← DictionaryExit Intent
also called exit popup
A trigger that fires when a visitor appears about to leave.
A last attempt as they head for the tab.
What It Is
Exit Intent belongs to Website, specifically the Conversion part of it. The canonical meaning is a trigger that fires when a visitor appears about to leave.
It is a label with a settled working definition, so the value is in using it the same way every time. Used with that meaning, it stays a working tool rather than a talking point.
How It's Used
Exit Intent earns its keep in site builds, page structure and the technical decisions underneath them. In real work it sits close to Popup, Bounce Rate and Conversion Rate Optimization. The practical test is whether everyone in the room means the same thing by it.
Why It Matters
The cost of being vague about Exit Intent shows up later, not today. When it is unclear, the site still launches — it just quietly underperforms. Deciding it deliberately costs one conversation. Leaving it undecided costs several.
It is the short word for a longer explanation. A last attempt as they head for the tab.
Termshift™
How the meaning shifts depending on who is using it, and where.
Inside the industry, Exit Intent is used tightly and assumed to be understood: a trigger that fires when a visitor appears about to leave.
Away from the jargon, it is a last attempt as they head for the tab.
The Bottom Line
The practical takeaway on Exit Intent: a last attempt as they head for the tab. Judge it by that, not by how it sounds.