Private Lists

A Private List is an invite-only space on 12sell where a verified Company posts deals and showcases only its approved subscribers can see. Use a Private List for:

• Distributors who get insider pricing.
• Repeat customers you don't want to compete for.
• Tier programs — Gold customers see special offers Silver customers don't.
• Closed B2B groups — wholesale-only deals not meant for retail eyes.

Private Lists keep your most valuable offers off the public feed while still using all of 12sell's tooling — same posting flow, same messaging, same notifications.

Who can create a Private List

Only verified Company owners can create Private Lists. This is intentional: subscribers should know they're joining a list run by a real, verified business.

If you're not a Company owner yet:

1. Complete Verification (3,000 tokens, 1 year).
2. Your Company is created automatically.
3. You can then create Private Lists.

Solo verified users (no team members) can create Private Lists too — you don't need to have invited anyone.

What a Private List looks like

You can create as many Private Lists as you need. Many companies run 2–4 lists tied to different customer tiers or product lines.

Creating a Private List

1. Open your profile and tap Manage Lists (or open Settings → Manage Company → Private Lists).
2. Tap Create new list.
3. Fill in name, description, photo, usage note, and pick categories/brands.
4. Tap Save.

The list is created instantly. Now you can add content and share it.

Adding deals and showcases to a list

Every deal and showcase you post can be marked as private and assigned to one of your Private Lists. From the post composer:

1. Compose a deal or showcase like normal.
2. Toggle Add to Private List.
3. Pick the list.
4. Post.

Result:

• The deal/showcase does not appear in the public feed.
• It only shows up in the Private List feed for approved subscribers.
• You can still boost it, edit it, and message buyers about it — same controls as a public post.

You can also move existing public posts into a Private List, or pull a private post back to public.

Sharing the list

Each Private List has a shareable link of the form:

https://web.12sell.app/private-list/{listId}

To share:

1. Open the list → tap Share.
2. Choose Copy link or Share (system share sheet).
3. Send the link via WhatsApp, email, or any messaging tool.

Anyone with the link can open the list's preview and request to subscribe.

Joining a Private List

When a buyer/customer opens your shared link:

1. They see the list preview — name, description, photo, usage note, categories — but not the actual deals or showcases yet.
2. The page reads: "This is a private list. Send a request to the owner to get access to the deals inside."
3. They tap Request to subscribe.

The request lands in your queue with status Pending.

Approving subscribers

You see pending requests in Manage Lists → Subscribers. For each request you can:

• Approve — the user becomes an active subscriber and can see all current and future content in the list.
• Reject — the request is closed.

Approved subscribers get a notification and the list appears in their Subscribed Lists area.

What subscribers see

For approved subscribers, a Private List is its own mini-feed:

• All deals and showcases you've posted to the list.
• Real-time updates when you post new content.
• The same like / message / share controls as the public feed.
• Notifications when you post (subscribers can mute notifications per-list if they prefer).

Subscribers see only what's in this list — they don't see your other private content or content from your other lists. Each list is separate.

Notifications

Subscribers can mute a list's notifications without unsubscribing — useful if they want to scroll through new content on their own schedule rather than getting pinged. Notification preferences for Private Lists are managed in Settings → Notifications.

Common patterns

The Private List feature shows up in a few recurring use cases on 12sell:

"Distributor list"

Verified distributor posts wholesale pricing only their approved retailers see. Tight curation; ~10–50 subscribers.

"Tier program"

Verified retailer runs a Gold list (best prices) and a Silver list (regular prices). Silver subscribers can apply to upgrade to Gold based on volume.

"Closed bulk lots"

Verified trader has a one-off lot too sensitive for the public feed. Single Private List for that lot, invite-only.

"Geographic closed group"

A regional cluster of verified companies share offers only within their geography (e.g. "MENA Wholesale Group"). One owner, multiple subscribers.

Lifecycle and limits

• A Private List is active until you explicitly delete it.
• Deleting a list permanently removes the list and all its content. The deals and showcases inside are deleted too.
• Subscribers stay subscribed until you remove them or they unsubscribe themselves.
• Pending requests stay pending until you act on them — there's no auto-decay.

Privacy

• Subscribers see only what's in the list. They can't see your other Private Lists.
• Non-subscribers see only the list preview (name, description, photo, usage) — never the deals or showcases inside.
• Your member list isn't public — only you (the owner) see who's subscribed.
• A subscriber leaving doesn't remove the deals you posted; they just lose access.

Common questions

Why can't I create a Private List?

You need to be a Company owner. That requires completing Verification — once verified, your Company is created automatically and you can create Private Lists from your profile or Settings.

Can subscribers invite other subscribers?

No. Only the owner approves subscribers. This is the whole point of "private" — controlled access.

How many subscribers can a list have?

There's no enforced limit. Most lists have 10–200 subscribers; some platform power-users run lists of 500+.

Can I move a deal from one Private List to another?

Yes. Edit the deal → change the Private List assignment → save. Old subscribers lose access; new list's subscribers gain it.

Can a Private List have its own messaging thread?

A Private List doesn't come with its own built-in chat thread — subscribers message you (the owner) directly about specific deals. If you want a shared conversation with several subscribers, create a group chat in Messaging and add them; that's separate from the list itself.

What happens if my Verification expires?

Your Private Lists become inactive until you renew Verification. Subscribers can't see new content during the gap. As soon as you renew, lists reactivate without losing subscribers.

Can I run a Private List without my Company name attached?

No. Lists are tied to the verified Company — that's the trust signal subscribers join for.

Can a member of my Company create lists?

Currently, only the owner of the Company can create lists. Members benefit from being part of the Company (the verified badge) but list creation is owner-only.

How is this different from blocking?

Blocking is negative: you exclude one specific user. Private Lists are positive: you include only the users you've approved. They're complementary tools.

Next steps

• Verification — required to create a Company and Private Lists.
• Company — your verified business identity, which owns Private Lists.
• Deals — how to post a deal to a Private List.
• Showcases — how to post a showcase to a Private List.
• Messaging — how subscribers reach you about list content.