Go Live Guide
All the essentials, from setting up your account to receiving payments.
Prepare your account
Set up your account and Payment
Add your profile picture, confirm your username, add a return address, and a cash out method.
To cash out payments to your bank account, you must set up your Whatnot account with Stripe and connect it with your Whatnot Settings. You can do this on your web browser or on the mobile app
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If using a logo, make sure all text is legible at a small size
Your profile picture should at least be 160× 160px (it’ll auto-crop to a circle)
For your accounts’ banner/cover image, use a 750×424px image
You can change your username in the profile tab. If you need to adjust your username or account email address, contact sellersupport@whatnot.com
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Sign in to your Whatnot Account on desktop site at www.whatnot.com
Click on the profile icon in the top right corner, then select 'Financials’
Select the ‘Payouts’ tab directly under ‘Financials’
Click on ‘Payment Settings’
Click ‘Set Up Stripe Connect’
Enter the requested information
‘Cash Out’ when you’d like to transfer funds
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On iOS:
Navigate to your Seller Hub in the app
Tab “Payouts” at the top of your screen
“Tap “Setup Stripe Connect”
Follow the instructions through Stripe Connect to link your account.
On Android:
Tap your profile image in the bottom right corner
Tap the lines menu in the upper right corner
Scroll to the “Selling” section and tap “Payouts
Tap “Set Stripe Connect”
Follow the instructions through Stripe Connect to link your account
Pre-Show
Schedule your first show
Tap the + icon and select “Schedule a Show,” add a title, a thumbnail, and select the right category.
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Tap the “plus” icon and select “Schedule a Show”
Enter title that tells viewers what you're selling
Pick a date for your show
Add a thumbnail
Choose the right category to help people interested in your products find your show.
Tap "Schedule" and you're all set!
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A catchy title tells viewers what you're selling and entices them to tune in
Schedule your show about a week in advance. This gives you time to share your show on social media, and it gives viewers enough time to bookmark it
An eye-catching thumbnail is one of the best ways to attract viewers to your show
Choosing the right category helps people interested in your products find your show while searching
Add your listings
Pre-loading items into your shop also makes it easier for you to focus on being more interactive and present with your audience during the show.
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Tap the + button in the bottom right hand corner
Upload high-quality photos that show off your item's best angles
Categorize your product accurately - this helps people interested in your products discover your show
Enter a straightforward title that tells viewers what product you're selling. Add a description to give more details
Choose your “Sales Type” here, between Auction, Buy Now, or Giveaway. If creating an auction item:
Enter the Starting Bid (Price), Quantity, and Shipping Profile (choose an accurate weight for the item you’re shipping)
Tap “Publish.” to add your item to your live store
Your listing is now ready for your show. View your listing by tapping the “Store” icon in the bottom right. Listings can also be edited before or during your livestream
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Listings with good photos will draw interest from buyers before your show goes live, and help interested buyers browse products that aren’t on screen while live
Categorizing your product accurately -helps people interested in your products discover your show
Enter a straightforward title that tells viewers what product you're selling
Need to edit your listing?
Tap the “Pencil” icon under your listing, “Edit Listing,” and update any fields
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Create a nice atmosphere
Having a quality background, good lighting, and excellent audio and video quality during a livestream is essential for creating a professional and engaging experience for your audience, ultimately fostering a positive impression and encouraging viewer retention.
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Use a phone stand or tripod
Using a phone stand or tripod lets you maintain a stable camera position during a livestream, ensuring a steady and professional-looking video feed
Put on background Music
Playing background music at a light volume adds a personal touch to your content. It also helps keep the energy up on your stream if there are pauses
Please make sure to use royalty free music during your streams
Personalize your space
Tasteful decorations or a clean and organized backdrop can enhance a show's visual appeal and make your audience feel more connected to the environment
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A second device for controls
A second device for controls
Using a second device for your controls such as starting auctions, and adding products allows your primary camera to stay stable for your viewers and lets you focus on content delivery without the distraction of shaky or unstable footage
Learn more about secondary device setups here
Get your Shipping Resources
Optimize your fulfillment process by preparing shipping supplies in advance. Ensure you have boxes, sleeves, packaging materials, and labels ready before your show. This streamlines order processing, facilitates timely shipments, and enhances overall customer satisfaction.
Customize packaging for a memorable buyer experience—use branded shipping supplies, offer freebies, and include custom thank-you cards to express appreciation and stand out among sellers.
Share your show
Harness social media to boost your following on Whatnot, utilizing it as a powerful tool to promote your livestream within your community.
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Add your $15 off referral link in your social media bio
Each new user you refer automatically follows you, building your follower base and earning you Whatnot credit for their first purchase
Post on social media promoting your upcoming show
Share your shows prior to going live to get bookmarks and again once you go live
Have high quality design assets to promote your show
Check out branded creative assets here
Practice with a Private Stream
Want to practice before going live? Use a private stream to get acquainted with the Live process, test your set-up, check out your sound and set-up, and practice using Seller Tools.
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To set up a Private Stream, schedule a show scroll all the way down and turn on the private stream button
Rest assured, this Private Stream will not be broadcast across Whatnot as a normal show would be. The only way people can enter this show is if you share the link with them
Showtime
Let’s go live!
