How to use Backstage, common questions, and how to get help.
Tap Open Whatnot on the Live screen. The in-app browser opens; sign in to your Whatnot account, then start (or join) your show. Backstage watches the show in the background and captures every sale automatically.
Backstage assigns the next sequential bin number to each new buyer in a show, and reuses the same bin for every additional item that buyer wins during that show. When you end the show, the manifest PDF lists every buyer with their bin number.
Tap the + Add sale button at the top of the Live feed. Type the buyer's handle and what they bought. Backstage assigns the bin and adds the sale to the list quietly (no popup banner since you're entering it manually).
Tap any item row inside a buyer's card. The detail view opens with all the item info plus a notes field — useful for shipping reminders, condition details, or anything you want to remember. Notes save automatically when you close the modal.
End Show generates a PDF manifest listing every buyer and their items, saves it to your iPad's Files app (On My iPad → Backstage → Manifests), and clears the Live feed for your next show. The show then appears under Past Shows, where you can re-open the manifest, share it, or delete it.
On your iPad: Files app → On My iPad → Backstage → Manifests. From there you can AirDrop them, attach them to email, upload to cloud storage, or print. They're also accessible from inside the app under Past Shows.
Tap Past Shows → tap Delete on the row you want to remove. You'll see a confirmation; tap Delete again. The show, its sales, and the manifest PDF are removed from your device. This can't be undone.
Yes. Backstage runs on iPhone too — the layout adapts to the smaller screen and uses a bottom tab bar. Sales capture works the same way; Whatnot opens full-screen via the bottom tab.
Once unlocked, yes. Sales capture, manifest generation, and Past Shows all work without internet. The Whatnot browser itself needs internet (to show you the live show), and your access code re-validates against our backend every two weeks when you're online — but if that re-validation can't reach the server, the cached unlock is honored.
Email [email protected] and tell us which device you're on. We'll resend your code (or issue a new one if needed).
Found something broken? Email us at [email protected] with a description of what happened, what you expected, and a screenshot if you can. We'll fix it in the next update.