Pop-under advertising is a digital advertisement format that loads a new browser window or tab behind the user’s active page. This method delivers an ad without immediately interrupting the user’s current activity or workflow. The format is popular among publishers and advertisers, offering a way to monetize traffic without requiring dedicated space on a website. It ensures the advertisement is seen once the user finishes their primary interaction and closes or minimizes the main browser window.
Defining Pop-Under Advertising
A pop-under ad opens in a new browser window or tab positioned underneath the user’s current, active window. Unlike the pop-up, the pop-under remains hidden from immediate view. The ad is triggered by an action on the main webpage, such as a click or page loading, but it is scripted to lose focus instantly. Its defining characteristic is delayed and passive visibility; the user does not encounter the advertisement until they are done browsing the active page. This approach makes the ad less intrusive, as it does not disrupt the user’s flow or obstruct the content they are currently viewing.
How Pop-Unders Function
The technical mechanism relies on JavaScript code embedded within the publisher’s webpage. This script executes upon an event trigger, such as page loading or a user’s action like clicking a link. The code uses a `window.open()` function to initiate a new browser window and immediately deploys commands to place it behind the active one.
The scripting manipulates the window’s focus, ensuring the ad window remains in the background. This is often achieved by opening the user’s intended link in a new tab while redirecting the original window to the advertisement URL, or by calling a `blur()` function on the ad window. Modern browsers block windows not resulting from a direct user action, so many scripts are engineered to open one window per user click to bypass these blockers.
Pop-Ups Versus Pop-Unders
The distinction between pop-ups and pop-unders centers on visibility and the level of interruption to the user’s experience. Pop-ups appear immediately on top of the content, demanding attention and blocking the user’s view until closed. This format is straightforward and difficult to ignore, making it effective for immediate calls to action but often causing irritation.
Conversely, pop-unders open in the background, making them substantially less invasive. They allow the user to finish their activity without obstruction, capturing attention only after the main browsing session is over. Advertisers prefer pop-ups when a high-impact, instant impression is necessary, while pop-unders are favored for a more subtle approach that allows for post-session engagement.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Pop-Unders
Advantages of Pop-Unders
Pop-under advertising offers a blend of high visibility and low initial intrusion, translating into several business advantages for advertisers and publishers. The format guarantees a high viewability rate because the ad occupies a dedicated window the user will eventually see. They are generally considered an affordable traffic source, with Cost Per Mille (CPM) rates often starting as low as $0.50 in Tier 3 countries. This high-volume, low-cost model is effective for promotions like sweepstakes, gambling, and utility offers targeting a broad audience. Publishers benefit because the format does not require them to clutter their website with banner creatives, allowing for full monetization of traffic without altering the site’s design. Pop-unders also tend to have higher conversion rates than standard display banners.
Disadvantages of Pop-Unders
The disadvantages largely revolve around user perception and technical challenges. Despite being less intrusive than pop-ups, they can still negatively affect brand reputation by being associated with spam or malicious software. Incorrect implementation of the underlying JavaScript can result in search engine penalties, potentially causing a site’s search ranking to drop. The biggest challenge is the ongoing battle against ad-blocking technology and browser restrictions, which are constantly updated to target this form of advertising. High bounce rates can also occur if the pop-under content is irrelevant or if the user feels tricked into viewing the advertisement. Furthermore, the quality of traffic from pop-under networks is often lower than from other sources, requiring advertisers to carefully filter for bot traffic and low-quality impressions.
User Experience and Ethical Considerations
The use of pop-under ads raises questions regarding user experience (UX) and ethical advertising practices. While designed to be less disruptive than pop-ups, they still create an unwanted, forced interaction once the user completes their intended task. This delayed exposure can lead to user frustration, as they may not recall the specific action that triggered the hidden window.
Ethical concerns arise because the format can be utilized in deceptive ways, such as creating fake close buttons or attempting to trick users into installing unwanted software. Major browsers have responded by restricting the ability of scripts to control window focus and limiting the number of windows a single user action can generate. This industry shift reflects a consensus against intrusive advertising, with companies like Google and Apple building sophisticated mechanisms to block these ad types.
How to Prevent or Block Pop-Under Ads
Users can employ several strategies to prevent the unwanted appearance of pop-under ads, starting with the built-in functionality of their web browser. Most modern browsers include a native pop-up blocker that can mitigate many pop-under scripts by blocking windows not resulting from an explicit user click. Users of Chrome, for instance, can navigate to settings under “Privacy and Security” to ensure “Pop-ups and redirects” are set to “Blocked.”
For more comprehensive protection, installing a third-party ad-blocking extension is highly effective. Extensions like uBlock Origin or AdBlock are designed with filter lists that specifically target the scripts and network domains associated with pop-under ads. Regularly updating the browser software is also important, as developers continually release patches that close loopholes exploited by pop-under scripts. On mobile devices, users can often find the “Block Pop-ups” toggle directly within the Safari or Chrome settings menu.