Your first show, the 2‑minute version.
Starting something new in the middle of a live show is a horrible feeling — so let's take that off the table. Backstage does a lot, but you don't need most of it tonight. This is the whole path to a clean first show. Five steps, then go sell.
Fixes only reach your shows once you've actually updated, and an out-of-date copy is behind a lot of “it didn't work for me.” If you don't have automatic updates switched on, the App Store will happily leave you on an old build for weeks. Check it before a show, not during one.
You can see what you're running in Backstage under Settings → Help & account — there's a Build line under This build. If you ever report a problem, that number is the single most useful thing you can tell me.
Run the Quick check
Open Backstage on the iPad and look at the Quick check card — it's headed "Before you go live". Four lines: printer connected, Backstage signed in, Whatnot signed in, and bins ready. The last two are tap-to-confirm, so they wait on you rather than guessing. Clear those four and nothing can surprise you mid-show.
"Bins ready" just means your physical shelf or totes are where you want them. It's a nudge, not a setting.
Open Whatnot, go live, then tap Start show
Tap Open Whatnot in Backstage — your show runs inside the app, so there's nothing extra to set up and nothing to keep awake on a desk. Go live exactly as you normally would. Then come back and tap Start show. A card asks "Ready to go live?" — set Tonight's goal if you like (beat your last show, beat your best, or your own number), check the printer settings, then tap Start my show. Start a test run is there if you want to practice first.
This is the step people miss. Backstage captures nothing until you tap Start show, and sales from before that aren't added on their own. If you need them, tap ↧ Catch up. Tap Start show before your first item.
Bins and boxes — what they are
A "bin" is just wherever that buyer's things go while you sell. A numbered tote, a slot on a rack, a shelf, a gift bag, or a pile on the floor with a sticky note on it — Backstage doesn't care what it physically is. It gives each buyer a number the first time they win, and everything they win afterward drops into that same one. Turn Box capacity on and a buyer who fills their box rolls into another one automatically — those print as 5-2, 5-3. Turn it off and everything goes to their single bin.
There's no right system — use whatever you already do. Backstage just numbers them so nothing gets orphaned.
Labels — straight from the iPad
This is the bit that has no computer in it. Go to Settings → Printer → Set up printer. A Bluetooth label printer pairs right there; a Brother QL on Wi-Fi is under "Brother printer on Wi-Fi? Search Wi-Fi", and a Rollo or other AirPrint label printer under "Rollo or other AirPrint printer? Choose printer". Labels print from the tablet itself — no helper app, no laptop running beside you. Auto-print labels starts Off: set it to Bin only for one label as each buyer's bin opens, or Every sale for that plus a label per item. If a printout looks garbled or blank, open More printer options, tap Which printer is this? and pick the one that printed clearly.
If the printer drops mid-show, the Printer button at the top turns red and your labels wait — they print by themselves when it's back. No printer? Skip it — the next section covers what to do instead. And Unpaid sales lets you choose whether an uncleared sale prints now marked PENDING, or waits until the payment clears.
End Show & Save Manifest
One button, at the end. Backstage asks "End show and save manifest?" and warns you that it will clear all bins and items — that's expected, it's how the next show starts clean. Above it you'll see Show wrapped, your night in numbers, and Share my show makes a picture to post (counts only, no dollars or buyer names). Your manifest is saved, and the show lands in your portal recap with real net after fees, gross, items and first-time buyers.
Don't tap it until you've finished packing off the bins on screen, because the bin numbers reset when you do.
Live link for your packer shares a read-only view of the show as it runs — sales grouped by bin, with photos and pending flags. No login needed, so you can text it to whoever's packing. The link is good for that one show.
Whether you subscribe inside the app or on the web, your 7 free days start the day you subscribe. So set up when you're ready for your first real show. Nothing is charged during the trial, and you can cancel anytime before it ends and pay nothing.
The rest can wait — really.
There's consignor splits and payout sheets, giveaway tracking, a shipper board, size capture, raid trains… none of it is required, and none of it is going anywhere. Add what helps when you want it. For your first show, the five steps above are the whole job.
Email backstageliveapp@gmail.com and tell me where you're stuck. I'll walk you through it before your next show. Every message gets read.