Email Designer: Use the Product Catalog block with your email campaigns

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Use the "Product Catalog" content block in the email designer to display products from your Shopify or WooCommerce store.

Take note

  • The Product Catalog block is available with the Shopify integration and the WooCommerce integration (version 1.9.2)
  • You need to have Collections configured in Shopify or Categories configured in WooCommerce before using this block
  • You will need to perform a product catalog sync before using this block
  • You can add multiple Product Catalog blocks to a single email
  • The Product Catalog block replaces the existing Product block
    • All existing Product blocks will continue working as expected without intervention
    • See the FAQ below for more details
  • This content block is not available with the Classic designer
  • The Product Catalog block can be used in direct and automated campaigns

How the Product Catalog block works

Before using this block in your campaign, you must sync your product catalog to ActiveCampaign. Once complete, you must select a store and choose a method to select products for your block. You can choose from filtered product selection or manual product selection.

Once you choose your product selection method, we'll present a placeholder block in the campaign layout containing sample products. This placeholder will include an image, name, price, description, and view button for each sample product. You can configure the look and feel of this block from the right pane of the email designer. Your product data will appear on the right pane of the email designer. 

When you send the campaign, we'll pull product information and images from your connected ecommerce store and display them to your contacts. If a contact clicks the "View" button for a product, we will direct them to the product detail page in your store.

Note that if you add this block to an "Abandoned cart" email, the prices shown are for the cost of the item only. It does not include tax or shipping. 

Test email sends, and previews will also display the product information and images in your email so you can see what the communication will look like before sending it out to contacts.

Note that the images and information displayed in the Product Catalog block come directly from your store. If you need to change a product's name, description, price, or image, you will need to do so in your connected ecommerce store.

Perform a Product Catalog sync

Before adding the Product Catalog block to your campaign, you must sync your store's product catalog to ActiveCampaign. You need to sync this data so the block can load products from your store.

Below are instructions for Shopify and WooCommerce customers.

Shopify customers

There are two ways to sync your product catalog, and they are listed below. Note that the sync can take up to 24 hours for both options. Once the sync is complete, placeholder product catalog data will display inside the block. Your actual product data will display on the right pane of the email designer. 

Option 1: From the Settings > Integrations page

  1. Click "Settings"> "Integrations."
  2. Click the "Manage" button for your Shopify integration.
  3. Click the "Historical Sync" button.

Option 2: From the Email Designer

  1. From the email designer, drag the "Product Catalog" block to your campaign layout.
  2. Click the block, then select your store.
  3. Choose "Select products manually" from the Products dropdown, then click the "Select Products" button.
  4. A modal window will appear. Click the "Sync product catalog" button.

WooCommerce customers

You can sync your store's product catalog from the email designer. Note that the sync can take up to 24 hours.

  1. From the email designer, drag the "Product Catalog" block to your campaign layout.
  2. Click the block, then select a store.
  3. From the "Products" dropdown, click "Select Products Manually," then click the "Select Products" button.
  4. Your WordPress site will open in a new window. Navigate to the "ActiveCampaign for WooCommerce" plugin, then go to the Product Sync page.
  5. Click the "Schedule Product Sync Jobs" option.

Note that you can also navigate to your WordPress site and follow those same steps to complete this sync independently of the email campaign designer at any time.

Add the Product Catalog block to your campaign

These instructions are for both direct and automated campaigns.

  1. From the email designer, drag the "Product Catalog" block to your campaign layout, then click it to open it.
  2. Click the "Select a store" dropdown, then click the store you want to use with the block.
  3. Choose a method to select products to add to your block. You can choose "Filtered" or "Manual." Please read the content in the expandable boxes below for more information on these two options. 
  4. Select the product card layout you want to use. You can choose from vertical or horizontal.
  5. We will display the following product details: product image, name, price, description, and "View" button. To remove any of these items from your layout, click the toggle to set it to the "Off" position.
    1.  
  6. Change the font and styling for product details by clicking the pencil icon for the item you wish to modify. You can use the following font and style options:
    • Change text color
    • Change alignment
    • Optimize for mobile
    • Adjust the text style (font type, font size, add bold, add italics)
    • Adjust line spacing
    • Adjust padding

When configuring the "Product Catalog Block," make any other modifications to your email. Then click "Save & Exit" to leave the builder or "Next" to go to the Campaign Summary page.

