What is a mobile moment?
Used in a sentence: The order confirmation screen is our best mobile moment, so let's ask for the rating there instead of on app open.
How it works
A mobile moment is defined by an event plus context. The event is what the user just did, such as “payment succeeded” or “level completed”. The context is where they are and what state they are in: which screen, whether they are mid-task, and what they have done before.
The app’s SDK listens for the event and checks the conditions in real time. If they match, it shows the message on the spot, often on a confirmation or results screen where the user has naturally paused. Speed matters here, since a message that arrives a few seconds late can land on a different screen and lose its relevance.
Example
A fantasy sports app notices that users who win a contest often stay on the results screen for a while. The team uses that moment to show a bottom sheet inviting the user to join a larger contest for the next match. Users who lose see a different message with tips for building a team. Nobody sees either prompt while still picking players.
Contextual vs scheduled messaging
| Contextual (moment-based) | Scheduled | |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | A user action in the session | A date and time |
| Relevance | Tied to what the user just did | Same message for the whole segment |
| Best for | Upsells, feedback, next steps | Announcements, sales, reminders |
Scheduled messages reach many users at once. Contextual ones reach each user at a better time.
Best practices
- List the success events in your app and map one message to each.
- Never interrupt a payment, checkout or form in progress.
- Match the ask to the mood: offers after intent, feedback after satisfaction.
- Keep the message short enough to read before the user moves on.
How to do this with Digia Engage
A growth team picks the event that defines the moment, such as a completed payment tracked in their CEP, and adds screen and segment conditions. They design the nudge in the no-code builder and set frequency limits. The nudge appears in under 100ms after the event and goes live without an app release. Available formats are on the Nudges product page.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you identify the right mobile moments in your app?
- Start from your event data. Look for points where users have just succeeded at something, such as a payment, an order, a completed lesson or a won game, and where they tend to pause before leaving. Session recordings and funnel reports help confirm which screens users linger on and which they rush past.
- Which mobile moments suit upsells versus feedback requests?
- Upsells fit moments of intent, such as adding an item to the cart or hitting a free plan limit, when the offer solves a problem the user already has. Feedback requests fit moments of satisfaction, such as a delivered order or a finished level, when the user is pleased and not in a hurry.
Related terms
Read more
Part of the In-app engagement glossary.