popups

The box that slides over a web page asking for an email address — the difference between one that gets filled in and one that just makes people leave.

WHEN TO USE

SCOPE

USE FOR

Pick the right trigger, scroll depth, exit intent, or click, for a popup.
Write an email-capture popup with a clear, specific value proposition.
Design an exit-intent offer that gives visitors one final reason to stay.
Set frequency caps so the same visitor isn't shown a popup repeatedly.
Check a popup design against Google's intrusive-interstitial guidelines.

This is a saved copy of the skill's SKILL.md instructions. It may differ from the upstream file or the version you install.

In this document (15)

Popup CRO

You are an expert in popup and modal optimization. Your goal is to create popups that convert without annoying users or damaging brand perception.

Initial Assessment

Check for product marketing context first: If .agents/product-marketing.md exists (or .claude/product-marketing.md, or the legacy product-marketing-context.md filename, in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.

Before providing recommendations, understand:

Popup Purpose
- Email/newsletter capture
- Lead magnet delivery
- Discount/promotion
- Announcement
- Exit intent save
- Feature promotion
- Feedback/survey
Current State
- Existing popup performance?
- What triggers are used?
- User complaints or feedback?
- Mobile experience?
Traffic Context
- Traffic sources (paid, organic, direct)
- New vs. returning visitors
- Page types where shown

Core Principles

1. Timing Is Everything

Too early = annoying interruption
Too late = missed opportunity
Right time = helpful offer at moment of need

2. Value Must Be Obvious

Clear, immediate benefit
Relevant to page context
Worth the interruption

3. Respect the User

Easy to dismiss
Don't trap or trick
Remember preferences
Don't ruin the experience

Trigger Strategies

Time-Based

Not recommended: "Show after 5 seconds"
Better: "Show after 30-60 seconds" (proven engagement)
Best for: General site visitors

Scroll-Based

Typical: 25-50% scroll depth
Indicates: Content engagement
Best for: Blog posts, long-form content
Example: "You're halfway through—get more like this"

Exit Intent

Detects cursor moving to close/leave
Last chance to capture value
Best for: E-commerce, lead gen
Mobile alternative: Back button or scroll up

Click-Triggered

User initiates (clicks button/link)
Zero annoyance factor
Best for: Lead magnets, gated content, demos
Example: "Download PDF" → Popup form

Page Count / Session-Based

After visiting X pages
Indicates research/comparison behavior
Best for: Multi-page journeys
Example: "Been comparing? Here's a summary..."

Behavior-Based

Add to cart abandonment
Pricing page visitors
Repeat page visits
Best for: High-intent segments

Popup Types

Email Capture Popup

Goal: Newsletter/list subscription

Best practices:

Clear value prop (not just "Subscribe")
Specific benefit of subscribing
Single field (email only)
Consider incentive (discount, content)

Copy structure:

Headline: Benefit or curiosity hook
Subhead: What they get, how often
CTA: Specific action ("Get Weekly Tips")

Lead Magnet Popup

Goal: Exchange content for email

Best practices:

Show what they get (cover image, preview)
Specific, tangible promise
Minimal fields (email, maybe name)
Instant delivery expectation

Discount/Promotion Popup

Goal: First purchase or conversion

Best practices:

Clear discount (10%, $20, free shipping)
Deadline creates urgency
Single use per visitor
Easy to apply code

Exit Intent Popup

Goal: Last-chance conversion

Best practices:

Acknowledge they're leaving
Different offer than entry popup
Address common objections
Final compelling reason to stay

Formats:

"Wait! Before you go..."
"Forget something?"
"Get 10% off your first order"
"Questions? Chat with us"

Announcement Banner

Goal: Site-wide communication

Best practices:

Top of page (sticky or static)
Single, clear message
Dismissable
Links to more info
Time-limited (don't leave forever)

Slide-In

Goal: Less intrusive engagement

Best practices:

Enters from corner/bottom
Doesn't block content
Easy to dismiss or minimize
Good for chat, support, secondary CTAs

Design Best Practices

Visual Hierarchy

Headline (largest, first seen)
Value prop/offer (clear benefit)
Form/CTA (obvious action)
Close option (easy to find)

Sizing

Desktop: 400-600px wide typical
Don't cover entire screen
Mobile: Full-width bottom or center, not full-screen
Leave space to close (visible X, click outside)

Close Button

Keep visible (top right is convention) — users who can't find the close button will bounce entirely
Large enough to tap on mobile
"No thanks" text link as alternative
Click outside to close

Mobile Considerations

Can't detect exit intent (use alternatives)
Full-screen overlays feel aggressive
Bottom slide-ups work well
Larger touch targets
Easy dismiss gestures

Imagery

Product image or preview
Face if relevant (increases trust)
Minimal for speed
Optional—copy can work alone

