> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.freewebstore.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.freewebstore.com/design/theme-editor/notification-bar.md).

# Notification Bar

A website Notification Bar is a small header banner that sits on the top of your website. It provides relevant information to your customers without getting in the way of your website content.

Use the notification bar to tell customers something important: a special offer, a discount code, or a note that orders are taking a little longer than usual.

It shows at the very top of your store, above the header, on your main browsing pages, such as your home page, categories and products. It doesn't show in the cart, at checkout or on your blog. The notification bar is free on every plan.

{% hint style="info" %}
Using one of our older designs? See [Older designs](#older-designs) at the bottom of this page.
{% endhint %}

### Turn on the notification bar

1. Log in to your Freewebstore Control Panel.
2. Go to **Design > Website Theme**.
3. Click **Apps** on the left, then **Notification Bar**.
4. Turn on **Enable Notification Bar**. This takes effect straight away.

To take the bar down, turn **Enable Notification Bar** off. Your message is kept, so you can turn it back on later.

### Write your message

1. In the same **Notification Bar** panel, type your message into **Message** (up to 260 characters).
2. To add a button, fill in **Button Link** (the web address it opens) and **Button Text** (up to 15 characters, for example "Shop now"). Leave them empty if you don't want a button.
3. Your store preview updates as you type. When you're happy, click **Save** at the top of the screen.

Your changes go live as soon as you save. They don't need Publish.

### Colours

The bar uses your Brand Kit colours automatically, so it always matches your store and stays easy to read. To change them, edit your Brand Kit.

### Need more than one message?

The notification bar shows one message. To show several short messages that scroll across the page, add the **Scrolling announcement strip** block to a page. See Banners.

### Older designs

If your store still uses one of our older designs:

1. Go to **Design > Theme Editor**.
2. Click **Add** and choose **Section to Page**.
3. Under **Global Sections**, choose **Notification Bar**.
4. Select **Enabled**, then add your **Message**, and optionally a **Button Link** and **Button Text**. Tick **Open Link in New Tab** if you want the link to open in a new tab. You can also choose the bar's colours.
5. Click **Save**.