Make sure to preview and test your email before sending it.

About "Filtered" product selection
  1. Select "Filtered products" in the products dropdown.
  2. Add filters to your product catalog block. Filters include:
    • Category (WooCommerce only)
    • Collection (Shopify only)
    • Product Tags
    • Vendor (Shopify only)
    • Stock status: In stock, Out of stock, Backorder
    • Average Rating: Greater than, Less than, Equal to
    • Number of Sales (WooCommerce only): Greater than, Less than, Equal to
    • Is or Is Not On Sale
  3. Choose how to sort the products displayed in the block: Price (high -> low), Price (low -> high,) Date Created (newest -> oldest), Date Created (oldest -> newest), Rating (highest -> lowest), Rating (lowest -> highest)
  4. Choose the number of items to display in the block using the - and + options located on the right pane under "Total items." You can display up to 15 items in the product catalog block.
About "Manual" product selection
  1. Choose "Select manually" in the products dropdown.
  2. Click the "Select products" button that appears.
  3. A modal window will appear and display every product in your catalog:
    • Search for different products by selecting the field type in the dropdown next to the search bar and typing your search criteria
    • Field types supported are: Product name, Product tag, and Product vendor (Shopify only)
  4. You can filter by category (WooCommerce only) or collection (Shopify only).
  5. Choose how to sort the products displayed in the block: Price (high -> low), Price (low -> high,) Date Created (newest -> oldest), Date Created (oldest -> newest), Rating (highest -> lowest), Rating (lowest -> highest)
  6. Check each product you want to add to the Product Catalog block. To deselect a product, click the box or the "X" next to the product tile. You can add up to 15 products to the product catalog block.
  7. Click the "Save and Close" button on the bottom right corner of the modal. You will be redirected to the email designer. The tiles for the selected products will display on the right pane.
  8. Reorder the products by dragging the dots to the order of your choosing.
  9. Remove any products by clicking the "X" on the tile.
  10. You can edit the products anytime by clicking the "Select Products" button and reopening the manual selection modal.

Product Catalog block FAQs

Does the Product Catalog replace the existing Product block? What does that mean?

Any campaigns using the Product block in both automations or direct email campaigns will continue to function as expected. An existing Product block will convert to a Product Catalog block if the campaign builder containing a Product block is reopened.

When the email designer is reopened, the Product block will convert to a Product Catalog block, and you will need to reconfigure the product selection.

All previously made styling updates on the product block will remain the same.

Why don't I see results in my Product Catalog block?

There may be a few reasons why you may not see results in the Product block. To troubleshoot this, try the following:

  • Refresh the page. Product catalog sync requires a refresh on the page
  • Run a product catalog sync. See the Product Catalog sync instructions at the beginning of this article and resync your data

Why do I see fewer products displayed in the filtered product selection results than in the manual selection modal?

Part of the product catalog data is what is called a variant. A variant is a different version of the same parent product. For example, a t-shirt might be available in different colors, or a candle might be available with different scents. These alternate colors or scents would be considered variants.

With the "Filtered" product selection, we display products without variants, so customers will be sent to the main product detail page when they click the item in your campaign. 

With the "Manual" product selection, we allow the exact variants to be chosen, which is why more products will appear in that modal.

This is to avoid a frustrating experience where you pull products into a "Filtered" product catalog block and have three of the same-looking t-shirts. With the "Manual" selection, you can configure it to know exactly what products are getting pulled into your email. 

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