Exit Intent

Conversion & UX

Also: Exit Intent Popup · Exit Intent Overlay

Triggers onMouse moving toward browser tab/back button

Common offerDiscount or lead magnet

Use sparinglyOne per session, mobile-friendly only

Quick definition

A popup or overlay triggered when a visitor's cursor movement indicates they are about to leave the page, designed to capture their attention before they go.

Where it shows up in the data

Cursor tracking

On desktop, exit intent is detected when the mouse moves above the top of the browser window, toward the tab bar or back button. On mobile, it is typically triggered by scroll behaviour or time on page.

Last-chance offer

Exit intent works best when the offer is genuinely relevant: a discount for an ecommerce visitor, a lead magnet for a B2B visitor, or a reminder of what they will miss.

Frequency capping

Showing the same exit intent popup every visit destroys trust. Most platforms allow session or cookie-based suppression so it appears once per user per period.

Mobile limitations

Cursor tracking does not work on touchscreens. Mobile exit intent relies on back-button detection or timing, and intrusive mobile popups violate Google's interstitials policy.

What it actually means

Exit intent detects the moment a user is about to abandon a page and triggers a targeted message or offer to keep them engaged. It is most effective on high-traffic pages with high bounce rates, particularly product pages and landing pages where visitors leave without converting. The mechanic itself is neutral — a well-crafted exit intent overlay with a relevant offer can genuinely serve the visitor. A desperate one with a generic popup only adds friction.

Exit intent is the last 10 seconds of a visit. Make them count or let the visitor go.

How it shows up

Track exit intent separately in Google Analytics as a custom event. Measure: impressions (how many times it triggered), submissions (how many people took the offer), and downstream conversion (did those subscribers or discount users actually purchase?). A high submission rate with zero downstream conversion means the offer attracted the wrong people.

The Australian context

Australian ecommerce sites use exit intent overlays at similar rates to global benchmarks. The ACCC's guidelines on misleading conduct apply to countdown timers and false scarcity in exit intent offers — 'Only 3 left!' must be accurate.

Where people get this wrong

Firing on every page including the checkoutAn exit intent popup on the checkout page interrupts the purchase. Exclude it from checkout, order confirmation and thank-you pages.

Generic discount for all visitorsA 10% offer shown to a visitor who just spent 30 minutes researching and was about to buy anyway just gave away margin. Segment by intent before deciding what to offer.

Not testing the offerFree shipping versus a percentage discount versus a lead magnet perform very differently by category and audience. A/B test the offer, not just the design.

Common questions

Does exit intent hurt SEO?

Google penalises intrusive interstitials on mobile that appear immediately on page load or cover the main content. Exit intent overlays that only fire on exit intent signals are generally exempt from this penalty, but test carefully on mobile.

What should I offer in an exit intent popup?

Match the offer to the visitor's intent. Ecommerce: discount or free shipping. B2B: relevant guide or case study. SaaS: free trial or demo. Generic offers ('Subscribe to our newsletter') perform poorly.

How do I measure if exit intent is working?

Track the full funnel: trigger impressions, submission rate, downstream conversion and revenue attributed. A popup with a 5% submission rate but zero downstream purchases is collecting bad leads.

Keep exploring

About New Rebellion

New Rebellion is a marketing intelligence consultancy. We build tools, score Australian businesses on how their marketing actually performs, and publish Debrief every day. This dictionary is part of how we work in the open.

How we think →