> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.recart.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.recart.com/holiday-playbooks/halloween.md).
# Halloween
Covers Halloween campaign ideas, popup designs and offers, from the costume rush to the day after.
Halloween shoppers buy costumes, decor, treats and gifts - for themselves, their kids and even their pets. It's a fun, playful moment, and it comes just before BFCM, so it's a good time to grow your list.
This playbook covers what to send, how to theme your popups, and which offers work best for Halloween.
{% hint style="info" %}
Halloween is on 31 October. [BFCM](/holiday-playbooks/bfcm.md) follows a few weeks later, so keep your Halloween offers modest and save your biggest discount for Black Friday.
{% endhint %}
### Key dates and lead time
* **5-6 weeks before:** launch your Halloween popups and collection - costume and decor shoppers start early
* **2-3 weeks before:** early access for subscribers
* **Your order-by date:** the last day to order for delivery before Halloween. Work it out from your carriers' deadlines and your own packing time, and put it on your popups and messages
* **31 October:** a short, playful one-day offer
* **1-2 November:** sell what's left, then switch your popups and messages to BFCM
### Campaign send plan
Five to six sends are enough. Use these messages as a starting point and customize them to suit your brand. Recart adds your site name to the start of every message automatically (shown here as \[Site Name]), and you can personalize further with [variables](/sms/writing-messages/use-variables-in-sms-flows.md) like the subscriber's first name (shown here as \[First Name]).
| Send | When | Goal |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------- |
| 1. Collection launch | 4-5 weeks before | Catch early costume and decor shoppers |
| 2. Early access | 2-3 weeks before | Reward subscribers |
| 3. Order-by reminder | A few days before your order-by date | Get orders in on time |
| 4. Last call | Your order-by date | Create urgency |
| 5. Trick or treat | 31 October | A fun one-day offer |
| 6. Leftovers sale | 1-2 November | Clear Halloween stock before BFCM |
#### Sample messages
**1. Collection launch**
"\[Site Name]: Hi \[First Name], our Halloween collection just landed - costumes, decor and treats. Shop it first: \[link]"
**2. Early access**
"\[Site Name]: You're in early! Shop our Halloween drop 24 hours before everyone else: \[link]"
**3. Order-by reminder**
"\[Site Name]: Order by \[date] to get your Halloween order in time. \[link]"
**4. Last call**
"\[Site Name]: Last day to order for Halloween delivery! Don't miss it: \[link]"
**5. Trick or treat**
"\[Site Name]: Trick or treat? Today only, reveal your surprise discount: \[link]"
**6. Leftovers sale**
"\[Site Name]: Halloween's over, but the treats aren't. Up to \[50%] off what's left: \[link]"
#### Send tips
* Keep it playful - Halloween is one of the few moments where puns and a bit of spooky fun suit almost every brand
* Add a product image to your collection launch and early access sends
* Put your order-by date in every send from the early access message onwards
* When you add the first name variable, set a fallback like "there", so the message still reads well for subscribers whose name you don't have
[How to schedule SMS campaigns in Recart](/sms/campaigns/run-successful-sms-campaigns-with-recart.md)
[Add images to SMS messages](/sms/writing-messages/add-images-to-sms-messages.md)
[Create SMS segments and lists](/sms/subscribers-and-lists/create-sms-segments-and-lists.md)
### Popup ideas
Keep your popup on-brand, with a Halloween touch - dark backgrounds, a pop of orange or purple, and a fun product photo. Four directions to try - two full-screen and two lightbox popups:
#### 1. Halloween costumes
**Design:** A full-screen popup with a fun product photo on one side and the offer on a dark background. Add your order-by date in small text at the bottom.
