FAQ Custom Widgets

What is a Custom Widget template?

A Custom Widget template is a piece of code (it can include JavaScript, CSS, and HTML) configured to be used in one or several campaigns. It serves as a base for a Custom Widget and must contain the minimum code to make a Custom Widget work. Custom Widget templates can be created and managed from the Custom Widgets page of the platform. All Custom Widget templates are stored in a library.

What is a Custom Widget?

A Custom Widget is a template that has been imported into the editor of any campaign and adapted (in some cases) to meet specific needs.

What is the difference between a Custom Widget and a Custom Widget template?

Custom Widget templates are master elements that serve as a base for “child” Custom Widgets. A Custom Widget is a template that you have imported into the editor of a campaign and adapted or customized (if necessary) to meet the needs of this specific campaign.

The Custom Widget template must be configured by a tech user as it requires coding. However, the template, which becomes a Custom Widget when used in a specific campaign, can be modified by a non-technical user if a form has been created beforehand in the template itself.

For example, let’s say you want to display a wheel of fortune on Black Friday and know you will need to reuse it for other promotional periods. You can create a Custom Widget template that will include the shape of the wheel, the number of boxes, the behavior, and so on. Then, you will be able to use this Custom Widget template in a personalization campaign and adapt the default colors of the wheel (gray for example) to the graphic charter of your website (dark blue for instance). A few months later, you want to use this wheel again but have changed the colors of your website (from dark blue to light blue). You will still be able to use the same Custom Widget template and will only need to adapt the colors.

Where can a Custom Widget template be used?

A Custom Widget template can be used in the editor of a campaign that is part of any account you have access to. You can add one or several identical Custom Widget templates to the same campaign.

When to use a Custom Widget template?

Using a Custom Widget can be useful in the following cases:

1. You want to set up a string of messages (pop-ins, banners, overlays, etc.) for your marketers to use systematically with the same layout (to preserve UI, design system, and consistency through your website).
   
   
2. You want to share and spread this previous work on your different AB Tasty accounts (because you manage several websites or several languages versions of your website through different AB Tasty accounts).
   
   
3. You plan to reuse the Custom Widget even in another account, campaign, or variation, or in the future for recurring campaigns instead of duplicating your entire campaign.
   
   
4. You want to reduce the back-and-forth communication on low-value edits (colors, font sizes, images, etc.) between your digital marketing team and your design team.
   
   
5. You want to make more efficient use of your time.

What can a Custom Widget be used for?

Here is a non-exhaustive list of Custom Widgets you can create: 

• Pop-in or other kinds of promotional widgets with a specific behavior or UI path that you can’t find in the AB Tasty widget library.
  
  
• A complex tracker, such as: “Event sent each time the user puts an item in their basket, then goes to the basket page, then comes back to the homepage.”
  
  
• Reusable buttons, bullet point lists, pop-overs, product tours, carousels, and so on: every single element that already exists in your design system and will be usable in the AB Tasty visual editor as a huge source of small Custom Widgets to create design-system-friendly campaigns.

Can I nest Custom Widgets?

Yes. For example, you may need to create a collapsible block using a Custom Widget. You may also want to create a carousel Custom Widget and a button Custom Widget. If each of these Custom Widgets can be freely positioned (through the “form” or JavaScript code), you can also nest them together.

Can I share Custom Widgets between accounts? 

Yes, you can use a Custom Widget template from any account you have access to. This means you can reuse a Custom Widget template from one account in another one by duplicating it. However, to perform this action, you must be an administrator of each account.

What is the difference between widgets and Custom Widgets?

Widgets are pieces of code you can edit in the editor using the Widget Configurator. They are created and maintained by AB Tasty. For more information about widgets, refer to our documentation.