How to get more push notification subscribers
A bigger list is easy to fake and hard to earn. These twelve ideas grow the number of people who actually want your notifications — the only subscribers worth having.
- Contextual asks (“alert me when it’s back”) beat generic site-wide prompts.
- Put a visible “Get alerts” button where interest peaks.
- Give iPhone visitors a clear path through the Home Screen.
- Never trick people into subscribing — fake “Allow to continue” walls get punished.
12 ideas that work
- Back-in-stock buttons on sold-out products:
Pusharoo.subscribe()on click. - “Notify me about part 2” at the end of a series article.
- A bell icon in your header that opens the soft prompt — always visible, never intrusive.
- A delayed soft prompt after a scroll for everyone else (opt-in).
- A promise in the prompt: what you send and how often.
- Subscriber-only perks: early access or a small exclusive offer.
- An iPhone hint with Share → Add to Home Screen steps (iPhone).
- Cross-promote in email: “Want instant alerts? Turn on notifications.” linking to a page with a subscribe button.
- A dedicated “Get alerts” page you can link from social bios and receipts.
- Order confirmation pages: “Get shipping and restock alerts.”
- Event pages: “Remind me 30 minutes before.”
- Fix the basics — fast pages, HTTPS, working
sw.js— so nobody hits a broken flow.
A custom subscribe button in one line
<button onclick="Pusharoo.subscribe()">🔔 Get back-in-stock alerts</button>
<script>
// Hide the button for people who are already subscribed
if (window.Pusharoo && Pusharoo.state() === 'subscribed') {
document.querySelector('button').hidden = true;
}
</script>Pusharoo.state() also returns ios-needs-home-screen on iPhone Safari, so you can show Home Screen steps instead (API docs).
What not to do
- Don’t gate content behind “Allow notifications to continue” — browsers treat this as abusive.
- Don’t ask on page load; it trains visitors to block you.
- Don’t buy or import lists — web push subscriptions can’t be transferred without the original keys anyway.
- Don’t count every prompt view as a lead.
Build a dedicated “Get alerts” page
A simple page at /alerts explaining what subscribers get — with examples, a frequency promise and one big button — is the most reusable growth asset you can make. Link it from your email footer, social bios, receipts, QR codes and podcast notes. On iPhone it can show the Home Screen steps; on desktop and Android the button calls Pusharoo.subscribe().
Measure each source
Fire an analytics event on pusharoo:subscribed with the page path, so you know which pages and buttons grow your list (opt-in rate). Double down on the asks that convert and drop the ones that don’t.
Don’t forget iPhone visitors
On many sites half of mobile traffic is iPhone. Those visitors can’t subscribe from a Safari tab, so a Home Screen hint card (data-ios-hint="true") and a short “How to get alerts on iPhone” page can add a steady stream of subscribers you’d otherwise never get. Link to it from your footer and email signature (a page you can link to).
Coordinate with other on-site asks
If you also run an email pop-up, chat widget or cookie banner, make sure they don’t all appear at once. One ask per page view converts better and annoys less (push vs. pop-ups).
Quality over quantity
A list of 2,000 people who asked for restock alerts will outperform 20,000 who clicked “Allow” to make a pop-up go away. Track click-through alongside list growth (CTR), and since Pusharoo has no subscriber limits or per-subscriber pricing, there’s no cost reason to inflate the number — only a reason to make it real.
Questions
How fast can a push subscriber list grow?
It depends almost entirely on your traffic and how relevant the ask is. Returning visitors subscribe far more readily than first-time visitors from ads.
Should I offer a discount for subscribing?
It works for stores, but it attracts deal-seekers. A perk like early access often builds a more engaged list.
Can I import subscribers from another tool?
Usually not, because subscriptions are tied to the original sender’s VAPID keys. See switching providers for how to rebuild quickly.
Can I buy push subscribers?
No. Subscriptions are tied to the browser and your keys; “bought” lists can’t be used and would breach trust anyway.
Do social media campaigns grow push subscribers?
Indirectly: they bring visitors who might subscribe. Link to a page with a clear reason to opt in.
Keep reading
The push opt-in prompt, done right
Two-step soft prompts, timing rules, copy that converts, and what never to do on page load.
Push notification opt-in rate: measure it, then raise it
How to measure opt-in at each step, why Chrome may quiet your prompt, and ways to raise sign-ups.
Switching web push providers: a practical migration plan
What can and can’t be migrated, why VAPID keys matter, and a step-by-step plan to switch tools.
Push notifications for online stores
Flash sales, back-in-stock, price drops and retargeting — without paying for ads.
More in Growth: Push notification click-through rate (CTR), explained · Push notification analytics that actually answer questions · Push notification deliverability: what really affects delivery · Win-back push notifications that bring people back · Push notifications vs. pop-ups · All guides
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