Learning how to create an exit-intent popup in WordPress could save your site from the dreaded bounce — you know, when visitors leave your site without taking any action, signing up, or making a purchase.
You can use a popup as a smart trigger to catch your visitors' attention right before they leave, giving you one last chance to keep them engaged.
In this guide, you'll learn how to set up effective popups in WordPress. The best part? You don't need any coding skills. We'll walk through everything you need to know, from choosing the right tools to crafting popups that actually convert.
Let's turn those almost-gone visitors into loyal subscribers, customers, or readers.
Here’s Why Popups Still Have a Place in Your Website Strategy
Let's face it — nobody loves popups, but they've stuck around for good reason: they work. When used strategically, they create moments of focused attention that convert casual browsers into engaged users.
Here are a few key benefits of popups:
- Higher Conversion Rates: A well-timed popup can grab way more email signups than a static form, especially when you sweeten the deal with a good offer
- Perfect Timing: Unlike static elements, popups can appear at crucial moments — like when someone's finishing an article or showing exit intent
- Measurable Results: Their performance is easily trackable, letting you quickly test and optimize what works
- Value Exchange: They create clear opportunities to offer something useful (discounts, resources, community access) in exchange for engagement
The secret? Treat them less like interruptions and more like helpful suggestions — just like a good sales associate who knows exactly when to step in.
How to Set Up an Exit-Intent Popup For Your WordPress Website
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to create and add an exit-intent popup to your website:
1. Download and Install Thrive Leads
Thrive Leads is your number one choice if you're looking to create opt-in forms to convince your audience to convert.
First off, you're going to love how easy it is to use. With its drag-and-drop functionality, designing custom popups is a breeze, even for beginner WordPress website owners. No need to try figure out HTML or CSS.
This tool is all about making things simple and efficient for you. And with a variety of templates (450+ to be exact) that are not just eye-catching but conversion-optimized, you're set to capture your audience's attention.
Form and Popup Templates in Thrive Leads
What's really cool about Thrive Leads is the way it lets you get specific with who sees your forms and popups.
You can tailor your content based on what your visitors are into, where they came from (e.g. a social media post), and more. This means you can make your content super relevant to each visitor, increasing the chances they'll engage with it.
In terms of integrations, you can easily connect this plugin with your favorite email marketing services and marketing automation tools.
This means you can manage your new leads easily and effectively. Plus, the plugin’s detailed analytics engine helps you keep track of how your forms are performing, giving you the insights you need to keep improving.
2. Create a New ThriveBox
ThriveBoxes are a quick and easy way to create popups for your pages or posts.
After you've launched Thrive Leads, scroll down until you find the ThriveBox section.
Click "Add New" and give your ThriveBox a name.
3. Create a Form for Your ThriveBox
Next, you need to create a form for your ThriveBox. Click the "Edit" button next to the ThriveBox you just created.
A new page will appear, where you'll need to click the "Create Form" button and proceed with creating your form.
Another popup will appear, asking you to name your form. Once you've done this, click the "Create Form" button and you'll return to the Thrive Leads dashboard.
4. Set an Animation for Your Form
You can pick from a variety of animation options for your popup.
5. Select a Template & Edit Your Popup Design
Thrive Leads has hundreds of opt-in form templates for you to choose from. This includes ThriveBox templates, too.
To select a template for your ThriveBox form, select the "Edit Design" option.
Scroll through our library of professionally designed templates until you find the perfect one for your offer.
Once you've selected a template, the Thrive Visual Editor will open, allowing you to customize your form.
You can change every element of your pop-up including the text, colors, background image, and calls to action — you're in control!
Save the form and exit the editor after you've customized your form.
6. Add Your Popup to Your Page
Now, you need to add your popup to your landing page. I use Thrive Architect for my pages, so it'll be really easy to get this done.
If you want to make sure your visitors see certain promotions or offers that you have, you need to set up a page event.
First, select the "Cog" icon in the right sidebar to access the page event settings.
Then, click the “Advanced Settings” section:
Next, select the “Page Events” option:
The “Page Event Manager” will open and you will have to select a trigger. You can choose between “Exit intent” which means that the page event will appear when the visitor tries to exit the page, or “Timer”, meaning that the page event will be displayed after a certain amount of time.
Choose the "Exit intent" option.
You can choose to enable your popup on mobile devices. But if you do, you'll need to set a timer to activate the popup because mobile devices can't detect exit intent.
Now, you need to choose an action for the trigger. Choose the "Open Thrive Leads ThriveBox" option.
Click "Apply" and don't forget to preview your form.
FAQs
Q: Do I need to code an exit-intent popup from scratch?
A: No — you can use a plugin like Thrive Leads to design your popup. You get a drag-and-drop builder and pre-made templates.
Q: How do I make sure my popup only shows when someone's about to leave?
A: Most popup plugins have a built-in exit-intent trigger option. You'll typically find this in your popup's settings under "Triggers" or "Display Rules." Just check the box for exit-intent and the plugin handles the mouse-tracking automatically.
Q: What's the best way to test if my exit-intent popup is working?
A: Try this quick test: Open your site in an incognito window (to avoid caching issues), let the page fully load, then quickly move your mouse up toward the browser's address bar like you're about to leave. Your popup should appear. If it doesn't, double-check your trigger settings and make sure you've published (not just saved) your popup.
Now It's Your Turn: Build Your Exit-Intent Popup Today
As you can see exit-intent popups in WordPress don't have to be complicated. The right tools and a strategic approach will help you catch visitors at the perfect moment and turn potential bounces into valuable conversions. Just keep your message clear, your design clean, and test your popup results to boost performance.
Ready to skip the hassle and build high-converting exit-intent popups right now? Thrive Leads makes it easy with drag-and-drop tools, smart targeting, and conversion-ready templates. Plus, A/B testing lets you perfect your popups for maximum results.
