Components: Popup / Modal

Guides popup and modal design for conversion. Well-designed popups can achieve up to 25% conversion; poorly timed or intrusive ones hurt UX and SEO. Google penalizes intrusive mobile popups.

When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1-2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

Initial Assessment

Check for product marketing context first: If .claude/product-marketing-context.md or .cursor/product-marketing-context.md exists, read it for offers and audience.

Identify:

Goal: Newsletter, discount, lead magnet, demo
Trigger: Time delay, scroll %, exit intent, click
Mobile: Critical; smaller screens = easier to interrupt

Best Practices

Timing and Context

Avoid: Popup on page load; users hate it
Prefer: After engagement (scroll 25-50%, time on page, exit intent)
Personalize: Returning visitors, cart abandoners, discount users
Value-first: Offer genuine value; act as "helpful teammate" not spam

Design

Short copy: Clear headline, one benefit, single CTA
Visual hierarchy: Guide attention to CTA; don't distract
Easy exit: Clear X, visible "No Thanks"; friction-free exit increases trust and conversion
Brand consistency: Build instant comfort

Mobile

Size: Fit screen; thumb-friendly close
Lightweight: Avoid heavy assets; affects LCP
SEO: Google penalizes intrusive interstitials; avoid full-page takeover on mobile

Avoid

Dark patterns (fake close, hidden options)
Too early or too frequent
Multiple popups in one session
Blocking content without clear value

Triggers

Trigger	Use
Time delay	5-15s typical; after some engagement
Scroll %	25-50% read; user invested
Exit intent	Mouse leaving viewport; last chance
Click	User-initiated; least intrusive

Output Format

Offer and copy
Trigger (timing, scroll, exit intent)
Design (size, CTA, exit)
Mobile checklist

Related Skills

landing-page-generator: Lead capture popups on landing pages; popup as alternative to full-page form
newsletter-signup-generator: Popup often contains signup form
cta-generator: Popup CTA design
top-banner-generator: Alternative to popup; less intrusive for announcements
sidebar-generator: Alternative for CTAs; in-content often converts better
brand-visual-generator: Popup styling