The Popup section opens by itself only when its Display timing and Visibility settings allow it, and only in a browser where it has not been closed before. Most popups that don't appear are waiting for one of these.
The popup never opens by itself in the theme editor. To see it there, select Popup in the editor sidebar.
Display timing is Manual only
The Checkmate style comes with Display timing set to Manual only, so the popup opens only from a link to it and never by itself. You can recognize this cause when the Visibility settings are missing from the section, because they show only with the other timings. The Lair and Fang styles come with Time on page set to 20 seconds instead, and open the popup once per browser visit.
Once a visitor closes the popup or signs up in it, it stops opening by itself in that browser for good. It opens again only after the visitor clears the browser's stored data for your store. This is why it appeared once and not again.
You can recognize this cause when the popup opens in a private or incognito window but not in your usual browser. Test the popup in a new private window each time. Your customers see it until they close it.
With Once per browser visit under Repeat behavior, the popup also opens only once until the visitor closes the browser tab.
The visitor or the page doesn't match the Visibility rules
The popup opens by itself only on pages that match every rule under Visibility. You can recognize this cause when the popup opens on some pages or for some visitors and not others, and one of these settings is not at its default:
Setting
When the popup stays closed
Visitor type
With New visitors only, it opens only on the first page a visitor views on your store. From the second page on, and on every later visit, the visitor counts as returning. With Returning visitors only, it never opens on that first page.
URL targeting
With URL contains, the page's address must contain the text you entered, with the same upper and lower case. With Query parameter equals, the address must hold that parameter with that value, such as ?from=newsletter.
Page type
It opens only on the type of page you selected. All pages leaves out the cart page. To show it on the cart page, select Cart page.
If you test with New visitors only, open your store in a new private window and wait on the first page.
The timing never happens on the page
Each timing has a condition that some visits never meet. You can recognize this cause when the popup opens on some visits and not on others with the same settings:
Time on page counts from the moment each page opens. A visitor who moves to another page before the time is up starts again from zero, so with a long time some visitors never see the popup.
Scroll depth waits until the visitor scrolls that many pixels down. On a page shorter than that, it never opens.
Exit intent opens when the pointer leaves the top of the browser window. It works only on screens at least 768 pixels wide with a mouse or trackpad, so it never opens on touch screens.
The popup also never opens by itself on your password page, and it does not open if the cart drawer is open when its time comes.
Contact support
If the popup still doesn't appear, write to us through Contact support and include:
The Popup section opens by itself only when its Display timing and Visibility settings allow it, and only in a browser where it has not been closed before. Most popups that don't appear are waiting for one of these.
Rule out the cache and the wrong theme
If your other recent changes don't show on your store either, start with My changes don't show on my store. A popup from an app, such as an email marketing app, follows that app's settings. What the theme controls and what Shopify controls explains the difference.
The popup never opens by itself in the theme editor. To see it there, select Popup in the editor sidebar.
Display timing is Manual only
The Checkmate style comes with Display timing set to Manual only, so the popup opens only from a link to it and never by itself. You can recognize this cause when the Visibility settings are missing from the section, because they show only with the other timings. The Lair and Fang styles come with Time on page set to 20 seconds instead, and open the popup once per browser visit.
In your Shopify admin, go to Online Store.
Next to Checkmate, click Edit theme.
In the editor sidebar, under Overlays, select Popup.
Under Display timing, select Time on page, Exit intent or Scroll depth.
Click Save.
To keep Manual only and open the popup from a button, see Open a popup from a button or link.
You closed the popup in this browser
Once a visitor closes the popup or signs up in it, it stops opening by itself in that browser for good. It opens again only after the visitor clears the browser's stored data for your store. This is why it appeared once and not again.
You can recognize this cause when the popup opens in a private or incognito window but not in your usual browser. Test the popup in a new private window each time. Your customers see it until they close it.
With Once per browser visit under Repeat behavior, the popup also opens only once until the visitor closes the browser tab.
The visitor or the page doesn't match the Visibility rules
The popup opens by itself only on pages that match every rule under Visibility. You can recognize this cause when the popup opens on some pages or for some visitors and not others, and one of these settings is not at its default:
Setting
When the popup stays closed
Visitor type
With New visitors only, it opens only on the first page a visitor views on your store. From the second page on, and on every later visit, the visitor counts as returning. With Returning visitors only, it never opens on that first page.
URL targeting
With URL contains, the page's address must contain the text you entered, with the same upper and lower case. With Query parameter equals, the address must hold that parameter with that value, such as
?from=newsletter.Page type
It opens only on the type of page you selected. All pages leaves out the cart page. To show it on the cart page, select Cart page.
If you test with New visitors only, open your store in a new private window and wait on the first page.
The timing never happens on the page
Each timing has a condition that some visits never meet. You can recognize this cause when the popup opens on some visits and not on others with the same settings:
Time on page counts from the moment each page opens. A visitor who moves to another page before the time is up starts again from zero, so with a long time some visitors never see the popup.
Scroll depth waits until the visitor scrolls that many pixels down. On a page shorter than that, it never opens.
Exit intent opens when the pointer leaves the top of the browser window. It works only on screens at least 768 pixels wide with a mouse or trackpad, so it never opens on touch screens.
The popup also never opens by itself on your password page, and it does not open if the cart drawer is open when its time comes.
Contact support
If the popup still doesn't appear, write to us through Contact support and include:
Your Checkmate version. Find your theme version shows where it is.
A preview link to the theme.
The URL of a page where the popup should open.
A screenshot of the Popup section's settings.