TradeSkillMaster (TSM) is the most powerful auction house and inventory management addon for World of Warcraft, used by serious gold makers to automate buying, selling, and crafting. Without proper setup, TSM is just a collection of confusing menus. With the right groups, operations, and posting strategies, you can cut manual auction house time from hours to minutes. This guide walks through the core components, groups, operations, and the posting workflow, so you can configure TSM for consistent, data-driven profits.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced user, understanding how TSM’s group system works with operations is essential. Groups organize items (e.g., all herbs or all cloth), while operations define what TSM does with them: auctioning, buying, crafting, or mailing. This guide covers the default TSM setup, custom group creation, and practical posting examples using real in-game items and current market data from The Undermine Journal.

Understanding TSM Groups

A group in TSM is a container for items that share a common purpose. For example, you might create a group called “Herbs” and add every herb from Dragonflight and Shadowlands. Groups can be nested, allowing you to create a parent group “Profession Materials” with subgroups “Ores,” “Herbs,” “Leathers,” and “Cloth.” This hierarchy makes applying operations efficient: an operation assigned to a parent group can be inherited by all subgroups unless overridden.

Creating a New Group

Open TSM by typing /tsm and click the Groups tab. Click New Group, name it (e.g., “Dragonflight Herbs”), and click Add Items. You can search by item name or ID. For Dragonflight herbs, add:

You can also import a comma-separated list of item IDs from sources like herb farming routes. For example, item IDs for Dragonflight herbs are 194671, 194672, 194673, 194674, 194675. After adding items, click Save.

Group Hierarchy and Inheritance

To create subgroups, right-click an existing group and choose Add Subgroup. For instance, create a parent group “Profession Materials,” then subgroups “Herbs,” “Ores,” “Cloth,” “Leather.” Assign a default operation to the parent group (e.g., a “Normal Auction” operation), and all subgroups will use it unless you assign a different operation directly to them. This saves time when you want most items to follow the same auction rules but allow exceptions for high-value items.

Operations: The Core of Automation

Operations are the instructions TSM follows for each group. There are six types: Auctioning, Shopping, Crafting, Mailing, Warp Depository, and Destroy. For gold making, Auctioning and Shopping operations are most critical. Each operation has a set of customizable parameters.

Auctioning Operations

An Auctioning operation controls how TSM posts, cancels, and undercuts items. To create one, go to the Operations tab, click New Operation, select Auctioning, and name it (e.g., “Normal Post 12h”). Key settings include:

  • Post Cap: Maximum number of auctions per item. For common trade goods like herbs, use 5-10. For rare transmog, use 1.
  • Undercut Amount: How much below the lowest competitor you post. Default is 1 copper. For high-value items, you may use 1 silver or 1 gold to avoid undercut wars.
  • Duration: 12, 24, or 48 hours. 12 hours is best for fast-moving items; 48 hours for slow sellers.
  • Price Source: TSM uses its own market data. You can choose custom prices like DBMarket, DBRegionMarketAvg, or a custom string. For most users, DBMarket is fine.
  • Minimum Price: Prevents posting below a threshold. For example, set minimum to 50% of DBMarket to avoid vendor-sell price losses.
  • Maximum Price: Ignores auctions above this price (e.g., 200% DBMarket) to avoid posting when market is spiked.

Example: For a group “Dragonflight Herbs,” set post cap to 10, undercut 1 copper, duration 12 hours, minimum price 50% DBMarket, maximum price 200% DBMarket. This ensures you always have herbs listed competitively without flooding the market.

Shopping Operations

Shopping operations automate buying. They are essential for flipping basics and sniping. Create one under Operations > New > Shopping. Key settings:

  • Maximum Price: The highest price you are willing to pay per item. You can use a custom price string like 0.8 * DBMarket to pay 80% of market value.
  • Ignore Characters: Exclude your own alts.
  • Quantity: Maximum number you want to buy per scan.

For sniping, you need a separate Shopping operation with a very low max price (e.g., 50% DBMarket) and use the Sniping window (type /tsm sniper). This is covered in detail in sniping addon techniques.

Posting with TSM: Step-by-Step Workflow

Once groups and operations are set up, posting is straightforward. Open the TSM Auction House interface by visiting any Auctioneer and clicking the TSM tab (if you have the TSM Auctioning module). Alternatively, type /tsm auction.

Scanning the Market

Click Scan to download current auction data. This takes 5-15 seconds depending on realm size. After scanning, TSM shows all your groups with pending actions (auctions to post, cancel, buy, etc.).

Posting Items

In the Auctioning tab, you see a list of groups. Click a group to expand and see individual items. For each item, TSM shows:

  • Current auctions (yours and competitors)
  • Recommended post price (based on your operation)
  • Number of items you have in bags

Click Post next to an item to post one stack, or Post All to post all items in that group according to your operation settings. TSM will automatically undercut and set duration.

Canceling Auctions

To cancel existing auctions, go to the Auctions tab within the TSM interface. You can cancel individual auctions or use Cancel All for a group. Canceling is important to re-list at higher prices when the market moves. For high-volume traders, canceling and re-posting every 15-30 minutes during peak hours (e.g., Tuesday evenings after maintenance) can increase sales. See market timing patch days for optimal posting windows.

Advanced Operation Setup for Specific Professions

Different professions require different operation strategies. Below are examples for crafting, gathering, and flipping.

