How to preview and test a Nudgesmart popup before publishing
Use the built-in preview and the unpublished-test mode to safely verify your popup before it goes live to shoppers.
Two ways to preview — one inside the editor, one on your real storefront — without ever publishing. Use both before going live.
TL;DR
There are two ways to preview a Nudgesmart popup before publishing: the in-app preview (inside the visual editor) and the storefront preview (on your real theme, without going live to shoppers). The in-app preview catches design issues; the storefront preview catches theme conflicts. Test on your actual phone — about half your traffic is mobile, and desktop-only testing misses half the bugs.
Two preview modes
The in-app preview runs inside the visual editor. Click any element, change copy or styling, and the preview updates instantly. Use it to nail the design and content of the popup.
The storefront preview loads your popup on your actual live theme, in your real storefront, but only for you — regular shoppers don't see it. Use it after the design is right to catch theme-CSS conflicts, mobile rendering issues, and timing of triggers (e.g., does the popup actually fire when scroll reaches 50%?).
Both are accessible without flipping the campaign to Active. The campaign stays in Draft state the whole time you're previewing.
Step 1 · Preview inside the editor
In the visual editor, look for the device-toggle in the top toolbar. Switch between desktop and mobile views and confirm the popup looks right at both breakpoints.
Visual editor with the device-toggle visible in the top toolbar showing Desktop and Mobile options
Screenshot coming soon
Common things to check inside the editor before moving to storefront preview:
- Headline doesn't wrap to three lines on mobile.
- Discount code is readable and large enough on small screens.
- Button text fits on one line in both desktop and mobile.
- Image isn't pixelated when scaled.
Step 2 · Open the storefront preview
From the campaign editor, find the Preview on storefront option (or similarly labeled action). Nudgesmart generates a preview link that loads your real theme with the popup visible.
In-app preview modal showing the campaign rendered with the Preview on storefront link
Screenshot coming soon
The preview link opens your live storefront URL with the popup attached — but only your session sees it. Regular visitors continue to browse the storefront as if the campaign doesn't exist (it's still in Draft).
Step 3 · Test on your actual phone
Send the storefront-preview URL to your phone — text it to yourself, AirDrop it, or paste it into a notes app. Open the link on the phone and walk through the popup like a real shopper would.
What to verify on the phone:
- The popup renders inside the safe area (no overlap with the iPhone notch or Android nav bar).
- Tapping the close button works — and tapping outside the popup also dismisses it.
- The form fields are tappable and the keyboard doesn't cover the submit button.
- Triggers fire at the right time (scroll, time on page, exit intent).
Step 4 · When you're ready to publish
Flip the campaign to Active when the design and triggers are working on both desktop and mobile.
Until you publish, no shoppers see the campaign — only you do, via the preview link. Once you publish, the popup is live for everyone matching the targeting rules.
Common pitfalls
- The preview link works on desktop but the popup doesn't appear on mobile. Most often this is a trigger issue — exit-intent doesn't fire on mobile the way it does on desktop. Try a time-on-page or scroll trigger and re-test.
- The popup overlaps your theme's sticky header. Adjust the popup position in the visual editor (top, center, bottom) until it sits below the sticky header, or change to a center-modal layout.
- The preview link expired or stopped working. Generate a new preview link from the campaign editor — they're tied to the current campaign state, so saving changes can invalidate older links.
Frequently asked questions
Does the storefront preview affect my analytics?
No. Preview sessions are flagged and excluded from campaign analytics so test interactions don't pollute your real conversion data.
Can my team preview the popup too?
Yes. Anyone with admin access to the Nudgesmart app can generate a storefront-preview link and view the campaign on your real theme without publishing.
What if I want to test with a real shopper before publishing widely?
Use targeting rules to limit who sees the published campaign — e.g., specific URL parameter, specific country, or single product page. Ship the popup live but only to a controlled audience, then expand once it's proven.
What to read next
How to create your first popup from a Nudgesmart template
Pick a template from the gallery, customize the text and image, and publish your first popup in under five minutes.
A tour of the Nudgesmart dashboard
Walk through every section of the Nudgesmart dashboard so you know where campaigns, analytics, templates, and settings live.