Create Your First Drop

4 min read · Updated June 2026

A “drop” is a batch of items the Sales Assistant posts to Instagram and runs for you. Here’s how to create your first one — from photos to posted.

TL;DR

Click Create a Drop, confirm your settings, and upload your photos.
Upload PNGs or JPEGs (not HEIC), and upload photos in the order you shot them, so each item’s photos stay together.
Review and edit, then post now, schedule it, or save as a draft.

Prefer to watch? Here’s a quick video walkthrough of creating your first drop.

You’re here

Post through Thryft Ship

Upload your items and the Sales Assistant posts them and runs the sale for you — just keep reading below.

Prefer to post yourself?

I already post on Instagram →

Link your existing drop instead — the Assistant reads the comments already there and takes over.

Step 1: Click Create a Drop

From your Sales Assistant Dashboard, click Create a Drop to start.

The Create New Drop button in the Sales Assistant Dashboard

Step 2: Confirm your drop settings

Your default settings (from Setup) are pre-filled — bidding on or off, auction length (6, 12, or 24 hours), and whether Buy It Now is enabled. Adjust them for this drop if you like, then continue.

Creating a new drop in the Thryft Ship Sales Assistant

Step 3: Upload your photos

Add the photos for every item in your drop. Two things make this go smoothly:

Use PNGs or JPEGs — not HEIC iPhone photos are often saved as HEIC, which doesn’t upload reliably. Upload PNG or JPEG files instead. (On iPhone you can set Camera to “Most Compatible” to shoot JPEGs.)

Upload them in shooting order — keep each item together Each item becomes its own Instagram post, and the assistant groups your photos by upload order. So upload them in the order you shot them — all of item 1’s photos, then all of item 2’s, and so on. Avoid jumbling them (like 1, 2, 1, 4), or photos can land on the wrong post. Not sure how to line them up? See Sort Your Photos Before a Drop.

Step 4: Review and edit

Before posting, you can fine-tune the whole drop — reorder photos, change the posting order, edit the captions, and set each item’s price. See How Captioning Works for the details.

Reordering photos and posting order on the drop posting screen

Step 5: Post now, schedule it, or save as a draft

When everything looks right, post the drop now, schedule it for later, or keep it as a draft to finish another time. Once it’s live, the Sales Assistant posts each item to Instagram and starts watching the comments.

What happens after you post

From here it runs on its own. The Sales Assistant watches your comments and responds using the rules you set — recognizing bids, BINs, and “sold” claims and replying automatically. It’s automation, not a chatbot: it follows your settings exactly, it doesn’t improvise.

When the drop ends, each winner is sent a DM with a checkout link to pay, and once you buy their label they get tracking updates automatically.

Want to see exactly what that looks like? See How Comments Work and How Checkout Works.

Make sure an item’s price and its caption matchThe price on the item is what the Sales Assistant actually uses — it’s what buyers are charged and what bidding is based on. The caption is just what buyers read. If your caption says “$30” but the item’s price is set to $25, buyers see one price and get charged another. Whenever you use AI captions or suggested pricing, give each item a quick once-over so the caption matches the real BID/BIN price before you post.

Common questions

Why shouldn’t I upload HEIC files?

HEIC (the default iPhone format) doesn’t upload reliably. Use PNG or JPEG so every photo comes through.

Does photo order matter?

Yes — each item becomes its own post, and photos are grouped in upload order. Keep each item’s photos together so they land on the right post.

Can I save a drop and post later?

Yes — save it as a draft and post whenever you’re ready.

Ready? Head to your dashboard and create your first drop — reach out if you get stuck.