The ultimate guide to popup targeting [2026]

Popup targeting determines when your campaigns appear, who sees them, and on which pages.

It's simple: get it right, and you'll see higher conversion rates without hurting user experience. Get it wrong, and you'll annoy visitors while missing opportunities.

This guide walks you through everything you need to know about targeting popups effectively in Wisepops or any other popup software. We've included data from A/B tests across 1.8 million visitor sessions, plus practical examples you can implement today.

Get started:

• Understanding display rules

• Trigger types

• Page targeting

• Audience targeting

• Frequency and scheduling

Understanding display rules

Display rules control your popup's behavior across five key areas:

• Trigger: What action starts the popup (exit intent, scroll depth, time delay)

• Page targeting: Which URLs display the popup

• Audience: Who sees the popup based on their characteristics

• Frequency: How often visitors encounter the popup

• Advanced targeting: Additional filters like device type, traffic source, or custom data

Think of these as layers—start with one layer and add more as you refine your strategy.

Trigger types

On landing

Your popup appears immediately when someone arrives on a page.

When to use it:

• Important site-wide announcements

• Flash sales with countdown timers

• Legal compliance notices

Performance warning: Immediate popups (under 5 seconds) can increase bounce rate by up to 5 times. Our data shows that delayed popups (20-50 seconds) reduce bounce by up to 45% while increasing email capture by 20-43%.

Better approach: Add a 5-10 second delay or require visitors to view at least 2 pages before showing your popup.

Example:

Show welcome offer to first-time visitors after 8 seconds on homepage

Exit intent

The popup triggers when someone's about to leave your site. On desktop, this happens when the cursor moves toward the browser's close button or back button. On mobile, it detects navigation attempts.

When to use it:

• Last-chance discount offers

• Cart abandonment recovery

• Newsletter signups before leaving

• Feedback surveys

Smart targeting: Combine exit intent with engagement metrics. Instead of targeting everyone who tries to exit, target only visitors who've viewed 3+ pages. These engaged visitors are more likely to convert.

According to our A/B tests, exit intent popups with numeric discounts ("Get 15% off") generate 27% more clicks than emotional messaging ("We'd hate to see you go").

Example:

Target visitors who viewed 5+ pages and attempt to exit:

"Wait! Take 15% off your first order"

On scroll

The popup appears when visitors scroll to a specific percentage of your page.

When to use it:

• Content engagement popups on blogs

• Newsletter signups after reading

• Related product suggestions

Recommended scroll depths:

• 25%: Early engagement (best for quick announcements)

• 40-60%: Sweet spot for most content

• 75%+: Highly engaged visitors only

Example:

At 50% scroll on product pages: "Discover our best seller!"

On click

The popup displays when someone clicks a specific element like a button, link, or image.

When to use it:

• Product detail overlays

• Video presentations

• Size guide popups

• Multi-step campaigns

• Loyalty program promotions

• Newsletter signup

Example:

Click "Learn more about our loyalty program" > Popup that promotes the benefits of signing up

On hover

The popup appears when someone hovers their cursor over an element.

When to use it:

• Quick product previews

• Help tooltips

• Additional product information

Example:

Hover over product image > Show available sizes and colors

On custom event

The popup triggers when a specific JavaScript event fires on your site.

When to use it:

• Complex user interactions

• Sequential campaign flows

• Integration with other tools

• Video completion triggers

Example:

Visitor completes 20% of application form or quiz > Show a reminder

Time-based triggers

Add delays to any trigger type for better results.

Our data shows: Delayed popups (20-50 seconds) dramatically reduce bounce rates while increasing conversions. One test showed a 45% bounce rate decrease with a simple 30-second delay.

Recommended delays by page type:

• High-intent pages (pricing, specific products): 10-15 seconds

• Low-intent pages (blog, general browsing): 20-30 seconds

• Exit intent backup: 30+ seconds

Example:

After 15 seconds on a product page: "Need help? Take our product quiz"

Page targeting

URL matching methods

Exact match

Shows popup only on the exact URL you specify.

https://example.com/products/shoes

Use for specific landing pages or unique campaign pages.

Contains

Shows popup on any URL containing your specified text.

/products/

This targets all product pages at once. Use for category-wide campaigns or section targeting.

