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Hello Bar Documentation

Menu Location: Settings > Hello Bar

Access Level: Administrator and above

Last Updated: 2026-03-01

Overview

The Hello Bar page manages the top banner notification bar that appears across your customer-facing website. This prominent notification area is perfect for announcements, promotions, alerts, and calls-to-action that you want all visitors to see immediately.

Primary Functions:

  • Create and edit top banner messages
  • Turn banner on/off instantly
  • Add call-to-action links
  • Format text with basic HTML
  • Preview current banner
  • Control banner visibility

Page Layout

Current Hello Bar Preview

Shows exactly how banner appears on website

Configuration Form

Three main fields:

  • Status: On/Off toggle
  • Message: Main banner text
  • Link Text: Clickable call-to-action text

Update Button

Saves changes to banner

Form Fields

Status Field

Options:

  • On: Banner displays on all public pages
  • Off: Banner hidden from website

When to use On:

  • Active promotion running
  • Important announcement needed
  • Emergency alert or notice
  • New product/feature launch

When to use Off:

  • No current promotions
  • Standard operations
  • Reducing visual clutter
  • A/B testing without banner

Message Field

Purpose: Main text displayed in banner

Character Limit: Keep under 100 characters for best display

Best Practices:

  • Be concise and clear
  • Create urgency when appropriate
  • Highlight value proposition
  • Use action words

Example Messages:

  • "Free Shipping on Orders Over $50 This Week!"
  • "New Spring Menu Available Now!"
  • "Holiday Hours: Closed December 25th"
  • "Limited Time: $20 Off Your First Order"

Allowed HTML Formatting:

  • <b> or <strong> for bold text
  • <i> or <em> for italics
  • No other HTML allowed

Example with Formatting: 

Get <b>FREE SHIPPING</b> on all orders this week!

Link Text Field

Purpose: Clickable call-to-action text

How it Works:

  • Appears as button or link on banner
  • Usually placed at end of message
  • Directs to specific page or action

Best Practices:

  • Use action verbs (Shop, Browse, Learn, Save)
  • Keep short (1-3 words)
  • Make benefit clear

Example Link Text:

  • "Shop Now"
  • "Learn More"
  • "Get Started"
  • "See Menu"
  • "Sign Up"

Note: The actual URL/destination page is configured elsewhere in the system settings

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Promote Limited-Time Offer

Goal: Drive urgency for flash sale

Setup:

  1. Status: On
  2. Message: Flash Sale! <b>20% OFF</b> All Produce - Ends Sunday!
  3. Link Text: Shop Sale
  4. Click Update

Result: Prominent banner drives traffic to sale items

After Campaign:

  1. Change Status to Off
  2. Click Update
  3. Banner disappears from site

Use Case 2: Announce Holiday Schedule

Goal: Inform customers of closure

Setup:

  1. Status: On
  2. Message: Holiday Notice: No deliveries Dec 25-26. Orders resume Dec 27.
  3. Link Text: View Schedule
  4. Click Update

Timing:

  • Turn on 2 weeks before
  • Turn off day after closure

Use Case 3: Highlight New Product

Goal: Drive awareness of new menu items

Setup:

  1. Status: On
  2. Message: <i>NEW!</i> Spring Harvest Box - Farm Fresh Seasonal Produce
  3. Link Text: Browse Menu
  4. Click Update

Duration: Keep active for 2-4 weeks during launch

Use Case 4: Seasonal Promotion

Goal: Welcome new season with promotion

Setup:

  1. Status: On
  2. Message: Welcome Spring! Get <b>$15 off</b> your first seasonal box
  3. Link Text: Get Offer
  4. Click Update

Tip: Update message weekly to keep fresh

Use Case 5: Emergency Alert

Goal: Notify customers of delivery delays

Setup:

  1. Status: On
  2. Message: <b>WEATHER ALERT:</b> Deliveries delayed 1 day due to storm
  3. Link Text: More Info
  4. Click Update

Urgency: Update immediately, remove when resolved

Design Guidelines

Message Length

  • Mobile: Keep under 60 characters
  • Desktop: Can go up to 100 characters
  • Ideal: 40-60 characters

Tone and Voice

  • Urgent: Use bold, caps sparingly
  • Friendly: Use exclamation points moderately
  • Professional: Clear, concise language
  • Promotional: Highlight value and savings

Color and Visibility

(Banner color/style configured in theme settings)

  • Ensure high contrast for readability
  • Test on mobile devices
  • Verify readability with your brand colors

Testing Your Banner

How to Preview

Important: Banner only shows to non-logged-in users

Steps to View:

  1. Save your banner changes
  2. Open website in incognito/private browser
  3. OR log out of admin panel
  4. OR use different browser where not logged in
  5. Banner appears at very top of page

Why Can't Admins See It?

