Whatnot App Features for Buyers and Sellers

Whatnot looks simple from the outside: a seller on camera, a countdown timer and a chat full of bids. Under the surface, the app has a surprisingly deep set of tools for both sides of the transaction. Understanding the full range of Whatnot features helps buyers bid smarter and helps sellers run shows that hold attention and convert viewers into buyers.

This guide walks through the features buyers use every day, the tools available to sellers, the show formats that keep audiences engaged, and the analytics that help sellers improve. Whatnot adds, renames and moves features often, so treat the descriptions here as a map and confirm exact locations in the latest version of the app.

If you are completely new, start with our overview of what Whatnot is and how the live shopping app works.

Whatnot Features at a Glance

Whatnot Features for Buyers

Live shows and discovery

The home feed shows live and upcoming shows, mixing sellers you follow with recommendations. You can browse categories, search for items or sellers, follow shops, and set reminders or bookmarks on specific shows. Our guide on how to find sellers and shows on Whatnot covers discovery in depth.

Bidding tools

In an auction, you can tap to place the next bid, or use options such as custom bids and max bids where the app offers them. Pre-bids let you bid on items before the show starts. Each tool has strategy implications, explained in our guide to how bidding works on Whatnot.

Buy It Now and marketplace listings

Not everything is an auction. Sellers can offer fixed-price items during a show, and many also list items in the marketplace, which you can buy without watching a stream. This is useful if you know exactly what you want.

Giveaways

Sellers run giveaways during shows to reward viewers. Some are open to anyone watching who meets the entry conditions; others, often called buyer-only giveaways, are limited to people who have purchased in that show. Each seller sets the entry rules, so read them on screen before you assume you are entered.

Payments, shipping and protection

• Saved payment methods make winning bids seamless. Cards and digital wallets are the most dependable options.
• Combined shipping: multiple items won from the same seller in the same show are generally bundled, so you pay shipping once plus small weight increases.
• Order tracking: purchases show status and tracking in the app.
• Buyer protection: problems with in-app purchases can be reported from the order page. Details are in our guide to Whatnot buyer protection.

Credits, referrals and tips

Buyers can receive credit from promotions and referrals, which is applied at checkout. Buyers can also tip sellers; check the help center for how tips are currently handled.

Whatnot Features for Sellers

Sellers get a broader toolkit, generally centred on the seller tools area, often called the Seller Hub. Our walkthrough of the Whatnot Seller Hub covers where things live. Here are the main features.

Listing and inventory tools

• Auction listings with starting prices, optional sudden death and per-item shipping profiles.
• Buy It Now listings for fixed-price items in shows or the marketplace.
• Shipping profiles based on weight, which Whatnot uses to calculate buyer shipping and generate prepaid labels. See Whatnot shipping profiles.
• Bulk listing options for adding many items efficiently, covered in our guide on how to list items on Whatnot.

Show tools

• Scheduled shows with titles, categories and custom thumbnails, so buyers can find and follow upcoming streams.
• Pre-bids on items before a show begins, which can build momentum early.
• Giveaways, including buyer-only giveaways, to reward viewers and buyers.
• Flash sales for short, fixed-price bursts.
• Breaks for card and collectible sellers who sell spots in a group opening.
• Randomizer or wheel-style tools for random pulls and assignments, where supported. See the Whatnot wheel and randomizer.

Team and community tools

• Moderators help manage chat, answer questions and keep shows running smoothly.
• Co-hosting lets two sellers stream together and share an audience.
• Raids send your viewers to another seller's show when yours ends, building goodwill and reciprocity.

Growth tools

• Boost: optional paid promotion for extra visibility. Our guide to Whatnot Boost explains cost considerations and when it is worth trying.
• Premier Shop: a program recognising top-performing sellers, with potential benefits. Requirements are covered in our guide to Whatnot Premier Shop.

Fulfilment and payouts

Whatnot generates prepaid shipping labels for orders, which most sellers print on 4x6 thermal label printers. Sales proceeds, minus fees, are paid out to your linked bank account after orders ship and processing clears, with faster payout options sometimes available for a fee. Commission is commonly reported at 8% for most categories, plus payment processing of about 2.9% + $0.30 per order. Confirm current rates on Whatnot's fee page.