**Headlines to try:**
* Costumes for your best boo
* Spooky season starts here
* \[15%] off your first Halloween order
**Button text to try:** Get my \[15%] off · Shop costumes
#### 2. Early access
**Design:** A full-screen popup with a bold headline on a dark background, a bright orange label and a product photo.
**Headlines to try:**
* The Halloween drop, a day early
* Subscribers shop first
* Get first pick of our Halloween collection
**Button text to try:** Get early access · Count me in
#### 3. Trick or treat
**Design:** A lightbox popup over your store page, with a product photo on one side and a surprise offer on the other. For a real reveal, use an [engagement tool](/list-growth/popups/engagement-tools.md) like Spin the Wheel.
**Headlines to try:**
* Reveal your Halloween treat
* Trick or treat?
* A surprise is waiting for you
**Button text to try:** Reveal my treat · Spin to win
#### 4. Mystery gift with purchase
**Design:** A lightbox popup with a product photo on one side and the offer on a card with a thin border. On mobile, keep just the card. A mystery gift adds a little Halloween suspense and protects your margins before BFCM.
**Headlines to try:**
* A free mystery gift with your order
* Something spooky in every box
* A free gift with every order over \[amount]
**Button text to try:** Claim my mystery gift · Get my gift
{% hint style="info" %}
A soft decline link like "Maybe later" or "No thanks" keeps the popup friendly. Make sure your Welcome Flow's first message matches the offer on the popup.
{% endhint %}
[Create a welcome popup](/list-growth/popups/welcome-popup.md)
[Schedule your opt-in tools](/list-growth/testing-and-scheduling/scheduling-opt-ins.md)
[Customize your CTA button](/list-growth/popups/customizing-your-cta-button-in-popups.md)
### Discount ideas
Halloween shoppers love a bit of fun. Surprises and extras work well, and they leave room for a bigger offer at BFCM.
* **Early access:** let subscribers shop your Halloween collection first
* **First-order discount:** a percentage or fixed amount off for new subscribers
* **Surprise discount:** a mystery offer revealed on the popup, for example with Spin the Wheel
* **Mystery gift with purchase:** a free surprise item over a set order value
* **Bundles:** costume and accessory sets, or treat boxes, at a set price
* **Leftovers sale:** a discount on Halloween stock on 1-2 November
#### Discount code ideas
Keep codes short - one word or a word and a number - so they're easy to remember and type on a phone.
| Offer | Code ideas |
| -------------------------- | -------------- |
| Early access | EARLY · BOO |
| First-order discount | BOO15 · FANG15 |
| Surprise discount | TRICK · TREAT |
| Mystery gift with purchase | GIFT · SPOOKY |
| Bundles | SET · BUNDLE |
| Leftovers sale | BOO50 · AFTER |
{% hint style="info" %}
For unique and expiring codes, Recart adds six random characters to your prefix (for example, BOO15ABC123). A short prefix keeps the full code easy to read.
{% endhint %}
[Create and manage discount codes](/discounts/create-discount-codes-in-recart.md)
[Expiring discount codes](/discounts/expiring-discount-codes.md)
### Recart setup checklist
1. Set your order-by date for Halloween delivery
2. Create your Halloween discounts, with start and end dates that finish before your BFCM offers begin
3. Build your Halloween popup and schedule it to start 5-6 weeks before
4. Update your Welcome Flow's first message to match the popup offer
5. Add your order-by date to your abandoned cart and checkout messages, and set a reminder to remove it afterwards
6. Schedule your campaigns and send yourself test messages before anything goes live
7. Plan the switch on 1 November: end your Halloween popups and get your BFCM popups ready
[Abandoned cart flow](/sms/automated-flows/automated-flows-abandoned-cart.md)
[Test Recart SMS messages](/sms/getting-started/test-recart-sms-messages.md)
If you need help planning your Halloween sends, [contact the Recart Support team](/contact-recart-support.md). We'd be happy to help!
---
# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.
## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question.
Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters:
```
GET https://help.recart.com/holiday-playbooks/halloween.md?ask=&goal=
```
`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.
Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
