Frequency rule
The Frequency rule limits how often the same visitor sees a widget. It can stop the widget for good after something happens (it was closed, converted, viewed N times or minimized), or pause it for a while: for a set time, or for the rest of the visitor's session. Without it, a widget can appear on every page view its triggers and rules allow.
Available on: all platforms.
How it works
The rule is one sentence: Stop or Pause (for N minutes/hours/days or for current session) once closed / converted / viewed N times / minimized.
Personizely remembers what each visitor did with the widget in their browser, and checks the rule when each page loads. If it fails, the widget's triggers don't start on that page.
What counts as each event
Event | Counts when |
|---|---|
viewed | The widget is displayed. Each display is one view, whichever trigger showed it, including the teaser being clicked, ply.showWidget and the Show widget automation. A visitor in a widget A/B test's control group also gets a view each time a trigger fires, so control visitors follow the same frequency as everyone else. |
closed | The widget is closed: the close button, Esc, a click on the backdrop (when set to close), an element with the Close widget action, an Open URL action in a new tab, or a close trigger. Leaving the page while the widget is open isn't a close. |
converted | A Track widget conversion automation runs, for example on a form submit. Without that automation, nothing counts as converted. |
minimized | The widget is closed while its teaser has On close turned on and the visitor hasn't converted. The widget shrinks to the teaser instead of closing, so this counts as minimized, not closed. |
What each setting means for the visitor
Setting | What the visitor experiences |
|---|---|
Stop once closed | After they close it once, they never see it again. |
Stop once converted | After they convert once, they never see it again. |
Stop once viewed N times | They see it on at most N page views in total, then never again. |
Stop once minimized | After they minimize it once, they never see the widget again, not even its teaser. |
Pause for X once closed | After each close, it's hidden for X (minutes, hours or days), then can appear again. |
Pause for X once converted | After each conversion, it's hidden for X, then can appear again. |
Pause for X once viewed N times | They see it N times, then it's hidden for X counted from the Nth view. After that they can see it another N times, and so on. The N views don't have to be close together. |
Pause for X once minimized | After each minimize, the widget and its teaser are hidden for X. |
Pause for current session once viewed N times | They see it at most N times per session. |
Pause for current session once closed / converted / minimized | After it happens once in a session, the widget is hidden for the rest of that session. |
What a session is
A session lasts while the visitor has your site open in at least one browser tab. It ends when they close every tab of your site; opening your site again later starts a new session. There's no inactivity timeout: a tab left open overnight is still the same session the next morning.
Templates
Under Add rule → Use template → Behavior-based:
Template | Setting it creates | What it means |
|---|---|---|
Stop once converted | Stop once converted | Never again after converting |
Stop once closed | Stop once closed | Never again after closing |
Pause for 1 day after close | Pause for 1 day once closed | Hidden for 24 hours after each close |
Pause for 7 days after close | Pause for 7 days once closed | Hidden for 7 days after each close |
Show only once per session | Pause for current session once viewed 1 time | At most once per session |
Show up to 3 times per session | Pause for current session once viewed 3 times | At most 3 times per session |
Pause for 7 days after minimize | Pause for 7 days once minimized | Widget and teaser hidden for 7 days after each minimize |
Pause for 1 hour after minimize | Pause for 1 hour once minimized | Widget and teaser hidden for 1 hour after each minimize |
Configuration
Option | What it does | Values / default |
|---|---|---|
Stop / Pause | Stop for good, or pause for a period | Stop |
for / for current session | (Pause only) Pause for a duration, or until the session ends | for |
Duration | (Pause for) How long to pause | Number + minutes / hours / days, default 1 day |
once | The event that starts the stop or pause | closed / converted / viewed / minimized, default converted |
times | (viewed only) How many views before the stop or pause | Number, default 1 |
Behavior details and limitations
- Per browser. Frequency is remembered in the visitor's browser. Another device or browser, a private window, or clearing site data starts from zero. It isn't linked to an identified visitor or customer account.
- Checked at page load. On a single page, the widget shows at most once from its triggers anyway. The rule decides whether it's allowed on the next page loads.
- Combine rules for both limits. Add two Frequency rules, for example "Stop once converted" and "Pause for 1 day once closed". Both must pass.
- Closing after converting counts as a close. A form whose action is Close widget records a conversion and then a close.
- Manual shows. ply.showWidget and the Show widget automation respect Frequency unless they suppress rules. Views they produce count either way.
- Experiments. Frequency is shared by all variations of a widget A/B test, and views in any variation count.
Examples
- Newsletter popup that respects "no": Stop once converted plus Pause for 7 days once closed.
- Exit offer on every visit, once: Pause for current session once viewed 1 time.
- Announcement bar: Stop once closed.
- Teaser that comes back tomorrow: Pause for 1 day once minimized.
Troubleshooting
- Widget keeps showing after a signup → there's no Track widget conversion automation on the form, so "converted" never happens.
- Widget never shows again while testing → your browser remembers your earlier views and closes. Test in a new private window, or clear site data.