How to Add a Popup to Craft CMS & Best Alternatives in 2025

Popup Conversion Strategies
1

Hey all! :waving_hand:
I’m currently using Craft CMS for my client’s e-commerce site and started looking into popup tools to grow their email list and promote flash sales.

I tried a few plugins, but they’re either too clunky, not optimized for mobile, or just lacking smart targeting options. I want something that’s:

  • Easy to embed with just a snippet

  • Doesn’t tank site speed

  • Offers integrations (Mailchimp, Webflow, etc.)

  • Includes templates or gamification options

Anyone here using a great Craft CMS popup builder or alternative? Would love some solid recommendations :folded_hands:

2

Hey @michelle‑brnt, I JUST finished a Craft build for a beauty brand with the exact same requirements, so here’s my TL;DR :

Tool One‑line verdict Snippet weight Integrations Gamification?
Popupsmart Fastest to ship; free tier is generous 34 KB Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Webflow CMS sync :wrapped_gift: Spin‑to‑Win, scratch cards
OptiMonk Crazy‑good segmentation & A/B 43 KB HubSpot, SFMC, Shopify bridge Wheel pop, progress bars
Poptin Budget‑friendly, solid editor 41 KB Zapier, Sendinblue Light gamification
Sleeknote Best mobile UX (scroll bars, slide‑ins) 46 KB Mailchimp, Drip, custom webhooks No (but super polished templates)

My pick: Popupsmart → OptiMonk as you scale.

3

How I Embedded Popupsmart in Craft CMS (STEP‑BY‑STEP)

To start the integration, ensure you have a Popupsmart account to create new effective campaigns and a Craft CMS website to apply your campaign.

  1. First, sign into your Popupsmart account and click the Embed code.

Popupsmart Embed Code Button
Popupsmart Embed Code Button1600×911 34.8 KB

  1. Copy the Embed code to your clipboard to paste it later.

Popupsmart Embed Code Window
Popupsmart Embed Code Window1600×910 40 KB

  1. Now, open your Craft CMS website source code. You can download the template file and make the changes through the local host.

Open the file you have downloaded for the integration and click templates among the files.

Craft CMS File Structure
Craft CMS File Structure863×645 42.5 KB

  1. Then, click index.html.

Craft CMS Index HTML File
Craft CMS Index HTML File863×645 44.6 KB

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  1. While editing index.html, paste the embed code before or after the tag.

Embedded Code in Craft CMS Index HTML
Embedded Code in Craft CMS Index HTML1005×573 49.6 KB

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  1. After editing the index.html, refresh your website if the code is embedded on your website from the Source.

Embedded Code on Craft CMS Website
Embedded Code on Craft CMS Website1427×656 137 KB

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  1. Navigate to your Popupsmart dashboard and hover over the profile icon button to click Websites.

Popupsmart Website Button on Account
Popupsmart Website Button on Account1600×911 37.6 KB

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  1. Click + New Website after you view the Websites page.

Popupsmart Add Website Button
Popupsmart Add Website Button1600×911 59.9 KB

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  1. Enter your URL to the related blank and click Save.

Popupsmart Adding Craft CMS Website
Popupsmart Adding Craft CMS Website1600×911 83.2 KB

For further details about the verification of your website, see How to Verify Your Website.

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  1. Now, you can create your first campaign by navigating to your Popupsmart account. To create a campaign, click + New Campaign.

Popupsmart New Campaign Button
Popupsmart New Campaign Button1600×911 34.3 KB

  1. Enter a name for your campaign and choose your Craft CMS domain among the options.

Craft CMS Popupsmart Integration
Craft CMS Popupsmart Integration1600×910 37.1 KB

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After doing these, click Save.

  1. Choose one of the templates created for your different campaigns.

Popupsmart Templates Gallery
Popupsmart Templates Gallery1600×906 129 KB

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  1. Customize your popup campaign however you wish and don’t forget to save and publish it.

Popupsmart Publish Step
Popupsmart Publish Step1600×912 63.1 KB

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  1. Now, you can view your popup on your Craft CMS website since you have published it successfully.

Popupsmart Successfully Published Window
Popupsmart Successfully Published Window1600×912 57.3 KB

Feel free to create new campaigns for your Craft CMS website to increase your sales and user engagement!

Speed Check

  • Popupsmart async loads, so no render‑blocking.
  • Added only 0.8 ms to TTFB in my WebPageTest run.
  • Use Lighthouse → “Remove unused JS” to double‑check.

Hope this helps—ping me if you need CDN or CSP tweaks! :rocket:

4

“If you want stay 100 % in‑house…”

Some clients refuse third‑party scripts—security audits, HIPAA, etc. In that case look at Craft‑native plugins:

Plugin Pros Cons
Sprout Forms + Sprout Popups Full field mapping to Entries; no external JS $99/site; fewer templates
Freeform + Tailwind Modal Drag‑and‑drop form builder; your own markup DIY analytics; no gamification
Craft‑PopupPro (new 2025) Built‑in A/B, Web Push add‑on 79 KB bundle, heavier than SaaS

:raised_back_of_hand: Heads‑up: You’ll manage updates yourself—SaaS vendors push bug fixes instantly.

5

Thanks so much for all the recommendations, everyone — this has been super insightful! :raising_hands:
I didn’t realize how many Craft-native options existed, and the breakdown of pros/cons really helped me understand when staying 100% in-house makes sense versus when a third-party tool is worth it.

The reminder about managing updates manually vs. getting instant fixes from SaaS tools was also a great callout — something I honestly hadn’t factored in.

Really appreciate all the input here. Learned a lot from this thread! :yellow_heart: