What you get
When you finish cataloging a sale, LotJitsu hands you a single ZIP file. Everything HiBid needs is inside it, named and arranged for HiBid's import.
The spreadsheet lists one lot per row using AuctionFlex import columns: lot number, title, description and the other fields HiBid reads on import. Open it in Excel or Numbers and it reads like a catalog you built by hand.
Your photos sit beside it, renamed to match their lots. You never have to line up IMG_4471.jpg with lot 12; the filename indicates which lot a photo belongs to and where it falls in that lot.
Nothing in the package is locked. It contains a spreadsheet and ordinary JPEG files, so you can review, adjust or reorder before uploading to HiBid.
How the photos are named
HiBid matches photos to lots by filename, so LotJitsu names every photo with two numbers: the lot number, a hyphen, then the photo's position within that lot.
1-1.jpg lot 1, photo 1 1-2.jpg lot 1, photo 2 1-3.jpg lot 1, photo 3 2-1.jpg lot 2, photo 1
The order you set in LotJitsu is the order HiBid shows. Drag a photo to the front of a lot and it becomes photo 1 in the export; the rest renumber behind it.
Lot numbers come straight from your catalog, so if you renumber lots, export again rather than renaming files by hand. One mismatched name is enough to put a photo on the wrong lot.
How the upload works
- CatalogPhotograph and describe your lots in LotJitsu.
- CheckRun the health check and fix what it flags.
- ExportDownload the HiBid package as one ZIP.
- UnzipOpen it to find the spreadsheet and photos.
- UploadImport both into HiBid yourself.
LotJitsu never signs in to HiBid. We do not ask for your HiBid password, hold no connection to your account, and cannot publish, edit or close a sale. Step 5 is always yours.
Field limits
HiBid caps lot titles at 50 characters. This is shorter than many auctioneers regularly write. LotJitsu checks every title against the limit before export, counting spaces and punctuation, and flags any titles that run over.
Descriptions carry detail that a title can't. Store the maker, model, condition and measurements there, and reserve the title for what a bidder scans for: the item, and the one fact that sets it apart.
Photos per lot follow your LotJitsu plan, and HiBid accepts up to 150 on a single lot. If a lot ever runs past 150, the health check says so before you export, not after HiBid refuses it.
Image sizing needs no attention. HiBid takes the photos at the size LotJitsu exports them, so there is no refit, crop or compression step between the ZIP and the upload.
What the health check catches
Before you download, LotJitsu reads the whole package the way HiBid's import will and flags anything that would cause trouble.
- Titles over 50 charactersListed by lot number so you can trim them.
- Lots without photosCaught before a bidder sees an empty listing.
- More than 150 photos on a lotFlagged against HiBid's per-lot limit.
- Duplicate or missing lot numbersFound before they break photo matching.
- Empty required columnsEvery row checked against the AuctionFlex columns.
Final steps to go live
Once the catalog is complete, you upload the package directly to HiBid. Your HiBid account is where your terms, your buyer's premium and your bidders live. You complete this final step to push your auction live.
“LotJitsu prepares the package. You decide when it goes live.”
Our goal at LotJitsu is to help you organize and save time in the cataloging process: naming, checking, laying out the AuctionFlex columns and packaging the ZIP. We do not sign in, upload, schedule or change anything on HiBid. The step that takes a sale public always stays in your hands.
Q&A
Do I need to connect my HiBid account?
No. LotJitsu never asks for HiBid credentials. You download the package and upload it yourself.
Why AuctionFlex columns?
HiBid's catalog import reads the AuctionFlex layout, so the spreadsheet uses those columns and needs no remapping.
Can I edit the spreadsheet first?
Yes. Keep the column headings and lot numbers as they are so the photos still match.
I renumbered some lots. What now?
Export again. Photo names follow lot numbers, and a fresh export renames everything in one pass.
How many photos can a lot have?
As many as your plan allows, up to HiBid's limit of 150 per lot.
Do I need to resize photos?
No. The exported photos go straight to HiBid without a refit.
What if a title runs over 50 characters?
The health check lists it by lot number. Shorten it in LotJitsu and export again.
Can I sell the same catalog elsewhere?
Yes. Export a separate package for LiveAuctioneers, Proxibid or AuctionNinja; each follows that platform's rules.
