Test mode lets you preview a promotion rule on your live storefront before customers ever see it. The rule stays paused for regular shoppers — only someone with your private test link can view it, and that link stops working after 24 hours.
This article covers:
Setting up and going live with test mode
Combining up to 5 rules into a single test link
The magic-link combiner and copying magic links from your rules list
Current limitations, link expiry, and troubleshooting
What test mode does
When test mode is turned on for a rule:
The rule is automatically kept paused — it will not apply to real customers, even if you save it.
EG generates a private, encrypted link you open on your own store to see the rule in action.
The link is for merchant use only. It is not meant to be shared with customers and expires 24 hours after it's generated.
Test mode is found in the Targeting section of the rule editor, in the card labeled Test mode (marked "Merchant only").
Setting up test mode
Create and configure your rule as usual (trigger, action, targeting, discount, and so on).
In the rule editor, scroll to the Test mode card in the Targeting section and check Enable test mode.
Save the rule. Saving with test mode on automatically keeps the rule paused — test mode and an active/live rule can't be on at the same time.
Once the rule is saved, click Generate test link and then Copy to copy the link to your clipboard.
Open the link in a browser on your storefront to preview the rule. Test the full experience — trigger thresholds, added items, notifications, and any banners or popups.
Generating a new test link for the same rule replaces the old one; the previous link stops working immediately.
Going live
When you're satisfied with how the rule behaves:
Uncheck Enable test mode in the Test mode card.
Save the rule.
Activate the rule from the rule list or rule editor. EG blocks activation while test mode is still checked, so you'll need to turn it off first.
Combining multiple rules into one test link
If you're running several promotions together — for example, a gift-with-purchase rule stacked with a free-shipping rule — you can test them at the same time with a single link instead of switching between separate test links.
When to use this: whenever you want to confirm that two or more rules behave correctly together on the same cart or storefront session (stacked or overlapping promotions).
To combine test links:
Make sure each rule you want to combine already has test mode enabled and has been saved (this generates its own test mode data even if you don't copy its individual link).
Open one of those rules and, in the Test mode card, click Combine with other test links to expand the section.
Click Select rules to combine.
In the Combine test links window, check the other saved, test-mode-enabled rules you want to include. You can combine up to 5 rules total (the rule you started from, plus up to 4 others).
Click Generate combined test link.
Copy the combined link and open it on your storefront to preview all the selected rules together.
Notes on combined links:
Only rules that are saved, have test mode enabled, and do not use magic-link targeting appear in the selection list.
The combined link is separate from each rule's individual test link — generating one does not invalidate the other.
Combined links also expire 24 hours after they're generated (see Test link expiry below).
Magic-link combiner and copying magic links
Magic links are a different feature from test mode: they're shareable, persistent links used to target specific customers (for example, a VIP or influencer audience) with a promotion — rather than a private, time-limited preview link for you as the merchant. Because magic-link targeting can't use test mode, EG gives magic-link rules their own tools:
Combine with other magic links — lets you create a single storefront URL that activates several active magic-link rules at once for the customer who clicks it. To use it:
Open a rule that uses magic-link targeting.
In the targeting options, choose Combine with other magic links.
Select the other active magic-link rules you want to combine and click Next.
Copy the combined magic link shown on the next screen.
This does not change any rule's own magic link — it produces a separate, combined URL that triggers all of the selected rules for whoever opens it.
Copy magic link from the rules list — for a quick copy without opening the rule, go to your rules list. Any rule using magic-link targeting shows a small copy icon next to "Magic link" in the Targeting column; click it to copy that rule's magic link straight to your clipboard.
Limitations
Keep the following in mind when using test mode:
Shopify discounts can't be tested. Test mode only works for rules that use an EG-created automatic discount or no discount at all. Rules configured with a Shopify discount code or Shopify automatic discount aren't supported, because Shopify applies those discounts to every qualifying cart — including items added outside of EG — so there's no way to isolate a private preview.
Magic-link targeting is incompatible with test mode. If a rule's targeting type is set to magic link, the Enable test mode checkbox is disabled. Use the magic-link combiner (above) to preview combinations of magic-link rules instead.
Rules with a schedule can't use test mode. If a rule has a schedule turned on, the Enable test mode checkbox is disabled with the message "Test Mode is unavailable while this rule has a schedule. Remove the schedule to enable Test Mode." Remove or disable the schedule to test the rule, then re-add the schedule before going live.
Scheduled rules automatically pause when their schedule ends. Once a scheduled rule's end date/time passes, EG automatically pauses it in the background — you don't need to remember to turn it off manually. If you try to reactivate a rule whose schedule has already ended, you'll be asked to update the end date first.
Combined test links support up to 5 rules (the current rule plus up to 4 others), and every rule included must already be saved with test mode enabled.
Test link expiry and regenerating links
Every test link — single-rule or combined — expires 24 hours after it's generated.
The Test mode card shows the exact expiry date and time under the link.
To keep testing beyond 24 hours, simply generate a new link. Creating a new single-rule test link replaces that rule's previous link, which stops working right away. Combined test links are independent of each rule's individual link, so regenerating one doesn't affect the other.
Editing and re-saving a rule while test mode is on does not require a new link — your existing test link continues to work and will reflect your latest saved changes the next time you open it, as long as test mode stays enabled.
Troubleshooting
"This link is invalid or expired" This usually means one of the following:
More than 24 hours have passed since the link was generated.
A new test link was generated for the same rule since, which replaced this one.
Test mode was turned off for the rule (or the rule was deleted) after the link was created.
Generate a fresh test link from the rule's Test mode card to resolve this.
The "Test mode" badge is still showing in my rules list The badge reflects whether test mode is currently turned on for the rule — it does not disappear automatically when a test link expires. To remove it, open the rule, uncheck Enable test mode, and save.
I edited the rule after generating the test link — do I need a new one? No. As long as test mode is still enabled, your existing test link stays valid and will show your latest saved changes when you open it again.
I can't check "Enable test mode" Check whether the rule uses magic-link targeting, uses a Shopify discount code/automatic discount, or has a schedule turned on — all three currently block test mode (see Limitations above).
Common questions
Can customers see a rule while it's in test mode? No. Test mode keeps the rule paused for everyone except whoever has the private test link, and that link is only meant for you and your team.
Do I need to be on a specific plan to use test mode? No — test mode itself is available on every plan. Note that magic-link targeting (a separate feature for sharing persistent links with customers) requires the Unlimited plan or higher.
What happens to my test count / testing history when I activate the rule? Activating a rule out of test mode clears its saved test link so it can no longer be opened; if you need to test again later, re-enable test mode and generate a new link.