Campaigns and notifications each have settings that affect when things run. They solve different problems. This guide separates campaign schedule, campaign priority, and notification priority so you know which knob to turn.
Three layers of "when"
Think of timing in three layers:
1. Campaign schedule → Is this promo allowed to run at all right now?
2. Notification schedule → (Only if no campaign) Same question per notification
3. Show timing → On this page visit, when should it appear?Campaign schedule is the date window (start/end). Show timing is delay, scroll, exit intent, and similar triggers on the Timing tab.
Both must pass for a visitor to see a linked notification. See When Should the Notification Show? and Campaign Schedule and Timezone.
Campaign schedule overrides notification dates
When a notification is linked to a campaign:
| Setting | Where it lives | Who wins |
|---|---|---|
| Start/end dates | Campaign editor | Campaign |
| Show timing (delay, scroll, etc.) | Notification Timing tab | Notification |
| Frequency limits | Notification tabs | Notification |
The Timing tab Enable Schedule stays off while a campaign is linked. A banner tells you the campaign controls dates.
Without a campaign, use Schedule Windows (Start/End Dates) on the Timing tab instead.
Campaign priority (1 to 10)
On the campaign editor you see Priority (1–10), default 5.
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | Lowest campaign priority |
| 10 | Highest campaign priority |
| 5 | Default, fine for most sites |
What it is for: rare cases where campaign-level rules overlap and Notifal must decide which campaign setting matters more. Higher numbers win.
What it is not for: picking which popup shows first on a normal page. That is handled by notification-level logic below.
Most stores can leave campaign priority at 5.
Notification priority (Notifal Pro)
On the notification Timing tab, Advanced Timing (Pro) includes Enable Priority and Priority Level (1–10).
| Setting | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Enable Priority off | Notifal uses automatic smart ordering |
| Enable Priority on | You set level 1–10 (10 = highest) |
This matters when several notifications could show at the same moment, especially with Prevent Multiple Instances turned on. The higher notification priority wins.
Side-by-side comparison
| Question | Use campaign priority | Use notification priority (Pro) |
|---|---|---|
| Which promo period is active? | Campaign schedule + Campaign active | Not applicable |
| Should this notification run today? | Campaign dates (if linked) | Timing tab schedule (if not linked) |
| Which notification shows first when two compete? | Not the main tool | Enable Priority on Timing tab |
| Pause an entire sale at once? | Campaign active off | Turn each Status off (slower) |
Example: weekend sale with two popups
Setup:
- Campaign Weekend Sale, Saturday 00:00 to Sunday 23:59, priority 5
- Notification A: main offer popup, notification priority 8
- Notification B: reminder popup, notification priority 4
- Both linked to the campaign, both Status on
What happens:
- Before Saturday: campaign is Scheduled, neither shows
- During the weekend: campaign window is open. Show timing and display rules run per notification. If both try to show at once with Prevent Multiple Instances, Notification A wins (priority 8)
- After Sunday: campaign is Ended, neither shows regardless of notification priority
Free vs Pro note
| Feature | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Campaigns (create, schedule, link, toggle) | Yes | Yes |
| Campaign priority field | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple notifications live at once | No (one at a time) | Yes |
| Notification Enable Priority on Timing tab | No | Yes |
On Free, only one notification is live at a time anyway, so notification priority is less relevant. Campaigns still help you schedule and group promos. See What Is Notifal? (Free vs Pro).
Practical tips
| Goal | What to adjust |
|---|---|
| Run a promo only next week | Campaign start/end dates |
| Stop all sale notifications instantly | Pause the campaign |
| One hero popup beats a secondary reminder | Pro: raise notification priority on the hero |
| Two campaigns with conflicting windows | Raise campaign priority on the more important one |
Checklist
- [ ] I know campaign dates control the promo window for linked notifications
- [ ] I know show timing still lives on each notification's Timing tab
- [ ] I left campaign priority at 5 unless I have overlapping campaign edge cases
- [ ] On Pro, I use notification priority when several notifications compete to show
What to read next
Scheduling & Priority series
- Campaign Schedule and Timezone
- Campaign Expiry and Auto-Deactivation
- Campaign Priority vs Notification Priority (you are here)