FREE BFCM PLAYBOOK
Help shoppers find what they need. Then help them buy more
More traffic doesn't always mean more orders. This free 30-page playbook helps you prepare your Shopify store for BFCM, make products easier to find, build offers that give shoppers a reason to buy more, and spot problems while the sale is live.
START HERE · YOUR BFCM CHECKLIST
10 steps to get your store BFCM-ready
Know what to do, when to do it, and where to find the instructions in the playbook.
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Choose your main BFCM goal and the products you want to feature
By Oct 23
Playbook p. 04
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Get Sledge set up before the busy season
By Oct 23
Playbook p. 06
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Help shoppers find products using their own words
By Oct 30
Playbook p. 07–08
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Help mobile shoppers narrow down their choices
By Oct 30
Playbook p. 09
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Put your key products and offers where shoppers will see them
By Oct 30
Playbook p. 10, 22–25
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Give shoppers a good reason to add another item
By Nov 6
Playbook p. 11–12, 14–21
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Keep selling when a popular product sells out
By Nov 6
Playbook p. 13
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Choose a plan before your trial ends
By Nov 6
Playbook p. 06
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Test your store before BFCM. Then leave it stable.
By Nov 20
Playbook p. 05, 30
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Check what’s going wrong each morning and fix the biggest issues first
Nov 26–30
Playbook p. 26
30 PAGES · A PRACTICAL BFCM PLAN
A clear plan for every
stage of BFCM
From getting your store ready to reviewing what happened after the sale,
you’ll know what to focus on at each stage.
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Choose your goal and
prepare your storep. 03–06
Choose one main goal, decide which products to feature, plan around the key BFCM dates, and get your store setup underway before the rush.
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Help shoppers find the
right productsp. 07–10
Help shoppers find products using their own words, give no-result searches somewhere useful to go, make filters easier to use on mobile, and put the right products first.
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Turn more visits into
bigger basketsp. 11–13
Build offers around a clear goal, suggest products shoppers are likely to need, and plan what happens if a popular product sells out.
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Show relevant offers at
the right momentp. 14–21
Show bundles while shoppers browse, search, compare products, and add items to their cart. You’ll also find ideas for subscription offers, build-your-own kits, post-purchase offers, and free gifts.
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Make your BFCM offers
easier to discoverp. 22–25
Make your offers visible as shoppers browse your store, keep product placement consistent during BFCM week, and use banners, countdowns, and homepage recommendations to guide shoppers to the deal.
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See where shoppers get stuck, and what to do next
p. 26–30
Spot issues during the sale, follow shopping journeys that ended without an order, and see what shoppers viewed but didn’t buy. Use what you learn to plan your next offers.
A LOOK INSIDE THE PLAYBOOK
See What's Inside
Take a closer look at the dates, examples, and practical steps you can use to prepare your store for BFCM.
PAGE 5
Your BFCM 2026 calendar
Plan backwards from Black Friday so you know when to prepare, test your setup, and leave your store stable before the rush.
PAGE 7
Help shoppers find the right product
Shoppers don’t always use the same words you use in your catalog. Learn how to account for synonyms, prioritize key products, and test search before BFCM.
PAGE 11
Build offers with a clear purpose
Not every product needs a discount. Choose what each offer should achieve, then build it around products that make sense to sell together.
PAGE 26
Know what to fix while the sale is live
See where shoppers are dropping off, which searches return no results, and where filters may be getting in the way. Use those findings to decide what to fix first.
START WITH THE FREE PLAYBOOK
Find opportunities to improve your store before BFCM
Get practical steps to prepare your store, help shoppers find the right products, and spot issues before they cost you a sale.
Where can we send your playbook?
FAQ
Before you download
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14-day free trial
Explore Sledge on your store before you decide to commit.
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No credit card required
Start improving your store with no upfront commitment.
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Setup in minutes
Get Sledge running without a lengthy setup process.
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Built to grow sales
Turn shopper behavior into actions that help you sell more.
Is the playbook free?
Yes. Enter your email, and we send a link to the 30-page PDF right away. You don't need a Sledge account or a card.
Why do you ask for my email?
The playbook comes by email, so we need an address to send the link to. We use it for that and nothing else. Read our Privacy Policy.
Can I still use the playbook if I’m starting late?
Yes. The checklist runs from Oct 23 to Nov 20, the day you freeze changes, and BFCM week is Nov 26 to 30. If you start late, work through the steps in order and finish each one, even past its deadline, but make your last big change before the freeze.
Do I need Sledge to follow the playbook?
Not for the plan itself. The goal, the calendar and the advice on search, filters and offers work on any Shopify store, while the setup steps are written for Sledge. Sledge is a Shopify app that helps shoppers find the right product and buy more, with search, filters, bundles and upsells.
What happens when my Sledge trial ends?
Sledge stops working on a live store when the 14-day free trial ends, until you choose a plan. Choose one before then so your setup stays live through BFCM. Install by Oct 23 and your trial ends Nov 6, before testing week starts. Plans start at $29.99 a month on the Pricing page.
What will I learn from this playbook?
How to plan BFCM backwards from Black Friday, help shoppers find the right products, build offers with a goal, and put the deal where shoppers see it. The last pages cover what to watch while the sale is live and what to review after it, then sum it all up on one page.
Can I get help setting up Sledge?
Yes. Book a 30-minute demo and bring the playbook. The Sledge team will walk you through the steps you're stuck on, using a live demo store.