Pinned Card Slot Guide

The Pinned Card Slot is a fixed conversion anchor built into Cubic Carousel. Unlike regular carousel slots that dynamically cycle recommendations based on algorithmic strategies, the pinned card remains locked in position while customer recommendations rotate around it.

It empowers merchants to drive high-intent actions—such as starting a direct WhatsApp consultation, initiating an immediate phone call, jumping to checkout, highlighting a flash promo, or locking a flagship SKU permanently into position.

Plan Availability

The Pinned Card Slot is available on Growth & Pro subscription plans.

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1. Core Controls & Placement

Inside the Cubic Carousel Builder under the Pinned Card Slot section, you have granular controls over where and how the pinned card renders:

A. Position Options

• ⬅️ Left (Start): Locks the pinned card at position #1. This is the very first card shoppers encounter when viewing the carousel track.
• ➡️ Right (End): Anchors the card at the end of the carousel sequence. Ideal for closing the loop with a checkout shortcut or consultation invite after shoppers have viewed all product recommendations.

B. Device Visibility

• 📱💻 Both Devices: Displays the pinned card across all viewports (mobile, tablet, desktop).
• 📱 Mobile Only: Renders exclusively on mobile devices. Perfect for mobile-centric actions like Click-to-Chat or Direct Dial while keeping desktop layouts focused strictly on products.
• 💻 Desktop Only: Shows only on larger desktop screens.

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2. The Five Action Types

Cubic Carousel supports five distinct action modalities for the pinned card:

Action Type	Best Used For	Key Configuration Fields
WhatsApp Click-to-Chat	High-ticket consultations, bespoke sizing inquiries, instant support.	WhatsApp Number, Message Template ({product_title}, {page_url}), Badge Label, Custom Icon.
Direct Call	Local delivery stores, urgent service inquiries, rapid phone orders.	Direct Phone Number, Badge Label, Custom Icon.
Cart / Bag Shortcut	Instant checkout jumps, persistent bag access in sticky carousels.	Badge Label (“View Bag”), Destination URL (/cart or /checkout), Live Counter, Custom Icon.
Custom Link / Banner	Seasonal campaign banners, clearance sale collections, external landing pages.	Card Text (“Limited Offer!”), Destination URL, Open in New Tab toggle, Banner Image URL.
Pinned Hero Product	Brand flagships, new product launches, hero SKUs that must always lead discovery.	Product Picker (Catalog SKU Selection).

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1. WhatsApp Click-to-Chat

Opens an instant WhatsApp chat with your business using official click-to-chat deep links (https://wa.me/...).

• WhatsApp Phone Number: Enter your full international business number with country code (e.g., +971501234567). Leading + is optional; symbols and spaces are automatically sanitized by the app engine.
• Pre-filled Message Template: Shoppers automatically initiate conversation with context. Use dynamic variables:
  • {product_title}: Automatically injects the title of the product page the shopper is currently viewing.
  • {page_url}: Injects the current page URL.
• Badge Label Below Card: Text displayed beneath the icon pill (e.g., “Chat with us”, “Ask Question”).
• Custom Icon / Image URL (Optional): Upload a custom brand graphic or leave empty to use the official WhatsApp icon.

Sample Message Template

Hi! I'm browsing your store and interested in buying:

> {product_title}
{page_url}

Do you have this in stock?

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2. Direct Call

Enables one-tap phone dialing directly from the recommendation track on mobile devices (tel:...).

• Direct Phone Number: Enter your store’s customer service or sales hotline (e.g., +12125550199).
• Badge Label Below Card: The call-to-action text displayed below the icon (e.g., “Call Us”, “Order by Phone”).
• Custom Icon / Image URL (Optional): Upload a custom phone asset or use the built-in call icon.

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3. Cart / Bag Shortcut

Places a persistent shopping cart or bag icon with an optional live item count badge directly in the carousel.

• Destination URL: Defaults to /cart. You can customize this to /checkout to create an express checkout path.
• Live Item Count: Displays the current item count dynamically from the Shopify cart session.
• Badge Label Below Card: Descriptive label (e.g., “View Bag”, “Checkout Now”).
• Custom Icon / Image URL (Optional): Use the sleek bag icon or provide your own brand SVG / image.

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4. Custom Link / Promotional Banner

Promote a seasonal collection, flash deal, or marketing campaign right inside the recommendation stream.

• Text Below Card: Short promotional callout (e.g., “Limited Offer - 20% Off”, “Summer Sale”).
• Destination Link (URL): The destination page (e.g., /collections/summer-sale).
• Open Link in New Tab: Toggle on to open in a new browser tab without navigating away from the current product page.
• Banner Image URL: Upload your banner graphic via Shopify Admin $\rightarrow$ Content $\rightarrow$ Files, then paste the CDN URL here.

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5. Pinned Hero Product

Lock a specific bestselling or flagship item permanently at position #1 or the end of the carousel.

• Select Target Product: Click Change Selected Product to choose any product from your Shopify catalog.
• Automatic Storefront Sync: The card pulls live pricing, product title, main product photography, and variant availability automatically.
• Strategy Immunity: Even when recommendation algorithms recalculate or shuffle based on customer behavior, your pinned hero product stays fixed in place.

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3. Step-by-Step Setup Guide

1. Open the Content Builder

   In Shopify Admin, navigate to Apps $\rightarrow$ Cubic Carousel $\rightarrow$ Content Builder.

2. Enable Pinned Card

   In the Pinned Card Slot section, toggle the Enable Pinned Card switch on.

3. Select Position & Device

   • Choose Left (Start) or Right (End).
   • Choose device display: Both, Mobile Only, or Desktop Only.

4. Pick Action Type & Configure Fields

   Click your desired action tab (WhatsApp, Direct Call, Cart / Bag, Custom Link, or Product) and fill in the required inputs.

5. Save Configuration

   Click Save in the top navigation bar. Your storefront recommendation widgets will immediately begin displaying the pinned slot.

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4. Theme Editor Activation

In your Shopify Theme Editor, ensure the pinned card toggle is active for your desired widget:

• Under the widget settings (such as Global Sticky Bar or Custom Carousel), locate the Enable First / Pinned Card checkbox (enable_first_card).
• Check the box to display your configured Pinned Card.
• If unchecked, the widget renders standard dynamic recommendation slots only.