Points for Actions

This feature available on the Pro Plan

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

Steps to Add 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.

Steps to Create a Points for Actions Section:

1. Add a Container Widget by clicking the icon in the Add Widgets Panel.

2. Rename the Widget to keep your campaign organized (highly recommended).

3. Add a Two Column Layout Widget inside the container to create two columns:

   • One column for the label.
   • One column for the button.

4. In the left column, add a Rich Text Widget:

   • Input your text in the widget settings.
   • Click Save and Exit to reflect the changes.

5. In the right column, add a Buttons Widget:

   • Set up the button following 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 to stay organized.
   • Use the Style Panel to adjust alignment, style, and colors.

When done, your campaign will include an organized Points for Actions section.

Setting Up the Buttons Widget

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

Steps to Set Up the Button:

1. Design the button:

   • Add text in the Link text field, or upload an image using the Link image option.
   • Include a label indicating how many points the action is worth.

2. Add the link:

   • Select the Go to URL radio button and enter the desired URL.
   • Ensure the link opens in a new window.

3. Enable Points for Actions:

   • Check the award points or actions option in the Points for Actions section.
   • Select the corresponding Form Container in the dropdown to link the button to your form.
   • Specify the number of points in the Points to award field.

4. Add Action Labels:

   • Assign unique labels for each action in the Action label field.
   • Ensure these labels aren’t reused elsewhere in the campaign.

5. Save your changes:

   • Click Save to finalize the button setup.
   • Review the button in the Setup section to confirm all details are correct.

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.

Triggering Action Widgets

You can trigger Action Widgets based on completed actions. For example, you can display a pop-up thanking users for visiting a website.

Steps to Set Up an Action Widget Trigger:

1. Add a Rich Text Widget to your campaign with your message.

2. Set the widget visibility to Starts Hidden.

3. Add an Action Widget:

   • Click Add Trigger in the popup.
   • Select Points were awarded for completing an action under the Advanced section.
   • Choose the Form and action label in the dropdowns.

4. Configure the Action Widget:

   • Click Add Action to specify the widget's behavior.
   • Save your changes.

With this setup, the action will trigger a pop-up when points are awarded for the specific action.

Notes About Points for Actions

1. Action Limits Per Email Address:

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

2. Importance of Action Labels:

   • Action Labels are critical for the proper functioning of Points for Actions (PFA).
   • 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.

3. 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.