Preview
Explains how to preview a popup exactly as visitors will see it before publishing any changes.
Overview
Popup Preview allows you to see exactly how your popup will appear to visitors before it is published. This helps you validate layout, copy, buttons, images, and overall flow without affecting live traffic. Using Preview is strongly recommended before activating or editing any popup, especially for time-sensitive campaigns or compliance-related changes.
What Popup Preview Shows
Popup Preview lets you render a popup directly from the editor in a safe testing mode. The preview opens in a new browser window and renders the popup on your live website in a safe testing mode.
This allows you to:
See how the popup looks in its real environment
Test designs instantly without waiting for triggers
Review popups without affecting analytics or visitors
Preview mode:
Ignores all trigger logic (entry, exit intent, scroll, timing, frequency)
Does not generate impressions, conversions, or revenue metrics
Works for draft and inactive popups
How to Use Popup Preview
Go to Opt-in Tools → Popups in your Recart dashboard
Open the popup you want to review
Click Preview in the editor
Review the popup as it would appear to a visitor
Make any adjustments and preview again before saving or publishing
You can preview as many times as needed — previews do not impact live traffic or targeting rules.
Testing the Full Popup Flow
Popup Preview allows you to test the entire popup journey using mock data.
You can safely walk through:
Multi-step popups
Email + phone collection
Verification and success steps
Mock data behavior:
Email: any format is accepted
Phone number: must be valid format, but no message is sent
Verification code: auto-filled as 123456
This makes it possible to validate full flows end-to-end before publishing.
Supported Opt-In Tools
Popup Preview supports:
All popup types, including gamified popups
Custom popup implementations
Popup Preview does not support Landing pages and Embedded forms. These tools use a different editor and cannot currently be previewed.
Preview Device Sizes
Popup Preview uses standard screen resolutions:
Mobile: 390 × 844
Desktop: 1440 × 899
The preview matches the editor view:
Editing mobile → mobile preview
Editing desktop → desktop preview
Preview vs Live Behavior (Important)
Popup Preview is designed for visual and content validation only.
Please note:
Preview does not apply targeting rules (geolocation, device, frequency, force-true logic, etc.)
Preview does not confirm whether a popup will trigger on your site
Preview does not replace live testing in a controlled environment
Preview reflects your current draft configuration, not historical versions.
If a popup looks correct in Preview but does not appear live, review:
Targeting settings
Active popups that may be taking priority
Frequency and display rules
Some cookie consent services may interfere with Popup Preview. If you encounter any issues, clear cookies for the site and try again and/or use a US-based VPN (issue appears less common from US IPs)
When to Use Popup Preview
We recommend using Preview:
Before publishing a new popup
After editing copy, CTAs, or discount codes
Before activating seasonal or promotional popups
When troubleshooting layout or content issues
Common Use Cases
Checking that discount messaging matches the correct offer
Confirming success steps and confirmation text
Reviewing brand consistency across popups
Validating multi-step flows before launch
Best Practices
Always preview after making edits — even small ones
Use Preview before asking Support to confirm targeting behavior
Pair Preview with a quick live test using controlled conditions where possible
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the Recart Support team. We'd be happy to help!
Last updated
Was this helpful?