Understanding App Value Pulse in Your Vitals Dashboard
Last updated on October 21, 2026
App Value Pulse is the small coloured chip Vitals shows next to your apps, and it exists to answer one question at a glance: is this app actually doing anything for my store?
Where there's live data, the chip shows your real result. And when an app is switched on but shoppers still can't see it, the chip says so — and tells you how to fix it.
Hover over any chip to open a card with the detail behind it.
Where you'll see it
- On an app's own page, next to the Active toggle.
- On sub-app pages — for example, each Upsell Builder offer type.
- On individual items: an Upsell Builder offer, a pop-up, an announcement bar, or a product label.
What each chip means
| Chip | What it means |
|---|---|
| Green, with a number | The app is live and shoppers are seeing it. The number is your own recorded result. It's never an estimate. |
| Amber "Setup needed" | The app is switched on, but shoppers still can't see it. Hover the chip and the card names the one thing that's blocking it. |
💡 A green chip only ever appears once there's a real, positive result to show. Vitals will never dress an estimate up as a live number.
What the hover card shows
When the app is live
The card is headed "[App name] is live on your store" and shows the figures that app has actually recorded — impressions, clicks, orders, added revenue, or whichever measures fit that app.
Up to two buttons appear at the bottom, depending on what's available:
- See it on your store — opens the page where the widget is showing, so you can look at it the way a shopper does.
- View full analytics — opens that app's full Analytics page.
- An advice action, when Vitals has spotted something specific worth adjusting.
When it says "Setup needed"
The card is headed "One step left before you go live", with the reassurance that everything's configured — shoppers just can't see it yet. Below that you'll find:
- A checklist showing what's already passed and the one thing that hasn't. Checks include App is switched on, Theme app embed is on, Published, Has a placement, and Seen by shoppers.
- A highlighted box, "The one thing blocking you", explaining the blocker in plain language.
Clearing a "Setup needed" chip
There are three things that put an app in this state.
The Vitals app embed is turned off
Shopify requires the Vitals app embed to be enabled in your theme before any Vitals widget can appear on your store. The card gives you an Enable app embed button that turns it on for you in place — it takes a few seconds and you don't need to open the theme editor.
If that doesn't succeed, you can enable it manually: see Enabling the Vitals app via App Embed.
Nothing is published yet
The app is on, but there's nothing live for shoppers to see. Publish an existing draft, or create your first item. There's no button for this one — the controls you need are already on the page you're looking at.
On an individual item, the wording is more specific: that item isn't published yet, so publishing it is all that's needed.
A published offer has no placement
The offer is published but has nowhere to appear, so it never shows. Enable a placement on it and the chip clears.
Why some apps show no chip at all
A missing chip is not a fault. A chip only appears where there's something honest to say, so you won't see one when:
- The app isn't covered by App Value Pulse yet.
- The figures are still loading — give it a moment.
- The app has nothing to report yet.
Tips
- Hovering the chip is the quickest way to answer "why isn't my widget showing?" — the Setup needed card runs the same checks a support agent would, in one step.
- Once an app goes live, come back to its chip after a few days. A green chip with your own number is the clearest sign the app is earning its place.
FAQ
My app is switched on and says "Active", so why does the chip say "Setup needed"?
"Active" and "visible to shoppers" aren't the same thing. An app can be switched on while the Vitals app embed is off in your theme, or while nothing has been published, or while a published offer has no placement chosen. The chip is telling you about that second step. Hover it and the card names exactly which one applies.
One of my apps has no chip. Is something broken?
No. Chips only appear where there's something to say — a real result, or something blocking the app. An app with neither simply shows no chip. Nothing is wrong with your store.
Why did confetti appear on my screen?
That's App Value Pulse marking a milestone. The first time shoppers see one of your apps — and again at moments like your first attributed sale — the card celebrates it with a short message and a burst of confetti. It's just a notification that something good happened; nothing needs doing.
Do my customers see these chips?
No. App Value Pulse exists only inside your Vitals dashboard. Nothing about it appears on your storefront.
Why does the number on the chip differ from what I see in Analytics?
The chip leads with a single headline figure for that app, over the same period the app's Analytics page uses. Analytics shows the full picture, including measures the chip has no room for. If the two look genuinely inconsistent rather than simply different in scope, contact our support team and we'll take a look.
❓ Still can't get an app to show on your storefront? Start with the chip's Setup needed card, then see Enabling the Vitals app via App Embed. Contact our support team if you'd rather we check it for you.
Still stuck?
Chat with our support team, we'll sort it out with you.