Pop-up Advertising in 2025: What Works, What Doesn't

Pop-up ads evolved into modals, interstitials, and overlays. Modern best practices emphasize relevance, easy dismissal, mobile-friendliness, and consent to balance conversion with user experience and regulatory requirements.

What is pop-up advertising?

Pop-up advertising uses a separate window, modal overlay, or interstitial to present an offer, capture an email address, or show a marketing message. Classic types persist, but terms have shifted: "pop-up" now includes modals and overlays, "pop-under" is less common, and "interstitials" describe full-page ads that appear between pages.

Common formats

• Instant pop-up/modal: an overlay appears immediately when a page loads.

• Delayed pop-up/modal: the overlay appears after a set delay or after user interaction.

• Exit-intent overlay: shows when the user moves to leave the page (mouse or gesture detects intent).

• Pop-under: opens behind the browser window (rare today).

• Dynamic/interactive overlays: animated HTML5 or JavaScript-driven content.

• Video overlays: short HTML5 or embedded videos that play inside a modal.

Why pop-ups draw criticism

Pop-ups remain controversial because they interrupt reading and can be hard to dismiss. Modern browsers block unwanted pop-ups by default, and many users install ad-blocking extensions. The Coalition for Better Ads and major platforms discourage or penalize intrusive interstitials - Google's mobile ranking algorithm treats some intrusive pop-ups (mobile interstitials) as a negative SEO factor. These developments make user-centric design and compliance essential.

How pop-up advertising has evolved

Advertisers moved from unlimited pop-ups to more targeted, measurable, and less intrusive formats. Programmatic and native ads, in-feed promotions, contextual banners, and short video placements now compete for attention. Privacy rules (GDPR, CCPA) also changed how marketers collect and use personal data, so consent and transparent data practices are standard requirements for email capture and personalized offers.

Practical guidance for small businesses

Pop-ups can still convert if you focus on user experience and trust:

• Offer clear value: make the offer relevant to the page and concise.

• Respect frequency and context: limit how often the overlay appears and avoid showing it on every page.

• Make dismissal obvious: include a visible close control and keyboard escape support.

• Prioritize mobile: avoid full-screen interstitials that block content; follow platform guidance.

• Ask for consent and explain data use: align opt-ins with privacy laws and with your cookie/consent banners.

• Use affordable tools: CMS plugins, email marketing platforms, and video hosting (YouTube, Vimeo) let small teams create overlays, A/B test variants, and measure conversion without heavy production costs.

The bottom line

Pop-up advertising is not gone, but it has changed. The best results come from overlays that respect users: relevant offers, easy opt-outs, mobile-friendly design, and transparent data practices. When you give visitors clear choices and a straightforward way to dismiss or customize content, you reduce friction and protect your brand's trust.