An exit-intent popup is a modal that appears when the visitor signals they're about to leave the page. Technically: the mouse cursor moves toward the top edge of the browser, or on mobile the "back" button is pressed. The mechanism became popular in late-2010s e-commerce; today it's one of the strongest email-capture tools โ a well-tuned campaign adds 2-5% to your list.
When to use it
Use it when: the visitor has spent at least 15-30 seconds on the page (showing interest); the page has low conversion (a blog with heavy traffic but no sales); items left in the cart โ "Don't forget, 10% off" lowers abandonment.
Do not use it: immediately for new visitors (1-5 seconds) โ looks unprofessional; after a conversion already happened โ annoying; aggressively on mobile โ Google has penalized mobile interstitials since 2017.
Most effective offers
Best converters: discount code ("15% off first order") โ 4-7%; free content ("50-page PDF guide") โ 3-5%; free shipping ("Today only") โ 3-6%; exclusivity ("VIP list, first to know about new products") โ 2-4%.
Technical implementation
Easiest โ Sumo, OptinMonster, Privy, ConvertFlow. Free is limited (5000 visits/mo), paid $20-200/mo. Custom: a JS event listener โ document.addEventListener('mouseleave', e => { if (e.clientY < 10) showPopup(); });. On mobile, use "scroll-up speed" or "back-button" events.
Sayt.uz practice
The Sayt.uz blog has run exit-intent since 2024: "10,000 sum off your first hosting." Settings: only for visitors who spent 20+ seconds, only in the blog (not service pages), once per day. Result: the list grew from 1800 to 4200 in 6 months, conversion 3.8% (industry average 2.4%). Among clients, exit-intent is most used by e-commerce โ 67 active campaigns as of January 2026.