WordPress Add to Cart Popup: How to Increase Average Order Value

Nearly 1 in 5 shoppers abandon their cart because checkout feels too long or confusing. 

And in most cases, you can reduce friction by 20-60% with simple UX fixes, such as adding a WordPress add-to-cart popup. 

After analyzing WooCommerce funnels and speaking with marketing teams, I realized that this was inevitable because the add-to-cart confirmation is small and the cart update is easy to miss.

That small gap creates confusion, reloads, and even abandoned carts. I’ve seen brands lose conversions simply because customers weren’t sure their action worked.

A WordPress add-to-cart popup fixes that instantly. It gives clear feedback, shows product details, and opens room for subtle upsells, free-shipping nudges, or a quick jump to checkout.

To help you reap its benefits, I’ll walk you through what these popups do, the best plugins, how to create one, and the strategies that actually boost conversions for real stores.

What Is a WordPress Add-to-Cart Popup?

A WordPress add to cart popup is a small window that shows up on your screen the moment you add a product to your cart. The popup highlights what was added and what they can do next. Here’s an example of an add-to-cart popup from a popular beauty brand, Glossier:

It usually shows the product image, price, and a short summary. Most popups also include buttons like Continue Shopping, View Cart, or Checkout so people can move forward without any confusion.

This simple change makes the shopping experience feel smoother. Customers don’t wonder if the item went through, and they don’t have to reload pages to see their cart. It’s a small feature that reduces friction and helps more visitors move confidently toward checkout.

But how do you create a WordPress add-to-cart popup? Using WordPress plugins, of course. That’s why I have included a list of the best plugins to help you make an informed decision.

5 Best WordPress Add-to-Cart Popup Plugins

Before we jump into the best wordpress add to cart popup plugins, it helps to know what really matters when picking an add to cart popup plugin. 

Look for something that:

• Fires instantly when a product is added
• Works smoothly on mobile
• Gives you enough design control to match your brand
• Has solid targeting so the popup doesn’t annoy shoppers. 
• Offers built-in analytics, upsell options, and easy setup without tech headaches. 

With that in mind, here are the top add to cart popup WordPress​ plugins worth considering.

Now let’s dive into each one of the WordPress add to cart popup plugins:

1. Picreel – Best for Getting More Leads, Conversions, and Sales

Picreel is hands down the best  WordPress add-to-cart popup plugin I’ve used because it keeps the setup simple while giving me a lot of control through its drag-and-drop editor and ready-to-use templates. I can create a clean popup, add product details, and use smart triggers like exit intent, time delay, on click, or scroll to show it at the right moment.

What really helps is Picreel’s advanced targeting. I can tailor the popup based on pages, device type, geo location, traffic source, cookies, or even engagement history, which makes the message feel more relevant. The built-in analytics and A/B testing make it easy to see what’s working and refine campaigns without guesswork.

It’s perfect for anyone who wants to boost leads, conversions, and sales with a popup tool that works across devices, supports deep targeting, and doesn’t require developer involvement.

Pros

• Easy drag and drop editor to set up a clean add to cart popup in minutes.
• Smart triggers like exit intent and inactivity to re-engage shoppers at the right moment.
• Advanced targeting (URL, device, geo, traffic source) so each visitor sees a popup that actually matches their behavior.
• Built in analytics and A/B testing to understand what drives more clicks and conversions.

Cons

• Available only as a cloud-based platform, but everything runs online smoothly and updates automatically.
• Doesn’t offer a dark theme, but the light theme is clean, which makes it easy to set up popups without getting overwhelmed.

Price

Offers a forever-free plan for up to 5K visitors. Paid plans start at $9.99/month.

2. Thrive Themes – Best for Flexible, Fully Custom Add-to-Cart Popups

When I use Thrive Themes to build an add to cart popup, the biggest win for me is how much control I get over every little detail. With Thrive Architect’s visual editor, I can design a popup like a full landing page with product photo, message, buttons, countdowns, animations, anything I want.

I like how I can drop in timers for urgency, dynamic text, icons, styled buttons, or even sections built for WooCommerce products. It’s a great fit for anyone who wants custom popup designs, stronger branding, and the freedom to build something more advanced than a basic confirmation modal.

Pros

• Visual drag and drop editor for total control over the popup layout, styling, and structure.
• Elements and prebuilt blocks to add timers, icons, forms, or WooCommerce sections without plugins.
• Advanced animations and effects to add subtle movement that draws attention without annoying shoppers.
• Responsive editing mode to design a cleaner, resized popup just for mobile users.

