DataFirefly Auction — Complete guide
Install, configure and run real-time online auctions: proxy bidding, anti-sniping, reserve price, buy-now, automatic cron closing and winner voucher for PrestaShop 8 and 9.
Overview
The DataFirefly Auction module turns any product in your catalog into a real online auction. It ships with an eBay-style automatic bidding engine (proxy bidding), an anti-sniping system, a hidden reserve price, a buy-now option, a watchlist, and automatic cron-based closing that designates the winner and generates a voucher for them to order at the won price.
The module is compatible with PrestaShop 8.0 to 9.x, multistore, translated into five languages (French, English, Spanish, German, Italian), with no Composer or external dependency.
Installation
- In your back office, open Modules then Module Manager.
- Click Upload a module and drop the
dfauction.zipfile. - Once installed, click Configure to set the general parameters.
On installation, the module creates its tables, its hooks and a Sell > Auctions menu in the back office. It also generates a unique security token for the cron URL.
Module settings
The configuration page gathers the global parameters, applied by default to every auction:
- Default increment: minimum step between two bids (minimum raise).
- Anti-sniping window: duration, in minutes, before closing during which any new bid triggers an extension.
- Anti-sniping extension: duration, in minutes, added to closing when a bid falls within the window.
- GDPR anonymization: displays bidders under a stable pseudonym (“Bidder #1234”) in the public history.
- Watchlist: enables the “Watch” button to follow an auction without bidding.
- Email notifications: enables the outbid and win emails.
- Winner voucher validity: duration, in hours, of the voucher issued to the winner.
- Cron token: security token included in the cron URL (see below).
Creating an auction
Go to Sell > Auctions then click Add an auction. The available fields are:
- Product: the product put up for auction (selected from the catalog).
- Start price: the amount of the first possible bid.
- Reserve price (optional): hidden floor price. Until it is met, the lot is not sold.
- Buy-now price (optional): amount allowing a customer to grab the lot on the spot.
- Increment: raise step specific to this auction (overrides the global increment).
- Start date and End date: the auction’s open period.
- Anti-sniping window / extension: values specific to the auction (otherwise the global values apply).
- Buy-now allowed: enables or not the buy-now option for this auction.
- Status: Pending, Active, Ended, Sold or Cancelled.
Leave the status on Pending and set a future start date: the cron will automatically switch the auction to Active at the scheduled time. No need to activate it by hand.
How automatic bidding (proxy bidding) works
The heart of the module is an automatic bidding engine inspired by eBay. The bidder does not enter a fixed bid, but the maximum amount they are willing to pay. That ceiling stays confidential.
- The module only displays the minimum bid needed for the bidder to stay in the lead.
- When a competitor bids, the module automatically raises on behalf of the leader, in increment steps, up to their ceiling.
- If the newcomer exceeds the leader’s ceiling, they take the lead, and the displayed price rises just above the old ceiling.
As a result, the bidder does not need to monitor the sale continuously. They set their maximum once, and the module defends their position for them.
Anti-sniping and reserve price
Sniping means bidding at the very last second so no one has time to react. To neutralize it, any bid placed within the anti-sniping window automatically extends closing by the configured duration. The sale therefore only ends when no further bid arrives within the final window.
The reserve price is a hidden floor. If it is not met at closing, the lot is not sold. As soon as a bidder enters a maximum able to cover the reserve, the displayed price automatically rises to the reserve, so they win the lot at the fair price.
Buy-now and watchlist
If buy-now is allowed, a customer can grab the lot instantly at the fixed price defined, which closes the auction on the spot and triggers the winner voucher generation.
The watchlist lets a logged-in customer follow an auction via a “Watch” button, without bidding, to find it easily.
Automatic closing: configuring the cron
The module relies on a cron task to start scheduled auctions and close those that have reached their end. The cron URL, protected by the token, is displayed on the configuration page. It looks like:
https://www.yourshop.com/index.php?fc=module&module=dfauction&controller=cron&token=YOUR_TOKENSchedule its call at a regular interval (for example every 5 minutes) via your host’s cron or an external cron service:
*/5 * * * * wget -q -O /dev/null "https://www.yourshop.com/index.php?fc=module&module=dfauction&controller=cron&token=YOUR_TOKEN"Without an active cron, auctions will not close automatically and winners will not receive their voucher. The cron frequency also determines closing precision: a cron every 5 minutes closes auctions with at most a 5-minute delay.
Customer side
On the product page put up for auction, the customer sees a bidding widget showing the current price, a live countdown, the number of bids and bidders, and a field to enter their maximum bid. The price and countdown refresh automatically. The bid history is shown under pseudonyms if anonymization is active.
The winner and the voucher
At closing, if the reserve is met (or in case of buy-now), the module designates the winner and generates a private, customer-restricted voucher for them. This voucher lets them order the product at the exact price they won. Its validity matches the “Winner voucher validity” setting.
Emails sent
- You have been outbid: sent to a bidder when a competitor moves ahead of them.
- You won: sent to the winner at closing, with the voucher code.
The templates are provided in French and English and can be customized from PrestaShop’s email translation.
GDPR and privacy
When anonymization is active, the public bid history shows a stable pseudonym per bidder (“Bidder #1234”) instead of their real name. The transparency of the sale is preserved without exposing participants’ identity.
Frequently asked questions
Is the reserve price visible to customers?
No. It stays hidden. Customers only see whether the reserve is met or not.
What happens if the reserve is not met?
The lot is not sold and no voucher is generated. The auction is closed with no winner.
Can two bidders enter the same maximum?
Yes. In case of a tie on the ceiling, the first recorded bid keeps the lead.
Can I have different anti-sniping windows per auction?
Yes. Each auction can define its own window and extension, otherwise the global values apply.
Uninstallation
Uninstalling from the Module Manager removes the auction, bid and watch tables, as well as the configuration and menu tabs. Back up your data beforehand if you wish to keep it.