What’s New?
With the latest Bid Beacon release, we’ve added new tools to help make item setup faster and easier for auction administrators.
The biggest update is the ability to import auction items in bulk, giving admins a more efficient way to create multiple items without manually entering each one. We’ve also added improvements to item image uploading, item deletion, and the Manage Items tab in your auction, to help streamline setup from start to finish.
Below, you’ll find more details on what’s new and improved.
Import Auction Items in Bulk
At long last, admins can now import auction items in bulk from their auction’s dashboard.
Instead of creating each item one by one, you can use the new Import Items segment to download a sample .CSV template, fill in your item details, and upload the completed file to create multiple auction items at once. Within your auction, we provide instructional text, a link to our import guide, and access to a downloadable template to help ensure your file is formatted correctly before uploading.
This update is especially helpful for auctions with large lists of items, returning fundraisers that already have item details organized, or teams that simply prefer to work within a spreadsheet.
Guided Import Flow
To make the import process easier to follow, we’ve added a guided import flow that walks admins through each step.
The import process includes three steps:
- Select File: choose the .CSV file you would like to upload.
- Import File: start the import and allow the system to check the file before creating items.
- Review Results: confirm whether the import was successful and see a summary of what was created.
If the import is successful, Bid Beacon will create the items from your file and direct you back to the Manage Items tab where you can review and edit them as needed. If your file contains issues, the import will not create any items. Instead, the system will highlight each error so you can easily correct the issues within your file before reattempting the import.
Add Images Faster
Since item images are not included in the import process, we’ve made it easier to add images after items are created.
Admins can now upload images directly from the Manage Items table without opening each item individually. A new Images column has been added to the table, giving admins a quick view of how many images are attached to each item. From there, admins can use the quick add option to upload images directly to an item.
This makes it easier to move through your item list and add images after importing. You can still open an item’s setup page to view thumbnails, and reorder or remove images as needed.
Additional Improvements
Along with bulk item importing and faster image uploading, we’ve also made a few smaller improvements to the Manage Items experience.
Admins can now delete multiple items in bulk from the Manage Items tab, helping reduce repetitive work if several items need to be removed at once. We’ve also made usability improvements, including updates to column sorting, clickable column headers, and row hover shading to make the page easier to navigate.
Wrapping Up
No matter the size of your auction, if you have 15 items or 150 items, these updates will help auction admins save time during setup and reduce repetitive item management work.
If you have questions about importing items or setting up your next auction, please consider sending us an email or booking a meeting at a time that works best for you.
