General
4 min read
Find answers to the most common questions about Smart Cycle Discounts, its features, and how it can help automate your WooCommerce promotions.
Getting Started #
What is Smart Cycle Discounts? #
Smart Cycle Discounts is a WordPress plugin that automates WooCommerce discount campaigns. It allows you to create scheduled promotions that automatically activate and deactivate based on your configured dates and times. Key features include:
- Automatic campaign scheduling and activation
- Multiple discount types (percentage, fixed amount, tiered, BOGO, spend threshold, bundle)
- Flexible product selection methods
- Recurring campaign support for weekly promotions (Pro)
- Campaign conflict resolution with priority system
- Analytics and performance tracking (Pro)
Do I need WooCommerce installed? #
Yes. Smart Cycle Discounts is a WooCommerce extension and requires WooCommerce to function. The plugin will display a notice if WooCommerce is not active.
Requirements:
- WordPress 6.4 or higher
- WooCommerce 8.0 or higher
- PHP 7.4 or higher
Will Smart Cycle Discounts slow down my website? #
No. Smart Cycle Discounts is designed with performance in mind:
- Smart Caching: Campaign data is cached to minimize database queries
- Lazy Loading: Assets load only on pages where they’re needed
- Efficient Queries: Database queries are optimized with proper indexing
- Conditional Loading: Admin assets don’t load on the frontend
Most stores will see no noticeable performance impact. For stores with 100+ campaigns or 10,000+ products, see our Performance Optimization guide.
Campaign Features #
How many campaigns can I create? #
There is no limit to the number of campaigns you can create in either the Free or Pro version. However, we recommend keeping active campaigns under 50 for optimal performance on most hosting environments.
Can I run multiple campaigns at the same time? #
Yes. You can have multiple active campaigns simultaneously. When campaigns overlap on the same product, the plugin uses the priority system (1-5, with 5 being highest) to determine which discount applies. Only one discount applies per product to maintain predictable pricing.
What’s the difference between one-time and recurring campaigns? #
| Feature | One-Time Campaign | Recurring Campaign |
|---|---|---|
| Runs | Once between start/end dates | Repeats weekly on selected days |
| Use Case | Holiday sales, product launches | Weekly specials, weekend deals |
| Scheduling | Specific dates and times | Days of week + time window |
| Automation | Activates once, expires once | Automatically cycles on/off |
| Availability | Free & Pro | Pro |
Do discounts stack with WooCommerce coupons? #
By default, no. Smart Cycle Discounts applies automatic price discounts, and these don’t stack with coupon discounts to prevent over-discounting. However, you can configure this behavior:
- Default: Campaign discount OR coupon, not both
- Configurable: Settings allow coupon stacking if desired
- Best Practice: Keep stacking disabled to maintain profit margins
Can customers see upcoming campaigns? #
No. Scheduled campaigns are not visible to customers until they become active. Only store administrators can see campaign schedules in the admin panel.
Product Selection #
Can I apply a discount to all products? #
Yes. Use the “All Products” selection type to apply discounts store-wide. You can also exclude specific products or categories from an “All Products” campaign.
Can I discount products by category? #
Yes. Use the “Condition-Based” selection type with a category condition:
- Select “Condition-Based” product selection
- Add condition: Category → Equals → [Your Category]
- Use AND/OR logic for multiple categories
Can I exclude sale items from campaigns? #
Yes. Add an exclusion condition to your campaign:
- Field: “On Sale”
- Operator: “Equals”
- Value: “No”
This ensures products already on sale via WooCommerce’s built-in sale price are excluded from your campaign discount.
What happens if I add new products to a category? #
If you’re using condition-based selection (e.g., “Category equals Summer”), new products added to that category will automatically be included in the campaign. This is the advantage of condition-based selection over manually selecting specific products.
Discount Display #
How are discounts shown to customers? #
Discounts appear throughout the shopping experience:
- Shop/Category Pages: Sale badge + strikethrough price
- Product Page: Original price crossed out, sale price shown
- Cart: Discounted prices applied automatically
- Checkout: Final discounted prices
Can I customize the sale badge appearance? #
Yes. Go to SC Discounts → Settings → Display to customize:
- Global badge enable/disable and display contexts (shop, product, cart)
- Default badge template (Default, Pill, Ribbon, Outline, Square, Circle, Tag, Dashed)
- Native sale badge overlap strategy (hide native or offset SCD badge)
- Time-phase badge behavior (“Starts Soon”/”Ends Soon”)
Campaign-level badge text, colors, position, and template are set in Wizard Step 3. For CSS-level customization, target the .wsscd-* badge classes in your theme.
Why isn’t the discount showing on my product? #
Common reasons include:
- Campaign not active: Check campaign status is “Active”
- Product not selected: Verify the product matches your selection criteria
- Higher priority campaign: Another campaign may be applying instead
- Caching: Clear your site cache and browser cache
- Theme compatibility: Some themes override price display
See our full Discounts Not Displaying troubleshooting guide.
Data and Privacy #
What data does the plugin collect? #
Smart Cycle Discounts stores data locally in your WordPress database:
- Campaign configurations: Names, settings, schedules
- Product relationships: Which products are in each campaign
- Analytics (Pro): Campaign revenue, conversions, discount amounts
- Activity logs: Campaign status changes, admin actions
No customer personal data is collected by the plugin beyond what WooCommerce already collects for orders.
Is the plugin GDPR compliant? #
Yes. Smart Cycle Discounts:
- Stores data only in your local database (no external transmission)
- Does not collect personal customer information
- Integrates with WordPress privacy tools for data export/erasure
- Allows complete data removal on uninstall
What happens to my data if I uninstall the plugin? #
You have two options:
- Deactivate only: All data is preserved, plugin can be reactivated later
- Full uninstall: Enable “Remove data on uninstall” in Settings → Advanced before deleting the plugin
Important: Back up your database before enabling data removal, as this action is irreversible.
Support #
How do I get help? #
Support options depend on your version:
| Version | Support Channel | Response Time |
|---|---|---|
| Free | WordPress.org support forum | Community-based |
| Pro | Priority email support | 24-48 hours |
Before requesting support, please:
- Check this documentation for answers
- Run the Health Check (SC Discounts → Tools)
- Gather your system information from Tools → System Status
Where can I request new features? #
We welcome feature suggestions! Submit requests through:
- Pro users: Priority feature request form in your account area
- Free users: WordPress.org plugin support forum
Popular feature requests are regularly reviewed and prioritized for future releases.
