings.

In addition, it highlights top-performing auctions, most active bidders, hourly bidding patterns, and a live activity feed showing recent bids with user details and timestamps. 

When you click on the View Auction icon, you are redirected to a dedicated interactive auction management page that provides a complete overview of all auction activities in one place.

This page displays key auction statistics, including:

• Total Auctions
• Running Auctions
• Scheduled Auctions
• Pending Auctions
• Completed Auctions
• Disabled Auctions

It gives admins a clear, real-time snapshot of the entire auction system status for better monitoring and control.

Additionally, by clicking the “+” (Add Auction) icon, the admin can quickly create a new auction for any product directly from this interface, making auction setup fast and seamless.

General Auction Settings

• Auction Type: Select the auction format for the product.
  • Standard Auction – Bidders compete by placing increasingly higher bids, and the highest bidder wins.
  • Reverse Auction – Sellers compete by offering lower prices, and the lowest bid wins.
  • Penny Auction – Each bid increases the price by a small amount, and bidders typically pay a fee per bid.
  • Dutch Auction – The auction starts at a high price that gradually decreases until a bidder accepts the current price.
  • Sealed Bid Auction – Participants submit confidential bids, and the highest bid wins once all bids are revealed.
  • Proxy Auction – Bidders set their maximum bid amount, and the system automatically places bids on their behalf.
  • Unique-Bid Auction – The bidder with the lowest or highest unique bid wins, depending on the auction rules.
  • Silent Auction – Bidders submit bids privately without seeing competitors’ bids during the auction.
  • Charity Auction – An auction organized to raise funds for a charitable cause.
  • Seated Auction – An auction conducted in a physical or virtual venue where participants bid from assigned seats.

• Auction Product: Select the product that will be listed for auction
• Starting Product Price: Set the initial bidding price for the auction
• Reserve Price: Define the minimum price at which the product will be sold
• Incremental Price: Set the minimum bid increase value
• Incremental Type: Choose how bid increments are applied (fixed amount or dynamic rule)

Auction Timing Settings

• Starting Bidding Date: Define the date and time when the auction will begin
• Ending Bidding Date: Set the date and time when the auction will end
• Set Before Expire Time: Extend auction time if a bid is placed near expiry (auto-extension feature)
• End Bid Time: Controls final bidding cutoff behavior and extension logic

Quantity & Stock Control

• Max Quantity: Set the maximum quantity available for winning purchase
• If Product Is Out of Stock: Define auction behavior when product stock is unavailable

Reserve & Winner Control

• Enable Reserve Price: Activate reserve price condition for winning eligibility
• Not Purchasing Actions: Define action if winner does not complete purchase (e.g., assign second winner)
• Winner Not Declared Actions: Set system behavior if no winner is determined
• Restart Time: Schedule automatic auction restart if required
• Auto Restart: Enable automatic restart of auction based on configuration rules
• Status: Activate or disable the auction for the selected product

Auction View with Countdown Timer (Before Start)

When a product is scheduled for auction but the starting time has not yet arrived, the auction page displays a countdown timer instead of active bidding options.

This helps users know exactly when the auction will begin.

During this stage, users can:

• View product details and auction information
• See the live countdown to auction start time
• Prepare for bidding once the auction begins

Wallet Integration Note

This feature works only if the CS-Cart Wallet System add-on is installed. The wallet system enables users to participate in auctions using their wallet balance for seamless and secure transactions.

Once an auction has started, the admin will not be able to enable or disable the wallet option, ensuring consistency and preventing transaction conflicts during active auctions.

Bid History

After creating an auction, the admin can view the complete bid history by clicking the Edit option on any auction product.

This section provides a detailed record of all bids placed on that product, allowing the admin to monitor bidding activity, track user participation, and analyze auction performance in real time.