Make Flows Skippable or Required
Learn how to use the skip and backdrop options to engage your users
Table of Contents
Control whether users can dismiss a Flow or must interact with it to continue — using the skippable toggle and backdrop settings.
Also known as: skip options, dismiss flow, required flow, close flow, block user interaction.
How skip and backdrop work together
Every step in a Flow has two independent settings that combine to determine the user's experience:
- Skippable — whether the user can dismiss the step without interacting with it.
- Backdrop — whether the area behind the step is dimmed or blocked.
These settings interact differently depending on the pattern type. Use the table below to find the behavior you want, then follow the configuration steps.
Quick reference
| Pattern | Skippable | Backdrop | User can dismiss by… | User can interact with app? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modal (Standard/Sidebar) | On | Any | Clicking X, clicking outside the Modal | No (backdrop blocks interaction) |
| Modal (Full Screen) | On | Auto | Clicking X or a button only — clicking outside does nothing | No |
| Modal (Standard/Sidebar) | Off | Any | Clicking a button only | No (backdrop blocks interaction) |
| Modal (Full Screen) | Off | Auto | Clicking a button only | No |
| Slideout | On | Off | Clicking X | Yes — Slideout stays on page until dismissed or user navigates away |
| Slideout | On | On | Clicking X or clicking the dimmed backdrop | No |
| Slideout | Off | Off | Clicking a button or navigating away | Yes — Slideout stays on page |
| Slideout | Off | On | Clicking a button only | No — most restrictive Slideout config |
| Tooltip | On | Off | Clicking X or dismiss link | Yes |
| Tooltip | On | Hard | Clicking X, dismiss link, or interacting with target element | No |
| Tooltip | Off | Off | Clicking a button or the target element | Yes |
| Tooltip | Off | Hard | Clicking a button or the target element only | No |
| Hotspot | On or Off | None (not supported) | Expanding the beacon, clicking dismiss link, or navigating away | Yes — always |
Configure skip options
Modals
- Open the Modal step in the Builder.
- Toggle Skippable on or off in the step settings panel.
- To control the backdrop, open your Theme and go to the Pattern tab > Modals & Slideouts. Set the backdrop opacity:
- 0% — no visible backdrop (users still can't click through on Standard/Sidebar Modals when skippable is off).
- 100% — fully opaque, completely hides your app.
Standard and Sidebar Modals with skippable on: Users can dismiss the Modal by clicking anywhere outside the content block, even with a 100% opacity backdrop. If you want to prevent this, use a Full Screen Modal or turn skippable off.
Full Screen Modals automatically apply a full-coverage backdrop. Users cannot click outside the container to dismiss — they must use the X button (if skippable) or a button inside the step.
Slideouts
- Open the Slideout step in the Builder.
- Toggle Skippable on or off.
- Toggle the Backdrop on or off directly in the Builder. You can also configure the default backdrop color and opacity in your Theme.
The most restrictive Slideout configuration is not skippable + backdrop on — the user cannot interact with the app and must click a button inside the Slideout to continue.
Tooltips
- Open the Tooltip step in the Builder.
- Under skip options, choose:
- X button — adds a close button in the top-right corner.
- Dismiss link — adds a "Hide these tips" link to the content.
- Both, or neither (not skippable).
Choose a backdrop option:
- No backdrop — user can interact with the page freely.
- Soft backdrop — dims the area around the target element but doesn't block clicks.
- Hard backdrop — blocks all interaction with the page outside the Tooltip and target element.
Adjust backdrop padding and border radius in the Design tab. To change the backdrop color or opacity, add custom CSS using the .apc-spotlight selector.
Hotspots
Hotspots support the dismiss link ("Hide these tips") but not the X button. Backdrops are not supported on Hotspots.
Because Hotspots are designed for passive discovery, users can always interact with the rest of the page regardless of skip settings. The dismiss link lets users hide remaining Hotspots if they don't want to explore them.
What happens when a user skips
When a user dismisses a step using the X button, dismiss link, or by clicking outside a skippable Modal:
- Appcues fires
step_skippedandflow_skippedevents. - The entire Flow ends — not just the current step.
- The Flow is not marked as completed. If the Flow is set to Show once, the user won't see it again (it's marked as "seen" but not "completed").
Troubleshoot skip behavior
Users can dismiss a Modal even though I set the backdrop to 100% opacity. Standard and Sidebar Modals let users click outside the content block to dismiss, even with a full backdrop, when skippable is on. Switch to a Full Screen Modal or turn skippable off.
Slideout stays on screen even though the user can interact with the app. This is expected when skippable is off and backdrop is off. The Slideout remains until the user clicks a button or navigates away. Add a backdrop to force interaction.
Tooltip with hard backdrop still lets users click the target element. This is by design — the hard backdrop blocks everything except the target element. The user can interact with the Tooltip or click the element it's pointing to, which advances the Flow.