# Sale session

> A continuous part of an auction, held at a set date and time and covering a defined range of lots. Large sales are split into several sessions, often by category or value.

- URL: https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/sale-session
- Language: English
- Also known as: Session
- Last updated: 2026-10-07
- Français: https://www.selloff.auction/fr/glossaire/vacation.md

## Definition

A continuous part of an auction, held at a set date and time and covering a defined range of lots. Large sales are split into several sessions, often by category or value.

Sessions give bidders a timetable and let the house plan staff, phone lines and online closing times. Each session usually has its own start time and, for pre-bids, its own online closing deadline.

In Selloff, a sale is divided into sessions defined by a first and last lot number, a date, a currency and an internet bid closing time.

## Related features

- [Sales & auction types](https://www.selloff.auction/features/auction-types.md): Run auctions, offer sales, eBay-style timed sales and fixed-price sales, each with its own sessions, catalogues, dates, fees and bid increments.
- [Catalogue building & numbering](https://www.selloff.auction/features/catalogue-building.md): Assign lots to a sale, order them by category or any field, number them automatically or by scanning, and check the catalogue for errors before it goes live.

## Related terms

- [Catalogue](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/catalogue.md): The publication that presents the lots of a sale in order, with lot numbers, descriptions, images, estimates and the conditions of sale. It exists in print, as a PDF and online, often on several platforms at once.
- [Lot number](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/lot-number.md): The number under which a lot appears in a given sale catalogue and is called by the auctioneer. It follows the catalogue order and changes from one sale to another, unlike the lot's permanent inventory reference.
- [Live auction](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/live-auction.md): An auction conducted in real time by an auctioneer, with lots offered one after another and bids taken as they come, in a saleroom, online or both.