How it works
This section explains how Progress Bars are configured at a high level, how players earn points from offers, and how missions progress and complete in the web store.Configure a Progress Bar
Design and create a Progress Bar in the Publisher Dashboard, or via the Progress Bar API. During configuration, define one or more missions, which players complete in sequence. For each mission, specify:- The number of points required to complete it.
- The reward granted upon completion.
Assign Progress Bar points to offers
Using the Publisher Dashboard or the Offers V2 API, choose which offers contribute points toward the Progress Bar and how many points each offer grants. In the web store, contributing offers display a Points Ribbon showing how many points players earn when collected or purchased. Popup and Checkout Link offers don’t contribute points toward the Progress Bar.
Progress Bar behavior in the web store
This section explains how progress is tracked, displayed, and completed in the web store.Mission progress and completion
The Progress Bar displays progress toward a single mission at a time. As players earn points, the Progress Bar fills to reflect their advancement. When the bar is filled and the required number of points is reached, the mission is completed, the player receives their reward, and a free order is created. If additional missions are available, the Progress Bar automatically transitions to the next mission. The bar visually clears and begins filling again to represent progress toward the new mission’s point requirement. This reset is visual only and does not remove any earned points. The next mission is revealed with an animation, while Points Ribbons remain visible on contributing offers. If there are no remaining missions, the Progress Bar and Points Ribbons are removed from the web store. If you’re using the Web Store Personalization API service, you can customize each mission’s reward by specifying the product and quantity players receive upon completion.
Rollover points
Any points earned beyond the requirement of the current mission roll over to the next mission. This ensures that no progress is lost and that completing one mission naturally contributes to the next. If there are no more available missions, the Progress Bar is considered complete. If you later add a new mission, any rollover points are automatically applied toward it. This behavior applies only during normal mission progression. Appcharge doesn’t recalculate rollover points when you change the configuration, such as updating required points or the number of missions.If a Progress Bar is deleted from the Publisher Dashboard, or if a scheduled Progress Bar ends, both the Points Ribbons and any accumulated rollover progress are permanently lost.
Progress Bar lifecycle and updates
This section covers changes you can make to a Progress Bar after it has been created, including how inactivity, scheduling, and mission updates affect current and future player progress.Set a Progress Bar to inactive
If you set a Progress Bar to inactive, it is removed from the web store but player points are preserved. If the Progress Bar is later reactivated, players will see the Progress Bar along with their existing progress in the web store.Schedule a Progress Bar
You can schedule a Progress Bar to appear during specific time periods. When scheduled, a countdown timer is displayed, creating a sense of urgency for players. Once the scheduled time ends, the Progress Bar is removed from the web store. At that point, both the Points Ribbons and any accumulated rollover player progress are permanently lost.Update mission configuration
Appcharge doesn’t recalculate or redistribute player progress when you update a Progress Bar configuration, such as changing required points (mission size) or the total number of missions. Completed missions remain completed, and players keep any rewards they already received. Appcharge doesn’t grant rewards retroactively for missions the player didn’t complete under the original configuration. For players in an active mission, the point requirement is locked as soon as the player sees that mission. If you later update the point requirement for that same mission, the player continues using the original requirement they saw. Any progress already made in the current mission is preserved, and the player receives the reward only after completing the mission. Only missions the player hasn’t yet reached use the updated configuration. If the Progress Bar is inactive when you update the configuration, the same rules apply when it becomes active again. Completed missions, received rewards, and any preserved mission progress remain unchanged. If you reduce the number of missions so that there are fewer missions than the player’s current position:- The player continues their current mission as usual.
- Their current mission becomes the final mission in the Progress Bar.
- Once the player completes that mission, the Progress Bar ends.
- Players don’t receive rewards for missions that were removed.
Mission 2 (20 points): Player has 15 out of 20 points and hasn’t completed the mission. Mission 3 (30 points): Player hasn’t yet reached this mission. If you update the mission requirements to 10, 10, and 10 points, Appcharge doesn’t recalculate or redistribute the player’s points. Mission 1: Remains completed, and the player keeps the reward.
Mission 2: The player continues this mission with its original requirement of 20 points, keeping their existing progress of 15/20.
Mission 3: Uses the updated requirement (10 points) once the player reaches it. Final result: The player remains in Mission 2 with 15 out of 20 points. No additional rewards are granted, and no progress is recalculated.
Key features
- Clear reward structure: Drives long-term engagement and reinforces a sense of achievement with visible progress and clearly defined rewards.
Monitor Progress Bars
You can track Progress Bars by:- Viewing all Progress Bars in the Progress Bar section of the Publisher Dashboard, where you can filter by external ID and status.
- Setting up webhook events for real-time updates on player activity, offer interactions, and orders.