> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.rafflex.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.rafflex.io/drawing-winners/truenorth-autodraws/draw-on-sold-out.md).

# Draw on Sold Out

Decide whether an early sell out draws your winner straight away or waits for the draw date you advertised. This is what the Draw on Sold Out setting does.

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**Short answer:** when **Auto draw** is on, **Draw on Sold Out** decides whether selling the last ticket early brings the draw forward. Leave it **on** (the default) and the winner is picked shortly after you sell out. Turn it **off** and the draw waits for the **Draw date** you set, no matter how fast tickets sell.

{% hint style="info" %}
This setting sits directly under **Auto draw** on the competition form, and it only appears once **Auto draw** is turned on. If you draw live or by hand, it does not apply, because you control the timing on the day. See TrueNorth Autodraws to set up Auto draw first.
{% endhint %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/ytZhoGmYl1vQ9IyEF1Ir" %}
[TrueNorth Autodraws](/drawing-winners/truenorth-autodraws.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

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### What Happens When a Competition Sells Out

Whatever this setting says, a sell out always closes the competition. When the last ticket is sold, RaffleX changes the competition's **End** date to the time it sold out, so no more entries can be taken.

**Draw on Sold Out** then decides what happens to the **Draw date**:

* **Draw on Sold Out ON (the default).** RaffleX also changes the **Draw date** to the moment of the sell out and runs the automatic draw shortly afterwards. For example, if you advertised a draw date two weeks away but the competition sells out in three days, the winner is picked on day three. The original draw date no longer applies, and the competition page shows the new draw time.
* **Draw on Sold Out OFF.** The **Draw date** is left exactly as you set it. The competition closes to new entries when it sells out, but the draw still waits for that date. The winner is only picked when the **Draw date** arrives.

In both cases the winner is chosen and verified in exactly the same way (through [TrueNorth](/drawing-winners/truenorth-setup.md) if it is connected). This setting only changes the **timing** of the draw, never how the winner is selected.

{% hint style="info" %}
Because the **End** date moves to the moment of the sell out, you will see the new date when you open the competition in your admin panel afterwards. This is expected. With **Draw on Sold Out** on, the **Draw date** will have moved too.
{% endhint %}

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### Things to Know Before You Decide

{% hint style="warning" %}
Because **Draw on Sold Out** is on by default, every Auto draw competition will draw shortly after it sells out unless you turn this off. The winner is picked and emailed automatically as soon as the result is saved, so a fast sell out can trigger the draw with no warning while you are not online. If you want the draw to stay on your advertised date, you must switch **Draw on Sold Out** off.
{% endhint %}

* **It is tucked away until Auto draw is on.** This toggle sits directly under **Auto draw** and only shows once **Auto draw** is turned on. If a competition is not set to draw automatically, the setting has no effect and you will not see it.
* **It changes timing only.** The number of winners, the verification, and the winner email all work the same either way.
* **Off means a quiet gap is possible.** With **Draw on Sold Out** off, a competition can sit sold out for a while before the draw date arrives, so the result is not announced straight away. Customers see a **Standby!** message with the scheduled draw time in the meantime. Set expectations with your customers about when the winner will be revealed.
* **Scheduled competitions are never drawn early.** A competition that has not opened yet (because its **Start Date (Scheduler)** is in the future) is never drawn automatically before it opens. See [Schedule a Competition](/create-your-first-raffle/create-a-competition/schedule-a-competition.md).

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### Which Setting Suits Your Business

| Leave it ON if you want to                                            | Turn it OFF if you want to                                                           |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Run a hands off operation and settle winners as quickly as possible.  | Honour a specific draw date you have advertised to customers.                        |
| Notify the winner soon after the competition sells out.               | Make an announcement at a set time.                                                  |
| Avoid sold out competitions sitting waiting longer than they need to. | Guarantee every competition draws on its published date, even if it sells out early. |

{% hint style="info" %}
Planning to reveal the winner yourself on a live stream? Leave **Auto draw** off altogether and use [TrueNorth Live Stream Draws](/drawing-winners/truenorth-live-stream-draws.md). The live draw is not available while **Auto draw** is on, even with **Draw on Sold Out** switched off.
{% endhint %}

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### Where to Find It

1. In your **admin panel**, find the **Competitions** group in the left-hand menu and click **Competitions**.
2. Click the competition you want to edit, or click **New competition** to create one.
3. Scroll down to the row of toggles and switch on **Auto draw**.
4. The **Draw on Sold Out** toggle appears directly underneath **Auto draw**. It is switched on by default. Its helper text reads "When enabled, the draw will happen immediately when sold out instead of waiting for the draw date."
5. Leave **Draw on Sold Out** on to draw as soon as you sell out, or turn it off to wait for the **Draw date**.
6. Click **Create** or **Save changes**.

{% hint style="info" %}
You can change this setting at any time before the competition sells out. Once it has sold out with **Draw on Sold Out** on, the **Draw date** has already been moved and the draw runs shortly afterwards, so switching it off at that point will not bring back the original date.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="success" %}
Whichever you choose, the draw is still fair and verifiable. You are only choosing **when** the winner is picked, not how.
{% endhint %}