Sharing & Distribution
By James
By James
Publish contests through standalone pages, theme blocks, embeds, and QR codes.
Standalone Contest Page
Every contest gets its own dedicated web page hosted on your Shopify store. This is the simplest way to run a contest — share the link and customers can enter immediately. Contest URL Format Your contest page lives at: https://yourstore.com/apps/contest/your-slug For example, if your store is acme-store.myshopify.com and your contest slug is summer-giveaway, the URL would be: https://acme-store.myshopify.com/apps/contest/summer-giveaway Sharing the Link On the contest detail page, you'll find tools to share: - Copy link — Copies the full contest URL to your clipboard, ready to paste anywhere. - Preview — Opens the contest page in a new browser tab so you can see exactly what customers will see. Share the link via: - Email newsletters - Social media posts - SMS messages - Printed materials (consider using a QR code — see Embed & QR Code) When the Page Is Live The contest page is only accessible when the contest is in Active status. If someone visits the URL when the contest is: - Draft — They'll see a "not found" page - Ended — They'll see a message that the contest has ended - Archived — They'll see a "not found" page UTM Parameter Tracking The contest page automatically captures UTM parameters from the URL, so you can track where your entries come from. Append these to your contest link: | Parameter | Purpose | Example | |---|---|---| | utm_source | Where the link is posted | instagram, email, flyer | | utm_medium | The marketing channel | social, email, print | | utm_campaign | The specific campaign | summer-launch, vip-promo | Example URL with UTM tracking: https://yourstore.com/apps/contest/summer-giveaway?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=summer-launch UTM data is recorded with each entry and visible on the Entries tab. The referrer URL is also captured automatically. What the Page Includes The standalone contest page displays: - Header image (if set) - Logo (if set) - Contest title and description - Prize showcase with images and quantities - End date (if "Show dates" is enabled) - Entry form (email, plus optional name/phone fields) - Terms & conditions link (if terms are set and "Show terms" is enabled) - Your custom color scheme All elements use the design settings you configured on the Design tab.
Popup Block
The contest popup is a theme block that displays your contest in a modal overlay on your storefront. It's a great way to capture entries from visitors who are already browsing your store. Adding the Popup to Your Theme 1. In your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes. 2. Click Customize on your active theme. 3. In the theme editor, look for the App embeds section (usually in the left sidebar under the paintbrush icon). 4. Find Contest Popup and toggle it on. 5. Select which contest to display using the contest picker. 6. Configure the settings (see below). 7. Click Save. Contest Selection Use the Contest metaobject picker (app-owned) to choose which active contest the popup should display. Only active contests appear in the picker. If no contest is selected, the popup won't render. If this block was configured before app-owned metaobject migration, the Contest (Legacy) picker remains available and will continue to work. Trigger Settings Control when the popup appears: Trigger type: - Time delay (default) — Popup appears after a set number of seconds. Configure the delay from 1 to 60 seconds (default: 5 seconds). - Scroll percentage — Popup appears when the visitor scrolls to a certain point on the page. Set from 10% to 100% (default: 50%). - Exit intent — Popup appears when the visitor moves their cursor toward the browser's close/back button, signaling they may leave. Frequency Settings Control how often the popup appears to the same visitor: - Once per visitor — Shows once, then never again (uses local storage). - Once per session (default) — Shows once per browser session. - Once per day — Shows once every 24 hours. - Always — Shows on every qualifying page load. Remember when dismissed: When enabled (default: on), if a visitor closes the popup, it won't show again regardless of the frequency setting. Page Targeting Choose which pages show the popup: - Show on all pages (default: on) — Popup can appear on any page. Or target specific page types: - Homepage (default: on) - Product pages (default: on) - Collection pages (default: on) - Cart page (default: off) When "Show on all pages" is disabled, only the individually checked page types will show the popup. Display Options Toggle what content appears in the popup: - Show contest title (default: on) - Show description (default: on) Prizes, dates, terms visibility, button text, and success message are controlled from the contest's Design tab. Style Settings Popup colors, CTA text, and success message are inherited from the contest's Design tab. Popup-specific style options: - Popup style — Choose between Centered modal (default full-screen overlay) and Bottom-right slide-in (less intrusive desktop card) - Overlay color — The dimmed background behind the popup - Popup width — 300px to 600px (default: 450px) - Border radius — 0px to 24px (default: 8px) — controls how rounded the popup corners are
