The final week before Black Friday: what to freeze
Photo: Avila Ops Tecnologia
In the final week before Black Friday, November 20 to 26, Friday through Thursday, freeze everything that can break: the store platform, theme, installed apps, payment intermediary, carrier, invoice issuer, WhatsApp number, and automations. The only allowed change is activating the offer already entered and tested. Every improvement that comes to mind that week goes on a list for December.
The reason: changes create errors, and an error discovered on peak day leaves no time for repair. Changing the theme on Wednesday “just to make it prettier” becomes a checkout screen that does not load on Friday. Decide in October that the week of November 20 is a freeze, and plan changes before it. Since November 20 is a national holiday, Black Consciousness Day (Law 14.759/2023), the last business day for changes is Thursday, November 19.
What exactly should you freeze?
Photo: Avila Ops Tecnologia
| Area | Frozen from November 20 | Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Store platform and theme | Updates, theme changes, code edits | Activate already tested offers and banners |
| Apps and extensions | Installing, removing, updating | Nothing |
| Payment | Changing intermediary, installments, or fees | Nothing |
| Shipping | Changing carriers or free-shipping rules | Increasing delivery time if necessary |
| Tax invoices | Changing issuer or tax registration details | Issuing invoices |
| Changing number, tool, or workflow | Adjusting reply text | |
| Automations | Creating or changing workflows | Pausing if they fail |
| Domain and hosting | Changing plans, adjusting DNS | Checking expiration and renewing now if near the date |
| Products | Adding new ones, changing variations | Correcting text errors, hiding sold-out items |
Prices are frozen too, with one exception: promotional prices already entered with start and end dates. They activate automatically. The 30-day checklist guide puts setup in week three specifically to leave time for testing.
What should you do that week, then?
Check, rather than change. Monday, November 23: make actual purchases in the store with Pix, card, and boleto on a phone, and check that the test order produces an invoice and label; then cancel the invoice within your state’s SEFAZ deadline (generally 24 hours), cancel the label and order, request each payment’s refund through the same method, and track it until marked complete. Tuesday, November 24: go through automatic replies by sending the five common questions from another number. Wednesday, November 25: count campaign products’ physical inventory and compare with the system; adjust the system, not the other way around. Thursday, November 26: review the hidden offer page, with the struck-through price matching the one recorded in October, and notify opted-in recipients of the day and time.
Run the guide to testing your site before peak traffic one final time on Monday. If something fails, the decision is not “replace,” but “turn off”: remove the broken app, hide the out-of-stock product, pause the automation that sent the wrong message. A proper fix waits until December.
Also check what expires: domain, security certificate, invoice digital certificate, platform subscription, and intermediary subscription. A November 27 expiration is the sort of thing nobody remembers until the site goes offline.
What should you do with ideas that come up?
Write them on a list called “December” and do not execute them. In the last week, ideas appear for an extra coupon, a new variation, a free gift. They may all be good. None can happen now, because each touches something already tested.
A cosmetics store decides on Tuesday, November 24, to install a “buy together” app. The app changes the cart screen. On Friday, the checkout button disappears on mobile for some customers. The store finds out from WhatsApp messages at 10 a.m., in the middle of the peak. The idea was good; the day was wrong.
The division of responsibilities in the small team guide also freezes: nobody changes roles that week.
What to do now
Mark the calendar: November 20 is freeze day. Everything you want to change in the store, payments, delivery, or customer service must be done and tested beforehand, and October is the time available. If the change list exceeds the time, we help prioritize and execute what fits: avilaops.com/sistema-para-pequenas-empresas or contact us on WhatsApp: wa.me/5517997811471.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change prices during Black Friday week?
Only activate promotional prices already entered and recorded. Changing the “was” price that week is the mistake Procon looks for, and changing the “now” price at the last minute disrupts coupons, bundles, and ads.
What if I discover a serious store error in the final week?
Turning off what broke is always preferable to fixing it by changing code or tools. If the error prevents sales and only a fix resolves it, do it on Monday or Tuesday, test the complete purchase afterward, and touch nothing else.
When should I unfreeze?
The week after Black Friday, after orders have shipped. Then the “December” list becomes the improvement plan, with campaign experience guiding priorities.
Turn what you learned into your next step.
Tell us about your company and what you want to improve. We can explore the right tools, integrations or custom project together.