The onsite message editor is where you build the messages visitors see on your website, such as sign-up forms, promotions, and refer-a-friend campaigns. Each message is built as a flow of steps, so you can see the whole visitor experience at a glance and design each step in a live preview. This article gives you an overview of the editor and walks you through creating your first message.
Find the editor
Go to Onsite > Messages (New). The Onsite messages list shows all your messages, together with each message's script tag, start date, status, site, and language. Use the search field to find a specific message, or change the order with Sort by.
The editor at a glance
When you open a message, the editor is split into three areas.
| Area | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Header | The message name, its status badges, and the Preview and Schedule buttons. For a live message, Pause replaces Schedule. The ⋯ menu lets you copy or delete the message. |
| Settings panel (left) | Settings that apply to the whole message: General settings, Display conditions, and Scheduling, plus optional features such as Reward, Sendouts, and Referrals. A green check shows which settings are configured. |
| The flow (right) | Every step of the visitor's experience, in the order they see it. |
The flow
The flow always starts with Visitor enters site, followed by the steps of your message in the order visitors see them. The steps you start with depend on the template you choose. Common steps are:
- Minimized: the small widget that stays on the page, such as a tab in a corner of the screen.
- Form: the data collection form, shown in the larger maximized state.
- Message: a content screen, such as a promotion or a thank-you message.
A refer-a-friend campaign also has steps for the referred friend, after Friend enters site.
Exceptions sits next to the flow. It contains the messages visitors see when they can't complete the flow, for example if they're already a member, the message has expired, or an error occurs. These messages are shared by the whole flow.
Step controls
Hover over a step to see its controls:
- The pen icon opens the step in the design view.
- The lightning icon opens the step's behavior settings. For example, you can choose what happens when a visitor clicks the minimized widget, or make the message open automatically after a delay.
- The arrow icon moves the step up or down in the flow.
To edit the exception messages, hover over Exceptions and select the gear icon. To learn more, see Step behavior and exceptions.
The design view
The design view is where you decide how each step looks. To open it, hover over a step and select the pen icon.
- The step tabs at the top let you switch between the steps of your message, such as Minimized, Form, and Message.
- The layers list on the left shows every element in the step, such as the header, form fields, consents, CTA button, and close button. Select an element to edit it, or use the eye icon to hide or show it.
- The preview in the center shows the step as visitors will see it. Use the mobile and desktop icons above it to switch between devices.
- The settings panel on the right shows the options for the selected element. For the step's container, you can set text and background colors, border radius, and where the popup is placed on screen.
To learn more, see Design an onsite message.
Most website visitors use a mobile device, so we recommend designing the mobile version of your message first and then checking how it looks on desktop.
Create your first message
- Go to Onsite > Messages (New) and select Create message.
- Choose a template. Each template gives you a ready-made flow for a common goal, such as a newsletter signup or a refer-a-friend campaign.
- Enter a Name, choose the Site the message should run on, and select Create. The message opens in the editor as a draft.
- Review the flow. Hover over each step to change its design or behavior.
- In the settings panel, review General settings, Display conditions, and Scheduling, and turn on any features you need, such as Reward or Sendouts. To learn more, see General settings, display conditions, and scheduling.
- Select Preview, then Open or Copy link to test the message on your site. You can also scan the QR code to test it on your phone. The preview is only visible to you, not to your visitors.
- When you're ready, select Schedule to choose when the message goes live. To go live straight away, select the arrow next to Schedule and choose Publish now.
The message name is only used internally, for example in your message list. Visitors never see it.
Edit a live message
You can't change a message while it's live. When you open a setting on a live message, you'll see This flow is live. Pause it before making edits. Select Pause to edit to pause the message and make your changes. To learn more, see Preview, publish, and edit a live message.