Smart Blocks let you show different text or HTML to different shoppers in the same section of your store. Use them for a "Welcome back" message for returning customers, a different announcement for shoppers in one country, or a reminder for shoppers who left items in their cart. Your original content stays as the default for everyone else.
Availability
Plan: Growth Agents plan · Platform: SHOPLINE · Needs at least one audience segment
Included in the Growth Agents plan. If your plan doesn't include it, Studio shows Smart Block is not included in your plan with a Contact Sales button.
Note
In Analytics, Smart Block results are labeled Smart HTML and appear on the ShapeShifts tab. In email widgets, choose HTML to reuse a Smart Block. Older help articles call them "HTML Personalization".
Before you start
Create the audience segments you want to target. See Create audience segments.
Create a Smart Block
In Studio, click a text or HTML section, such as a heading with a paragraph or an announcement banner. The Smart Block window opens.
Optional: type a name in the title field at the top. It's shown in your lists and in Analytics.
The Default HTML card shows your current content, marked "Shown to all visitors".
Click Add New Variant. The Block Variant drawer opens.
Enter a Variant Title, for example "Welcome Back Content".
Choose Audience Segments (required).
Write the new content. Use Editor for formatted text (bold, headings, lists, alignment, quotes and links), or switch to Code to edit the HTML directly.
The page previews your content as you type. Close the drawer to return to the variant list.
Click Save, then Publish.
Add more variants with Add New Variant, one for each audience.
Tip
Keep the variant about the same length as the original so the page layout doesn't shift. Make one clear change, such as the headline or the offer, so you can tell what's working.
Ideas to start with
Audience | Content idea |
Returning customers | "Welcome back" with a link to new arrivals |
Shoppers with items in the cart | "You've got items in your cart" with a link to the cart |
Shoppers from one country or region | Local shipping times, currency or seasonal message |
First-time visitors | A short brand promise and a link to best sellers |
Check each variant
Click Preview as anyone in the top bar.
Pick a segment under Preview as audience. The canvas shows that segment's variant, even before you publish.
When you're done, click ✕ on the audience chip (Clear audience preview).
What shoppers see
Shoppers in a variant's audience see its content when the page loads. LimeSpot hides the section for a moment until the right version is ready, so shoppers don't see the original flash first. Everyone else sees your default content. Links in the variant are tracked so the sales they drive show in Analytics.
Edit or delete
To change a variant, click the section on the canvas and then the variant's card.
To remove one variant, click the trash icon on its card (Delete variant) and confirm with Delete.
To remove the whole Smart Block and restore your original content, click Delete Smart Block in the drawer.
Publish after any change.
Smart Blocks don't have start or end dates. Publish and remove time-limited messages yourself.
Troubleshooting
You see | Why | What to do |
"Segment already used by another variant" | Two variants target the same segment. The drawer won't close until you fix it | Remove the segment from one variant |
"Published variants could not be loaded" | Studio couldn't read the live version, so editing is turned off to protect it | Close the element and open it again |
The variant doesn't show on your live store | It isn't published, or the shopper isn't in the audience | Click Publish, then test with Preview as anyone |
You can't select the section | It's inside a popup or drawer, which Studio can't select | Personalize a section on the page itself |
"You have reached the limit of …" | Your plan allows a set number of Smart Blocks. Adding variants to an existing one doesn't count | Add a variant to an existing Smart Block, or click Contact Support |