Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) has announced the deprecation of the Instagram Basic Display API, which will officially end on December 4, 2024. This API is currently used by many websites and services to display Instagram feeds including Showit’s Social Grid widget. After this date, Instagram is enforcing new requirements to display an Instagram feed. Instagram is discontinuing support for displaying personal feeds.

Showit users with a Personal Instagram account will need to switch to a Business or Creator account in order to display your feed publicly on your website via the Social Grid widget. You can take steps to convert your personal account to a public Business or Creator account.

This change by Instagram will also require a reauthorization of the account to our Social Grid feature after we have completed API updates and we will announce when Showit user’s can take that action.

What this means for you:

Instagram will only authorize public professional accounts (Business or Creator) for display on the Showit Social Grid widget starting December 4th.

If you wish to continue using Showit’s Social Grid or any Instagram widget on your website it will require converting your account (if it is a personal account) to a public Business or Creator account by December 4th and reauthorizing with Showit.

Your Next Steps:

1. Ensure you have a public Professional account with Instagram (Business or Creator). Learn more about professional accounts here.
2. Showit will notify you via email when our systems are ready to reauthorize your Instagram account with Showit.

We expect to have our systems updated to the new API within a couple of weeks, well ahead of the of the expiring API in December.

Our team has some updates that continue to refine the experience of using Showit that I’m sure you’ll all enjoy.

Custom Classes

You can now define custom classes on objects so that you can better target your own custom css code. This option is located under the Advanced properties settings for any selected object.

Updated Code Editor

We’ve updated our Code Editor screens for Custom HTML, Custom CSS, etc to now use a modern code editor display. If you’re ever working in those areas, you’re going to love it!

Multi-Select Edge Locking

It’s now a breeze to apply the same edge locking settings across multiple objects. You’ll find the setting in a new Position settings section that appears on the properties panel when you select multiple objects.

Multi-Select Layer Locking

You can lock multiple layers at the same time now with the keyboard shortcut CMD/CTRL-L

Scroll Zoom

You can now quickly zoom on the stage by using the keyboard shortcut of CMD/CTRL and SCROLL on your mouse.

Reposition the Stage

When you’re zoomed in on the stage you can quickly reposition the stage bye holding the SPACE key and DRAG your mouse.

Our team just updated the Showit app with a new integration for BDOW!, a powerful tool for pop-ups and email list building.

We've made it even easier to activate BDOW! on your Showit website. You'll find a new BDOW! option under your website's Site Settings > Third Party settings. Simply copy and paste your SiteID from BDOW! and then publish to activate the necessary BDOW! code across your website.

Read more in our help center.

Hi there,

A few months ago we announced the acquisition of Sumo: A tool that helps small businesses generate more leads and build their email list using intelligent forms and pop-ups.

Shortly after the announcement, the Sumo team retreated into their tech lair, working round-the-clock to update the tool.

We have 3 big updates (and we’re saving the best for last)...

FIRST—Sumo is now BDOW!

Pronounced buh–dow, always said in exclamation. Go ahead, say it out loud… BDOW!

If you said it right, you probably feel the urge to pump your arm 💪 or punch the air. 👊

Or you might feel tempted to leap into an ill-advised jump-kick like a bad guy from the 1960s Batman television series.

Totally normal.

That’s exactly the vibe we’re aiming for with this transition!

Wait! You hear that?

• More engagement on your website? BDOW!
• New lead hits your inbox? BDOW!
• That new opt-in drives yet another conversion? BDOW!

BDOW! = It’s the sound of conversion!

SECOND—there’s a new and improved app layout…

And it makes it that. much. easier. to unleash the power of BDOW! on your website…

• Design stunning, on-brand forms and pop-ups
• Trigger pop-ups based on visitor behavior (like exit intent, page views, referring website, and more!)
• A/B test forms to find the highest converting designs
• Create personalized discount code campaigns using our WooCommerce or Shopify integration
• Integrate with your favorite email marketing tools like Flodesk, ConvertKit, and ActiveCampaign

And THIRD—BDOW! now integrates with Showit!

I'm happy to announce our first integration between Showit and BDOW. Now activating BDOW! on your website is as simple as copying a SiteID over to your Site Settings in Showit and we'll activate the necessary code on your site pages.

And for a limited time you can save 50% on your first year of BDOW! (formerly Sumo)...​
​

Just use the code SHOWIT50 when signing up…

Use the code SHOWIT50 for 50% off your first year (code expires July 31, 2024)

Join thousands of other small businesses using BDOW! to capture more leads from their websites.

Have questions? Email the BDOW! team ​here​.

Greetings, Showit community!

We return once again with an update sure to delight and amaze! We've made it faster for you to update your website by merging settings with common values across mobile and desktop. More settings throughout the app can now be merged or split between mobile and desktop!

Yes, now values that were the same between mobile and desktop are now automatically merged into one setting, with an option to split them between mobile and desktop if you so desire. This will speed up design workflows by allowing more common settings and updates to be shared across desktop and mobile. Gone is the tedious time updating both layouts for the same setting.

You’ll find the option to Split or Merge values from the ••• context menu to the right of a setting.

