An exit-intent popup opens when a desktop visitor moves the cursor to leave the page. Instead of interrupting someone who just arrived, it asks for an email at the moment they are about to go. The best exit intent popup examples make one clear, true offer, such as “10% off your first order” or “Get our size guide by email”, and they are easy to close.
This post explains what exit intent means, collects eight examples with copy you can adapt, and shows when to choose exit intent over a delay or scroll trigger. For the full email popup setup, from offer to Klaviyo, see our email popup guide for Shopify.
What does exit intent popup mean?
Exit intent means the visitor’s behavior suggests they are about to leave. On a desktop browser, a small script watches the mouse. When the cursor leaves the page through the top edge, toward the tabs, the address bar or the close button, the popup opens.
Browsers report this with mouse events. MDN describes the mouseleave event as firing “when the cursor of a pointing device (usually a mouse) is moved out of” an element (MDN Web Docs). Popup apps listen for that moment and check where the cursor went.
Two things follow from how it works:
- It is desktop only. Phones and tablets have no cursor, so there is nothing to watch. A popup set to exit intent will not open for most mobile visitors.
- It is a guess, not a fact. A visitor who moves the mouse up to open a new tab or click a bookmark also triggers it. Write the popup so it still makes sense to someone who isn’t leaving.
What are good exit-intent popup examples?
Each example below is one offer in exchange for an email address. Pick the one that fits your store and your margin, not the one with the biggest number.
1. A first-order discount
Example copy: “Before you go: get 10% off your first order. Your code appears as soon as you sign up.”
This is the most common exit-intent popup. It works best on home and collection pages, where many visitors are new. Create the code in Shopify with a usage limit and one use per customer, so it doesn’t spread on coupon sites (Shopify Help Center).
2. Free shipping instead of a percentage
Example copy: “Shipping on us. Get free shipping on your first order when you join our list.”
Shipping cost is a common reason to leave at the last minute. If your margins are thin, free shipping can cost less than a percentage off, as long as the order is not heavy or international. Set a minimum order amount if you need one, and say it in the popup.
3. A buying guide for undecided shoppers
Example copy: “Not sure which size fits? Get our 2-minute fit guide by email.”
This fits stores where people leave to compare, such as apparel, furniture or skincare. It costs no margin. The email that follows answers the question that made them hesitate.
4. A care or how-to guide for blog readers
Example copy: “Enjoyed this post? Get our next care guide in your inbox. One email a month.”
Blog readers often arrive from search and leave once they have their answer. Show this version on blog pages only, and say how often you send. That one line makes signing up feel safer.
5. Early access to a real launch
Example copy: “The winter collection drops November 14. Subscribers shop it 24 hours early.”
Use this only with a real date. It gives a reason to sign up without a discount, and it rewards your list. Our FOMO marketing examples cover more honest ways to use a launch date.
6. A sale with a real end date
Example copy: “Our weekend sale ends Sunday at midnight. Join the list to get the code now.”
Match the end date to the dates set on the discount code. If the offer doesn’t really end on Sunday, leave the deadline out.
7. A gift guide in the holiday season
Example copy: “Shopping for someone else? Get our gift guide under $50, plus shipping cutoff dates.”
Holiday visitors often browse for others and come back later. A guide with real cutoff dates gives them a reason to return, and you can swap the popup back after the season.
8. A quiet “stay in touch” with no offer
Example copy: “New products, restocks and the occasional sale. About two emails a month.”
Some brands don’t want to train shoppers to wait for discounts. A plain, honest promise gets fewer sign-ups but costs nothing. It suits stores with loyal repeat buyers.
Which example fits which page?
| Example | Best pages | Costs margin? | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-order discount | Home, collections | Yes | Unlimited codes that leak to coupon sites |
| Free shipping | Product pages | Yes | Heavy or international orders |
| Buying guide | Product pages | No | You need to write the guide first |
| Blog guide | Blog | No | Too many emails after sign-up |
| Early access | Home, collections | No | A launch date you can’t keep |
| Sale with an end date | Home, collections | Yes | A deadline that isn’t real |
| Gift guide | Home, collections | No | Leaving it up after the season |
| Stay in touch | Any | No | Lower sign-up rate |
When should you use exit intent instead of a delay or scroll?
Use exit intent when you’d rather not interrupt browsing at all, and when most of your traffic is on desktop. Use a delay or scroll trigger when you want to reach mobile shoppers too.
| Trigger | Who sees it | Interrupts browsing? | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| After delay | Desktop and mobile visitors who stay a few seconds | Sometimes | A simple default on most stores |
| On scroll | Visitors who scroll part of the page | Less often | Long product pages and blog posts |
| On exit intent | Desktop visitors moving to leave | Rarely | Stores with strong desktop traffic, or visitors you don’t want to disturb |
A few rules of thumb:
- Check your device split first. If most sessions come from phones, an exit-intent popup will reach only a small part of your visitors.
- Don’t stack popups. If you already show sales notifications or a promo bar or announcement bar, the exit-intent popup should be the last thing a visitor sees, not one of five.
- Leave out the checkout path. A visitor on the cart page who moves the mouse up may be opening a tab to check a delivery date. Don’t push a discount at someone who was already going to pay.
On mobile, one honest option is a short delay or scroll trigger with the same offer. Another is a smaller inline form or bar that doesn’t cover the page. Google’s guidance warns against dialogs that “obstruct users’ view of the content” and suggests banners “that take up only a small fraction of the screen” instead (Google Search Central).
How do you set up an exit-intent popup on Shopify?
You need an app, because Shopify themes don’t include a popup with an exit-intent trigger. Here is the setup in Sam FOMO, our sales popup and social proof app. It is free to install and rated 4.6★ from 17 reviews on the Shopify App Store (Oct 2026).
- Turn on the app embed. Install the app and turn on its app embed in your theme (install guide).
- Create the popup. Open Popups and click Create popup.
- Write the offer. On Content & Design, pick a template, add an image and logo, and write the headline, text and button. Keep the form to an email field unless you will use more.
- Add the code. In the After Submit part of Content, turn on the coupon code. Type your own code or pick a Shopify discount code. Shoppers see it right after they sign up.
- Pick exit intent. On Triggers & Placement, set Trigger condition to On exit intent (desktop only). The app’s help text explains it: the popup “displays when a desktop visitor moves the cursor towards the top bar to leave.”
- Choose position and pages. Pick centered, bottom left or bottom right for desktop. Under Targeting, choose the devices and the pages, such as blog pages only for the blog guide offer.
- Send sign-ups where you need them. Sign-ups appear under Popups > Subscribers, where you can export a CSV. You can also sync them to Shopify Customers or connect Klaviyo and choose a list.
- Save and test. Click Save, open your store in a private desktop window, browse for a moment, then move the cursor up past the tabs.
Use the preview to check the Main Popup, the After Submit screen and the Floating Button. The floating button lets visitors reopen the popup after they close it, so nobody has to see it twice to find the code. Every screen is in the email popup user guide.
How do you keep an exit-intent popup honest?
Make the offer true, make the exit easy, and don’t punish people for leaving. An exit-intent popup catches visitors at a moment of doubt, which makes pressure tactics tempting. They cost trust.
- No fake deadlines. The FTC’s 2022 dark patterns report named “countdown timers designed to make consumers believe they only have a limited time to purchase” when the offer is not actually time-limited (FTC). If the code works forever, don’t say “today only”.
- A plain decline option. Write “No thanks” or “Close”, not a guilt line like “No, I don’t like saving money.”
- A visible close button. It should be easy to find and click, and clicking outside the popup should close it too.
- Honest consent. Say what you will send and how often. Don’t pre-tick boxes. Our email popup guide covers the email consent rules in the UK and US.
- A real discount. The code in the popup should work at checkout, with the limits you state and no hidden conditions.
How do you know if your exit-intent popup works?
Count sign-ups, then check what those subscribers do.
- Sign-ups. Watch the list under Popups > Subscribers grow week by week.
- Code use. Shopify’s Sales by discount report shows how often each code is used (Shopify Help Center).
- List quality. Check opens and unsubscribes on your welcome emails. A big discount can bring people who only want the code.
- One change at a time. Swap the offer, the headline or the trigger, then compare similar weeks. A sale week tells you nothing about a quiet one.
If an exit-intent popup brings few sign-ups because most of your visitors are on phones, that’s a sign to try a delay or scroll trigger, not a bigger discount.
An exit-intent popup is one small part of a store that earns trust. Real recent sales, honest stock levels and clear offers do the rest. The social proof guide for Shopify shows how those pieces fit together, and our countdown timer guide covers deadlines that are actually real.
Frequently asked questions
What does exit intent popup mean?
An exit-intent popup is a popup that opens when a visitor looks like they are about to leave the page. On desktop, a script watches the mouse cursor and shows the popup when the cursor moves out of the page toward the tabs, address bar or close button.
Do exit-intent popups work on mobile?
Not in the usual form. Exit intent is detected from the mouse cursor leaving the page, and phones have no cursor. In Sam FOMO the trigger is labeled "On exit intent (desktop only)". For mobile visitors, use a delay or scroll trigger, or an inline sign-up form.
What should an exit-intent popup offer?
Offer one clear reason to stay in touch: a first-order discount, free shipping, a useful guide such as a size or care guide, or early access to a launch with a real date. Create any discount as a real Shopify code with usage limits.
Is an exit-intent popup better than a timed popup?
Neither is better in general. A timed popup reaches more visitors, including mobile ones, but interrupts some of them while they browse. An exit-intent popup only shows to desktop visitors who are leaving, so it interrupts less but reaches fewer people. Test one trigger at a time over similar periods.
Sources
Part of our guide: Social proof →