The push opt-in prompt, done right
The fastest way to lose a subscriber forever is a browser permission dialog the second someone lands. Here’s the two-step pattern that respects visitors — and grows your list.
- Never call the browser’s permission dialog on page load. A “Block” is permanent for that site.
- Ask with your own branded prompt first; show the native dialog only after a yes.
- Wait for a signal: a few seconds, a scroll, or a click on your own “Get alerts” button.
- Remember “Not now”, cap how often you ask, and stop after a few dismissals.
Why the native dialog is a one-shot
When a visitor clicks Block on the browser’s own dialog, the site can’t ask again — they’d have to dig into site settings to undo it. Chrome may also switch noisy sites to a quieter permission UI. So the native dialog should only ever appear when you already know the answer is likely yes.
The two-step pattern
Pusharoo does this by default: your own soft prompt (your name, logo and words) appears after a delay or scroll, and the browser’s dialog only appears after the visitor taps Allow on yours. Options like data-delay, data-scroll, data-cap-days and data-max-dismiss are in the docs.
Timing that works
- After engagement — a scroll of 30–50% or a second page view says “I like this”.
- At a moment of value — after a purchase (“Want a shipping update?”), on a sold-out product (“Tell me when it’s back”), at the end of an article.
- On demand — a bell or “Get alerts” button anywhere, wired to
Pusharoo.subscribe(). Setdata-auto="false"if you only want this.
Copy that converts
Say what they get and how often. Specific beats generic:
Avoid “Allow notifications?” with no reason. Avoid fake urgency. Always offer a clear “Not now”.
Your own button instead of an automatic prompt
Contextual asks convert better than generic ones. Set data-auto="false" on the snippet so no prompt appears on its own, then call Pusharoo.subscribe() from buttons where the value is obvious: “Notify me when it’s back in stock”, “Alert me when the next episode is out”, “Tell me if my flight price drops”. The soft prompt still appears first, so the browser dialog only shows to people who said yes.
<button onclick="Pusharoo.subscribe()">🔔 Notify me when it’s back</button>Prompt settings that matter
| Attribute | Default | Why change it |
|---|---|---|
data-delay | 6000 ms | Longer for long-form content; shorter on product pages |
data-scroll | 0 (off) | Wait until 30–50% scroll to ask engaged readers only |
data-cap-days | 3 | Days to wait after “Not now” |
data-max-dismiss | 3 | Stop asking after this many dismissals |
data-ios-hint | false | Show iPhone visitors Home Screen steps |
Consent and the law
The browser permission is an explicit opt-in, which helps with consent rules — but your prompt should still say who you are and what you’ll send. See the practical overviews for GDPR, CCPA and CASL.
Measure and adjust
Pusharoo fires browser events — pusharoo:prompt-shown, pusharoo:subscribed, pusharoo:dismissed, pusharoo:permission — so you can send them to your analytics and compare timing or wording. Change one thing at a time.
Questions
What is a soft prompt?
A soft prompt is your own on-page message asking if the visitor wants notifications. Only if they say yes does the browser’s native permission dialog appear.
How long should I wait before asking?
Usually a few seconds plus a meaningful scroll, or a moment of value like after checkout. Pusharoo defaults to about six seconds and lets you add a scroll threshold.
What happens if someone clicks Not now?
Pusharoo remembers it, waits a few days (configurable) before asking again, and stops after a set number of dismissals.
Is asking on the first page view ever OK?
Only when the visitor came specifically for alerts, such as a dedicated “Get alerts” page or a QR code at a till. Elsewhere, wait for engagement.
What should the soft prompt say?
Who you are, what they’ll get and how often: “Get first dibs on deals from Maple & Co.? 1–2 alerts a week.” Keep “Not now” as visible as “Allow”.
Keep reading
Web push on iPhone and iPad, explained honestly
The Home Screen rule, the manifest you need, and how to guide iPhone visitors without friction.
Push notifications for online stores
Flash sales, back-in-stock, price drops and retargeting — without paying for ads.
Writing and scheduling push campaigns
Copy length, images, links, timing, frequency and how to read your stats.
White-label push notifications: your brand, not ours
Your name, icon and words on every prompt and notification. No “Powered by” badge.
More in Growth: Push notification click-through rate (CTR), explained · Push notification opt-in rate: measure it, then raise it · Push notification analytics that actually answer questions · Push notification deliverability: what really affects delivery · How to get more push notification subscribers · Switching web push providers: a practical migration plan · Win-back push notifications that bring people back · Push notifications vs. pop-ups · All guides
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