Whatnot App Tools by Show Format

Different show formats lean on different features. Matching the format to your inventory is one of the most important decisions a seller makes.

For more format ideas, see 30 Whatnot show ideas. And if you are deciding between auctions and fixed prices for a particular item, our guide on starting bid strategy helps.

Whatnot Analytics: Which Numbers Matter

Whatnot provides seller analytics so you can see how shows and listings perform. The exact dashboard layout and metric names change, but most sellers track a similar set of numbers.

Metrics worth tracking

• Total sales per show and how it changes as you adjust formats.
• Average sale price per item, which tells you whether starting prices and item mix are working.
• Viewers and peak viewers, to see whether promotion and scheduling are bringing people in.
• Buyers per show and repeat buyers, often a better long-term health signal than viewer count.
• Follower growth after each show.
• Shipping performance such as time to ship, which affects reviews and standing.

Turning analytics into action

1. Pick three or four metrics and record them after every show in a simple spreadsheet.
2. Change one variable at a time, such as start time, show length or opening items.
3. Compare averages across several shows rather than reacting to one good or bad night.
4. Calculate profit, not just revenue: subtract item cost, Whatnot fees, supplies, giveaways and any seller-paid shipping.

Our full guide to Whatnot seller analytics goes deeper into which metrics predict growth, and it pairs well with a simple per-sale profit estimate that includes fees.

Account, Safety and Community Features

Beyond buying and selling, the app includes tools that keep the experience safe and manageable. They are easy to overlook until you need them.

• Reviews and ratings: Buyers can rate sellers after an order, and those ratings are visible on seller profiles. They are one of the best signals of reliability.
• Reporting: You can report shows, listings, messages or users that break the rules, such as counterfeit items, harassment or shill bidding (bidding by a seller or associates to inflate prices, which is prohibited).
• Blocking: Stops a user from interacting with you. Sellers and their moderators can also remove disruptive viewers from chat.
• Direct messages: Buyers and sellers can message each other in the app. Keeping conversations there creates a record support can review.
• Notification controls: Fine-tune alerts for followed sellers, reminders, outbid notices and order updates so the important ones are not buried.
• Address and payment management: Store multiple addresses and payment methods and choose a default for fast checkout.
• Purchase and sales history: A running record of every order, useful for tracking spending as a buyer and bookkeeping as a seller.

Third-Party Tools vs Built-In Features

Some sellers add outside tools such as streaming software, overlays, inventory spreadsheets and bookkeeping apps. These can help, but check that any tool is allowed under Whatnot's terms before connecting it to your account, and never share your login with an unverified app. Built-in features should be your foundation; add outside tools only when they solve a specific problem. See our guide to third-party Whatnot seller tools for an overview of what is available.

Features Worth Learning First

If the feature list feels overwhelming, focus on the few that matter most at your stage.

New buyers

1. Saved payment and shipping details.
2. Follow and reminders, so you catch shows you care about.
3. Max bids or custom bids, so you never overpay in the heat of an auction.
4. The order page and report-a-problem option.

New sellers

1. Listing with accurate shipping profiles.
2. Scheduling a show with a clear title and thumbnail.
3. Running auctions and a simple giveaway.
4. Printing labels and shipping promptly.
5. Tracking a few analytics after each show.

Everything else, including Boost, co-hosting, raids and advanced formats, can come once the basics are solid. If you want a guided path into selling, our step-by-step guide on how to sell on Whatnot walks through the process, and our independent overview of the free Marketplace SuperHeroes workshop describes a beginner-friendly training option for sourcing and reselling.

Bottom Line

Whatnot features are built around live shows: auctions, Buy It Now, flash sales and giveaways for buyers, plus scheduling, shipping labels, moderators, co-hosting, raids, Boost and analytics for sellers. Learn the essentials first, confirm exact menus in the current app, and add advanced tools as your needs grow.

Next, brush up on the lingo you will hear in shows with our Whatnot glossary, or if you are ready to sell, read how to go live on Whatnot.