Points for Actions

ALL PLANS

Overview

The Points for Actions template is a fantastic way to reward your contest entrants with additional entries ("points") for visiting websites, including your social media accounts, or viewing videos. However, this functionality isn’t limited to that template alone. This guide explains how to add the Basic Points for Actions feature to any campaign you've built, even those created using a different template.

Adding a Form Container

1. Click the Form Container icon in the Add Widgets Panel, or drag the icon into your preview area.
2. Refer to our Form Container Widget help doc for detailed instructions on how to set up the form.
3. Once you have set up the Form Container to your liking, click on the Advanced Tab and enable Advanced Points for Actions.

Important: Actions will not be recorded until a user has submitted the form. Ensure the form is added to the campaign and fully configured before proceeding. Points from actions will be added to the entry submitted through the form.

Adding a Points for Actions Section

You can design your campaign in various ways to include Points for Actions. Here’s an example of a simple setup for a Basic Points for Actions section. 

Using a Two Column Container:

1. Add a Container Widget by clicking the icon in the Add Widgets Panel.
2. Rename the Container to keep your campaign organized (highly recommended).
3. Add a Two Column Layout Widget inside the container to create two columns.
4. In the left column, add a Rich Text Widget and add your text.
5. In the right column, add a Buttons Widget: Follow the instructions in the"Setting Up the Buttons Widget" section below. 
6. Repeat steps 4–5 for additional actions:
   • Add a new Two Column Layout Widget for each new action.
   • Keep all widgets within the same container from step 1 to stay organized.
   • Use the Style Panel to adjust alignment, style, and colors.

Using a Three Column Container: 

1. Add a Container Widget by clicking the icon in the Add Widgets Panel.
2. Rename the Container to keep your campaign organized (highly recommended).
3. Add a Three Column Layout Widget inside the container to create three columns.
4. In the left column, add either a Rich Text Widget or an Image Widget, and add an icon as either an image or SVG in the Rich Text Widget. 
5. In the center column, add a Rich Text Widget and add your text.
6. In the right column, add a Buttons Widget: Follow the instructions in the"Setting Up the Buttons Widget" section below.
7. Repeat steps 4–5 for additional actions:
   • Add a new Three Column Layout Widget for each new action.
   • Keep all widgets within the same container from step 1 to stay organized.
   • Use the Style Panel to adjust alignment, style, and colors.

Setting Up the Buttons Widget

When adding a Buttons Widget, the pop-up will open automatically with options for your new button.

1. Add text in the Link text field, or upload an image using the Link image option. Example: +2 to indicate 2 points for completing this action. 
2. Select the Go to URL button and enter the desired URL.
3. Ensure the link opens in a new window; otherwise, the points will not register.
4. Check the award points or actions option in the Points for Actions section.
5. Select the corresponding Form Container in the dropdown to link the button to your form.
6. Specify the number of points in the Points to award field.
7. Assign unique labels for each action in the Action label field. Ensure these labels aren’t reused elsewhere in the campaign.
8. Save & exit

Note: Currently, there’s no way to show entrants a running tally of their earned points unless you use the Points for Actions template. Keep this limitation in mind.

Important Notes About Points for Actions

Action Limits Per Email Address

Each action can only be completed once per email address, regardless of entry restrictions.

Importance of Action Labels

Action Labels are critical for the proper functioning of Points for Actions. If the same Action Label is assigned to two different buttons:

• Only one action will be recorded.
• It will be impossible to determine which action the entrant completed.

Unique Action Labels ensure you can accurately track which actions entrants perform when analyzing your campaign data.

Click-Through Tracking Only

Points for Actions can only detect click-throughs and time spent on a video. ShortStack cannot verify whether someone follows or likes your page once they leave the campaign page.