If you see mobile and desktop icon tabs above a setting then it's currently split between the layouts.

When you merge a value it will take the setting from the active layout: mobile or desktop. You’ll see that stated as “Merge Using Mobile” or “Merge Using Desktop” based upon which layout you have active.

The split option would have been a great utility in the 1986 science fiction horror movie, The Fly, in which Seth Brundle inadvertently combines his DNA with that of a housefly during a teleportation experiment. This ultimately leads to him becoming a human/fly monster and it being a David Cronenberg film they did not skimp on the body horror. I bet he wishes he had a split function following that wacky experiment. Also, the movie stars Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis, so you know it gets weird. It gets really weird. Brundle’s solution of teleporting himself with other humans to dilute the fly DNA was one approach, but split merge would have been way better.

Now it is available to all of you! No genetic hijinks required. You’re welcome! 😉

Read more here...

Showit, the flexible drag-and-drop website builder, is announcing their acquisition of Sumo, the popular WordPress and Shopify lead generation tool.

Sumo, developed by the team behind AppSumo, has long been a tool that online businesses rely on to generate leads from their website. Sumo makes it easy for businesses to collect email addresses and phone numbers by providing easy-to-use tools to create stunning, high-converting forms and pop-ups. Sumo integrates with many popular CRMs and email marketing platforms such as ConvertKit and MailChimp.

Davey Jones will serve as the CEO of Formilytics, the newly formed business that will manage the development of Sumo. The team plans to continue serving Sumo’s existing community and developing Sumo as its own tool to make it the most robust lead generation platform available today. The Formilytics team will also be working closely with Showit to create a tight integration between the platforms.

Showit has developed a reputation for being a website platform that enables users to create their dream website. Thousands of small businesses use Showit to power their website citing its intuitive design, creative flexibility, and customer support as key reasons they love the platform.

“Showit’s mission has always been to cultivate the creativity that exists in each person and our core product is a website platform that provides true creative freedom,” said Todd Watson, CEO and founder of Showit. “We also see the need for our community to create thriving businesses, and Sumo feels like such a great fit to allow sites built on Showit to have best-in-class lead generation tools that connect seamlessly to all the ways our customers run their businesses.”

More information about Showit and Sumo’s partnership will be released over the coming months. Be sure to follow Showit and Sumo on Instagram to catch all the updates!

For more information about Showit and Sumo, visit:

• SumoMe.com
• Showit.com

➡️✨ If you want try Sumo Pro, you can use the code SHOWITEERS for 50% off your subscription.

Have more questions?

What kinds of things can Sumo do?

Sumo makes it easy to create forms and pop-ups to turn website visitors into leads.

The form builder includes elements like radio groups, dropdowns, and checkboxes so you can get the exact information you need from a lead.

You can create intelligent pop-ups that appear exactly when you want. That includes...

• exit-intent: appears as a visitor goes to close out the tab/window.
• welcome mat: shows a full page pop-up immediately upon opening a page.
• sticky bar: stays stuck to the top or bottom of the page as the visitor scrolls.

There are additional targeting features based on variables like referral source and device. Not to mention the e-commerce features…

How can I learn more about Sumo?

Check out https://page.sumome.com. Need a form and pop-up solution for your website or your clients' websites?

There is a free version of the tool that you can get started with.

➡️✨ If you want to try Sumo Pro, you can use the code SHOWITEERS for 50% off your first year subscription. ✨⬅️

When will the Showit and Sumo integration be available?

You can use Sumo right now on Showit websites but we want to make sure we build the best possible integration. In order to do that, we have some foundational work to focus on first such as getting feedback from the Showit community. Please know that it is a priority for Sumo and we'll keep you updated as we make progress.

Learn how to use Sumo on a Showit website by following these steps...

Does Sumo work on other website platforms?

Yes, Sumo should work on any website platform where you're able to embed a snippet of code. Most importantly, it works on Showit websites ;) There is also a WordPress plugin.

The Shopify App is currently being rebuilt, but we hope it's available in the beginning of the New Year.

Learn how to integrate it with Showit here...

Does Sumo integrate with my email marketing platform?

Yes, Sumo offers integrations with popular email marketing platforms like MailChimp, ConverKit and many more.

Will Sumo continue to be its own product?

Yes, Sumo will continue to be developed as its own product; however, we are planning a tight integration with Showit.

Will the tool continue to be called Sumo?

No, we are working on rebranding the product. More details to come soon!

When can I start using Sumo?

Today! There’s a free version of the tool and a 30-day money back guarantee for those who subscribe to the ‘pro’ version.

Where can I follow along for Sumo updates and tutorials?

Check out Sumo’s ​Instagram​ and ​YouTube​ accounts to follow along.

➡️✨ If you want try Sumo Pro, you can use the code SHOWITEERS for 50% off your first year subscription. ✨⬅️

We're excited to share more details in the coming weeks! Have a question that wasn’t answered here?

Reach out to ​help@sumome.com with any questions.

Here at Showit, we are on the leading edge of Showit innovation! It helps that we are pretty much the only edge of Showit innovation, on account of being Showit, but that is a separate matter entirely. We have recently added Site Canvas Sets!