  • Prevents clutter in admin workflow
  • You work in admin panel frequently
  • Customers see it, you don't need to

Preview Checklist

  • Message displays completely (not cut off)
  • Link text is visible and clickable
  • Formatting (bold/italic) renders correctly
  • Mobile display works (check on phone)
  • Banner doesn't cover important content
  • Colors are readable

Troubleshooting

Check:

  1. Status set to "On"?
  2. Viewing as non-admin user? (use incognito mode)
  3. Cleared browser cache?
  4. Saved changes?
  5. Viewing public pages (not admin)?

Common Causes:

  • Status is "Off"
  • Viewing while logged into admin
  • Browser cache showing old version
  • Theme configuration hiding banner

Formatting Not Working

Issue: Bold or italic tags showing as text

Solutions:

  1. Use exact HTML tags: <b>, <i>, <strong>, <em>
  2. Don't use other HTML (stripped out)
  3. Check for typos in tags
  4. Don't nest tags excessively

Correct: <b>FREE SHIPPING</b> Incorrect: <B>FREE SHIPPING<B> (wrong closing tag)

Message Cut Off on Mobile

Symptoms:

  • Full message shows on desktop
  • Truncated on mobile devices

Solutions:

  1. Shorten message (under 60 characters)
  2. Move important words to beginning
  3. Remove unnecessary words
  4. Test on actual mobile device

Symptoms:

  • Link text shows but doesn't click
  • No destination configured

Solutions:

  1. Verify link destination in theme settings
  2. Check with administrator for link configuration
  3. Ensure link text is not empty
  • Theme Settings - Configure banner colors and style
  • Email Templates - Coordinated messaging
  • Home Page - Where banner appears most prominently

Permissions & Access

Required Access Level: Administrator

Why Administrator Access:

  • Affects all website visitors
  • Highly visible positioning
  • Brand/marketing control
  • Potential revenue impact

Best Practices

Message Strategy

  1. One clear call-to-action per message
  2. Update regularly (weekly or bi-weekly)
  3. Remove when promotion ends
  4. Test messages for clarity
  5. Mobile-first thinking

Promotion Management

  1. Schedule banner changes with promotions
  2. Remove expired offers immediately
  3. Don't leave stale messages
  4. Coordinate with email campaigns

Emergency Communications

  1. Turn on immediately for urgent alerts
  2. Keep message clear and specific
  3. Update as situation changes
  4. Remove when resolved

Seasonal Planning

  1. Plan banners for major seasons/holidays
  2. Update 2 weeks before season start
  3. Refresh message weekly during season
  4. Remove when season ends

Things to Avoid

  • Don't use ALL CAPS (except emergency)
  • Don't overcomplicate message
  • Don't leave outdated promotions
  • Don't use multiple competing CTAs
  • Don't forget mobile users
  • Don't use complex HTML

Quick Reference Card

Task Action/Location
Turn banner on Set Status to "On", click Update
Turn banner off Set Status to "Off", click Update
Update promotion Edit Message field, click Update
Make text bold Use <b>text</b> or <strong>text</strong>
Make text italic Use <i>text</i> or <em>text</em>
Change call-to-action Edit Link Text field
Preview banner Open site in incognito browser
Remove banner Set Status to "Off"

FAQs

Why can't I see the banner when logged in as admin?

Banners are hidden for admin users to reduce clutter while you work. View in incognito mode or log out to see it as customers do.

How do I change the banner color?

Banner styling is controlled in your theme settings. Contact administrator for color/design changes.

Can I add images to the banner?

No, currently text and basic formatting only. Images would slow load times and complicate mobile display.

How often should I update the banner?

Update with each new promotion or announcement. Remove when promotion ends. For general messaging, refresh every 2-4 weeks to keep content fresh.

What if I want different banners on different pages?

Currently one banner for entire site. This ensures consistency and simplicity. Use product pages for page-specific promotions.

Can customers dismiss/close the banner?

Depends on theme configuration. Some themes allow dismissal, others show banner persistently. Check with your theme settings.

What's the character limit?

No hard limit, but keep under 60 characters for mobile, 100 for desktop. Longer messages may be cut off or wrapping poorly.

Should the banner always be on?

No - only when you have something important to communicate. Too much banner usage reduces its effectiveness. Use strategically.

How do I make the link go to a specific page?

Link destination is configured in theme settings or homepage settings. You control the link text here; administrator configures where it goes.

Can I schedule the banner to turn on/off automatically?

Not currently. You'll need to manually update Status. Set a calendar reminder to turn off when promotion ends.

End of Documentation

For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.