Copy Formulas

Headlines

Benefit-driven: "Get [result] in [timeframe]"
Question: "Want [desired outcome]?"
Command: "Don't miss [thing]"
Social proof: "Join [X] people who..."
Curiosity: "The one thing [audience] always get wrong about [topic]"

Subheadlines

Expand on the promise
Address objection ("No spam, ever")
Set expectations ("Weekly tips in 5 min")

CTA Buttons

First person works: "Get My Discount" vs "Get Your Discount"
Specific over generic: "Send Me the Guide" vs "Submit"
Value-focused: "Claim My 10% Off" vs "Subscribe"

Decline Options

Polite, not guilt-trippy
"No thanks" / "Maybe later" / "I'm not interested"
Avoid manipulative: "No, I don't want to save money"

Frequency and Rules

Frequency Capping

Show maximum once per session
Remember dismissals (cookie/localStorage)
7-30 days before showing again
Respect user choice

Audience Targeting

New vs. returning visitors (different needs)
By traffic source (match ad message)
By page type (context-relevant)
Exclude converted users
Exclude recently dismissed

Page Rules

Exclude checkout/conversion flows
Consider blog vs. product pages
Match offer to page context

Compliance and Accessibility

GDPR/Privacy

Clear consent language
Link to privacy policy
Don't pre-check opt-ins
Honor unsubscribe/preferences

Accessibility

Keyboard navigable (Tab, Enter, Esc)
Focus trap while open
Screen reader compatible
Sufficient color contrast
Don't rely on color alone

Google Guidelines

Intrusive interstitials hurt SEO
Mobile especially sensitive
Allow: Cookie notices, age verification, reasonable banners
Avoid: Full-screen before content on mobile

Measurement

Key Metrics

Impression rate: Visitors who see popup
Conversion rate: Impressions → Submissions
Close rate: How many dismiss immediately
Engagement rate: Interaction before close
Time to close: How long before dismissing

What to Track

Popup views
Form focus
Submission attempts
Successful submissions
Close button clicks
Outside clicks
Escape key

Benchmarks

Email popup: 2-5% conversion typical
Exit intent: 3-10% conversion
Click-triggered: Higher (10%+, self-selected)

Output Format

Popup Design

Type: Email capture, lead magnet, etc.
Trigger: When it appears
Targeting: Who sees it
Frequency: How often shown
Copy: Headline, subhead, CTA, decline
Design notes: Layout, imagery, mobile

Multiple Popup Strategy

If recommending multiple popups:

Popup 1: [Purpose, trigger, audience]
Popup 2: [Purpose, trigger, audience]
Conflict rules: How they don't overlap

Test Hypotheses

Ideas to A/B test with expected outcomes

Common Popup Strategies

E-commerce

Entry/scroll: First-purchase discount
Exit intent: Bigger discount or reminder
Cart abandonment: Complete your order

B2B SaaS

Click-triggered: Demo request, lead magnets
Scroll: Newsletter/blog subscription
Exit intent: Trial reminder or content offer

Content/Media

Scroll-based: Newsletter after engagement
Page count: Subscribe after multiple visits
Exit intent: Don't miss future content

Lead Generation

Time-delayed: General list building
Click-triggered: Specific lead magnets
Exit intent: Final capture attempt

Experiment Ideas

Placement & Format Experiments

Banner Variations

Top bar vs. banner below header
Sticky banner vs. static banner
Full-width vs. contained banner
Banner with countdown timer vs. without

Popup Formats

Center modal vs. slide-in from corner
Full-screen overlay vs. smaller modal
Bottom bar vs. corner popup
Top announcements vs. bottom slideouts

Position Testing

Test popup sizes on desktop and mobile
Left corner vs. right corner for slide-ins
Test visibility without blocking content

Trigger Experiments

Timing Triggers

Exit intent vs. 30-second delay vs. 50% scroll depth
Test optimal time delay (10s vs. 30s vs. 60s)
Test scroll depth percentage (25% vs. 50% vs. 75%)
Page count trigger (show after X pages viewed)

Behavior Triggers

Show based on user intent prediction
Trigger based on specific page visits
Return visitor vs. new visitor targeting
Show based on referral source

Click Triggers

Click-triggered popups for lead magnets
Button-triggered vs. link-triggered modals
Test in-content triggers vs. sidebar triggers

Messaging & Content Experiments

Headlines & Copy

Test attention-grabbing vs. informational headlines
"Limited-time offer" vs. "New feature alert" messaging
Urgency-focused copy vs. value-focused copy
Test headline length and specificity

CTAs

CTA button text variations
Button color testing for contrast
Primary + secondary CTA vs. single CTA
Test decline text (friendly vs. neutral)

Visual Content

Add countdown timers to create urgency
Test with/without images
Product preview vs. generic imagery
Include social proof in popup

Personalization Experiments

Dynamic Content

Personalize popup based on visitor data
Show industry-specific content
Tailor content based on pages visited
Use progressive profiling (ask more over time)

Audience Targeting

New vs. returning visitor messaging
Segment by traffic source
Target based on engagement level
Exclude already-converted visitors

Frequency & Rules Experiments

Test frequency capping (once per session vs. once per week)
Cool-down period after dismissal
Test different dismiss behaviors
Show escalating offers over multiple visits

Task-Specific Questions

What's the primary goal for this popup?
What's your current popup performance (if any)?
What traffic sources are you optimizing for?
What incentive can you offer?
Are there compliance requirements (GDPR, etc.)?
Mobile vs. desktop traffic split?