Site Canvas Sets

With this amazing new feature you can:

• Define a set of site canvases as a standard header and footer that can be applied across the entire site.
• Easily add/remove a site canvas across your site. (ie. a sale banner)
• Create multiple site canvas sets that contain different canvases to use on across groups of pages. (ie. specifically for your blog pages)
• New or imported pages automatically start with your default canvas set.

The possibilities are endless! We think this is pretty great. Our canvas sets are possibly the greatest set of canvases since the Sistine Chapel! And that was a fresco, not done on canvas. You know what else is not a canvas? The Last Supper. Also a fresco.

The Renaissance artists sure did like painting on walls and ceilings. You have to wonder how many great works of art were lost to earthquakes on account of the building they were painted on just fell over. Earthquakes are nature's greatest art critic. Except for fire. Fire has probably gotten more stuff than earthquakes. Or fires caused caused by earthquakes. There is a probably some intersection there. Imagine if there was an earthquake that broke a dam and started a fire. Everything is shaking and flooding and burning. That would be terrible. What do you even do in that situation? Pick your poison, I suppose.

None of that has anything to do with canvas sets, which are going to allow you to do great things with your site. It is a veritable earthquake to the old way of doing things, upending the previous way of styling. There we go. I brought it back. Happy designing!

Read more about Site Canvas Sets...

We are pleased to introduce a great new Showit feature to be able to turn off publishing on a page.

Whether it is a new page you are working on that is not quite ready to go live, or an existing page you want to remove from the site but keep for archival purposes, this new feature is for you.

You can turn off publishing, which allows you to continue to view and work on the page within Showit, but not have it present on your live site. It is a great way to keep things hidden until you are ready to show the world!

You know what is not a great way to accomplish a similar goal? Black holes. I mean, it will be hidden all right. However, given that not even light or other electromagnetic waves can escape from there, good luck getting it back out. Everything inside of the black hole is compressed into a mass of infinite density called a singularity. Or at least that is what we think. It is difficult to tell on account of the whole "nothing can escape from a black hole" nature of the phenomenon. Ok, sure, the event horizon emits Hawking radiation of a temperature inversely proportional to the mass, so theoretically it may eventually evaporate, for lack of a better term. We have not even touched on the time dilation properties, where to an outside observer a clock being sucked toward the event horizon would appear to tick more slowly, then eventually slow to stop as it reached that point, taking what would appear to be an infinite time to cross beyond. Of course, if one were holding the clock, it would appear to happen in a matter of seconds, but things get really weird around objects of incredible mass and that person would have way larger problems at hand. Like being sucked into a black hole.

So yeah, hidden pages! Those are really great and not at all like black holes, which is probably a really good thing!

NOTE: If you've already published a page and then turned off the publish setting. Publish your site again for the page to be taken offline.

Great news, everyone! Canvas Views now appear as tabs within a canvas!

Is it the 1980s again? Because we are all about to enjoy Tab once more! Anyone remember Tab? Just me? Cool. Cool cool cool.

In blog templates when looking at WordPress canvases, the canvas views now all display whenever you chose to Combine Views on Posts in:
1) a Post Loop canvas

or

2) a Posts View Lookup canvas (these are used to display featured posts)

This dramatically improves the visual editing process by now being able to align images/text on a multi-post layout. Additionally, customers looking to purchase a template will experience much better blog template previewing.

Alignment is great for making your site look consistent across experiences. Alignment can be really bad when it comes to waves in physics. If there are two waves where the crest of one touches the trough of another, a process called destructive interference occurs, and the waves become a single wave of amplitude zero.

For two waves that are in phase with each other, you end up with a process known as constructive interference, and the resulting amplitude is twice that of the original waves.

Destructive interference could make light appear to disappear, which is really strange to think about. If you had two separate waves where you could observe the light individually, but when they interfere there would be no light. Where did it go? The energy is either reflected back to the emitter of the wave, or transferred into kinetic energy, heating the medium of transference. Anyway, I'm going to go lie down now because I have to think about this some more.

Luckily Showit alignment is constructive, and your site will look even better than before. My pitch for destructive interference was soundly rejected by everyone, and with good reason. I still think it was a neat idea.

We recently rolled out some great improvements to the Design Settings panel that will make setting these presets even easier. These adjustments are setting the stage for a larger overhaul of settings panels to support merged and separated mobile/desktop settings on a per setting basis. Our initial release of this change was with Canvas Backgrounds.

When visiting the Design Settings panel, you'll find that settings that were the same between Mobile and Desktop will now appear merged into one setting for quick easy adjustment across both layouts. You can easily separate the merged setting by clicking on the underlined title to split it back into separate mobile/desktop.

We find that this approach of merged values helps speed up design workflows and cause less customer confusion when adjusting settings. While also allowing the full flexibility to customize between mobile and desktop if you prefer.

We also improved the text style previews to better understand how your settings like Line Height and Bottom Margin will apply with multiple rows of text. And we also added an Inline Link preview option that you can turn on to see how inline links will render.

In the coming months you'll see similar support for mobile/desktop merged settings push out to many of the settings panels across the app.