Pop‑ups are powerful when they appear at the right moment, in the right place, and only as often as the visitor will tolerate. There are three things to consider—Conditions, Triggers, and Advanced Rules—to fine‑tune those factors.
Triggers = When the pop‑up fires #
| Trigger | Typical Use | Key Settings |
|---|---|---|
| On Page Load | Immediate announcements, age gates | Delay in seconds before it appears |
| On Scroll / Scroll to Element | Offer after visitor shows interest | Direction (up/down) and scroll depth (%) or a CSS ID to reach before firing |
| On Click | Forms, “Learn More” lightboxes | Any element with a class/ID can become the trigger |
| After Inactivity | “Still there?” or cart‑abandon prompts | Seconds of no mouse/keyboard activity |
| Exit Intent | Capture emails before bounce | Detects fast upward mouse movement (desktop only) |
Why it matters: Choosing a trigger that matches user intent keeps the experience helpful rather than intrusive.
Display Conditions = Where it shows #
Conditions work like a filter on your entire site map, letting you include or exclude:
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Specific pages, posts, or custom post types
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Archives (category, tag, author, date)
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The front page, 404, search results, etc.
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Device‑based rules introduced in Elementor 3.19—e.g., desktop only or mobile only
Practical examples #
* Show only on product pages to promote a discount.
* Exclude logged‑in members so they aren’t asked to subscribe twice.
Advanced Rules = How often and for whom #
Popups tracks visits with browser storage (a mix of cookies and localStorage) so you can control repetition:
| Rule | What it Does | Typical Value |
|---|---|---|
| Show after X page views | Waits until a visitor has explored enough content | 3–5 pages for blog subscription |
| Show after X sessions | Useful for returning‑visitor offers | 2+ sessions |
| Show up to X times | Frequency cap to prevent annoyance (stored in localStorage) | 1–3 displays |
| Arriving From specific URL / referrer | Coupon for email‑newsletter traffic only | Paste full URL or use regex |
| Hide/Show by device, login status, or time of day | Personalization & performance | Example: hide heavy pop‑ups on mobile |
Tip: Because these limits rely on the visitor’s own browser, clearing cookies or using incognito mode resets the counter.
Putting it all together – three common recipes #
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Newsletter Lightbox
Trigger: On Page Load (2 s delay)
Conditions: Blog posts only
Advanced Rules: Show after 2 page views; max 1 time -
Exit‑Intent Cart Saver
Trigger: Exit Intent
Conditions: WooCommerce Cart page
Advanced Rules: Show up to 3 times; hide for logged‑in users who’ve purchased -
Mobile‑Only Coupon Banner
Trigger: On Scroll 25 %
Conditions: Entire site, but device = mobile
Advanced Rules: Show after 1 session; countdown timer auto‑close after form submit
Best‑practice pointers #
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Start light—one pop‑up per goal, capped at a handful of impressions.
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Match intent—exit‑intent for retention, click triggers for voluntary interactions.
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Segment smartly—use Conditions to avoid showing irrelevant offers.
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Stay compliant—if you’re in the EU or target EU visitors, add a cookie‑consent banner before storing any marketing cookies.
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Test & iterate—Referring to analytics will tell you whether your timing and frequency feel right.
Key takeaways #
Triggers decide when the pop‑up appears, Display Conditions decide where, and Advanced Rules decide how often and to whom. By combining one option from each panel, you can create pop‑ups that feel timely and relevant—boosting conversions without annoying your visitors.
