Silent auction bid sheet template: collect bids with one link

A paper bid sheet works until someone writes a number nobody can read. I would rather collect bids in a link. Bidders choose a lot, enter an amount and leave contact details. Then I sort the CSV by amount and call the winners.

The three parts of the form

About the bidder: name, phone, email and a bidder number if you hand them out. You need these to find the winner.

About the bid: the lot, the amount and a top amount if someone outbids them. The top amount helps you decide whom to call next.

About the handover: how to reach them and how they will collect. A tick box confirms your rules.

Who fills it and who reads it

Guests at a charity dinner, school fair or club night fill it from the link you share. Only the organiser reads bids, as JSON or CSV. A bidder's AI might ask: "Which lot do you want?" Then "How much do you bid?" Then "Should we call, text or email if you win?" It shows the answers and sends only after a yes. See agent-fillable forms.

A tip

Set close_at to the final bell, and edit the lot list to your real items. This is a form, not legal advice. Have your organisation check the auction rules. See forms for nonprofits and forms for events. Add a raffle entry form for ticket draws, and ask local businesses for lots with a sponsorship request form.

Questions

Does the form show the current highest bid?

No. Bidders cannot see other bids. You sort the CSV by lot and amount to find the leader, and tell bidders yourself if you want to share it.

Can bidders pay by card on the form?

No. The form takes no payments. Collect payment when you hand over the lot, using your usual method.

How do I handle two equal bids?

Write your tie rule into the auction rules, then apply it when you read the CSV. The form only records bids and does not rank them.

Or paste the JSON

Give this to your AI. It needs the AI Form API MCP server or an API key. It makes the form and sends you the link.

text

Create this form with the AI Form API create_form tool (or POST https://aiformapi.com/v1/forms with my API key). Then reply with the public_url.

{
  "title": "Place your bid",
  "description": "Choose a lot and enter your bid. Bidding closes at the time the organiser announced. We contact winners afterwards.",
  "fields": [
    {
      "id": "bidder_name",
      "label": "Your full name",
      "type": "short_text",
      "required": true,
      "max_length": 150
    },
    {
      "id": "bidder_phone",
      "label": "Phone number",
      "type": "phone",
      "required": true
    },
    {
      "id": "bidder_email",
      "label": "Email",
      "type": "email",
      "required": true
    },
    {
      "id": "bidder_number",
      "label": "Bidder number, if you were given one",
      "type": "short_text",
      "max_length": 20
    },
    {
      "id": "auction_lot",
      "label": "Which lot are you bidding on?",
      "type": "single_choice",
      "required": true,
      "options": [
        "Weekend cabin stay",
        "Signed football",
        "Dinner for four",
        "Handmade quilt",
        "Family portrait session",
        "Garden gift basket"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "bid_amount",
      "label": "Your bid",
      "type": "number",
      "required": true,
      "min": 1,
      "max": 100000
    },
    {
      "id": "top_amount",
      "label": "The most you would go to if someone outbids you",
      "type": "number",
      "help": "We do not raise bids for you. The organiser may call you.",
      "min": 1,
      "max": 100000
    },
    {
      "id": "contact_choice",
      "label": "How should we reach you if you win?",
      "type": "single_choice",
      "options": [
        "Phone call",
        "Text message",
        "Email"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "collection_choice",
      "label": "How will you collect your lot?",
      "type": "single_choice",
      "options": [
        "Collect at the venue",
        "Arrange later with the organiser"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "rules_agreed",
      "label": "I agree to the auction rules the organiser shared",
      "type": "checkbox",
      "required": true
    },
    {
      "id": "bid_notes",
      "label": "Anything the organiser should know",
      "type": "long_text",
      "max_length": 400
    }
  ]
}

Or call the API

bash

curl -X POST https://aiformapi.com/v1/forms \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AIFORMAPI_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"title":"Place your bid","description":"Choose a lot and enter your bid. Bidding closes at the time the organiser announced. We contact winners afterwards.","fields":[{"id":"bidder_name","label":"Your full name","type":"short_text","required":true,"max_length":150},{"id":"bidder_phone","label":"Phone number","type":"phone","required":true},{"id":"bidder_email","label":"Email","type":"email","required":true},{"id":"bidder_number","label":"Bidder number, if you were given one","type":"short_text","max_length":20},{"id":"auction_lot","label":"Which lot are you bidding on?","type":"single_choice","required":true,"options":["Weekend cabin stay","Signed football","Dinner for four","Handmade quilt","Family portrait session","Garden gift basket"]},{"id":"bid_amount","label":"Your bid","type":"number","required":true,"min":1,"max":100000},{"id":"top_amount","label":"The most you would go to if someone outbids you","type":"number","help":"We do not raise bids for you. The organiser may call you.","min":1,"max":100000},{"id":"contact_choice","label":"How should we reach you if you win?","type":"single_choice","options":["Phone call","Text message","Email"]},{"id":"collection_choice","label":"How will you collect your lot?","type":"single_choice","options":["Collect at the venue","Arrange later with the organiser"]},{"id":"rules_agreed","label":"I agree to the auction rules the organiser shared","type":"checkbox","required":true},{"id":"bid_notes","label":"Anything the organiser should know","type":"long_text","max_length":400}]}'

JSON definition

json

{
  "title": "Place your bid",
  "description": "Choose a lot and enter your bid. Bidding closes at the time the organiser announced. We contact winners afterwards.",
  "fields": [
    {
      "id": "bidder_name",
      "label": "Your full name",
      "type": "short_text",
      "required": true,
      "max_length": 150
    },
    {
      "id": "bidder_phone",
      "label": "Phone number",
      "type": "phone",
      "required": true
    },
    {
      "id": "bidder_email",
      "label": "Email",
      "type": "email",
      "required": true
    },
    {
      "id": "bidder_number",
      "label": "Bidder number, if you were given one",
      "type": "short_text",
      "max_length": 20
    },
    {
      "id": "auction_lot",
      "label": "Which lot are you bidding on?",
      "type": "single_choice",
      "required": true,
      "options": [
        "Weekend cabin stay",
        "Signed football",
        "Dinner for four",
        "Handmade quilt",
        "Family portrait session",
        "Garden gift basket"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "bid_amount",
      "label": "Your bid",
      "type": "number",
      "required": true,
      "min": 1,
      "max": 100000
    },
    {
      "id": "top_amount",
      "label": "The most you would go to if someone outbids you",
      "type": "number",
      "help": "We do not raise bids for you. The organiser may call you.",
      "min": 1,
      "max": 100000
    },
    {
      "id": "contact_choice",
      "label": "How should we reach you if you win?",
      "type": "single_choice",
      "options": [
        "Phone call",
        "Text message",
        "Email"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "collection_choice",
      "label": "How will you collect your lot?",
      "type": "single_choice",
      "options": [
        "Collect at the venue",
        "Arrange later with the organiser"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "rules_agreed",
      "label": "I agree to the auction rules the organiser shared",
      "type": "checkbox",
      "required": true
    },
    {
      "id": "bid_notes",
      "label": "Anything the organiser should know",
      "type": "long_text",
      "max_length": 400
    }
  ]
}

Silent auction bid sheet template for online bidding