Photograph Works

Newsletter Subscription Pop-Up

I was looking for something in the back end of this site and I came across an option to activate the Newsletter subscription pop-up. I have never done that before, so I did it and then went to look at the front end in another browser window to see what it looked like when I was not logged in to WordPress – . Here it is:

In case you cannot see the message in this screen grab, it says:

“Discover more from Photograph Works
Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.
Type your email… Subscribe
Continue reading”

Do you see the Subscribe pop-up when you read this blog post?

By the way, the wording in the pop-up seems to me to convey the message that unless one were to subscribe one would not get access to the full archive.

I guessed that was not the case because I see similar wording in the Substack newsletter system, and there one can ignore the message, and simply click the Continue reading”, and carry on.

Still, this is WordPress and I feel a connection with it, and so I asked WordPress Support whether it is so that one must subscribe in order to gain access to the archive.

And if not then what does that message mean?

I received an immediate reply that I assume was generated by AI.

Response from Support

“The message you’re seeing on the front end of your site is a default message that appears when the Newsletter subscription pop-up is enabled. It does not mean that visitors will not get access to the full archive unless they subscribe.

The purpose of the pop-up is to encourage visitors to subscribe to your site’s newsletter and receive updates whenever you publish a new post. By subscribing, they can stay up to date with your content and any exclusive offers or information you may provide through your newsletter.

The message is meant to entice visitors to subscribe by highlighting the benefits of doing so, such as gaining access to the full archive of your content. However, it does not restrict access to the full archive for non-subscribers. Visitors can still continue reading your content without subscribing.”

If you would like to customize the message or the appearance of the pop-up, you can do so by following these steps:

  1. Go to your WordPress.com dashboard.
  2. Click on “Newsletter” in the sidebar.
  3. Click on “Settings.”
  4. Scroll down to the “Subscriber Pop-up” section.
  5. Click on the “Preview and edit the popup” link.
  6. This will open the subscriber popup template in the template editor, where you can customize its appearance and the message displayed.
  7. Once you’re done customizing, click “Save” to apply the changes.

You can find more information about customizing the subscriber pop-up in our support documentation.

Remember, the pop-up is a great way to encourage visitors to subscribe to your newsletter and stay engaged with your content, but it’s ultimately up to them whether they choose to subscribe or not.

Update February 28, 2024

I changed the settings per the graphic below – disabling the pop-up for everyone reading but keeping the pop=up for commenters after commenting.

Let There Always Be Greenery

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Comments

12 responses to “Newsletter Subscription Pop-Up”

  1. JenT

    Curiously, yesterday I did not see the pop-up. Today I did.

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  2. JenT

    And now again after submitting my first comment. It’s rather annoying.

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    1. David Bennett

      I asked Support just now to ask whether it is possible to set a longer delay before the Newsletter subscription form appears. The AI-generated reply refers to Mailchimp, so I asked for a human to look at the question.

      I too find it annoying and I can see it when I go the front end when I am logged in. Depending on what Support answers, I may disable it.

      Do you find the default wording off-putting because it implies that if a person does not subscribe, then that they cannot access the archive?

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      1. JenT

        I do find it off-putting for that reason. But if I’m not mistaken, as you have a block theme, you should be able to edit the pop-up wording, no?

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply
        1. David Bennett

          I haven’t tried to edit it and will look when II hear back from Support on whether the delay is configurable.

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          1. JenT

            I don’t believe it is, but would be happy to hear otherwise.

            Liked by 1 person

            Reply
            1. David Bennett

              It took a couple of goes before Support understood what I meant, but you are right – it is not possible to delay or change the time period before the pop-up pops up. To be exact:

              “Not yet. It sounds like an excellent idea though, so I’ve made a note of it for our developers. I can’t guarantee that this feature request will be implemented any time soon, but when it is, we’ll be sure to let you know!”

              I am going to leave this pop-up activated for a few days to see whether it causes any problems (although how would I know?) And if I have the energy I will have a go at changing the wording – just for the fun of it. Who knows what I might write… 🙂

              Liked by 1 person

              Reply
  3. Deb Weyrich-Cody

    Is a “Newsletter subscription” different from subscribing to “Posts”?

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    1. David Bennett

      Good question and I don’t know the answer. And I am very slow because I didn’t connect the dots to ponder it before you asked. When I think about it, I don’t understand how WordPress thinks of newsletters. I say that because when I look at the URL of a newsletter it is in the same format as a blog. I made a couple of newsletters a while ago and then deleted them. To investigate your question, I made a new newsletter just now and wrote a post. The URL is https://quickinterestinguseful.wordpress.com and the URL for the one and only post I have written thus far, is https://quickinterestinguseful.wordpress.com/2024/02/28/issue-one/ – and as you can see, the URLs are in the same format as a blog. So really the only difference from a normal blog is that the home page is bare and minimalist.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Deb Weyrich-Cody

        Hmm… Methinks perhaps ‘blog posting’ is become passé and they’re attempting to add a little spritz?

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        1. David Bennett

          According to AHREFs (a tool that allows users to see what is going on with various sites) there are over sixty million WordPress blogs and about 70 million posts are published on WordPress each month. But for all that apparent popularity, I think there is something in what you say, simply because times change, and what seemed part of the fabric of communication can just disappear like a whisp of smoke.

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply
          1. Deb Weyrich-Cody

            Sad, but true. (I’d like to compare those recent numbers with historical data… ;/)

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