Popup targeting guide for ecommerce

Showing a popup to every visitor the same way is one of the fastest ways to hurt conversions. Targeting lets you control who sees your popup, on which page, and at what moment, so it feels relevant instead of intrusive.

This guide walks you through every targeting option available in Pop Convert and how to use them effectively.

Quick Overview of Targeting Types

You can use these individually or combine them for more precise targeting. More on that below.

Page Targeting

Page targeting controls which pages your popup appears on. This is usually the first thing you'll want to set up.

Available rules:

• URL contains — Show the popup on any page whose URL includes a specific word or path. Example: /products/ to target all product pages.
• URL does not contain — Exclude certain pages. Example: remove popups from /checkout or /cart.
• URL equals/does not equal — Show/Exclude the popup only on one specific page. Example: your homepage.

Common use cases:

• Show a discount popup only on product pages
• Show a newsletter signup only on blog posts
• Keep popups away from checkout to avoid interrupting purchases

Tip: Always exclude /checkout and /cart unless your popup is specifically designed for those pages. Interrupting a customer mid-purchase is one of the most common targeting mistakes.

Visitor Behavior Targeting

Behavior targeting shows your popup based on what the visitor is actually doing on your page, not just where they are.

Time on Page

Shows the popup after a visitor has been on the page for a set number of seconds.

⭐ A delay of 5–10 seconds gives visitors enough time to get oriented before the popup appears. Showing it immediately the moment someone lands tends to increase dismissals.

Scroll Depth

Shows the popup after the visitor scrolls down a certain percentage of the page.

⭐ A 50% scroll trigger is a good starting point. By the time someone has scrolled halfway down, they're already engaged, making them more likely to interact with your popup.

Exit Intent

Shows the popup when a visitor's mouse moves toward the top of the browser, signaling they're about to leave.

⭐ Exit intent is best used for last-chance offers — a discount, a free shipping reminder, or a simple "wait, before you go" message. Keep the copy short and the offer clear.

Session & Frequency Controls

Frequency controls determine how often the same visitor sees your popup. Without them, the same person could see your popup on every single page visit — which gets annoying fast.

Available settings:

• Show once per session — The popup appears once per browser session, then disappears until the visitor closes and reopens the browser.
• Show once per visitor — The popup appears once and never again for that visitor (tracked via cookie).
• Show again after X days — The popup reappears after a set number of days. Useful for time-sensitive offers.

Testing tip: If you're testing your popup and it's not appearing, check your frequency settings first. "Show once per visitor" is the most common reason a popup won't show during testing. Use an incognito window to simulate a fresh visitor.

Combining Targeting Rules

You can stack multiple targeting rules together to get very specific about who sees your popup and when.

Example: Exit discount for product page visitors on desktop:

• Page URL contains /products/
• Device: Desktop
• Trigger: Exit intent
• Frequency: Once per session

Example: Email capture for engaged blog readers:

• Page URL contains /blog/
• Trigger: Scroll 50%
• Frequency: Once per visitor

Example: Back-in-stock notification on out-of-stock products:

• Trigger: Product is out of stock
• Device: All
• Frequency: Once per session

The more rules you combine, the smaller your audience becomes, so make sure you're not narrowing it down so much that the popup barely shows. Start broad, then tighten based on performance.

Targeting Strategies by Goal

Growing your email list

Target blog readers who are already engaged with your content.

• Page contains /blog/
• Scroll trigger: 50%
• Frequency: Once per visitor

Reducing cart abandonment

Catch visitors who are about to leave without completing their purchase.

• Page contains /cart/
• Trigger: Exit intent
• Frequency: Once per session

Announcing a sale or promotion

Show a time-sensitive message to all visitors without being repetitive.

• All pages
• Time delay: 5 seconds
• Frequency: Once per session

Capturing back-in-stock interest

Collect contact details when a product goes out of stock.

• Trigger: Product out of stock
• Frequency: Once per session

Where to Start If You're New to Targeting

If targeting feels overwhelming, start simple:

1. Set a 5-second time delay so the popup doesn't fire the instant someone lands
2. Exclude /checkout and /cart
3. Set frequency to once per visitor

That alone puts you ahead of most stores. Once you're comfortable, layer in scroll depth, page-specific rules, and exit intent from there.

Have questions about a specific targeting setup? Reach out to the Pop Convert support team and we'll help you get it right.

Updated on: 27/02/2026