← DictionaryPopup
also called modal, overlay
A layer that appears over page content to capture attention or input.
The box that appears over the page.
What It Is
Popup belongs to Website, specifically the Conversion part of it. The canonical meaning is a layer that appears over page content to capture attention or input.
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
Popup earns its keep in site builds, page structure and the technical decisions underneath them. It rarely travels alone — expect it next to Opt-In, Friction and Exit Intent. The practical test is whether everyone in the room means the same thing by it.
Why It Matters
The cost of being vague about Popup shows up later, not today. When it is unclear, the site still launches — it just quietly underperforms. The businesses that treat it seriously spend less time redoing work.
It is a label people agree on so they stop describing the same thing five different ways. The box that appears over the page.
Termshift™
How the meaning shifts depending on who is using it, and where.
In agency and in-house rooms, Popup means exactly a layer that appears over page content to capture attention or input.
In plain conversation it comes out as the box that appears over the page.
The Bottom Line
The practical takeaway on Popup: the box that appears over the page. Judge it by that, not by how it sounds.