Time Spent On Pages
Target visitors browsing a certain page for at least an X amount of time.
Time Spent On Pages is an OptiMonk targeting condition — the Spent on pages rule — that restricts a campaign to visitors who have spent at least a specified number of seconds on the current page they are viewing. You enter a single number representing the minimum seconds a visitor must have been on the current sub-page before the campaign becomes eligible to display. The timer starts when the page fully loads and resets every time the visitor navigates to a new page — so the condition always measures time spent on the specific page the visitor is currently on, not cumulative time across the entire session. A visitor who has spent at least your configured threshold on the current page qualifies; a visitor who has just arrived does not — even if they have been browsing your site for several minutes. The condition is found under the Time & Context category in OptiMonk's targeting condition list and combines with all other conditions using AND logic.
Key benefits
- Target visitors who have genuinely engaged with a page's content, not just arrived. A visitor who has spent 30 or 60 seconds on a product page has read the description, looked at the images, and is actively considering the item. Targeting campaigns to this group — rather than showing them immediately on page load — means every impression is delivered at a moment of genuine page-level engagement. The same offer shown to an engaged visitor converts at a meaningfully higher rate than the same offer shown to someone who just clicked through.
- Distinguish active readers from accidental arrivals. A visitor who loads a page and immediately moves their cursor to leave (desktop exit-intent behavior) or scrolls instantly to the bottom is in a fundamentally different state than one who has spent 45 seconds reading product details or a blog article. Time Spent On Pages lets you use time as a filter that separates engaged visitors from passive traffic — so your campaign impressions are concentrated on the segment most likely to respond.
- Works per page, not per session — giving contextual precision. Because the timer resets on each new page, Time Spent On Pages is always a measure of current-page engagement rather than total session length. This means a visitor who has been on your site for 10 minutes across many pages does not automatically qualify — they need to have spent the configured threshold on the specific page where the campaign trigger fires. This page-level precision makes it an accurate signal of interest in the content or product on that specific page.
How it works
In your OptiMonk dashboard, select the campaign you want to configure and click Edit settings. Under "Select who should see the popup," click Add new condition. Find the "Spent on pages" rule under the Time & Context category and click the Add sign next to it.
In the condition field, enter the number of seconds a visitor must spend on the current page before the campaign becomes eligible to display. The timer begins when the page is fully loaded. For a product page, 30–60 seconds represents meaningful engagement; for a long blog post, 60–120 seconds may be more appropriate.
Click Save and Next. The Spent on pages condition works with AND logic alongside all other targeting conditions — for example, adding a Current Page / URL condition restricts the time requirement to specific page types only. Once published, OptiMonk measures elapsed time on the current page for each visitor and evaluates the campaign's eligibility when the trigger fires, displaying the popup only if the time threshold has been met.
Frequently asked questions
What is Time Spent On Pages in OptiMonk?+
Time Spent On Pages is an OptiMonk targeting condition called "Spent on pages" that restricts a campaign to visitors who have spent at least a defined number of seconds on the current page they are viewing. The timer starts when the page fully loads and resets each time the visitor navigates to a new page — measuring current-page engagement rather than total session time. It is found under the Time & Context category in the targeting conditions list.
What is the difference between Time Spent On Pages and the time-delay trigger?+
The time-delay trigger determines when a campaign fires — it counts down from page load and fires the campaign after the configured number of seconds, regardless of any audience conditions. Time Spent On Pages is a targeting condition that determines who sees a campaign — it checks whether the visitor has been on the current page for at least the configured threshold at the moment the trigger fires, and suppresses the campaign if they have not. The two work at different levels: the trigger controls timing, the condition controls audience eligibility.
Does the timer reset when a visitor navigates to a new page?+
Yes. The Spent on pages timer measures time on the current sub-page and resets every time the visitor loads a new URL. This means the condition is always evaluating current-page engagement — a visitor who has been on your site for 5 minutes but just arrived on a new product page will not qualify until they have spent the configured threshold on that specific new page.
What is a good time threshold to use?+
The optimal threshold depends on your page type and content length. For product pages with moderate content, 20–45 seconds typically distinguishes engaged evaluators from quick bouncers. For long-form content like blog posts or detailed landing pages, 60–120 seconds is more appropriate since it takes longer to reach a meaningful engagement point. For short pages with minimal content, a lower threshold of 10–20 seconds may be sufficient. A/B testing different thresholds and comparing conversion rates is the most reliable way to find the right value for your specific pages.
Can I combine Time Spent On Pages with other targeting conditions?+
Yes. The Spent on pages condition works with AND logic alongside all other OptiMonk targeting conditions. For example, you can show a campaign to visitors who have spent at least 45 seconds on a product page AND are non-subscribers, or visitors who have spent at least 60 seconds on any blog post AND are returning visitors. Each additional condition narrows the audience, allowing you to build precisely targeted segments that combine time-based engagement signals with behavioral and visitor-type criteria.
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