Form Block
The contest form block lets you embed a contest entry form directly into any page of your Shopify theme as an inline section. Unlike the popup, the form sits within the page content — no modal overlay. Adding the Form Block 1. In your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes. 2. Click Customize on your active theme. 3. Navigate to the page where you want the form (e.g., homepage, a custom page). 4. Click Add section or Add block and look for Contest Form. 5. Select which contest to display using the contest picker. 6. Configure the settings (see below). 7. Click Save. Contest Selection Use the Contest metaobject picker (app-owned) to choose which active contest the form should display. Only active contests appear in the picker. If no contest is selected, an empty placeholder state is shown in the theme editor. If this block was configured before app-owned metaobject migration, the Contest (Legacy) picker remains available and will continue to work. Layout Options Choose how the form is arranged: - Vertical (default) — Title, description, prizes, and form fields stack top-to-bottom. Best for narrow columns or sidebars. - Horizontal — Content and form fields sit side by side. Best for wider sections. - Compact — A minimal layout with just the essential form fields. Best when space is limited. Max Width Control the maximum width of the form block: 300px to 800px (default: 500px). The form is centered within its container. Display Options Toggle what content appears in the form: - Show contest title (default: on) - Show description (default: on) - Show prizes (default: on) - Show contest dates (default: off) - Show terms link (default: on) Style Settings Use contest colors (default: on) When enabled, the form uses the colors you configured on the contest's Design tab. When disabled, you can set custom colors per-block: - Button color — The submit button color - Background color — The form background - Text color — All text in the form Additional text options: - Button text — Custom CTA text (default: "Enter to Win") - Success message — Custom text shown after entry (default: "You're entered! Good luck!") Where to Use It The form block works well on: - Homepage — As a section to highlight your current giveaway - Product pages — Alongside products related to the prize - Landing pages — Custom pages dedicated to your contest - Blog posts — Within content announcing the giveaway Form Block vs. Popup | Feature | Form Block | Popup | |---|---|---| | Display type | Inline, part of page content | Modal overlay | | Trigger | Always visible | Time delay, scroll, or exit intent | | Best for | Dedicated sections, landing pages | Passive capture across the site | | Layout options | Vertical, horizontal, compact | Fixed popup layout | | Width control | 300–800px | 300–600px | | Frequency control | N/A (always visible) | Per session/day/visitor | You can use both the form block and popup on the same store — they work independently.
Embed & QR Code
Beyond your Shopify store, you can share your contest on external websites using an iframe embed code, or generate a QR code for print materials. Iframe Embed Code The embed code lets you display your contest entry form on any website that supports HTML — blogs, partner sites, landing pages, etc. To get the embed code: 1. Open your contest and go to the Share tab. 2. Find the Embed section. 3. Click Copy embed code. The embed code is an <iframe> snippet that loads your contest page: <iframe src="https://yourstore.com/apps/contest/your-slug" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0" style="border: none; max-width: 600px;" ></iframe> Usage tips: - Paste the code into any HTML page or content editor that supports custom HTML. - Adjust the width, height, and max-width values to fit your target page layout. - The contest form inherits its own styles (your configured colors), so it looks consistent regardless of the host page. - The contest must be Active for the embed to display the entry form. QR Code QR codes let customers scan and enter your contest from physical materials — flyers, product packaging, in-store signage, event banners, etc. To get a QR code: 1. Open your contest and go to the Share tab. 2. Find the QR Code section. 3. The QR code is generated automatically and links to your contest page URL. 4. Click Download PNG to save the QR code image. Use cases: - In-store displays — Place a QR code at your checkout counter or on shelf signage. - Product inserts — Include a card with the QR code inside product packaging. - Event materials — Add to flyers, banners, or business cards at trade shows and events. - Print ads — Include in magazine or newspaper advertisements. Tips: - Make sure the QR code is printed large enough to scan easily — at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) square. - Test the QR code with your phone before printing. - Add UTM parameters to your contest URL before generating the QR code to track entries from print sources (e.g., ?utm_source=flyer&utm_medium=print).