BFCM Readiness Checklist

Get your app ready for the biggest weekend of the year. Work through these checkpoints with your team ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM), starting with strategy and planning.

Key dates

Date	When	What happens
Suggested freeze	Two weeks before Black Friday	Final app and promo changes
Thanksgiving (US)	Fourth Thursday of November	Early-access and teaser sends
Black Friday	Day after Thanksgiving	Launch push and email
Cyber Monday	Monday after Black Friday	Last-chance push

In 2026, the suggested freeze is Friday, November 13. Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, Black Friday is November 27, and Cyber Monday is November 30.

1. Strategy and planning

Set goals, offers and timing before anything gets built.

• Campaign objectives defined: clarify revenue targets, AOV goals, and push, SMS and email KPIs.
• Offer structure finalized: discounts, bundles, gifts with purchase and tiers (for example, “Spend $100, get 15% off”).
• Promo validity set: confirm BFCM start and end times in local time and UTC.
• Creative assets ready: banners, images and copy for push, email and social.
• Internal comms plan: team aligned on messaging schedule and responsibilities.

2. App and site performance

Make sure the storefront holds up when traffic peaks.

• Latest app version live: confirm iOS and Android builds are approved and rolled out with your Reactiv team.
• Push token coverage verified: check total push-enabled users in Klaviyo, OneSignal or Firebase.
• PDPs load smoothly: audit product pages for broken images, lag or spacing issues.
• Cart and checkout tested: validate payment gateways, upsells and gift-with-purchase logic.
• Promo code functionality: confirm every promo code applies properly on web and in the app.
• Speed audit completed: run a Google PageSpeed test and fix the top issues.

3. Marketing channels

Line up push, email and paid so every channel tells the same story.

Push notifications

• Push campaigns scheduled: at least three planned (teaser, launch and last chance), with creative ready.
• Segmentation tested: active users, dormant users and high spenders.
• Rich media supported: image previews tested in Klaviyo, OneSignal or your push tool.
• Conversion tracking: open, click and order events validated.

Email

• Flows paused or updated: update triggers so discount codes don’t conflict.
• Deliverability check: low bounce and skip rates verified.
• Subject lines reviewed: avoid spam triggers like “% off”, “free” and “urgent”.
• Resend logic in place: target non-openers with a modified subject line.

Social and paid ads

• Ad tracking pixels verified: Meta and TikTok events firing properly.
• Budget allocated: spend plan set for top-performing ad sets.
• Creative consistency: same message across every platform.

4. Inventory and operations

Keep stock, shipping and support ready for the order spike.

• Inventory sync validated: Shopify, app and product data all up to date.
• Low stock alerts set: internal notifications for fast-moving SKUs.
• Shipping cut-off dates published: added to PDPs, banners and email templates.
• Customer support coverage: extended hours and prepared responses ready.
• Returns policy reviewed: clear, visible and updated for promo items.

5. Tracking and insights

Confirm you can measure what happens, in real time and after.

• GA4 events verified: add_to_cart, checkout, purchase, push_open and related events.
• Merchant dashboard ready: set up to monitor your Reactiv dashboard metrics.
• Post-campaign review template: define metrics such as orders, conversion rate, AOV and daily user uplift.

6. Optional enhancements

Extra Reactiv features that can lift conversion during the sale. Pick the ones that fit your plan.

Feature	Benefit	Keep in mind
App banner for BFCM	Highlights app exclusives and drives installs.	Design and approve by mid-November.
Push reminder flow	Re-engages users inactive for 7–14 days.	Make sure permission prompts are working.
App Clip campaigns	Urgency landing pages with a timer and sale details.	Great for flash sales.
Back in stock integration	Connect a tool like SWYM, Klaviyo or AMP back in stock.	Recovers demand on sold-out items.
Post-purchase push	Encourages reviews or next-day deals.	Schedule with a cooldown to avoid fatigue.

7. Post-BFCM wrap-up

Capture what worked while it’s fresh, then plan for next year.

• Campaign debrief: compile performance metrics.
• Push token retention: compare push-enabled users before and after BFCM.
• Refund and chargeback review: audit for trends or issues.
• Creative learnings logged: document the best-performing creatives.
• Merchant feedback session: capture insights for next year.

Questions on any checkpoint?

Your Reactiv team can help with app releases, push setup, App Clip campaigns and dashboard tracking. Reach out early so changes land before the code freeze, through the Reactiv Support Chat or at support@reactiv.ai.