Plugin Dashboard Overview
4 min read
The Smart Cycle Discounts dashboard is your decision-first command center. Instead of dumping raw metrics on you, it tells you which campaign needs your attention right now, why, and what to do about it — powered by the Campaign Intelligence System.
Accessing the Dashboard #
Navigate to SC Discounts → Dashboard in your WordPress admin sidebar. This is also the default page when clicking the main “SC Discounts” menu item.
Dashboard Sections #
1. Verdict Row (Focus Campaign) #
The top of the dashboard zooms in on a single “focus campaign” — usually the campaign that most needs your attention — and shows its full Intelligence verdict.
What’s in the Verdict Row #
- Store-wide health gauge (0–100) — overall portfolio health, not this campaign’s score
- Verdict state — Blocked, Risk, Caution, Good, or Ready
- Primary reason — plain-English explanation of why the verdict was reached
- Recommended action with CTA button — one click takes you to the right wizard step (or activates the campaign if it’s Ready)
- Operational signals — margin impact, inventory burn, overlap severity, predicted uplift, timing quality
- Economic signals (Pro) — attributed revenue, discount spend, break-even threshold
- Promotion timeline — visual schedule for the focus campaign
- Reliability chip — appears when data is stale, estimated, or evidence is limited
The header reads “Focused on: {campaign name}” so you always know which campaign you’re looking at.
Verdict States at a Glance #
| State | Color | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Blocked | Red | Cannot launch — fix the blocking issue |
| Risk | Orange | Active damage — review immediately |
| Caution | Yellow | Quality issue worth reviewing |
| Good | Blue | Healthy — keep an eye on it |
| Ready | Green | Safe to activate |
2. Campaigns Strip #
Below the verdict row, the campaigns strip shows one verdict badge per active or scheduled campaign — sorted by urgency, with Blocked first.
- Capped at 5 badges so the strip stays scannable
- Header shows “{N} need attention” alongside the active campaign count
- Hidden entirely when every campaign is healthy — no clutter when there’s nothing to do
- Click any badge to switch the verdict row’s focus to that campaign
Store-Wide Health Score #
The dashboard health gauge is explicitly store-wide: it blends per-campaign health scores (active campaigns weighted 2× as much as scheduled ones), with the weakest active campaign pulling the average down. Blocking issues hard-cap the score at 40.
Important: store-wide health is a portfolio metric, separate from the per-campaign verdict. See Store-Wide Health vs. Per-Campaign Verdict.
3. Upcoming Opportunities #
A planner-driven section that surfaces suggestions for campaigns you might want to set up — typically tied to upcoming holidays, seasonal events, or detected gaps in your promotional calendar.
- Each card describes the opportunity and a one-click “Create Campaign” CTA
- Holiday badges flag major shopping events (Black Friday, Christmas, etc.)
- Hidden when no relevant opportunities are detected
4. Workspace Grid #
A two-column section at the bottom of the dashboard for at-a-glance store context:
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Catalog Snapshot | Total products, products on sale, average margin posture, stock-health summary — the state of your store |
| Campaign Overview | Status distribution across your portfolio (Active / Scheduled / Paused / Draft / Expired) with quick links into the campaigns list filtered by status |
Status Distribution #
| Color | Status | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Green | Active | Currently running, discounts applied |
| Blue | Scheduled | Waiting for start date |
| Yellow | Paused | Temporarily suspended |
| Gray | Draft | Not yet activated |
| Red | Expired | Past end date |
Admin Menu Structure #
The complete SC Discounts menu hierarchy:
| Menu Item | Description | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Dashboard | Main overview page (this page) | All users |
| Campaigns | List all campaigns, create new, bulk actions | All users |
| Analytics | Detailed performance reports and metrics | Pro only |
| Notifications | Email notification configuration and queue | All users |
| Settings | Plugin configuration options | All users |
| Tools | Cache, diagnostics, import/export | All users |
Campaigns List Page #
Access via SC Discounts → Campaigns.
List View Features #
- Sortable columns — Click headers to sort by name, status, dates, etc.
- Bulk actions — Select multiple campaigns to activate, deactivate, or delete
- Status filters — Filter by Active, Scheduled, Draft, Paused, Expired
- Search — Find campaigns by name
- Pagination — Navigate large campaign lists
Column Information #
| Column | Shows |
|---|---|
| Campaign Name | Name (click to open overview panel) |
| Status | Current status badge |
| Products | Selection type and count |
| Discount | Type and value |
| Schedule | Start → End dates |
| Priority | Priority level (1-5) |
| Status / Verdict | Intelligence verdict (Blocked / Risk / Caution / Good / Ready) |
Campaign Overview Panel #
Click any campaign name to open a detailed overview panel without leaving the list.
Panel Sections #
- Basic Info — Name, description, priority, status
- Products — Selection type, product count, categories
- Discount — Type, value, configuration details
- Schedule — Dates, times, recurring pattern
- Intelligence Verdict — Decision state, primary reason, recommended action with CTA, confidence band, and reliability chip (see Campaign Intelligence System)
- Performance Metrics — Revenue, conversions (Pro)
Panel Actions #
- Edit Campaign — Open in wizard
- Duplicate — Create a copy
- Activate/Pause — Toggle status
- Delete — Remove campaign
Settings Page #
Access via SC Discounts → Settings.
General Tab #
- Default discount display settings
- Badge appearance defaults
- Admin theme selection (Classic/Enhanced)
Advanced Tab #
- Debug mode toggle (for troubleshooting)
- Performance optimization options
- Data retention settings
- Uninstall data deletion option
Tools Page #
Access via SC Discounts → Tools.
Available Tools #
| Tool | Function |
|---|---|
| Clear Cache | Reset all cached campaign and product data |
| Health Check | Run diagnostic checks and identify issues |
| System Status | View system information and compatibility |
| Export Campaigns | Download campaign configurations (Pro) |
| Import Campaigns | Import campaign configurations (Pro) |
Dashboard Best Practices #
- Start with the verdict row — If the focus campaign is Blocked or Risk, fix it first. The CTA takes you straight to the right wizard step.
- Scan the campaigns strip — When it’s hidden, your portfolio is healthy. When it shows badges, work through them in the order presented (Blocked first).
- Use Upcoming Opportunities — Plan promotions around holidays and detected calendar gaps.
- Read the operational signals — Margin impact, inventory burn, and overlap severity tell you why the verdict landed where it did, so you can fix root causes.
- Watch the reliability chip — When data is stale or evidence is limited, weigh the verdict accordingly. Don’t act on Risk if the chip says “limited evidence” without checking the underlying data first.
- Use Drafts to stage — Build campaigns as drafts, let Intelligence validate them, then launch from the Ready verdict’s CTA.