Tap your show's thumbnail and click 'Start Show.' People who follow you or who have bookmarked your show will receive a notification that you're going live.
Be present + Keep audience engaged
Pre-loading items into your shop also makes it easier for you to focus on being more interactive and present with your audience during the show.
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Dive into the chat and keep the conversation buzzing!
Welcome new users who join your show, or shout out people if they’re a return viewer or buyer
Flaunt your fantastic inventory, showcasing the goods you've got up for grabs
Guide new buyers to follow you on Whatnot for a heads-up on your next livestream
Keep your inventory organized so you can fulfill orders quickly after your show
Sticking post-its with the winners username on each item is a simple way to keep track of who won what items
Most importantly, be yourself and have fun. The more comfortable you are on camera the more fun you and your viewers will have 🎉
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Need Help?
If something goes wrong, you can pause the show by tapping the dropdown arrow on the top right corner in your live and click "minimize show". Then, do a hard close of the app, reopen Whatnot, and navigate back to your livestream. Note: On most newer iOS and Android phones you can hard close an app by swiping up on the screen and closing the app window.
If the issue persists, please document it with a photo or a video and reach out to sellersupport@whatnot.com describing the issue.
Visit our Help Center for answers to specific questions. For real-time site-wide updates, check Whatnot Status to stay informed about potential issues. We're here to ensure a smooth experience for you!
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Block days and times during the week to package and drop off your orders
Save time by printing all your shipping labels and packing slips at once (best for thermal printers). Use Bulk Actions to generate and export labels or slips from your Seller Dashboard.
For more tips, you can click on this Shipping PDF.
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Ensure the safety of your items during shipping by using secure packaging and assure customers their orders are handled with care by prioritizing packaging cleanliness and tidiness
Beyond preventing damage, it demonstrates your commitment to delivering quality products and a positive customer experience, ultimately building trust in your brand. One of the best ways to get a five-star rating is to ensure your package arrives in the best condition
Protective shipping materials will vary by category, but always consider double wrapping your items or investing in plastic wrap, bubble wrap/mailers, or custom boxes
For more info on packaging here are our Whatnot Packaging Guidelines
For packages with a purchase price of $500 or more, we recommend that you get insurance and shipping confirmation, which you can do from the app as explained in our Protecting Your Orders article. Doing this helps ensures that you are not held liable if a package is lost or damaged by USPS
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Select the Shipment (checkbox to the left of the Shipment #)
Click the “Unbundle Shipment” on the side
Then the items should be unbundled
If you want to re-bundle items, select all the shipments
Click “Bundle selected shipments”
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Click the pencil icon on the far-right of a shipment row
Adjust the package weight and dimensions
Click ‘Save’
Click ‘Create Label’ to generate the shipping label with the new information
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Sign in to your Whatnot account on the web dashboard at whatnot.com
Click the person icon at the top right, go to 'Seller,' and choose 'Seller Hub: My Shipments'
From the dropdown in the upper right, select your livestream to view all sales from that show. Default label settings are for 8.5 x 11 paper
You can switch to a 4 x 6 thermal label printout using the ‘Default Label Options’ on the right side of your shipments screen
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Ensure that all decisions on cancellation requests and Shipping weight + dimension edits have been made as needed
Select all shipments or specific shipments and click "‘Generate Labels’ to bulk generate shipping labels
Click ‘Export Shipping Labels / Slips’ to print bulk PDFs for the selected shipments
You can select which shipping materials to export and custom sort the PDFs by order time, buyer username, or number of orders
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Dropping off a bulk shipment will notify the buyer that their package is in transit. Orders cannot move to the delivered state (which triggers payout) until they’re marked as ‘Dropped Off’.
Ensure that all labels are printed and packages are dropped off
Click ‘Bulk Confirm USPS Drop-off’
Refresh your browser
The Status row will change to show as ‘Shipping’
Shipping How To’s
Sellers must ship items within 2 business days of the livestream. The faster you ship, the faster you get paid out, and faster shipping times lead to happier buyers.
Need Help Shipping?
If you are having any troubles generating labels, please contact us at sellersupport@whatnot.com. It is very important that you include the order #’s, the buyer username, and the live ID link. This video will help you find the information you need when writing into seller support.
Post-Show and Shipping
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On the web dashboard, review any cancellation requests, identifiable by a 'Canceling' status
Sellers have the discretion to deny cancellation requests, protecting their reputation, and buyers whose requests are denied cannot rate the seller's profile (e.g., due to buyer's remorse)
Sellers are encouraged to accept requests resulting from explicit typos (e.g., intending to bid $200 but bidding $2000)
Notes on cancelling an order
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You’ll receive payment 48 - 72 hours upon USPS package delivery to the buyer. This will initially show as Whatnot credit in your account which you can then cash out via Stripe (directly to your bank account)
Seller Fees
Standard Whatnot Commission Fee: 8%
Payment Processing: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
Early Payout Program
Early payout allows sellers to receive payment upon label creation (roughly 3-7 days before the standard payout process)
This is granted on a monthly basis to sellers who meet the following criteria:
Have lifetime sales of $100,000+ or 1,000+ orders
Host at least 10 Livestreams on the same account
Have a Whatnot rating of 4.8 or above
No active strikes or recent warnings from Whatnot’s Trust & Safety team