How to find Whatnot raid trains to join
Looking for a raid train to ride this week? Here's where Whatnot raid trains are posted, how to find one in your category, how to sign up for a slot, and how Backstage finds your train and counts you down so you never miss the start.
If you’re ready to ride but don’t know where the trains are, you’re not alone. A lot of raid trains get planned quietly inside seller communities. Here’s where to look, how to pick one that fits your inventory, and how to make sure you never miss your slot.
Raid trains are organized on Raid Train Express, our partner. For questions about a specific train, like signing up, slots, the lineup or its rules, see the Raid Train Express help center.
Where raid trains are posted
- Raid Train Express. The quickest place to start. Raid Train Express is a free raid train planner, and organizers who build their trains there get a public page with the full lineup and schedule. You can browse upcoming trains without an account or an invite code.
- Whatnot itself. Sellers announce upcoming trains during their shows.
- Category Discords and group chats. The most common place trains get planned.
- Facebook seller groups. Especially busy in the higher-volume categories.
Find a train that fits your category
Raid trains work best when the audience matches your inventory. Look for trains in your lane:
- Sports cards
- Pokémon and other trading card games
- Sneakers and streetwear
- Vintage and thrift
- Toys and collectibles
- Comics
- Beauty and makeup
Riding a train outside your category sends you viewers who don’t want what you sell, so check the train’s category and the other sellers on the lineup before you sign up.
How to sign up for your slot
- Sign up on the train’s page, or join with the invite code the organizer shared.
- Note your exact start time, not just your position, and put it in your calendar.
- Check your Whatnot username in the lineup. It needs to be exactly yours, so the seller ahead of you can raid into the right show, and so Backstage can find the train for you.
Never miss the start
The most common way riders waste a raid train is missing their slot. Two habits fix it:
- Follow the organizer on Whatnot with the bell set to All Notifications, so you get the go-live alert.
- Be streaming before the seller ahead of you raids in, so the audience lands on a live show.
And one thing that makes both easier: Backstage partners with Raid Train Express. If the Whatnot username on your Backstage account is in the lineup, Backstage finds the train on its own. Shortly before your slot, Backstage Lite and the iPad app show a countdown and who you’re raiding into next, right where you’re already selling. If you have the train’s tracking number, you can also paste it on the Backstage raid trains page to see the lineup.
Want to run your own?
If you can’t find a train in your category at a time that works, start one. Organizing puts you at the center of your niche and builds the lineup you’ll ride with for months. See how to run a raid train, or start a train on Raid Train Express.
Next steps
- First time? Read what is a raid train.
- Browse upcoming trains on Raid Train Express.