Campaign Priority System

The priority system determines which discount applies when multiple campaigns target the same product. Understanding and using priorities effectively prevents conflicts and ensures predictable discount behavior.

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Priority Levels #

Every campaign has a priority from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest):

Level	Name	Icon	Recommended Use
5	Critical	🔴	Flash sales, VIP exclusives, error overrides
4	High	🟠	Black Friday, major holiday sales
3	Normal	🟡	Standard promotions, regular sales (default)
2	Low	🔵	Ongoing deals, background promotions
1	Minimum	⚪	Fallback discounts, catch-all campaigns

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How Priority Works #

Basic Rule #

When multiple active campaigns include the same product, only the highest-priority campaign’s discount applies.

Example #

Product: Blue Widget ($100)

Active Campaigns:
- "Flash Sale" (Priority 5): 40% off
- "Weekend Deal" (Priority 3): 20% off
- "Member Discount" (Priority 1): 5% off

Result: Flash Sale wins
Customer pays: $60 (40% off)

Lower Priority Campaigns #

Lower-priority campaigns still apply to products NOT covered by higher-priority campaigns.

Active Campaigns:
- "Electronics Sale" (Priority 4): 30% off Electronics
- "Site-Wide" (Priority 2): 10% off All Products

Results:
- Electronics product: 30% off (Priority 4 wins)
- Clothing product: 10% off (Priority 2, no conflict)
- Home product: 10% off (Priority 2, no conflict)

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Setting Priority #

In the Campaign Wizard #

1. Go to Step 1: Basic Information
2. Find the Priority dropdown
3. Select the appropriate level (1-5)
4. Default is 3 (Normal) for new campaigns

Priority Selection Interface #

The dropdown shows:

• Priority number and name
• Brief description of recommended use
• Color indicator matching the level

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Conflict Detection #

Smart Cycle Discounts automatically detects potential conflicts:

In Step 5 (Review) #

The health check shows:

• List of overlapping campaigns
• Which products are affected
• Which campaign will win for each conflict
• Recommendations for resolution

Conflict Warning Example #

⚠️ Priority Conflicts Detected

This campaign overlaps with:

Campaign: "Summer Sale" (Priority 3)
- 45 products in common
- Resolution: This campaign (Priority 4) will override

Campaign: "VIP Flash" (Priority 5)
- 12 products in common
- Resolution: VIP Flash will override this campaign

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Same Priority Tie-Breaking #

If two campaigns have the same priority level:

1. Most recently created/modified wins
2. The campaign saved last takes precedence

Example #

Campaign A: Priority 3, last modified Dec 10
Campaign B: Priority 3, last modified Dec 15

Result: Campaign B wins (more recently modified)

Best Practice #

Avoid same-priority conflicts by using different levels or ensuring products don’t overlap.

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Priority Strategy Examples #

Layered Discount Strategy #

Priority 1: Member base discount (5% off) - Always active
Priority 2: Category promotions (15% off Electronics) - Ongoing
Priority 3: Weekly deals (20% off featured items) - Weekly rotation
Priority 4: Holiday sales (25% off) - Major events
Priority 5: Flash sales (40% off) - Rare, short-duration

Category-Based Strategy #

Priority 3: All category sales at same level
- Use non-overlapping product selections
- Avoid priority conflicts entirely

Time-Based Override Strategy #

Priority 2: Ongoing evergreen discount
Priority 4: Seasonal override (temporarily takes over)

When seasonal campaign ends, evergreen automatically resumes

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Changing Priorities #

When to Change #

• New higher-priority campaign needs to take precedence
• Existing campaign should yield to another
• Reorganizing your campaign hierarchy

How to Change #

1. Edit the campaign
2. Update the Priority field in Step 1
3. Save changes
4. New priority takes effect immediately

Impact of Changes #

For active campaigns, priority changes apply instantly:

• Products may switch to a different discount
• Prices update on the frontend
• No restart or reactivation needed

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Best Practices #

1. Establish a Priority Policy #

Document what each priority level is for:

5: Emergency/Flash only (requires manager approval)
4: Major events (Black Friday, holiday seasons)
3: Regular promotions (default for most campaigns)
2: Background/ongoing (member benefits, loyalty)
1: Fallback (catch-all, rarely used)

2. Use Normal (3) as Default #

Most campaigns should be Priority 3. Reserve higher levels for special occasions.

3. Avoid Priority 5 Overuse #

If everything is Critical, nothing is. Use Priority 5 sparingly.

4. Review Conflicts Regularly #

Check the campaign list sorted by priority to understand your current hierarchy.

5. Document Priority Decisions #

Use the campaign description to note why a specific priority was chosen.

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Common Questions #

Can discounts stack from multiple campaigns? #

No. Only one campaign discount applies per product (the highest priority).

What if I want combined discounts? #

Create a single campaign with the combined discount amount.

Do priorities affect scheduling? #

No. Priorities only resolve conflicts between simultaneously active campaigns. Scheduling controls when campaigns are active.

Can I see which campaign is “winning” for a product? #

Yes. The campaign overview panel shows affected products and any conflicts.

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Troubleshooting Priority Issues #

Wrong discount showing #

1. Check which campaigns are active
2. Verify the product is in each campaign’s selection
3. Compare priority levels
4. Clear cache and refresh

Expected campaign not applying #

1. Confirm campaign is Active (not Draft/Scheduled/Paused)
2. Check if higher-priority campaign is overriding
3. Verify product is in the campaign’s selection

Multiple campaigns seem to apply #

This shouldn’t happen. If you see multiple discounts:

1. Clear all caches
2. Check for WooCommerce coupons (separate system)
3. Contact support if issue persists