This guide explains how to create a Shopify purchase-based promotion using ViralSweep. Participants earn entries when they purchase eligible products from your Shopify store.
After a purchase is completed, a ViralSweep widget appears on the order confirmation page or customer account page, showing how many entries the customer earned.
Already created your promotion and just need to install the widget?
Skip to Step 8.
Requirements
Before setting up a Shopify purchase promotion, make sure:
You are using Shopify
Checkout Extensions are enabled (Shopify Plus only)
Your Shopify store is connected to your ViralSweep account
Note: Only one Shopify store can be connected per account.
Important Notes
The widget is hidden until a qualifying purchase is detected. This prevents users from accessing post-entry actions without making a purchase.
Some integrations are not supported with purchase-based promotions.
Step 1: Create a Purchase Promotion
Create a New Promotion.
Select Purchases → Shopify.
Step 2: Connect Your Shopify Store
If your store is already connected, it will appear at the top of the page.
If not, connect your Shopify store before continuing.
Next, choose whether:
All products in your store qualify for the promotion (default), or
Only specific products qualify.
If selecting specific products:
Click Update Products
Select "Yes Proceed"
Your products and variants will appear in the product list.
Step 3: Select Eligible Products
Choose the products or variants that qualify for the promotion.
Only purchases containing these selected items will earn entries.
If a customer purchases a product not selected, their order will not qualify for entries.
Step 4: Configure Promotion Details
Fill in the following promotion settings:
Promotion Title
Start and End Dates
Number of Winners
Store URL
Leave Raffle Tickets Enabled set to No unless you are running a nonprofit raffle.
Step 5: Configure Entry Rules
By default, the promotion awards:
1 entry for every $1 spent
You can modify this to any value.
This rate works as a multiplier across the full order value — so if you set $1 = 20 entries, a $5 order automatically earns 100 entries, a $10 order earns 200 entries, a $25 order earns 500 entries, and so on. You don't need to configure each tier separately.
Additional options include:
Changing the promotion currency
Creating scheduled bonus entry periods
Awarding order bonuses for purchases over a specific dollar amount
If a user places an order that does not qualify, the widget will notify them that their order did not qualify for the sweepstakes.
Step 6: Add Post-Purchase Social Actions (Optional)
You can allow participants to earn additional entries after making a purchase by completing actions such as:
Social media actions
Referrals
Other engagement tasks
These actions appear on:
The Shopify order status page
The customer account page
Step 7: Configure Widget Design and Settings
Customize how the promotion appears to customers.
You can:
Upload images displayed in the widget
Add your official rules
Geo-target the promotion by country
Customize widget styling
Enable email notifications informing customers how many entries they earned
When finished, click the green Done button to save the promotion.
Note:
The Thank You Page widget is not fully customizable due to Shopify limitations related to App Embeds.
Step 8: Install the ViralSweep Widget in Shopify
To install the widget in your Shopify store:
Go to Shopify Admin → Online Store → Themes
Click Customize
Open Checkout and Customer Accounts
Step 9: Add the ViralSweep App Block
Click Apps in the left sidebar
Add the ViralSweep widget to:
Thank You Page
Order Status Page
When prompted, enter your Promotion ID.
Your Promotion ID appears in ViralSweep and follows this format:
promotion-xxxxxx
Enter only the numeric portion of the ID.
Step 10: Save and Test Your Promotion
Save your Shopify theme changes.
Then place a test order in your store.
💡 When do entries appear? Entries are awarded at the time of order placement and may take a few minutes to appear in your entrants list. There is no shortcut for testing — the order must be fully submitted through checkout.
After checkout, the ViralSweep widget will appear on the:
Thank You Page
Order Status Page
The widget will display:
The number of entries earned
Or raffle ticket numbers if raffle tickets are enabled.
FAQ
Do you support Shopify POS orders?
- Yes. Shopify POS orders are supported as long as the order has an email address or phone number attached to the order.
Do taxes, shipping, and discounts count toward sweepstakes entries?
- Entries are calculated from line-item prices minus line-item discounts only. Taxes, shipping, and order-level discounts are not included.
Legal Disclaimer
ViralSweep provides tools to run purchase-based sweepstakes and raffles, but laws regarding promotions vary by location.
ViralSweep does not guarantee legal compliance.
It is your responsibility to ensure your promotion follows applicable laws and regulations, including providing a free alternate method of entry where required.
If you need legal compliance support for promotions in the United States or Canada, please Book A Consultation
Need Help?
If you have any questions, our support team is happy to assist.