Ask Alvin (AI Chat)Choosing Between Masthead Alerts and Takeover Alerts
Use a masthead alert when the message should appear at the top of the website without blocking the visitor from using the page.
Masthead alerts are useful for announcements such as promotions, schedule changes, weather notices, or reminders that should remain visible while visitors browse.
Use a takeover alert when the message needs stronger attention before the visitor continues using the page.
Takeover alerts are useful for urgent closures, major service interruptions, emergency notices, or other messages that need to interrupt normal browsing.
The main difference is how the alert appears:
| Alert Type | How It Displays | When To Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Masthead Alert | Appears at the top of the page and pushes page content down. | Use for informational messages that should stay visible while visitors browse. |
| Takeover Alert | Appears as a modal pop-up over the page. | Use for urgent messages that should interrupt the visitor before they continue. |
Masthead alerts can display more than one active alert, depending on the masthead display setting.
Takeover alerts are limited to one visible takeover alert on a page at a time.
If the message is informational and should stay visible while visitors browse, use a masthead alert.
If the message is urgent and should interrupt the visitor before they continue, use a takeover alert.
Learn More
For masthead alert setup, see Creating and Editing Masthead Alerts. For takeover alert setup, see Creating and Editing Takeover Alerts. For targeting alerts to specific pages, see Understanding Alert Display Rules and Scheduling.