Cons

• No built-in “add to cart popup” feature, so I need to create the popup manually using Architect.
• Requires Thrive Suite, which is powerful but may be more than some users want to invest in.

Price

Starts at $299 per year 

3. Bloom – Best for Stylish Add-to-Cart Popups Without Heavy Setup

I wouldn’t normally think of Bloom as WordPress add to cart popup plugin, but it actually works better for this than I expected. Bloom’s popups and fly-ins trigger based on behavior like scrolling, reaching the end of a page, or even after someone completes a purchase. That gives me enough flexibility to create a clean “product added” popup or a quick upsell message without needing a full page builder.

I also like that I can choose exactly where these popups appear — only on product pages, only for certain categories, or only for customers who just bought something. It’s a great option when I want the popup to look elegant and match my brand without spending time designing it from scratch.

Pros

• Beautiful templates to make add to cart confirmations look clean and professional with almost no editing.
• Flexible triggers like scroll depth, end-of-page, inactivity, and after-purchase to fit ecommerce behavior well.
• Page-level and category-level targeting to show the popup only for certain products or shopping paths.
• Simple design controls for colors, borders, and layout to make the popup blend in with the rest of the store.

Cons

• Doesn’t allow designing from scratch with full visual controls.
• I feel that the feature-set isn’t fully optimised for cart triggers and upsells.

Price

Starts at $89 per year.

4. Poptin – Best for Flexible Popups With Strong Targeting

My experience with Poptin has always been pretty simple: if I need an add to cart popup and I don’t want to spend an hour tweaking layouts, I open Poptin. It loads fast, the editor is straightforward, and I can put together a cart confirmation, a small upsell, or even a free-shipping nudge in no time. What I really enjoy is how Poptin reacts to shopper behavior. 

It can spot when someone scrolls, pauses, clicks around too much, or looks like they’re heading for the exit. That gives me plenty of ways to show a quick “item added” confirmation or a gentle reminder before they abandon their cart. And when I want to push things a little, the gamified popups make it surprisingly fun for customers to unlock a deal right after adding something.

Pros

• Easy to get started without fiddling with design settings.
• Behavior-based triggers to catch shoppers at the perfect moment.
• Gamified popups to instantly make small upsells or coupon reveals more fun.
• Dozens of popup styles to avoid using same generic modal every time.

Cons

• The dashboard can feel crowded, especially the first time you see all the options.
• Free plan limits how many people can see your popups, so growing stores may outgrow it quickly.

Price

Starts at $25/month

5. OptinMonster – Best for Optimizing Popup Conversions Without Coding

OptinMonster has been one of the easiest WordPress add to cart popup plugins for me to use when I need an add to cart popup that looks polished but doesn’t require any coding. It’s especially good for stores that want behavior-driven popups because you can set different rules based on what a shopper just added, how many pages they’ve browsed, or whether they’re about to leave. 

The templates save a ton of time too since most of them already feel like real ecommerce promotions. What really sold me is how reliably it runs A/B tests and tracks conversions without messing with site speed, which gives me confidence when tweaking my upsells, discounts, or cart reminders.

Pros

• Behavior-based triggers to show the right add-to-cart popup based on browsing, scrolling, or inactivity.
• Exit intent to catch shoppers before they leave and show a timely discount or reminder for better conversions.
• Ecommerce-ready templates to launch add-to-cart popups, upsells, and deals fast.
• Accurate A/B testing and analytics to optimize conversions without slowing the site.

Cons

• Campaign management interface is confusing as it’s not always clear which campaigns are live or how they’re displayed.
• Has a steep learning curve, due to the many options and settings, which can slow setup time.

Price

Starts at $ 21/month

How to Create an Add-to-Cart Popup in WordPress (Step-by-Step)

Creating an add-to-cart popup in WordPress is actually very straightforward. With the right WordPress add to cart popup plugins like Picreel, you can set up an add-to-cart popup in just a few minutes. Here’s a simple guide to walk you through it.

Step 1: Install and Activate the Plugin

Go to your WordPress dashboard → Plugins → Add New, and search for your chosen WordPress popup plugin (for example, Picreel). Click Install Now and then Activate.

Once activated, you will see it appear under your WooCommerce or settings menu. Now log in with your enterprise account to access your Picreel editor dashboard. 

