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How to Fix Popup Maker Not Closing After Form Submission

38 threads Sep 7, 2025

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One of the most common issues users face with the Popup Maker plugin is a popup that fails to close after a form is successfully submitted. Instead of closing, the popup either remains open or reappears on a page refresh, disrupting the user experience. This guide explains the root causes of this behavior and provides the most effective solutions.

Why This Happens

The core of this issue typically revolves around cookies and plugin integration. Popup Maker uses cookies to track user interactions, such as closing a popup or submitting a form. For the popup to close and stay closed, a cookie must be set immediately after the form submission. Problems occur when:

  • The page reloads or redirects too quickly: If your form is configured to redirect the user to a "Thank You" page immediately upon submission, the browser may reload before Popup Maker has time to create the necessary cookie. This prevents the popup from closing and means it will show again on subsequent page visits.
  • Using a non-integrated form: Popup Maker's automatic "Close on Form Submission" feature only works with specific, integrated form plugins like Gravity Forms, Ninja Forms, and Contact Form 7. If you are using a form from a non-integrated builder (e.g., Forminator, HubSpot, WPForms Lite, or an external iframe), the plugin cannot automatically detect the submission event to trigger the close action and set the cookie.
  • Incorrect cookie or trigger settings: The cookie event must be properly linked to the form submission trigger within the popup's settings for the process to work correctly.

Common Solutions

1. For Integrated Forms (Gravity Forms, Ninja Forms, Contact Form 7)

If you are using a supported form plugin, first ensure the basic settings are correct.

  • In your popup's settings, navigate to the Close tab and confirm that Close on Form Submission is enabled.
  • For Gravity Forms users, also check the form's settings. Under Popup Maker, ensure Close popup is selected. Enabling AJAX submission in your form's settings is also highly recommended, as it allows the form to submit without a full page reload, giving Popup Maker time to set the cookie.
  • If you are redirecting users after submission, a common fix is to disable AJAX on the form confirmation settings. This allows the page to remain stable long enough for the cookie to be created before the redirect happens.

2. For Non-Integrated Forms and Quick Redirects

This is the most frequent scenario. The solution is to manually set a cookie on form submission to prevent the popup from reappearing.

The Popup Maker team provides a specific guide for this: Set a Different Cookie Time on Form Submission. This method involves:

  1. Creating a new cookie in your popup's settings with the event set to Form Submission.
  2. Adding a small snippet of custom JavaScript to your site that triggers this cookie when your form submits.

For beginners, adding custom code can be daunting. You can use a plugin like "Simple Custom CSS and JS" to safely add the JavaScript without editing theme files.

3. For Forms in Iframes

Embedding a form from another domain or subdomain inside an iframe within your popup presents a unique challenge. The solution is similar to the one for non-integrated forms.

You must use a Form Submission trigger and cookie event. Since the parent page cannot directly detect events inside the iframe, the guide Set a Different Cookie Time on Form Submission is also the recommended approach here. The custom JavaScript will need to be placed on the form's success page within the iframe to communicate back to the parent page and close the popup.

Need More Help?

If you have worked through these steps and your popup still isn't closing correctly, the issue could be related to a plugin or theme conflict. A good step is to deactivate other plugins temporarily and switch to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four) to test. Also, always remember to clear any caching on your site, browser, or CDN after making changes.

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