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Automatically tag and target Web Push subscribers by page

You can deliver more personalized and timely push notifications by tagging users based on the specific page or content they subscribed from. In this guide, you’ll learn how to:
  • Use the subscriptionChange event to detect Web Push opt-ins
  • Apply custom data tags when a user subscribes
  • Segment users by tag for targeted campaigns
  • Automate messaging sequences based on tag and timing

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Setup

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1. Tag users with page-specific metadata

Once a user subscribes to push notifications, you can tag them with contextual data—such as the page type or topic they were viewing. This enables targeted follow-ups based on what the user showed interest in. 
// Example: Tag users subscribing on a sports-related page
let page_topic = 'sports'; // You can also dynamically extract this from DOM or metadata

OneSignal.push(function() {
  OneSignal.on('subscriptionChange', function(isSubscribed) {
    if (isSubscribed === true) {
      console.log('The user subscription state is now:', isSubscribed);

      // Example: Extract "gaming" from "/gaming/article-123"
      var pathArray = window.location.pathname.split('/');

      OneSignal.User.addTags({
        "subscription_page": pathArray[1],
        "subscription_page_topic": page_topic,
      }).then(function(tagsSent) {
        console.log('Tags sent:', tagsSent);
      });
    }
  });
});
How this works:
  • The subscriptionChange event fires when a user’s subscription status changes.
  • If isSubscribed === true, the user has just opted in.
  • window.location.pathname.split('/')[1] captures the first segment of the page path as the subscription context.
  • page_topic can be dynamically set based on your page’s metadata or content.
Example: If the URL is https://example.com/gaming/article123, the subscription_page tag will be gaming.

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2. Segment users by tag

Once tags are applied, you can use Segments or API Filters to target users based on those tags. For example:
  • Send a campaign to users where subscription_page is “gaming”
  • Create dynamic segments based on tag values and timing (e.g., hours since first session)

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3. Automate follow-up messaging

You can build drip-style campaigns that trigger messages based on when the user subscribed and what content they subscribed under. Example: Drip campaign for gaming subscribers
Segment NameFiltersDescription
Gaming 1subscription_page = gaming AND First Session > 2h AND < 24hReach out 2–24 hours after subscription
Gaming 2subscription_page = gaming AND First Session > 24h AND < 48hFollow up 1 day later
Gaming 3subscription_page = gaming AND First Session > 72h AND < 96hFinal check-in after 3 days
Use upper time limits (<) to prevent users from lingering in segments once the messaging window has passed.

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4. Combine segments with message templates

Once segments are created:
  • Build Templates for each stage in the campaign (e.g., intro, reminder, promo).
  • Use Journeys to send these messages when users enter the appropriate segment.
Example message ideas:
  • Invite to a gaming community or social group
  • Recommend trending articles related to their topic
  • Send an exclusive offer or discount code

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Best practices and gotchas

  • Use meaningful tag names and values that reflect actual user intent
  • Extract tag values dynamically if possible, e.g.:
let page_topic = document.querySelector('meta[name="article-topic"]')?.content || 'general';
  • Monitor tagging success via console.log() or browser dev tools
Avoid:
  • Re-tagging users unnecessarily on every page load (only tag when subscription is new)
  • Including PII in tags (e.g., name, email)
  • Hardcoding tag values across your entire site
Congrats on enriching your user data with contextual information! Additional resources: