Bid Extension Protection

Bid Extension Protection (also known as anti-sniping) prevents last-second bidding by automatically extending an item’s deadline when a bid arrives close to the end time.

How It Works

When enabled on an item with an end date, the system monitors incoming bids. If a bid is placed within the trigger window (a configurable number of seconds before the end), the item’s deadline is automatically extended by the extension amount.

For example, with a 5-minute trigger window and 5-minute extension:

Item ends at 3:00 PM
A bid arrives at 2:57 PM (within the 5-minute window)
The deadline is extended to 3:05 PM
If another bid arrives at 3:03 PM, it extends again to 3:10 PM

There is no limit on how many times the deadline can be extended.

All watchers of the item will see the updated deadline in real-time via WebSocket notifications.

Configuring Bid Extension on Items

When creating or editing an item (with a custom end date), you’ll see a Bid Extension Protection section:

Enable toggle — Turn bid extension on or off for this item
Trigger window — How many seconds before the end a bid must arrive to trigger an extension (60–3600 seconds, i.e. 1–60 minutes)
Extension amount — How many seconds to add to the end time when triggered (5–3600 seconds)

Bid extension only works on items that have an end date set. Items without an end date cannot use this feature.

Auction-Level Defaults

Auction owners can set default bid extension values in Auction Settings. When new items are created, they inherit these defaults:

Whether bid extension is enabled by default
Default trigger window
Default extension amount

Item owners can always override these defaults on a per-item basis.

Viewing Bid Extension Info

On the item detail page, if bid extension is enabled, you’ll see a small shield icon with a message like:

Bids placed in the last 5 minutes will extend the deadline by 5 minutes.

This helps all bidders understand the rules before placing their bids.

Tips

For auction owners: Enable bid extension as a default if your auction has timed items — it creates a fairer bidding environment.
For bidders: Don’t wait until the last second! With bid extension enabled, last-moment bids will simply extend the auction rather than snipe a win.
Recommended settings: A 5-minute trigger window with a 5-minute extension (300 seconds each) works well for most auctions.