Triggers
A Trigger is the starting point of every workflow. It determines when your campaign begins and allows Tango.ad to decide when to display a popup, sticker, or other campaign content.
Every workflow must have at least one trigger.
For an overview of how triggers fit into the workflow, see Workflow Editor Overview.
What is a Trigger?
A trigger listens for a specific event on your website. When that event occurs, the workflow starts and evaluates any configured conditions before displaying your campaign.
For example:
- A visitor loads a page.
- A visitor clicks a specific element.
- A visitor spends a certain amount of time on a page.
- A custom event is sent from your website.
Once the trigger fires, the workflow continues through its configured conditions and steps.
For more information about the next stage of workflow logic, see Conditions and Actions.
Available Trigger Types
Depending on your Tango.ad configuration, you may have access to one or more trigger types.
Page Load
Starts the workflow after a visitor loads a page.
This is the most commonly used trigger for popups and welcome campaigns.
Example:
- Display a welcome popup 8 seconds after the page loads.
- Show a newsletter signup popup on selected pages.
You can combine a page-load trigger with Conditions and Actions to control which visitors see the campaign.
Click Event
Starts the workflow when a visitor clicks a specific button, link, or other website element.
Common use cases include:
- Opening a promotional popup
- Displaying additional product information
- Showing a discount after clicking a banner
For more information about campaign interactions and components, see Working with Components.
Time Delay
Starts the workflow after the visitor has spent a specified amount of time on the page.
Example:
- Show a special offer after 15 seconds.
- Display a newsletter signup after visitors have had time to browse.
Time-based triggers can be combined with Conditions and Actions to further refine campaign targeting.
Scroll Depth
Starts the workflow when a visitor scrolls to a certain percentage of the page.
Example:
- Display an offer after the visitor reaches 60% of the page.
- Promote related products near the end of an article.
Exit Intent
Starts the workflow when Tango.ad detects that a visitor is about to leave the website.
Common use cases:
- Recover abandoned visitors
- Offer a discount before they leave
- Promote newsletter subscriptions
For ecommerce recovery scenarios, see Recover Abandoned Carts.
Custom Event
Starts the workflow when your website sends a custom event to Tango.ad.
Developers can trigger campaigns based on business-specific events, such as:
- Product added to cart
- User logged in
- Loyalty program activated
- Checkout started
For technical implementations involving ecommerce events, see Ecommerce API and Trait Analytics API.
Trigger Settings
Each trigger may include additional settings, such as:
- Delay before activation
- Target pages
- Device restrictions
- Frequency limits
- Visitor segmentation
These settings help ensure campaigns are displayed at the right time without overwhelming visitors.
For additional campaign-level configuration, see Campaign Settings.
How Triggers Work
The workflow always begins with a trigger.
Visitor arrives on website
↓
Trigger fires
↓
Conditions are evaluated
↓
If conditions match
↓
Campaign Step 1 is displayed
↓
Workflow continues
If the trigger conditions are not met, the workflow does not start.
Once the trigger starts the workflow, conditions determine whether the visitor continues and actions determine what happens next. See Building Workflows.
Best Practices
- Use the simplest trigger that fits your campaign goal.
- Add conditions after the trigger to target the right audience.
- Avoid displaying campaigns immediately unless necessary.
- Use delays or scroll triggers to improve the visitor experience.
- Test your trigger settings before publishing your campaign.
- Review the complete workflow before publishing using the Workflow Editor Overview.