How to preview and test a Personalisation Widget
Step-by-step instructions to check that your Personalisation Widget is working correctly before going live.
Overview
Testing a Personalisation Widget ensures that the strategy, display type, and page type are working as expected before customers see it.
Because Liva 7 personalises recommendations for each visitor, testing helps you confirm that the widget is active, returning products, and powering the correct theme block.
Testing in a clean session is the most reliable way to confirm that your widget is working.
Confirm that the widget exists and Is saved
Before testing, make sure the widget is created and saved.
To check:
- Go to Personalisation Engine
- Click 'Manage Widgets'
- Confirm the widget appears in the list
- Confirm the page type, display type, and strategy are correct
If the widget does not appear in the table, it was never saved or was deleted.
Make sure the correct Liva 7 block Is added
A widget cannot appear unless the correct theme block is placed.
To confirm:
- Open Shopify admin
- Go to Online Store → Themes
- Click 'Edit theme'
- Select the correct page template
- Look for the Liva 7 block under the 'Apps' tab
If the block is missing, the widget cannot be tested.
Use Display Type to identify the widget
Changing the display type is the easiest way to confirm which widget is powering the block.
To test:
- Edit your widget
- Change the display type (for example, from carousel to grid)
- Save
- Refresh the storefront
If the layout changes, your widget is active.
This is the fastest way to confirm that your widget is powering the block.
Test with a broad strategy first
Some strategies require visitor behaviour or product availability.
To ensure the widget can return products:
- Edit the widget
- Change the strategy to 'Trending'
- Save
- Refresh the storefront
If the widget appears now, the original strategy may have been too narrow.
'Trending' is the most reliable strategy for testing.
Test in an incognito window
Your own browsing history may affect what you see.
To test cleanly:
- Open an incognito or private browsing window
- Visit the page as a new visitor
- Refresh the page
- Check whether the widget appears
Staff accounts often see different recommendations than new visitors.
Clear recently viewed history
If you are testing a strategy like 'Recently viewed', you must clear your history.
To test:
- Open an incognito window
- Visit a few products
- Return to the product page
- Check whether the widget updates
'Recently viewed' will not show anything for a brand new visitor.
Test with different visitor scenarios
Liva 7 personalises recommendations based on behaviour. To test different scenarios:
- Visit multiple products
- Add items to cart
- Browse different collections
- Refresh the page after each action
This helps you see how the widget adapts.
Different visitors may see different widgets or products.
Confirm that no other widget is taking priority
If multiple widgets exist for the same page type, Liva 7 chooses the most relevant one. Your widget may not be selected.
To check:
- Temporarily disable other widgets
- Refresh the storefront
- Confirm your widget appears
- Re-enable other widgets if needed
Liva 7 never shows multiple widgets in the same block.
Use a final testing checklist
Before going live, confirm:
- The widget is saved and active
- The correct Liva 7 block is added
- The block is on the correct template
- The widget is assigned to the correct page type
- The strategy returns enough products
- The widget appears in an incognito window
- No other widget is taking priority
- The block is visible on the page
Most testing issues come from the block being added to the wrong template.