Starts with

Shows popup on URLs beginning with your specified text.

https://example.com/blog

Perfect for blog posts, knowledge base articles, or any grouped content.

Strategic page targeting examples

Ecommerce store:

Include: /products/, /collections/
Exclude: /cart, /checkout, /account

SaaS website:

Include: /pricing, /features
Exclude: /app/, /dashboard

Content site:

Include: /blog/
Exclude: /about, /contact

Pages to always avoid targeting

Checkout pages, payment processing pages, thank you pages, or user account areas. These pages have critical conversion flows that shouldn't be interrupted.

Audience targeting

New vs. returning visitors

First-time visitors arrive at your site for the first time. They're building trust and learning about your brand.

Best campaigns:

• Welcome messages explaining your value proposition

• First-purchase discounts (10-15% off)

• Brand introduction content

• Email collection with clear value exchange

Strategy: Build trust before asking for commitment. Show a value-focused message on page 1, then a small incentive on page 2.

Returning visitors have seen your site before and already know what you offer.

Best campaigns:

• Stronger incentives (they trust you now)

• Cart recovery messages

• Product recommendations based on browsing history

• Loyalty program invitations

Device targeting

Mobile:

• Smaller screens require simpler designs

• Touch interactions instead of cursor movements

• Exit intent works differently

Best campaigns:

• App download prompts

• Click-to-call offers

• Single-field forms (email only)

Design requirements:

• Maximum 30% screen coverage

• Large, touch-friendly close buttons

• Font size 16px minimum (prevents auto-zoom on iOS)

Desktop:

• More screen space for complex forms

• Better for detailed information

• Traditional exit intent works well

Best campaigns:

• Multi-field forms

• Product comparisons

• Video presentations

According to our research, full-screen popups on desktop increase email capture by 48% and click-through rates by 52% on average.

Geographic targeting

Target by country, state/region, or postal code.

Shipping-based targeting:

Location: United States
Message: "Free shipping on orders over $50"

Location: International
Message: "We ship worldwide"

Compliance requirements:

Location: European Union
Show: GDPR-compliant consent forms

Local promotions:

Location: New York, NY
Message: "Visit our NYC showroom this weekend"

Visit frequency

• First-time visitors (visit_count = 1): Strategy: Build awareness without being pushy

• Engaged visitors (visit_count 2-4): Strategy: Nurture with value, introduce offers

• High-intent visitors (visit_count 5+): Strategy: Strong call-to-action with time-sensitive offers

Our data shows visitors with 5+ page views in one session demonstrate the highest purchase intent.

Time-based frequency:

Visited 3+ times in last 7 days = Shopping mode, comparing options
Strategy: Provide social proof,  product recommendations, or stronger incentives

Pageview count

Track how many pages someone views in their current session.

Strategic layering:

Page 1: Welcome popup (subtle)
Page 2: Discount offer popup
Page 5+: Exclusive VIP deal or consultation offer

According to Wisepops data, waiting until page 2 or later increases median conversion by 39-52%.

Traffic source targeting

Direct traffic

Visitors who typed your URL or used a bookmark. These are often returning customers or people who already know your brand.

Best campaigns: Returning customer offers, loyalty programs, new product announcements

Organic search

Visitors from Google, Bing, and other search engines.

Best campaigns: Content-specific offers, related product suggestions, newsletter signups

Paid advertising

Visitors from Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and other paid channels.

Strategy: Show higher-value offers to improve return on ad spend. You've already paid for the click, so maximize conversion chances.

Traffic source: Paid advertising
Show: Stronger incentive (20% vs 10%)
Trigger: Faster (10s vs 30s)

Social media

Visitors from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and similar platforms.

Best campaigns: Social proof (user reviews, testimonials), Instagram-style visuals, share incentives

Email campaigns

Visitors from email links.

Important: Wisepops automatically excludes traffic with utm_source=email to prevent popup fatigue for subscribers who already engaged with your email.

Referral traffic

Visitors from other websites.

Best campaigns: Welcome messages, partnership-specific offers, brand introduction

UTM parameter targeting

UTM parameters track campaign performance and enable granular targeting.

