Inactivity trigger
The Inactivity trigger shows a widget when the visitor hasn't moved the mouse, scrolled, tapped or typed for a set number of seconds. It catches visitors who have stalled, for example on a product page while they hesitate, or who left your tab open and went elsewhere. It can also change the browser tab's title to draw them back.
Available on: all platforms.
How it works
- Once the widget's page-load rules have passed, the trigger starts a countdown of Timeout seconds.
- Any activity restarts the countdown: moving the mouse, pressing a mouse button or tapping, pressing a key, scrolling, or swiping on a touchscreen.
- When the countdown ends, the trigger checks its conditions and the trigger-time rules, and shows the widget.
- If you set a tab title and the visitor is on another tab at that moment, the tab's title changes (or blinks) until they come back.
If the widget doesn't show when the countdown ends, for example because a condition isn't met, the countdown starts again after the visitor's next activity.
Configuration
Option | What it does | Values / default |
|---|---|---|
Timeout | Seconds without activity before the trigger fires | Number, min 1, default 10 |
Change tab title | Turns on the tab title options | Off by default |
Title | The text shown as the tab title while the visitor is on another tab | Text, e.g. "Your 10% discount is waiting" |
Blink tab title | Alternates between your title and the page's own title every 2 seconds | Off by default |
Conditions: Time spent on current page | Only fire if the visitor has been on the page more (or less) than N seconds; optionally the total time on your site in this session, including the current page | Optional |
Conditions: Max scroll reached | Only fire if the deepest scroll on this page is more (or less) than N% | Optional |
Behavior details and limitations
- The tab title changes only when the widget shows. If rules or conditions stop the widget, the title stays as it is.
- The tab title changes only if the visitor is on another tab when the trigger fires. If they're looking at your page, the widget simply appears. The original title comes back as soon as they return to your tab.
- Background tabs fire later. Browsers slow down timers in background tabs, so in a tab the visitor has left, the widget and title change can come later than the timeout, sometimes by up to a minute.
- Reading counts as inactivity. A visitor reading a long description without scrolling is inactive. Use a longer timeout on content-heavy pages, or add the condition "Max scroll reached more than N%".
- One show per page. After the widget has been shown, the trigger stops until the next page load.
Examples
- Bring back tab-switchers: Inactivity trigger, 30 seconds, Change tab title "Don't forget your 10% off", Blink tab title on.
- Hesitating on a product page: Inactivity trigger, 20 seconds, Pages set to product pages, offering free shipping or a size guide.
- Stalled checkout prep: Inactivity trigger, 45 seconds on /cart, with a Target of "cart value at least $50".
Troubleshooting
- Widget never appears → the visitor keeps moving the mouse or scrolling. Lower the timeout.
- Title doesn't change → the visitor was on your tab when the trigger fired, or the widget didn't show.