Widget Types

TractStack provides three types of interactive widgets for capturing visitor beliefs and preferences. Each widget type serves different use cases and interaction patterns.

Belief Widget (Dropdown)

Overview

The Belief Widget is a dropdown selection interface that captures visitor opinions, preferences, or attitudes using predefined scales.

Configuration

Required parameters:

• Belief Slug: Letters only, no spaces (e.g., InterestLevel)
• Question Prompt: Clear, conversational question text
• Scale: Predefined scale type

Available Scales

Yes/No (yn):

• Options: Yes or No
• Values: BELIEVES_YES / BELIEVES_NO
• Use case: Simple binary preferences

True/False (tf):

• Options: True or False
• Values: BELIEVES_TRUE / BELIEVES_FALSE
• Use case: Factual or opinion statements

Interest (interest):

• Options: Interested or Not Interested
• Values: BELIEVES_INTERESTED / BELIEVES_NOT_INTERESTED
• Use case: Engagement and preference measurement

Agreement (agreement):

• Options: Agrees or Disagrees
• Values: BELIEVES_AGREES / BELIEVES_DISAGREES
• Use case: Opinion and position measurement

Likert (likert):

• 5-point scale options:
  • Strongly Agree (STRONGLY_AGREES)
  • Agree (AGREES)
  • Neither Agree nor Disagree (NEITHER_AGREES_NOR_DISAGREES)
  • Disagree (DISAGREES)
  • Strongly Disagree (STRONGLY_DISAGREES)
• Use case: Nuanced opinion measurement

Example Usage

Belief Slug: TechnicalDocumentation
Prompt: "Are you interested in technical documentation?"
Scale: interest

Toggle Belief Widget

Overview

Toggle Belief Widget provides simple binary choices through a toggle interface, perfect for quick preference capture.

Configuration

Required parameters:

• Belief Slug: Letters only, no spaces
• Question Prompt: Clear toggle description
• Automatic scale: Uses Yes/No or True/False values

Behavior

• Visual toggle: Switch-style interface
• Immediate feedback: Shows current state clearly
• Binary values: Automatically assigns appropriate true/false values
• Quick interaction: Single click to set preference

Example Usage

Belief Slug: ShowAdvancedFeatures
Prompt: "Show me advanced features"
Result: Creates toggle that sets BELIEVES_YES/BELIEVES_NO

Identify As Widget

Overview

Identify As Widget provides persona-based content personalization through exclusive button group selection.

Configuration

Required parameters:

• Belief Tag: Letters only, no spaces (e.g., UseCase)
• Question Prompt: Clear persona selection question
• Target Values: Custom persona identifiers

Custom Target Values

Common persona examples:

• Roles: Developer, Manager, Designer, Student
• Experience: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
• Company Size: Startup, SMB, Enterprise
• Use Cases: PersonalUse, BusinessUse, Educational

Behavior

• Exclusive selection: Only one persona can be active
• Visual feedback: Selected persona highlighted
• Custom values: Completely flexible persona definitions
• Immediate effect: Content reveals based on selection

Example Usage

Belief Tag: UserRole
Prompt: "Which best describes your role?"
Targets: Developer, Manager, Designer, Student

When UserRole=Developer is set, content tagged for developers becomes visible throughout the site.

Widget Implementation

Technical Integration

HTMX integration: All widgets use HTMX for seamless updates:

hx-post="/api/v1/state" hx-trigger="change" hx-swap="none"
hx-vals='{"beliefId":"InterestLevel","beliefValue":"BELIEVES_YES"}'

Session storage: Widget interactions update session beliefs:

sessionBeliefs[sessionID][storyfragmentID]["InterestLevel"] = ["BELIEVES_YES"];

Real-Time Updates

Content revelation process:

1. Widget interaction triggers belief update
2. Backend processes belief change
3. Visibility evaluation checks all pane requirements
4. Content updates hidden panes become visible
5. Analytics tracking records belief declaration

Widget Placement Strategy

Strategic Positioning

Early engagement:

• Place widgets early in content flow
• Enable personalization for rest of page
• Clear value proposition for sharing preferences

Natural integration:

• Embed widgets within content narrative
• Make belief declaration feel conversational
• Avoid interrupting reading flow

Progressive profiling:

• Start with simple widgets (toggle, yes/no)
• Advance to complex widgets (likert, personas)
• Build visitor profile gradually

Content Context

Relevant placement:

• Position widgets where beliefs matter most
• Connect widget questions to surrounding content
• Show immediate value from belief declaration

User experience:

• Clear benefit explanation
• Immediate content adaptation
• Optional participation (never required)

Analytics and Optimization

Widget Performance

Interaction tracking:

• Engagement rates: How often visitors use widgets
• Completion rates: Percentage who declare beliefs
• Drop-off analysis: Where visitors abandon widgets

Belief distribution:

• Popular beliefs: Most common visitor preferences
• Rare beliefs: Underutilized belief options
• Belief combinations: Common preference patterns

A/B Testing

Widget optimization:

• Question wording: Test different prompt variations
• Placement testing: Optimal widget positioning
• Scale comparison: Different scale effectiveness
• Visual design: Interface style impact

Conversion Impact

Personalization effectiveness:

• Engagement lift: Increased interaction after belief declaration
• Content consumption: Deeper reading with personalized content
• Goal completion: Belief impact on conversions

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Effective widget implementation creates natural opportunities for visitors to share preferences, enabling increasingly personalized experiences that feel helpful rather than intrusive.