Standard UTM parameters:

• utm_source: Where traffic came from (google, facebook, newsletter)

• utm_medium: How they came (cpc, social, email)

• utm_campaign: Campaign name (summer_sale, product_launch)

• utm_content: Ad variation (blue_button, header_banner)

• utm_term: Keyword (for paid search)

Campaign-specific targeting:

Facebook ad campaign:

UTM parameter: utm_source = facebook AND utm_campaign = summer_sale
Message: "Welcome Facebook friends! Your exclusive 20% off"

Influencer partnership:

UTM parameter: utm_source = influencer_name
Message: "Welcome [Influencer] followers! Use code INFLUENCE20"

Performance optimization:

Compare conversions between:
- utm_medium = cpc (paid ads)
- utm_medium = organic (free traffic)

Result: Show higher-value offers to paid traffic to improve ROAS

Past URL history

Target visitors based on pages they've viewed during current or past sessions.

Interest-based targeting:

Past URL contains: /products/running-shoes
Show on homepage: "Back for more running gear? New arrivals inside"

Category cross-sell:

Past URL contains: /mens/shoes
Show on: /mens/accessories
Message: "Complete your look with 15% off accessories"

Re-engagement:

Past URL contains: /specific-product AND days_since_visit >= 7
Message: "Still thinking about [Product]? Limited stock remaining"

Browser and technical targeting

Target by browser type (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera) or browser language setting.

Use cases:

• Browser-specific compatibility messages

• Multi-language site targeting

• Localized offers based on browser language

Custom properties (advanced)

Custom properties let you create targeting rules using your own data. This requires adding JavaScript to your site.

Ecommerce examples:

Cart value targeting:

javascript

wisepops('properties', {
  cart_value: 125
});

Then target:

custom_property: cart_value >= 100
Show: "You're $25 away from free shipping"

Loyalty points:

javascript

wisepops('properties', {
  loyalty_points: 750
});

Then target:

custom_property: loyalty_points >= 500
Show: "You have points to redeem"

SaaS examples:

User plan:

javascript

wisepops('properties', {
  plan_type: 'free'
});

Then target:

custom_property: plan_type = 'free'
Show: "Upgrade to unlock premium features"

Trial expiration:

javascript

wisepops('properties', {
  trial_days_remaining: 2
});

Then target:

custom_property: trial_days_remaining <= 3
Show: "Your trial ends soon—subscribe now"

Implementation note: Custom properties must be set using JavaScript before your popup triggers. If you use Google Tag Manager, you can define these properties directly from GTM variables without additional coding.

Learn more.

Frequency and scheduling

Frequency controls

Don't show again after popup clicked:

User clicked any CTA, so don't show for X days. Best for conversion-focused popups.

Don't show again after popup closed:

User closed without converting, so don't show for X days. Balances persistence with user experience.

Don't show again after popup seen:

User saw popup even without interaction, so don't show for X days. Best for announcements and brand awareness.

Don't show again after email submitted:

User provided email, so never show email collection popups again. This is critical—always exclude subscribers from email capture campaigns.

Recommended frequency settings

Aggressive campaigns (sales, promotions):

• Clicked: 7 days

• Closed: 1 day

• Seen: 12 hours

Standard campaigns (newsletter signup):

• Clicked: 30 days

• Closed: 7 days

• Seen: 3 days

Gentle campaigns (feedback, surveys):

• Clicked: 90 days

• Closed: 30 days

• Seen: 14 days

Campaign scheduling

Time-limited campaigns:

Start: December 1, 2024 00:00
End: December 25, 2024 23:59
Use case: Holiday sale countdown

Recurring campaigns:

Active: Every weekend
Time: Saturday 00:00—Sunday 23:59
Use case: Weekend flash sale

Time-sensitive triggers:

Start: 7 days before product launch
End: Launch day
Use case: Pre-launch email collection

Conclusion

Effective popup targeting balances conversion goals with user experience. You need aggressive enough timing to capture attention, but respectful enough delays to avoid annoying visitors. You want broad enough reach to build your list, but precise enough targeting to stay relevant.

Start simple and optimize continuously. Begin with basic targeting like new vs. returning visitors. Add one layer at a time—device type, then traffic source, then behavioral triggers. Test changes methodically and let your data guide decisions.