What is Backstage Live?
Backstage Live is a suite of tools for Whatnot live sellers. It captures every buyer, tip, and raid the second it happens during a live show and tells you what each item actually earned after Whatnot takes its cut, helps you prep listings in bulk, prints bin labels and a packing manifest, tracks consignment splits and payouts, and runs raid trains — so your show ends with the bins sorted and the math already done. It runs as Chrome extensions and a native iPad/iPhone app.
How do I capture every sale from a Whatnot live show?
Backstage Lite is a Chrome extension that watches your Whatnot tab and captures every sale, tip, and raid automatically as it happens — no copy-pasting from the video. When your show ends you get a live buyer-card feed and a one-tap manifest PDF of who won what.
How do I print bin labels for Whatnot sales?
Backstage prints bin labels and a packing manifest straight from your sales as they come in (Whatnot handles the actual shipping postage). On iPad or iPhone, the Backstage iOS app auto-prints labels to a Bluetooth thermal printer. On a laptop, add the Backstage Print add-on to Lite (macOS) and every sale silently auto-prints a bin label to your thermal printer.
Do I need a printer to use Backstage?
No. Backstage Lite captures your whole show and produces a printable manifest without any printer or hardware — it runs entirely in your Chrome browser. A label printer is only needed if you want Backstage to auto-print bin labels, which you can add to Lite with the Backstage Print add-on (macOS), and which also comes built into the iOS app.
What hardware do I need to run Backstage?
Just a device you already own. Backstage Lite runs in Chrome on any laptop, and the Backstage iOS app runs on an iPhone or iPad you already have — no capture card and no expensive rig. A thermal label printer is optional: you only need one if you want bin labels to auto-print. Everything else, including live capture and the packing manifest, works with no extra hardware.
Can I bulk-upload listings to Whatnot instead of adding them one at a time?
Yes. Backstage Prep opens in its own Chrome tab — a full-screen workspace where you draft a whole batch of listings — photos, fields, and categories — then export a single CSV that slots straight into Whatnot's bulk importer. You can drag a folder of photos in from Finder and bulk-edit fields across many items at once.
Does Backstage work on iPad?
Yes. Backstage for iOS is a native iPad and iPhone app that combines pre-show listing prep, live sale capture, consignment splits, and auto-printing of bin labels to a Bluetooth printer — so you can run your entire Whatnot show from the iPad.
How does consignment and consignor split tracking work in Backstage?
Backstage tracks consignment splits per consignor as sales land during your show, then produces a per-consignor manifest and payout breakdown. Sellers who take consignment items can see exactly what sold for each consignor without reconciling it by hand after the show. Consignment is included in Backstage Pro ($34/mo), and your consignors get a free web portal at consignor.backstagelive.app — there's nothing for them to install. See backstagelive.app/consignment for details.
What is a Whatnot raid train and how do I run one?
A raid train is a scheduled lineup where live sellers raid (send their viewers to) the next seller in order, passing the audience down the line. Backstage Raid Trains is a free tool to organize and ride them: open sign-ups, an auto-updating lineup, a personal card for every rider, and a day-of running order with live countdowns.
What is Backstage Sidekick?
Backstage Sidekick is a free helper for mods and sellers that rides in a side panel next to your Whatnot show. Tap a saved phrase and it lands straight in chat, get a nudge on who to thank for every tip, raid, and giveaway, and catch the listings that are already heating up. There's no account and nothing to buy — add it to Chrome and it works right beside your Whatnot tab.
Is Backstage free?
Backstage Raid Trains is free to use with a Backstage account. Every account gets a 7-day free trial of the seller tools. After that, plans are a simple ladder: Lite at $14/mo (Chrome capture), Plus at $24/mo (iPad + desktop + Prep + label printing), and Pro at $34/mo (everything in Plus plus full consignment). These are founding prices, locked in for life. You can start a free trial at backstagelive.app/pricing.
Who is Backstage for?
Backstage is built for people who sell live on Whatnot — from solo flippers and resellers running shows off a laptop or iPad, to sellers with a full packing table and label printer. It was built by a live seller to remove the slowest parts of the job: bulk listing before a show and matching buyers to inventory after it.
