Squarespace Promotional Pop-Up Not Working: Troubleshooting & Quick Fixes

Pop-Up Not Appearing at All

Pop-Up Not Enabled

The most basic cause - the pop-up is not turned on. Go to Marketing > Promotional Pop-Up and verify the toggle is set to Enabled. If you configured the pop-up but forgot to enable it, nothing displays regardless of your other settings.

Viewing While Logged In

Squarespace suppresses pop-ups for logged-in site owners and administrators. If you are testing while logged in to your Squarespace account, the pop-up will not appear. Always test in an incognito or private browser window where you are not logged in. This is the number one reason site owners think their pop-up is broken.

Cookie Preventing Re-Display

If you set the pop-up to show "once per visitor" or "once per session," Squarespace sets a cookie that prevents the pop-up from showing again. If you already saw the pop-up once (even during testing), the cookie prevents it from appearing again. Clear your browser cookies and test in a fresh incognito window each time. For pop-up setup, our guide to adding pop-up banners to Squarespace covers configuration.

Display Trigger Not Met

If you set the pop-up to appear after a time delay, after scroll percentage, or on exit intent, the trigger condition may not be met during your test. If the delay is 30 seconds and you refresh after 10, it will not appear. If the scroll trigger is 50% and you do not scroll, it will not fire. Test by setting the trigger to "Immediately" temporarily, then adjust to your preferred trigger after confirming the pop-up works.

Page Restrictions

If you configured the pop-up to show only on specific pages (or excluded certain pages), it will not appear on pages outside the configured set. Check the Display Options in the pop-up settings to verify which pages are included or excluded.

Pop-Up Appearing Incorrectly

Pop-Up Design Issues

If the pop-up appears but looks wrong - text cut off, button misaligned, or colors not matching - check the pop-up design settings under Marketing > Promotional Pop-Up. Adjust the headline text length (too-long headlines wrap awkwardly), body text, button styling, and color scheme. Preview on mobile to ensure the pop-up displays correctly on small screens.

Pop-Up Behind Other Elements

If the pop-up appears but is hidden behind the navigation header, a sticky element, or another overlay, Custom CSS z-index values may be pushing other elements above the pop-up. Check your Custom CSS for high z-index values on headers or other fixed elements. The pop-up needs the highest z-index on the page to appear on top.

Pop-Up Dismissed Too Quickly

If the pop-up flashes briefly and disappears, a JavaScript in Code Injection may be closing it programmatically. Check for scripts that manipulate pop-up or overlay elements. Temporarily remove Code Injection scripts and test. For script troubleshooting, our guide to custom code injection on Squarespace covers conflict diagnosis.

Pop-Up Not Working on Mobile

The promotional pop-up should display on mobile devices. If it does not, check: whether the pop-up is enabled (test on mobile in an incognito browser), whether a content blocker on the mobile device is preventing it, and whether Custom CSS is hiding the pop-up at mobile breakpoints. Test on an actual phone - not just the Squarespace mobile preview. For mobile issues, our guide to Squarespace mobile optimization covers mobile-specific troubleshooting.

Pop-Up Button Not Working

If the pop-up appears but the CTA button does not work when clicked, check the button URL in the pop-up settings. Verify the URL is correct, uses the right format (relative URL like /page-name or full URL like https://yourdomain.com/page), and points to an existing page. If the button is supposed to close the pop-up and navigate, check for JavaScript conflicts that might be preventing the click action.

Optimizing Your Pop-Up for Better Performance

Use a respectful trigger. Show the pop-up after a 5 to 10 second delay or after 30% scroll. Immediate pop-ups on page load feel aggressive and increase bounce rate. Give visitors time to understand your site before presenting an offer.

Show once per visitor, not every visit. Configure the frequency to "once per visitor" using the cookie setting. A pop-up that appears every time a returning visitor loads a page creates frustration. One well-timed appearance per visitor is enough.

Keep the offer specific. "Get 10% Off Your First Order" performs better than "Sign Up for Updates." Specific, valuable offers get more signups. Generic requests get dismissed. For design strategies, our Squarespace design tips guide covers CTA and promotional element design.

Make the close button obvious. Visitors who cannot easily close the pop-up will leave your site entirely. Do not hide or shrink the close button. An easy-to-dismiss pop-up actually performs better because it does not create negative associations with your brand.

Troubleshooting Process

1. Check if enabled. Marketing > Promotional Pop-Up > toggle must be Enabled.

2. Test in incognito. Logged-in users and returning visitors with cookies do not see the pop-up.

3. Check the trigger. Temporarily set to "Immediately" to confirm it works, then adjust.

4. Check page restrictions. Verify the pop-up is configured for the pages you are testing on.

5. Check for Code Injection conflicts. Remove custom scripts temporarily.

6. Check Custom CSS. Look for z-index or display rules that might hide the pop-up.

7. Test on mobile. Check on an actual phone in an incognito browser. For broader troubleshooting, our guide to Squarespace troubleshooting covers systematic diagnosis. For SEO considerations, our Squarespace SEO guide covers how pop-ups affect user experience metrics.

Get Your Pop-Up Working and Converting

Squarespace pop-up issues almost always come down to testing while logged in, cookie suppression, or trigger settings. The incognito test is your single most important diagnostic step - it eliminates all three variables at once.

Enable the pop-up, test in incognito, configure a respectful trigger, and make the offer specific. A working pop-up with a compelling offer is one of the simplest conversion tools on your Squarespace site.