When you migrate web push subscribers to PushEngage, the default path is silent resubscribe, which recovers subscribers quietly without asking them to opt in again unless you are importing subscribers. Ask Before Resubscribing is an alternative for teams who would rather request permission again when switching providers, so every subscriber on PushEngage has freshly granted consent. This guide explains what it does, who it is for, and how it differs from silent resubscribe.
Before You Start
- Create an account with PushEngage and complete installation from Site Settings » Installation.
- Decide how you want to bring subscribers over: silently, or by asking again. This guide covers asking again.
- This option applies to web push migration.
What Ask Before Resubscribing Does
With silent resubscribe, a subscriber who already granted notification permission is moved to PushEngage without seeing anything, because the browser permission is still valid. With Ask Before Resubscribing, PushEngage instead shows the opt-in prompt again on the subscriber’s next visit, and the subscriber is added to PushEngage only if they choose to allow notifications again.
In short, silent resubscribe carries people over quietly, while Ask Before Resubscribing asks for a fresh yes before adding them.
Who Should Use It
Choose Ask Before Resubscribing when you want explicit, fresh consent as part of the switch, for example when your team prefers subscribers to knowingly opt in to the new setup, or when you want a clean permission record on PushEngage rather than carrying over consent collected elsewhere. If your goal is simply to keep as many existing subscribers as possible with the least friction, silent resubscribe is the better fit.
How It Works
- Turn on Ask Before Resubscribing for the migration. You can find this under Site Settings » Site Details
- Complete PushEngage installation from Site Settings » Installation.
- On a subscriber’s next visit, they see the opt-in prompt again whichever is selected in your Design » Popup Modal
- If they allow, they are added to PushEngage as a subscriber. If they dismiss or decline, they are not added.
What to Expect
Like any web push migration, this is not a switch that is fully on the moment it completes, and reachability builds over time as subscribers return.
Think of a subscriber’s service worker as the delivery address of someone with no phone. The only way they learn something has arrived is when the mailman actually knocks. A subscriber only sees the opt-in again when they next visit your site, so your list grows as people come back and choose to allow notifications. Because this path asks for permission again, expect to keep fewer subscribers than silent resubscribe would, in exchange for a list where everyone has explicitly opted in to PushEngage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is this different from silent resubscribe?
Silent resubscribe moves people who already granted permission without showing anything. Ask Before Resubscribing shows the opt-in again and only adds subscribers who allow it, so you trade some volume for fresh, explicit consent.
Which one should I choose?
Use silent resubscribe to keep the most subscribers with the least friction. Use Ask Before Resubscribing when you want everyone on PushEngage to have knowingly opted in again as part of the switch.
Will I lose subscribers by asking again?
You may keep fewer than silent resubscribe would, because only those who allow the prompt again are added. The upside is a list where every subscriber has explicitly given permission on your PushEngage setup.
Does reachability still build gradually?
Yes. Subscribers only see the prompt when they next visit, so your list and reachability grow over the days after migration as people return and opt in again.
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