Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) bring your highest-intent traffic of the year, which makes them the worst time to turn popups off. This guide covers what to run before, during, and after the sale. Every store is different, so use it as a starting point and confirm what works for your traffic with A/B tests.
đĄ Tip: Missed our BFCM webinar? Watch the BFCM strategies recording. For more guides and workshops, see Your BFCM Resource Center.
Why keep popups live during BFCM
Some brands switch popups off during the sale, worried they'll get in the way. Turning them off usually costs signups and sales instead.
Your offer gets seen. A popup spotlights your sitewide deal so shoppers don't miss it.
Your margins stay protected. Highlight the deal you're already running, such as "Up to 40% off, spend more and save more," instead of stacking another discount.
You capture signups at peak traffic. BFCM brings more visitors than any other weekend, and many are ready to buy.
You can add urgency. A countdown pushes visitors to act while the deal lasts.
You can adjust on the fly. If bounce rate rises or conversion rate drops, change the timing, copy, or design right away.
Your message stays consistent. Repeating the same deal across banners, emails, and popups builds trust.
Build your BFCM popup
Lead with a clear headline and offer, such as "Up to 40% off storewide."
Add a Countdown element for urgency.
Keep the button simple and ask for as little as you can, usually just an email.
Match your holiday branding, but keep your current layout if it already converts well.
Add a small bonus, such as "Sign up now for an extra 5% off," if you want more list growth.
Start from a holiday template to save time. See Your BFCM Resource Center for how to choose one.
đĄ Tip: Lia, Alia's built-in AI assistant, can check your popup for mistakes that are easy to miss, like a floating button that shows a different offer than your popup. Open the dropdown on the Publish button and select Review popup, or ask Lia, "Check this popup for consistency before I publish it." Watch Lia turn a popup into a Black Friday popup, or see Getting started with Lia.
Before BFCM: grow your list
In the weeks before the sale, popups are one of the best ways to build anticipation and grow your list.
VIP early access: offer subscribers first access to your BFCM deals.
Teaser popups: hint that something is coming ("Something big is coming") to drive signups.
Countdown teasers: in the final week, switch to a countdown to the sale for a last push.
Test early: test your creative and offer now, so you go into the sale with a popup you know converts.
During BFCM: convert and recover
Timing
Use gentler timing than usual, such as a longer time delay, a scroll depth trigger, or exit intent, so you don't interrupt shoppers who already know what they want.
To let Alia find the best delay for you, use Adaptive Timing.
Check your mobile and desktop layouts separately, and set triggers per device if one timing doesn't suit both.
Cart and exit recovery
Cart triggers: open a popup When item added to cart or When cart value... reaches an amount, for example to remind shoppers of a free shipping threshold.
Exit intent: a short "Wait, don't miss this deal" popup can keep shoppers from leaving. Alia's exit intent shortcut covers both desktop and mobile.
Show the right message to the right people
Keep the built-in New visitors rule on signup campaigns, so existing subscribers aren't asked again.
Run separate campaigns for different audiences, such as by location, device, or traffic source, with an offer and timing to match.
Test popup variants with A/B tests to see what works for your sale traffic.
Schedule your sale campaign
Schedule your BFCM campaign to go live and end at set times, so you don't have to switch it by hand on the day. Then switch back to your usual popup afterward. See How to schedule an Alia campaign for a specific date and time.
After BFCM: use what you collected
Ask a quick question in your popup, such as "What kind of gifts are you shopping for?", and use the answers in your email and SMS follow-ups.
Send new subscribers into your welcome flow while their interest is high.
Sample BFCM popup timeline
Phase | What to run | Goal |
3 to 4 weeks before | VIP early access, teaser popups | Grow your list and build anticipation |
1 week before | Countdown teaser | Final signup push |
During BFCM | Sitewide offer popup, plus cart and exit recovery if needed | Convert sale traffic and capture new signups |
After BFCM | Your usual popup, plus follow-ups using what you collected | Turn new subscribers into repeat customers |
How to measure your popup's impact
Compare your BFCM results with a similar earlier period, such as the same weekend last year, rather than judging the sale weekend on its own. Look at signup rate, submissions, and revenue, plus store numbers like bounce rate and conversion rate. A change that lifts signups but lowers conversion rate isn't a win.
The step funnel on your Home dashboard shows how many visitors reached each step of your popup, so you can see where people drop off.
Have Alia build your BFCM popup
On the Advanced Managed Growth and Strategic Managed Growth plans, our team builds your BFCM popup for you. Submit your request by November 6.
For what each plan includes, see Alia's Scope of Support.
BFCM popup FAQ
Should I turn my popup off during Black Friday?
Usually not. Sale traffic is your best chance to grow your list. Make the popup reinforce your sale instead of competing with it, and use gentler timing. If you're unsure, run an A/B test of your popup against a copy with no triggers, and judge it on conversion rate, bounce rate, and revenue.
Can my popup show on the checkout page?
No. Shopify doesn't let apps run on its checkout pages. Use cart triggers or exit intent to reach shoppers before they check out.
I'm not on a managed plan. Can I still get help?
Yes. Every merchant can use our holiday templates, Lia, live workshops, and support chat. See Your BFCM Resource Center.
Still have questions?
Start a chat from inside the Alia app, or use the chat in our Help Center.