Every on-page notification has a status that controls whether visitors see it on your site. This guide explains the status switch, list filters, and the one live notification rule on the free plan.
If you have not created a notification yet, start with Your First On-Page Notification.
The Status switch (on and off)
On Notifal → OnPage Notifications, each row has a Status column with an on/off switch.
| Switch position | What it means for visitors |
|---|---|
| On | The notification is live. It can appear on your site when its timing and display rules match. |
| Off | The notification is not live. Visitors will not see it, even if all other settings look correct. |
When you turn Status on, Notifal marks the notification as published. When you turn it off, it is saved as a draft.
Draft vs active in the list
The notifications list also has tabs at the top to filter by WordPress post status:
| Tab | What you see |
|---|---|
| All | Every notification except those in Trash |
| Published | Notifications with Status on (live) |
| Draft | Notifications with Status off (saved but not live) |
| Trash | Deleted notifications you can restore or remove permanently |
In the editor, the status card at the top mirrors the same idea:
- Live & Active , Status is on; the notification can show to visitors
- Draft Mode , Status is off; the notification is saved for later
What happens when you import a template
Ready-made templates from the library are imported as drafts with Status off. Nothing appears on your site until you deliberately turn Status on.
This gives you time to review timing, display rules, and content before going live. See Your First On-Page Notification for the full import workflow.
Free plan: only one live notification
On the free plan, only one notification can be live at a time.
When you turn Status on for a notification while another one is already live, Notifal automatically turns the previous notification off. The older notification moves back to draft; the new one becomes the single live notification.
This applies when you:
- Flip the Status switch in the list
- Save a notification with Status enabled in the editor
- Import or restore notifications that would activate more than one at once
Common situations
"I turned it on but still do not see it on my site"
Check these in order:
- Status is on in the list (not just saved in the editor)
- Timing settings (some templates wait several seconds before showing)
- Display rules (the notification may be limited to certain pages or visitors)
- Test in a private/incognito browser window
"I want to pause a notification without deleting it"
Turn Status off. The notification stays in your list as a draft. Turn it back on when you are ready.
"I need two promotions running at the same time"
That requires Notifal Pro with an active license. On Free, run one live notification at a time, or use Campaigns to schedule them in sequence (see Navigating the Notifal Admin Menu).
"I imported JSON from an AI assistant"
Imported JSON is saved as a disabled draft on purpose so you can review it before publishing. Open the notification, check the settings, then turn Status on when you are satisfied.
Status and campaigns
A notification can be linked to a campaign. The notification still needs Status on to be eligible to show. Campaign schedules and priority decide when among linked notifications, but Status off always blocks the front end.
Checklist
- [ ] I know Status on = live on the site
- [ ] I know Status off = draft, hidden from visitors
- [ ] On Free, I expect only one notification live at a time
- [ ] I checked timing and display rules if a live notification does not appear
What to read next
- Your First On-Page Notification , import and go live
- What Is Notifal? (Free vs Pro) , multiple live notifications with Pro
- Navigating the Notifal Admin Menu , find every admin screen