---
title: 🔢 Bidders Without Bidder Numbers
description: Now you can have bidders without bidder numbers auto assigned.
---
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# 🔢 Bidders Without Bidder Numbers
ℹ️This feature is releasing on Monday, November 23, 2026
Not every event needs paddles. If your guests bid from their phones and you never hand out numbers, you can now turn bidder numbers off and let bidders exist without one. They can still register, bid, check in, buy tickets, pay, and get a receipt. Anywhere a number used to appear, you will see the person’s name instead.
📝 Nothing changes unless you want it to. Auto Assign Bidder Number is set to Yes for every existing event, so your bidders keep getting numbers exactly as they do today.
---
#### ⚙️ Turn Off Auto Assign Bidder Number
1. Go to **Software Settings \> Auction Settings**.
2. Open the **Bidder Settings** card.
3. Find **Auto Assign Bidder Number** and choose **No**.
4. Your change saves automatically.
From this point on, new bidders are created without a number until you type one in or assign one.
When Auto Assign Bidder Number is **Yes**, you will also see **Self-Registration Starting Bidder Number**. This is the number where self-registered bidders begin. It accepts up to 8 digits, and if you leave it blank, numbers start at 100. Once you choose **No**, this box is hidden because self-registered bidders no longer receive a number.
ℹ️Switching this setting never renumbers anyone. Bidders who already have a number keep it, and turning Auto Assign back on does not give numbers to bidders who have none.
---
#### ✅ Require a Number at Check-In (Optional)
If you want to make sure every guest leaves check-in with a number, use the second setting.
1. In **Bidder Settings**, set **Auto Assign Bidder Number** to **No**.
2. Find **Require Bidder Number in Butler/Check-in** (it only appears when Auto Assign is No).
3. Choose **Yes** or **No**.
Here is how each choice works:
| Setting | What happens in Butler |
| --- | --- |
| **Yes** | A volunteer cannot finish checking in a bidder whose number is blank until a number is typed or assigned. Quick Check In shows a **Bidder Number Needed** card with an **Assign and Check In** button, which gives the next available number and checks the bidder in with one tap.  |
| **No** (default) | A bidder can be checked in with a blank number |
📝 Guests who check themselves in from their phone are not held to this setting. It only applies to volunteers using Butler.
---
#### 👀 What You Will See for Bidders With No Number
When a bidder has no number, ClickBid shows the person’s name where the number used to be, and the # or ( ) symbols around the number are hidden. This applies to:
- Manage Bidders (the **Number** column is left blank, since the name is already in the row)
- Item and Bidder Bid History
- EventStream bid and donation history
- Event Payments
- The bidder’s account page in the bidding app
- Reports, receipts, and statements, including Current Winning Bids, Merchant Report, Event Sales, Checked In Bidders, Bid History, Checkout, Sales Data, and the Post Event Report
⚠️ In texts and emails, the **\[b\]** shortcode shows **NA** instead of a blank when a bidder has no number. Keep that in mind when you write your welcome message, for example “Your bidder number: \[b\]” would read “Your bidder number: NA.”
ℹ️ If you are not using numbers, leave \[b\] out of your welcome text and other messages so guests do not see “NA.”
---
#### 🔍 Find Bidders Who Do Not Have a Number
1. Go to **Bidders \> Manage Bidders**.
2. Look for the **no number** tag in the **Tags** column. It is added automatically to any bidder without a number.
3. Type **no number** into the filter box under the **Tags** column to show everyone who still needs one. The Min/Max boxes under the **Number** column only match bidders who have a number, so they will not find blanks.
When you send a Text or Email, you can also choose to message only bidders with a number or only bidders without one.
---
#### ➕ Add a Number Later
**Option A: One bidder in Manage Bidders**
1. Go to **Bidders \> Manage Bidders**.
2. Click the **edit icon** next to the bidder.
3. In **Essentials**, type a number into **Bidder Number**, or click **Assign next available number**. The Assign button is only shown while the Bidder Number box is blank.
Changes save automatically. The same duplicate check still applies, so you cannot use a number that is already taken.
**Option B: Several bidders at once**
1. Go to **Bidders \> Manage Bidders**.
2. Check the box next to each bidder you want to number.
3. Scroll to **Batch Update** and check **Bidder Number**.
4. Enter the number to start from. ClickBid assigns the first available number beginning with the one you enter.
5. Click **Update** and confirm.
6. Refresh the page. The table does not update on its own, so the new numbers and the removed **no number** tags appear after a reload.
**Option C: In Butler**
1. Open Butler. On the **Bidder Lookup** screen, search for the bidder and click the **edit icon** next to their name (the page is titled **Edit Bidder/Check-in**), or click **Add New Bidder** to open the **Add Bidder/Check-in** page.
2. Type a number in **Bidder Number**. For an existing bidder you can click **Assign next available number** instead. The Assign button is not shown when you are adding a brand new bidder, so type the number or leave it blank and assign one later.
Existing Bidder:
New Bidder: Add First Name/Last Name to get the 'Assign next available number' button to display:
Enter First / Last name
1. Click **Complete** to save and check the bidder in.
📝 If Auto Assign Bidder Number is **Yes**, Butler fills in the next available number for you when the field is left blank, and a bidder checked in without a number is given one automatically.
---
#### 🧾 See Where a Bidder Came From
Every bidder record now has a **Source** that shows how the person was added. In **Manage Bidders** the **Source** column is hidden by default. Click **Show/Hide** above the table and choose **Source** to display it. You will see it as a column in **Manage Bidders**, and in the **Details** section when you edit a bidder (it is read only).
0
Sources include self-registration, ticket purchase, Butler, import, Manage Bidders, guest, and API. Older records are filled in where it was clear and left blank otherwise.
📝 If a Sources displays as 'System' that means data was created before the release.
---
#### 📥 Registration, Tickets, and Imports
When Auto Assign Bidder Number is **No**, a number is not assigned automatically in any of these places:
- Bidder self-registration
- Ticket purchases
- **Make Bidder** in Manage Guests
- **Add Bidder** in Manage Bidders
- Bidder imports that do not include a bidder number column
- Merging bidders
If your import file does include bidder numbers, those numbers are used as usual.
---
#### ⚠️ Good to Know
- Bidders who previously carried the number 0 now show as “no number.” You can edit them like any other bidder.
- Events that keep Auto Assign on see no difference in how numbers are handed out.
- Paddle Raise needs a number for each bidder who will raise a paddle.
---
#### ❓ FAQ
**Can bidders without a number still bid and pay?**
Yes. Registering, bidding, checking in, buying, paying, and receipts all work without a number.
**I turned Auto Assign back on. Why do some bidders still have no number?**
Turning it back on only affects new bidders. Number existing bidders from Manage Bidders, or they receive one automatically when they check in.
**Can I change my mind mid-event?**
Yes. You can switch the setting at any time without losing or changing existing numbers.
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