Related Skills

lead-magnets: For planning lead magnets to promote via popups
cro: For optimizing the form inside the popup
cro: For the page context around popups
emails: For what happens after popup conversion
ab-testing: For testing popup variations

This skill ships inside the Marketing Skills for AI Agents plugin.

Install just this skill

Run this outside your AI tool, using Node.js 22.20.0 or newer. Skills CLI 1.7.2 skips skill selection; prompts cancel installation without an interactive terminal. If choosing Project when asked about installation scope, open your project's folder before running this.

Install checklist

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Without a tool picker, check Installing to: for your intended tool. Stop if it names a different tool.
If asked, choose Symlink (Recommended) for shared files or Copy to all agents for separate copies; review the summary before confirming installation.
Install the find-skills skill? defaults to Yes, adding another skill for all projects. Choose No if you don't want that extra installation.

Skills CLI 1.7.2 sends install data to skills.sh by default, including the source, skill names, target tools and file details; GitHub sources are reported only when GitHub confirms the repository is public, while other remote sources can also be reported. Confirmed-public GitHub sources also trigger a security-audit request. Before installing, set the environment variable DO_NOT_TRACK=1 or DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1 to disable both.

npx skills add coreyhaines31/marketingskills --skill "popups" --full-depth

After installing for Claude Code, open it in the installation project if you chose Project; Global makes the skill available across projects on this computer. Once Claude Code loads the skill, its description helps Claude decide when to use it.

If installation created a top-level skills folder that did not exist when your Claude Code session started, run /reload-skills in that session. Run it again after later changes in that folder.

Install the whole plugin

This route installs the Marketing Skills for AI Agents plugin package selected for your AI tool.

Add the marketplace, then install the plugin

Type both lines inside a Claude Code session, not at your shell prompt. They add Corey's marketplace, which is this repository, and the marketing-skills plugin, with all 50 skills.

/plugin marketplace add coreyhaines31/marketingskills

02
```
/plugin install marketing-skills
```

Installation and loading

The second line opens the plugin's details; Claude Code installs it once you pick one of the install options shown.

Good to know

/plugin does not work in Claude Code on the web, GitHub Actions or other non-interactive setups. For those, Corey gives a shell form: claude plugin marketplace add coreyhaines31/marketingskills, then claude plugin install marketing-skills@marketingskills.

Add the marketplace, then pick the plugin in Codex

Run the first line in your terminal to add Corey's marketplace, which is this repository. Then start a Codex session, type /plugins and select marketing-skills to install all 50 skills. To get new releases later, run codex plugin marketplace upgrade.

codex plugin marketplace add coreyhaines31/marketingskills

02
```
/plugins
```

Open plugin page ↗

What's inside

Files included with this skill.

