Testing Discounts on the Kite App

You can safely test any promotion using Kite's default "Test Mode." This ensures the offer and its associated widgets remain hidden from your public storefront and can only be viewed or triggered using a unique preview link.

When you create a new promotion in the Kite app, it is set to Test Mode by default. This is a safety feature to ensure you can verify your setup before your customers see it.

Here is how to test your offer:

1. Verify Status: Ensure your promotion in the Kite dashboard is set to "Test Mode" (this is the default state upon creation).
2. Generate the Link: Click the "View Offer" button inside the Kite admin.
3. Test the Offer: Clicking the button will open your store in a new tab with a unique URL slug attached to it. This unique parameter acts as a "key" that reveals the Kite widgets (like the free gift module) and allows the discount to be applied to your cart.
4. Navigate Safely: You can navigate to any product page to test the flow, provided that the unique URL slug remains in your browser's address bar. Your live customers will not see these changes.
5. Publish: Once you have verified the offer works perfectly, return to the Kite admin, toggle the status from "Test Mode" to "Live," and hit Save. The widget and the offer will immediately become active across your store for all eligible customers.

Technical Note/Limitation:

• App Embeds Required: Even in Test Mode, Kite's widgets require the core App Embed to be enabled in your Shopify Theme Editor. If the App Embed is turned off, the "View Offer" link will not be able to render the widgets.
• Discount Application: Test Mode restricts both the visibility of the widget and the functionality of the discount. If a customer organically qualifies for the offer while you are testing it, the native Shopify discount engine will not apply the Kite discount unless they possess the unique preview link.

Troubleshooting/Checklist:

• Widget isn't showing via the preview link: Ensure the Kite App Embed is toggled on in your live theme via the Shopify Theme Editor.
• The offer stopped working during testing: Check your browser's address bar. As you navigate between pages, ensure the unique URL slug hasn't been stripped away by your theme's routing.
• Seeing outdated setups: Browsers heavily cache Shopify storefronts. We highly recommend copying the "View Offer" link and pasting it into an Incognito/Private browsing window for the most accurate test.
• Customers are seeing the widget: Double-check the toggle switch in your Kite admin. Ensure it hasn't been accidentally flipped to "Live" and that you have saved your changes.

Updated on: 14/05/2026