This guide explains how to create a Shopify purchase-based promotion in ViralSweep. Participants earn entries when they buy eligible products from your Shopify store.
After a purchase, a ViralSweep widget appears on the Thank You page and the Order Status 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 you start, make sure:
You're using Shopify.
Your Shopify store is connected to your ViralSweep account.
Each product and variant has a SKU. This isn't required, but it's recommended for the most reliable order tracking.
Note: Only one Shopify store can be connected per account.
Do I need Shopify Plus? No. Shopify Plus is only needed to show a widget on the checkout page itself. The Thank You and Order Status widgets work on every Shopify plan.
Important Notes
The widget is hidden until a qualifying purchase is detected, so shoppers can't reach post-entry actions without buying.
Some integrations don't receive purchase entrants. For example, Klaviyo only receives contacts from regular sweepstakes sign-up forms. See Features ViralSweep doesn't currently support.
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 appears at the top of the page.
If no products load, click Edit, then Done. Shopify asks you to log in and finishes connecting your store.
Next, choose whether:
All products in your store qualify for the promotion (default), or
Only specific products qualify.
If you're selecting specific products:
Click Update Products.
Select Yes, Proceed.
Your products and variants appear in the product list. Importing can take 10 to 20 minutes, so refresh the page if you don't see them right away.
Step 3: Select Eligible Products
Choose the products or variants that qualify. Only orders that contain these items earn entries.
Select each variant you want to include, not just the parent product.
If you duplicated an earlier promotion, review this list before launch.
Products you add to Shopify later need another Update Products import before you can select them.
Step 4: Configure Promotion Details
Fill in the following settings:
Promotion Title
Start and End Dates
Number of Winners
Store URL
Leave Raffle Tickets Enabled set to No unless you're running a nonprofit raffle.
Step 5: Configure Entry Rules
By default, the promotion awards 1 entry for every $1 spent. You can change this to any value.
This rate works as a multiplier across the order value. At $1 = 20 entries, a $5 order earns 100 entries, a $10 order earns 200, and a $25 order earns 500. You don't need to set up each tier separately.
Additional options include:
Changing the promotion currency
Creating scheduled bonus entry periods
Awarding an Order Bonus for purchases over a set amount
If an order doesn't qualify, the widget tells the customer that their order didn't qualify for the sweepstakes.
Want each product to award a set number of entries, regardless of price or discount codes? See Give each product a fixed number of entries.
Tip: Set your entry values before launch. To change values while the promotion is running, use a scheduled bonus period.
Step 6: Add Post-Purchase Social Actions (Optional)
Participants can earn more entries after buying by completing actions such as:
Social media actions
Referrals
Other engagement tasks
These actions appear on the Thank You page and the Order Status page. The live widget has a fixed design, so a short list of actions is easier for customers to read.
Step 7: Configure Widget Design and Settings
Customize how the promotion appears to customers. You can:
Upload images for the widget
Add your official rules
Geo-target the promotion by country
Customize the widget styling
Turn on email notifications so customers receive their entry count
When you're finished, click the green Done button to save the promotion.
Note: The Thank You page widget isn't fully customizable because of Shopify's app embed limits, and it can look different from the preview in your dashboard.
Step 8: Install the ViralSweep Widget in Shopify
Go to Shopify Admin → Online Store → Themes.
Click Customize.
Open Checkout and Customer Accounts.
The app block is the only install method for purchase promotions. Older script installs are no longer supported.
Step 9: Add the ViralSweep App Block
Click Apps in the left sidebar.
Add the ViralSweep widget to the Thank You page and the Order Status page.
When prompted, enter your Promotion ID. It appears in ViralSweep in this format:
promotion-xxxxxx
Enter only the numeric part. For promotion-123456, enter 123456.
Step 10: Save and Test Your Promotion
There's no test mode for purchase promotions. Only a real, paid order placed while the promotion is live earns entries.
Save your Shopify theme changes, then place a real, paid order while the promotion is live to confirm entries appear. For the full checklist, see Test your Shopify purchase promotion before launch.
After checkout, the widget shows the number of entries earned, or raffle ticket numbers if raffle tickets are enabled.
FAQ
Do you support Shopify POS orders?
Yes, as long as the order has an email address or phone number attached.
Do taxes, shipping, and discounts count toward entries?
Entries are calculated from line-item prices minus line-item discounts. Taxes, shipping, and order-level discounts aren't included. For example, at $1 = 1 entry, a $50 product bought with a 50% off code earns 25 entries.
To award the same entries no matter what discount is used, give each product a fixed number of entries. See Give each product a fixed number of entries.
Do $0 orders earn entries?
Not from the per-dollar rate, so the widget shows that the order didn't qualify. Product bonuses still apply to a fully discounted order.
What about orders with only a phone number?
They're recorded with a placeholder email address. See Features ViralSweep doesn't currently support.
Can customers see their entries in their Shopify account?
No. Entries show on the Thank You page, the Order Status page, and in email notifications.
Why didn't an order earn entries?
Usually the product or variant isn't imported or selected, or the order was a test or placed outside the promotion dates. See Why didn't an order earn entries? for the full checklist.
How many orders can I track?
It depends on your plan. See Purchases App: How the Order Limit Works.
Legal Disclaimer
ViralSweep provides tools to run purchase-based sweepstakes and raffles, but laws about promotions vary by location.
ViralSweep does not guarantee legal compliance.
It's your responsibility to make sure your promotion follows applicable laws, including offering a free alternate method of entry where required. To add one, connect a sweepstakes promotion.
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 help.