Step 2: Design Your Add to Cart Popup

Head to the plugin’s dashboard and click Create New Popup or Add New Campaign. Choose an add to cart popup template or a blank modal and customize it:

• Match Your Brand: Use your store’s colors, fonts, and product style.
• Add Product Details: Include the product image, price, and a short message confirming the item was added.
• Choose Your Buttons: Add Continue Shopping, View Cart, and Checkout actions.
• Keep the Layout Clean: Make sure the popup is easy to close and doesn’t feel intrusive.

Pro Tip: Add quick upsell items like accessories or small add ons directly inside the popup. This is one of the simplest ways to lift your average order value.

Step 3: Configure When and Where the Popup Appears

This part has the biggest impact on user experience. Your popup should appear at the right moment, not randomly.

Here’s how to set it up:

Instant Trigger: Turn on “Show Popup When Product Is Added to Cart” to display the popup the moment someone clicks Add to Cart.

Where It Appears: Choose the pages where the popup should show, such as product pages, shop pages, and category pages.

Behavior Rules:

• Use exit intent technology to show a reminder when someone tries to leave.
• Use scroll triggers for long product pages.
• Use time delay only for upsell-based popups.
• Set a frequency limit so the popup doesn’t appear too often.

Targeting Rules:

• Show different popups to new and returning visitors.
• Target visitors based on their traffic source, such as Facebook, Instagram, or Google search.
• Use geo-targeting to show location-based popups.
• Create separate popups for mobile and desktop.
• Target by URL or product category for more relevant experiences.

Step 4: Publish and Test Your Add to Cart Popup

Once everything looks good, publish the popup and test it across devices. Try adding products from your laptop and your phone to see how smooth the experience feels.

Check your plugin’s popup analytics to track:

• Popup views
• Button clicks
• Conversions

Run A/B tests to see what works better. For example, test two versions of the popup:

• A version with related products
• A version with free shipping progress
• A version with a strong Checkout Now CTA

How to Boost Cart Conversions Using Add-to-Cart Popups

Add to cart popup on WordPress work best when you use them in a hands-on way. Here are practical steps you can actually follow.

• Show the Popup Instantly: Turn on the “Show on Add to Cart” or “Instant Trigger” setting inside your popup plugin. Most WordPress add to cart popup plugins, like Picreel, have a toggle for this. This makes the popup fire the moment the button is clicked instead of waiting for a page reload.
• Recommend Related Products: Pick and add items to your popup that naturally pair with the one added. For example, if they add shoes, consider adding socks or a cleaning kit. You can do this for different product pages. This keeps suggestions relevant instead of random.
• Add Small Urgency Cues: Use the text field inside the popup to manually add urgency lines like “Deal ends today” along with a countdown timer. Alternatively, you may also use plugins that support dynamic stock tags; turn that on so stock updates automatically.
• Highlight Free Shipping Unlocks: Use free shipping progress bar plugins like FMEAddons Free Shipping Bar or FunnelKit Cart, so if the customer is below your free shipping limit, the popup can automatically show how much more they need to add to unlock free shipping.
• Use Behavior-Based Triggers: Within the display rules, set an exit intent trigger for desktops and a scroll trigger for mobile devices. This lets you show a gentle reminder or offer when someone appears to be about to leave.
• Run Simple A/B Tests: Duplicate your popup and change one thing, like the button label or the image. Turn on the tool’s “Split Test” or “A/B Test” feature and let both versions run for a few days. Choose the winner based on click rate, not guesswork.
• Make the Popup Mobile-Friendly: Switch to the mobile view in your popup editor. Shorten the text, increase button size, and reduce padding. Test it on your own phone and make sure the mobile popup doesn’t block the entire screen.

Build a Better Add-to-Cart Experience

A well-designed add-to-cart popup on WordPress can make a real difference in how smoothly your store feels to customers. It provides instant feedback, reduces confusion, and opens the door for small but significant sales boosts. 

Whether you use it to highlight related products, show a free shipping threshold, or guide shoppers straight to checkout, the goal is the same. 

You’re helping people move through their journey with less friction and a little more confidence. Over time, these minor improvements can lift your average order value and overall conversions.

As you test different layouts, triggers, and ideas, you’ll quickly see what your audience responds to. If you want one of the best WordPress add to cart popup plugins that makes this process simple, Picreel is a solid choice because it’s easy to set up, works smoothly with WooCommerce, and gives you room to personalize popups without extra work.

You can try it out whenever you’re ready.