11.11, or Singles' Day, is historically AliExpress's biggest sale of the year. It peaks on November 11 — but anyone who waits until then to start preparing usually pays more than they needed to.
This guide is deliberately short. What matters is what you do in the weeks before.
The dates that matter
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Early November | Warm-up phase, coupons released gradually |
| November 11 | 11.11 — the peak of the campaign |
| November 27, 2026 | Black Friday |
| November 30, 2026 | Cyber Monday |
| December 12 | 12.12, the last big date of the year |
In practice the whole of November works as one season: AliExpress typically bridges 11.11 into Black Friday. That is good news for patient shoppers and bad news for anyone who buys at the first red badge.
The pattern that repeats every year
In the weeks leading up to the campaign, prices commonly drift upward. This is not a conspiracy theory — it is the simplest way to make a discount look bigger. A product that cost $22 in September shows up at $31 in late October and returns to $21 on the 11th, advertised as "-32%".
The discount was real against October's price. Against September's, you saved a dollar.
There is only one defence: knowing what the price was before. If you start tracking the products you want in September or October, you arrive at 11.11 knowing exactly what is an offer and what is theatre.
How coupons work during the campaign
During 11.11 several layers usually run at once:
- AliExpress general code — valid across many sellers, normally with a minimum spend.
- Store coupon — created by the seller, valid in that store only.
- Campaign tier discounts — the "spend X, get Y off" kind.
You can combine one general code with one store coupon on the same order, provided you meet the minimum. That is why it sometimes pays to group items into a single order rather than buying separately: crossing the threshold unlocks a discount worth more than the extra shipping.
New general codes tend to appear shortly before the big dates and in the first days of each month. Those are the periods worth checking more often.
A preparation plan
6 to 8 weeks out — Build your list. Start tracking each item's price now, so you have history when the campaign arrives.
2 weeks out — Check which items on your list went up. Those are the ones to treat with the most scepticism on the day.
The day before — Gather the available coupons and simulate your cart. Find out whether you are just short of a threshold that unlocks a discount.
On the day — Compare against your own history, not against the crossed-out price. If it did not beat the low of the past few months, Black Friday is two weeks away.
The most common mistake
Buying on the 11th without ever having looked at the price before. With no history, the only reference left is the one the seller chose to show you — and that reference was built to look good.
Coupela tracks prices for you and tells you when they actually drop. Starting to monitor now is what makes the difference in November.