View on GitHub

Same repository

ab-testing
When the user wants to plan, design, or implement an A/B test or experiment, or build a growth experimentation program. Also use when the user mentions "A/B test," "split test," "experiment," "test this change," "variant copy," "multivariate test," "hypothesis," "should I test this," "which version is better," "test two versions," "statistical significance," "how long should I run this test," "growth experiments," "experiment velocity," "experiment backlog," "ICE score," "experimentation program," or "experiment playbook." Use this whenever someone is comparing two approaches and wants to measure which performs better, or when they want to build a systematic experimentation practice. For tracking implementation, see analytics. For page-level conversion optimization, see cro.Read full description
ad-creative
When the user wants to generate, iterate, or scale ad creative — headlines, descriptions, primary text, or full ad variations — for any paid advertising platform. Also use when the user mentions 'ad copy variations,' 'ad creative,' 'generate headlines,' 'RSA headlines,' 'bulk ad copy,' 'ad iterations,' 'creative testing,' 'write me some ads,' 'Facebook ad copy,' 'Google ad headlines,' 'LinkedIn ad text,' 'static ads,' 'ad templates,' 'iMessage ad,' 'chat reveal ad,' 'ChatGPT ad,' 'Apple Notes ad,' 'AirDrop ad,' 'creative strategy,' 'creative roadmap,' 'creative retro,' 'hook writing,' 'creative review page,' 'present ad creative for approval,' 'motion video ad,' 'faceless video ad,' 'UGC ad,' 'greenscreen ad,' 'TikTok/Reels ad format,' 'which ad format to make,' 'Meta ad format tier list,' or 'creative format taxonomy.' Use this whenever someone needs to produce ad copy at scale or iterate on existing ads. For campaign strategy and targeting, see ads. For landing page copy, see copywriting.Read full description
ads
When the user wants help with paid advertising campaigns on Google Ads, Meta (Facebook/Instagram), LinkedIn, Twitter/X, or other ad platforms. Also use when the user mentions 'PPC,' 'paid media,' 'ROAS,' 'CPA,' 'ad campaign,' 'retargeting,' 'audience targeting,' 'Google Ads,' 'Facebook ads,' 'LinkedIn ads,' 'ad budget,' 'cost per click,' 'ad spend,' 'should I run ads,' 'ABM,' 'account-based marketing,' 'B2B ads,' 'lead quality,' 'negative keywords,' 'Performance Max,' 'thought leader ads,' or 'when should I kill an ad.' Use this for campaign strategy, audience targeting, bidding, and optimization. For bulk ad creative generation and iteration, see ad-creative. For landing page optimization, see cro.Read full description
ai-seo
When the user wants to optimize content for AI search engines, get cited by LLMs, or appear in AI-generated answers. Also use when the user mentions 'AI SEO,' 'AEO,' 'GEO,' 'LLMO,' 'answer engine optimization,' 'generative engine optimization,' 'LLM optimization,' 'AI Overviews,' 'optimize for ChatGPT,' 'optimize for Perplexity,' 'AI citations,' 'AI visibility,' 'zero-click search,' 'how do I show up in AI answers,' 'LLM mentions,' 'optimize for Claude/Gemini,' 'llms.txt,' 'llms-full.txt,' 'OKF,' 'Open Knowledge Format,' 'knowledge bundle,' 'agent-readable site,' 'agent readiness,' 'is my site agent-ready,' 'WebMCP,' 'do listicles still work for AI,' 'ChatGPT stopped citing comparison pages,' or 'AI citation format shift.' Use this whenever someone wants their content to be cited or surfaced by AI assistants and AI search engines. For traditional technical and on-page SEO audits, see seo-audit. For structured data implementation, see schema.Read full description
analytics
When the user wants to set up, improve, or audit analytics tracking and measurement. Also use when the user mentions "set up tracking," "GA4," "Google Analytics," "conversion tracking," "event tracking," "UTM parameters," "tag manager," "GTM," "analytics implementation," "tracking plan," "how do I measure this," "track conversions," "Mixpanel," "Segment," "are my events firing," or "analytics isn't working." Use this whenever someone asks how to know if something is working or wants to measure marketing results. For choosing attribution models, comparing multi-touch/MMM/incrementality, or reconciling conflicting numbers across tools, see attribution. For A/B test measurement, see ab-testing.Read full description
aso
When the user wants to audit or optimize an App Store or Google Play listing. Also use when the user mentions 'ASO audit,' 'app store optimization,' 'optimize my app listing,' 'improve app visibility,' 'app store ranking,' 'audit my listing,' 'why aren't people downloading my app,' 'improve my app conversion,' 'keyword optimization for app,' or 'compare my app to competitors.' Use when the user shares an App Store or Google Play URL and wants to improve it.Read full description

Popup CRO

Initial Assessment

Core Principles

1. Timing Is Everything

2. Value Must Be Obvious

3. Respect the User

Trigger Strategies

Time-Based

Scroll-Based

Exit Intent

Click-Triggered

Page Count / Session-Based

Behavior-Based

Popup Types

Email Capture Popup

Lead Magnet Popup

Discount/Promotion Popup

Exit Intent Popup

Announcement Banner

Slide-In

Design Best Practices

Visual Hierarchy

Sizing

Close Button

Mobile Considerations

Imagery

Copy Formulas

Headlines

Subheadlines

CTA Buttons

Decline Options

Frequency and Rules

Frequency Capping

Audience Targeting

Page Rules

Compliance and Accessibility

GDPR/Privacy

Accessibility

Google Guidelines

Measurement

Key Metrics

What to Track

Benchmarks

Output Format

Popup Design

Multiple Popup Strategy

Test Hypotheses

Common Popup Strategies

E-commerce

B2B SaaS

Content/Media

Lead Generation

Experiment Ideas

Placement & Format Experiments

Trigger Experiments

Messaging & Content Experiments

Personalization Experiments

Frequency & Rules Experiments

Task-Specific Questions

Related Skills

No requirements beyond installing this skill were found.

Install just this skill

Install the whole plugin

Add the marketplace, then install the plugin

Add the marketplace, then pick the plugin in Codex

What's inside

More skills

ab-testing

ad-creative

ads

ai-seo

analytics

aso