Exit popup

The exit popup is a last-chance offer that appears when a desktop visitor tries to close the tab or navigate away without donating. Configured well, it converts somewhere in the range of 5–15% of would-be abandoners into donors. Few features in the donation page have a higher return on the time spent configuring them.

How the exit popup works

The popup uses mouse-leave intent detection. When a desktop visitor moves their cursor toward the edge of the browser window — toward the top, or out the left, right, or bottom — the popup appears centered on the page. Visitors can dismiss it by clicking the X in the corner or by clicking the CTA button to return to the form. Clicking outside the popup doesn't dismiss it.

A few constraints worth knowing:

• Desktop only. Mouse-leave intent doesn't translate to touch devices. The popup never fires on tablet or mobile breakpoints, no matter what you configure here.
• Once per browser session. A given visitor sees the popup at most one time per browser session. Returning visitors in a new session get a fresh chance.
• It doesn't fire if the visitor is mid-donation. If a donor has started filling in the form, the exit popup respects that and stays hidden.

Open the Exit Popup panel

In the donation page editor, click the Exit Popup tab in the left sidebar. The editing panel opens on the right, and the preview area shows the popup superimposed on the form.

Fields

• Enable Exit Popup — the master toggle. Off by default. The popup won't fire on the live form until this is on.
• Cover Photo — a single image at the top of the popup. Unlike the main donation page photo, this image is handled simply: upload once and GiveForms resizes it automatically. No per-breakpoint cropping, since the popup layout doesn't change across breakpoints.
• Title — the popup's headline. Up to 100 characters.
• Description — supporting copy below the title. Up to 150 characters.
• Button Label — the CTA button text. Donors who click this button are returned to the donation form.
• Button Color — the CTA button background color. Pick a color that contrasts with the popup's white background.

Writing for conversion

The exit popup catches visitors who were about to leave. The copy needs to do something the donation form didn't already do — give them a fresh reason to stay. A few patterns that work:

• Lead with urgency, not the ask. "Hunger doesn't wait. Neither should we." works because it puts the cause front and center. "Please donate before leaving" works because it asks directly. Mediocre exit copy mostly says "wait!" without giving the visitor a reason.
• Use a different image than the cover photo. The popup is a fresh moment — a new image creates a small jolt of attention. Choose something related to the cause but visually distinct from what the visitor has already seen.
• Keep it short. The 100/150 character limits exist for a reason. Visitors who were about to leave aren't going to read three sentences. The title and description together should be readable in two or three seconds.
• Make the button label specific. "Donate Now" works. "Continue" doesn't — it's vague enough that visitors will assume it means "continue to where I was going."
• Match the button color to your brand. The donation page header and the popup CTA should feel like they're part of the same campaign, not two different sites.

Testing the popup

Preview mode (covered in Test transactions) shows the popup when triggered, but the trigger only works in a real desktop browser session — not within the editor preview. To verify the popup actually fires, publish your form, open it in a new tab on a desktop browser, then move your cursor toward an edge of the window as if you were leaving. The popup should appear.