Creating Promotions

Before You Start

Make sure you have:

• ✅ CartSprinkle installed on your Shopify store
• ✅ Theme extension enabled (see Theme Extension Setup)
• ✅ A product in your store to use as the gift

Step 1: Access the Dashboard

1. Log in to your Shopify Admin
2. Go to Apps → CartSprinkle
3. You'll see the CartSprinkle dashboard
4. Click Create Promotion (big button at the top)

Step 2: Basic Information

Promotion Title

This is the internal name - only you will see it in the dashboard.

Examples:

• "Holiday Tote Bag Promo"
• "Summer Sale - Free Sunglasses"
• "Spring Gift Basket"

Gift Product

This is the product customers will receive for free.

1. Click the Select Product button
2. Search for your gift product by name
3. Select it from the list

Important:

• The product must exist in your Shopify store
• It must have inventory available
• For products with variants, you can select specific variants

Marketing Message

This is what customers see on your storefront.

Examples:

• "Spend $50, get a FREE tote bag! 🎁"
• "FREE sunglasses with any order over $75!"
• "Buy this shirt, get FREE matching socks!"

Step 3: Choose Trigger Rule

This determines when the gift is added to the cart. You have four options:

Option A: Spend Threshold

Customer must spend a minimum amount

Example: "Spend $50 or more"

1. Select Spend Threshold
2. Enter the minimum amount (e.g., 50.00)
3. Gift is added when cart subtotal ≥ this amount

Option B: Product Trigger

Customer must add a specific product to cart

Example: "Buy the 'Summer T-Shirt' product"

1. Select Product Trigger
2. Click Select Product
3. Choose the trigger product from your catalog
4. Gift is added when this product is in cart

Option C: Collection Trigger

Customer must add any product from a specific collection

Example: "Buy from Summer Collection"

1. Select Collection Trigger
2. Click Select Collection
3. Choose the collection from your catalog
4. Gift is added when any product from this collection is in cart

Option D: Customer Segment Targeting (Shopify Plus Only)

Restrict promotion to specific customer segments

Example: "VIP Customers only" or "First-Time Buyers"

1. Select one or more Customer Segments
2. Choose segments like "VIP Customers", "First-Time Buyers", or custom segments
3. Only customers in these segments will see the promotion
4. Can be combined with any trigger type (spend threshold, product, or collection)

See Trigger Rules Guide for more details on choosing the right trigger.

Step 4: Set Dates

Start Date

• When the promotion becomes active
• Format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM
• Use your store's timezone

End Date

• When the promotion automatically deactivates
• Format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM
• Must be after start date

Step 5: Advanced Options (Optional)

Usage Limit

Set a maximum number of times this promotion can be used

This allows you to create limited-edition offers like "50 free gifts available" or control inventory for special campaigns.

1. Enable Usage Limit
2. Enter the maximum number (e.g., 50, 100, 500)
3. Once this limit is reached, the promotion automatically pauses
4. You can manually reactivate it later if needed

Important: Usage limits are tracked per promotion individually. Each promotion has its own limit counter.

One Gift Per Order (Global Setting)

Limit customers to one gift per order across all promotions

In your CartSprinkle settings, you can enable "One Gift Per Order" to ensure customers only receive one gift per checkout, even if they qualify for multiple promotions.

How It Works:

• When ON: If a customer qualifies for multiple promotions, they'll only receive one gift (usually the first one they qualify for)
• When OFF: Customers can receive multiple gifts if they qualify for multiple promotions

Step 6: Review and Create

Before clicking Create, verify:

• ✅ Title is descriptive
• ✅ Gift product is correct and in stock
• ✅ Marketing message is customer-friendly
• ✅ Trigger rule matches your goal
• ✅ Dates are correct (start before end)
• ✅ Usage limit is set (if desired)
• ✅ "One Gift Per Order" setting is configured in Popup Settings (if desired)

Click Create Promotion!

Step 7: Test Your Promotion

Always test before announcing:

1. Open your store in an incognito/private window
2. Add products that meet your criteria:
   • For spend threshold: Add enough to exceed the amount
   • For product trigger: Add the specific product
   • For collection trigger: Add any product from the collection
   • For segment targeting: Make sure you're logged in as a customer in that segment (Plus only)
3. Go to your cart page
4. The gift should appear automatically within 1-2 seconds
5. Check that the price shows as $0.00

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Out-of-Stock Gift Product

Problem: Gift product has 0 inventory

Fix: Ensure gift product has inventory before activating promotion

2. Wrong Dates

Problem: End date is before start date

Fix: Double-check dates and times before saving

3. Trigger Too High

Problem: Spend threshold is higher than most orders

Fix: Review your average order value and set threshold 10-20% above it

4. Vague Marketing Message

Problem: Message doesn't explain what customer needs to do

Fix: Be specific - include the threshold or product name

What Happens After Creation?

CartSprinkle automatically:

• ✅ Creates a Shopify automatic discount (makes gift free)
• ✅ Activates the promotion (if start date is today)
• ✅ Monitors your cart for matching criteria
• ✅ Adds/removes gift as cart changes

Next Steps

• Learn How to Manage Promotions
• Read Best Practices
• Troubleshooting Common Issues