Frequency Control

Overview

Frequency control prevents popup fatigue by limiting how often your popups appear to visitors. Use frequency settings to balance visibility with user experience. HashBar supports multiple frequency options from free basic controls to advanced Pro features.

Frequency Control Options

Choose the right frequency setting for your popup campaign:

1. Every Page Load

Use Cases:

• Security or privacy alerts that users must acknowledge
• Critical system notifications
• Mandatory legal compliance messages

2. Once Per Session

Use Cases:

• "Welcome to our store!" popup on first page load
• Email capture campaigns for new visitors
• Session-specific flash sales
• First-time visitor offers

3. Once Per Day (Free)

Use Cases:

• "Today's Special Deal" popup
• Daily email capture campaigns
• Daily flash sales announcements
• Regular reminder popups (like "Don't forget about your cart")

4. Once Every X Days (Pro)

Use Cases:

• "Weekly Newsletter Signup" popup every 7 days
• "We miss you!" campaign every 14 days
• Bi-weekly product recommendations every 3-4 days
• Monthly feature announcements every 30 days

5. Once Ever

Use Cases:

• Product launch announcements
• One-time only special offers
• Unique promotions you never want to repeat
• Important one-time notifications

6. X Times Total (Pro)

Use Cases:

• Important feature announcements (show 3 times then hide)
• FAQ or help content (show 5 times to encourage reading)
• A/B testing variants (show each 5 times for fair comparison)

How Frequency Control Works

Cookie-Based Suppression

HashBar uses browser cookies to track frequency and suppress popups according to your settings. When a visitor sees your popup:

1. A cookie is set in their browser recording the event
2. The cookie expires based on your frequency setting (24 hours, 7 days, etc.)
3. Until the cookie expires, subsequent page loads don't trigger the popup
4. After expiration, the popup can appear again (or permanently if set to "once ever")

Important: Frequency control depends on cookies being enabled. Visitors who disable cookies may see popups more frequently than your settings specify.

Clearing Suppression

Visitors can clear frequency suppression by:

• Clearing browser cookies and cache
• Using private/incognito browsing mode (resets each session)
• Using a different browser or device

Choosing the Right Frequency Setting

Decision Matrix

Configuring Frequency Control

Free Plan Options

1. Navigate to your popup campaign
2. Find Frequency Control settings
3. Select one of the free options:
   • Every page load
   • Once per session
   • Once per day
   • Once ever
4. Save your popup

Pro Plan Options

1. Upgrade to the Professional plan
2. Navigate to your popup campaign
3. Find Frequency Control settings
4. Select a frequency option:
   • Every page load
   • Once per session
   • Once per day
   • Once ever
   • Once every X days - Enter custom day interval
   • X times total - Enter custom limit
5. Save your popup

Frequency Best Practices

User Experience

• Start Conservative: Begin with "once per day" and reduce if needed based on analytics
• Respect Dismissal: Once per day or less respects user choice more than every page load
• Mobile Consideration: Mobile users see more pages per session; use less frequent settings
• Exit-Intent Only: If using exit-intent popups, "once per day" or "once per session" works best

Conversion Optimization

• Test Frequency: Create A/B tests with different frequency settings to find optimal rates
• Monitor Dismissal Rate: High dismissal rates suggest frequency is too aggressive
• Track Revenue Impact: Analyze if less frequent popups increase overall revenue despite fewer impressions
• Segment by User Type: New visitors might see "once per session", returning visitors "once per day"

Campaign-Specific Tips

• Email Capture: "Once per day" encourages repeated signup attempts without annoying
• Upsells: "Once per session" shows product recommendations without repetition
• Surveys: "Once per week" gives time for survey completion and resets
• Limited Offers: "Once per day" or "every page load" for time-sensitive deals
• General Promotions: "Once per day" balances visibility with user experience

Frequency vs. Other Controls

Use frequency control in combination with other popup settings:

• Scheduling: Set specific dates/times PLUS frequency control for precise campaigns
• Targeting: Show to specific pages PLUS frequency control to limit impressions
• Exit-Intent: Exit-intent popups work best with "once per session" or "once per day"
• A/B Testing: Test different frequency settings for variants to find winner

Troubleshooting Frequency Issues

Popup Appearing Too Often

• Check your frequency setting (might be "every page load")
• Clear browser cookies and reload page
• Try a different browser to test frequency logic

Popup Not Appearing Again

• Check if frequency is set to "once ever" (permanent suppression)
• Clear browser cookies to reset frequency tracking
• Check expiration time (e.g., "once per day" cookie may still be active)

Inconsistent Frequency Behavior

• Verify cookies are enabled in browser settings
• Check for cookie consent requirements that might block HashBar cookies
• Test in different browsers and devices

Related Documentation

• Scheduling - Set specific dates/times for popups
• Targeting - Show popups to specific audiences
• A/B Testing - Test different frequency settings
• Analytics Dashboard - Monitor frequency impact on conversions