Crafting Operations (Alchemy, Jewelcrafting, Enchanting)

Create a Crafting operation to automate production. In the Operations tab, create a new Crafting operation. Key settings:

  • Maximum Price: The maximum cost of materials you accept. Use a custom string like 0.95 * DBRegionMarketAvg to ensure you craft only when materials are 5% below regional average.
  • Minimum Profit: The profit margin you require. For example, set to 20% of expected sale price.
  • Queue: TSM can queue crafts. When you run the crafting queue, it will craft items only if conditions are met.

Example for alchemy transmute profits: Create a group “Transmutes” containing items like Transmute: Undeath to Water. Set a Crafting operation that buys materials when price is below 80% of the transmuted item’s market value. TSM will then queue the transmute and craft automatically.

For jewelcrafting prospect guide, create a group “Ore to Prospect” with ores like Saronite Ore (item ID 36912). Use a Shopping operation to buy ore at 70% DBMarket, then a Crafting operation to prospect the ore. The resulting gems can be sold via an Auctioning operation with a post cap of 5 and minimum price of 80% DBMarket.

Enchanting and Disenchanting

Enchanters can use TSM to automate disenchanting. Create a group “Disenchant” containing items you want to DE (e.g., green gear from questing). Use a Destroy operation (renamed to Disenchant in TSM) to disenchant items when their disenchant value exceeds the item’s vendor price. This is detailed in enchanting disenchant strategy.

For enchanting materials, create an Auctioning operation with a post cap of 20 (since enchants stack to 200) and duration 12 hours. Use a minimum price equal to 70% of DBRegionMarketAvg to avoid selling at a loss.

Gathering Professions (Herbalism, Mining, Skinning)

Gatherers can use TSM to sell raw materials efficiently. Create groups for each material type. For herbalism profit guide, group “Herbs” with an Auctioning operation that posts 10 stacks of 1, undercut 1c, duration 12h. For mining gold strategy, group “Ores” similarly but consider posting in stacks of 5 or 10 for convenience.

Skinning materials like leather from dungeons can be grouped under “Leathers.” Use the same Auctioning operation, but set a higher post cap (20) because leather often sells in large quantities to crafters.

Using Custom Price Sources and Strings

TSM allows custom price strings for advanced users. You can combine market data, crafting costs, and custom formulas. For example, to price an item at 90% of the regional market average, use: 0.9 * DBRegionMarketAvg. To set a minimum price equal to the disenchant value, use: max(DBMarket, DEValue).

Common price sources:

  • DBMarket, market value on your realm based on recent scans.
  • DBRegionMarketAvg, average across all realms in your region (US/EU).
  • VendorSell, price a vendor pays for the item.
  • CraftingCost, total cost of materials to craft the item.
  • DEValue, expected value from disenchanting.

You can combine them: min(DBMarket, CraftingCost * 1.1) ensures you never sell below 110% of crafting cost. This is useful for crafted items like potions or enchants.

Maintaining and Updating Groups and Operations

As the game changes, your groups need updates. New expansions add new items. Old items may become obsolete. Regularly review your groups:

  • After each major patch, check for new profession materials. For example, Dragonflight patch 10.2 added new herbs and ores.
  • Remove items that no longer sell (e.g., Shadowlands common cloth now has low demand).
  • Adjust operations based on inflation and deflation. If the regional market average shifts, update your price strings.

You can export groups and operations as strings to share with friends or alts. In the TSM app (desktop client), go to Groups and click Export. This generates a text string that can be imported on another account. This is useful for maintaining consistency across multiple characters.

Common Mistakes and Troubleshooting

Even experienced users make errors. Here are frequent pitfalls:

  • No operation assigned to a group: TSM will do nothing. Always assign at least one Auctioning operation to a group you intend to sell from.
  • Post cap too high: Flooding the market drives prices down. For rare items, use a post cap of 1.
  • Undercut amount too high: Undercutting by 1 gold on a 10 gold item reduces profit unnecessarily. Use 1 copper unless you have a reason.
  • Ignoring minimum price: Without a minimum, TSM will post items at any price, potentially below vendor sell. Always set a floor.
  • Not scanning regularly: TSM data becomes stale. Scan at least once per session, or use the TSM desktop app for automatic updates.

If TSM is not posting, check that the operation is enabled (green checkmark) and that the group contains items. Also verify that you have the required items in your bags or bank. TSM can pull from guild bank if you have the TSM Guild module enabled.

Integrating TSM with Other Gold Making Strategies

TSM complements other gold making methods. For example, use reset strategies to buy out low-priced items, then let TSM post them at higher prices. Use Shopping operations to snipe undervalued items, then move them to a “Flipping” group with an Auctioning operation that posts at 100% DBMarket.

For elemental farming, group all elemental items (e.g., Elemental Earth, Fire, Water) and set a Shopping operation to buy when price is below 50% DBMarket. Then sell via an Auctioning operation with a 24h duration.

Cloth farming from zones like Bastion or Maldraxxus can be automated with a “Cloth” group. Use a Shopping operation to buy cloth at 60% DBMarket, then resell at 100%. This is a low-effort flip. See cloth farming zones for efficient routes.

Finally, remember that TSM is a tool, not a guarantee. Market conditions change. Always verify TSM’s suggested prices against actual auction house data. Use The Undermine Journal to check historical prices and volume. With proper setup, TSM can handle the repetitive work, freeing you to focus on making gold legitimately through smart gameplay.

Related articles

  • The Complete Guide to Making Gold Legitimately in World of Warcraft
  • Sniping Addon Techniques
  • Flipping Basics
  • Reset Strategies
  • Undermine Journal Use
  • Market Timing on Patch Days