Spotlight gives you control over what visitors see in your locator. Draw a region on the map and decide who appears there. Show a timely promotion. Feature your flagship store. Display a helpful message when nothing nearby comes up.
Perfect for dealer networks, service businesses, distributor maps, franchises, and anywhere the "nearest" location isn't always the right one.
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How Spotlight Works
By default, locators show results by distance. Spotlight adds rules on top.
Each rule has a trigger (when it activates) and one or more actions (what happens). Draw a region, set a date range, react to filters, or watch for specific locations in results. Then show a message, feature a location, hide some, or send the visitor somewhere else.
Mix and match however your business works.
Creating Your First Rule
- Go to Spotlight in your dashboard
- Click New Rule
- Give your rule a descriptive name (e.g., "NYC Flagship Promotion")
- Add at least one trigger
- Add at least one action
- Click Save Rule
Your rule is now active. Every time a customer searches and the trigger conditions match, they'll see your configured actions.
Triggers
Triggers define when your rule activates. You can use one trigger or combine several for more precise control.
Geographic Area (Polygon)
Draw a custom shape on the map to define a region. The rule activates when a customer searches within that region.
Use this for:
- Defining exclusive dealer or distributor territories
- Creating service areas with custom boundaries
- Setting up regional promotions (e.g., "East Coast Summer Sale")
When creating a polygon trigger, draw your shape directly on the interactive map.
Geographic Area (Radius)
Define a circular area by setting a center point and radius in miles. The rule activates when a customer searches within that circle.
Use this for:
- Defining coverage areas around a central location
- Simple regional setup when an exact boundary isn't needed
- Setting delivery or service radiuses
Tag Filter
Trigger rules based on which filter tags a customer has selected. You can require any of the specified tags or all of them.
For example, if you have "Premium" and "Authorized" tags, you could show a special message when customers filter by either or both. Combine with a geographic trigger to show different messages in different regions.
No Results
Trigger when a customer's search returns zero locations. This is useful for:
- Showing a helpful message with alternatives
- Suggesting nearby regions that do have locations
- Offering online purchasing options
- Capturing leads from areas you don't currently serve
You can combine this with a geographic trigger to show different messages for different regions where you have no coverage.
Result Count
Trigger based on how many locations appear in results. Set a threshold and operator (less than, greater than, or equals).
Examples:
- Show a banner when results are limited (less than 3 locations)
- Display a promo when many options are available (greater than 10 locations)
Date Range
Schedule when a rule is active by setting start and end dates. Perfect for:
- Seasonal promotions
- Limited-time sales
- Event-based messaging
- Holiday campaigns
Leave the start date empty to begin immediately. Leave the end date empty for rules that never expire.
Combine a date range trigger with a geographic trigger to run time-limited promotions in specific regions. For example, a summer sale that only appears for searches in coastal states.
Location Presence
Trigger when specific locations appear (or don't appear) in the search results. You can check if locations are:
- In results: The location appears anywhere in the results
- Within distance: The location is within a specified number of miles from the search
- In top results: The location is in the top N results
Use this to display special messaging when a flagship store appears in results, or to show promotions when preferred partners are nearby.
Actions
Actions define what happens when triggers match. Each rule can have multiple actions.
Message Banner
Display a banner at the top of the results list. Banners support multiple styles:
- Info: Neutral informational messages
- Success: Positive confirmations or good news
- Warning: Important notices that need attention
- Promo: Promotional messaging styled with your accent color
Each banner can include a link with custom text. The message supports basic formatting.
Promo Card
Display a rich promotional card in the results. Promo cards can include:
- An optional image (recommended aspect ratio 2.5:1)
- A title
- A description
- A call-to-action button with custom link
Promo cards are great for driving traffic to promotions, events, or specific pages.
Boost Locations
Move specific locations to the top of the results list. The locations you select will appear first, regardless of their actual distance from the search.
Use this to:
- Feature flagship or premium locations
- Promote stores running special events
- Highlight new openings
Show Only Specific Locations
Filter results to show only the locations you pick. Everything else is hidden. Useful for exclusive dealer territories, franchise catchment areas, or event-specific displays.
Include Locations
Add specific locations to results even if they wouldn't normally appear based on distance. You can choose where they appear:
- Top: Always at the top of results
- Bottom: Always at the bottom of results
- Natural: Mixed in by distance order
This is perfect for service providers who cover an entire region, regional hubs, or mobile services that should appear for any search within their service area.
Redirect
Send the visitor to a different URL. Set the destination, an optional delay, and an optional message to show first. Combine with a "no results" trigger to send people to a contact form or a microsite when nothing is nearby.
Rule Priority
When multiple rules match the same search, they're evaluated in priority order (top to bottom in your rules list). Drag and drop rules to reorder them.
All matching rules will have their actions applied. For location manipulation actions (boost, only, include), the order matters because each action modifies the results before the next rule is evaluated.
Common Setups
A few patterns we see often:
- Exclusive dealer territories. Draw the region, use "Show only" to assign the authorized dealers there.
- Service areas for mobile providers. Use "Include locations" so a technician covering a region always appears in searches across it, even when they're far away.
- Regional promotions. Banner or promo card scoped to a region, with a date range for time-limited campaigns.
- No-coverage messaging. When a search returns nothing nearby, show alternatives or send the visitor to a contact form to capture the lead.
- Flagship boost. Use "Boost locations" to keep your flagship or premium partners at the top of results in specific areas.
- Franchise catchment areas. Define each franchise's region, use "Show only" so customers see the right one.
Next Steps
- Set up filters and tags to use with tag filter triggers