Overview
An overlay CTA is a floating element that appears over your website’s content, typically anchored to a corner of the screen. In Extole, overlays are commonly used to promote your referral program without occupying permanent space on the page.
Unlike pop-ups, overlay CTAs are persistent and non-intrusive. They remain visible and clickable without disrupting the user experience, and they’re designed to surface at high-engagement moments.
Why Overlay CTAs Drive the Most Shares
Overlay CTAs are among the highest-performing placements for referral engagement because they are:
Always visible on-screen
Contextually relevant to the user journey
Visually prominent and hard to miss
Frictionless—offering instant access to sharing
This makes them especially effective at activating Advocates during peak moments of enthusiasm.
Customizing Your Overlay
Overlay CTAs are fully customizable—text, styling, icons, and behavior can all be configured to match your brand. They will display anywhere your site includes Extole’s JavaScript.
Display Options
You can configure how your overlay CTA appears using the Behavior panel:
Button: A minimalist floating button. Ideal for lightweight, unobtrusive design.
Tile: An image that can either include or not include copy
Side-anchored: A CTA anchored to the screen edge (typically bottom-right).
Icon + Button: A button that includes a custom icon for added emphasis.
These settings are available in the Behavior panel of your overlay configuration. The overlay can be added via tag or triggered automatically through the core.js snippet, no extra implementation needed if that tag is already on your site.
Advanced Behavior and Triggers
While the default has the overlay showing on all pages, Extole can customize the overlay to be more personalized based on the customer’s past activity. Examples include triggering it for:
3rd page load to avoid interfering with welcome offers
Past customers only via cookies
Customers indicating exit-intent on thank-you pages to capture additional shares
Best Practices
Iconography and Visual Cues
Use recognizable icons (envelope for email, chain link for copy link, etc.)
Add subtle motion or attention cues to icons or CTA copy
Include a success state with a message like “Your invite is on its way!” and keep the overlay visible for further sharing
Copy
Use action-oriented headlines like:
“You’ve unlocked a reward: Share to get started!”
“Don’t keep the savings to yourself—invite friends.”
Include dynamic fields when possible, such as the Advocate’s name, purchase amount, or offer tier.
Mobile-First Design
Ensure tap targets are large enough for finger interaction
Stack elements vertically with a clear visual hierarchy: offer → share link → buttons
Use collapsible overlays with a referral icon badge when minimized
Overlays are easy to add and test! Check out How to Add an Onsite CTA and A/B Testing Your Campaign to get started.