What is a splash page?
Definition
A splash page is the branded landing page a guest sees when they join a guest WiFi network, before they are online. It is the front of the captive portal: it carries the sign-in options, the terms and the marketing consent, and it is where the venue’s brand first appears on the guest’s screen.
Splash page explained
Splash page and captive portal are often used as if they mean the same thing, but strictly they do not. The captive portal is the network mechanism that intercepts an unauthenticated device and redirects it. The splash page is the design layer on top: the page the guest actually sees and interacts with.
That page runs in a restricted environment. Until the guest signs in, the device can reach only the walled garden, so every image, font and script on the splash page must be hosted inside it or be small enough to load quickly. Overloading the splash page with heavy marketing assets is the leading cause of guest WiFi connection failures.
Good splash pages are short. One clear call to connect, a small number of sign-in options such as email, social login or SMS, and a separate, unticked box for marketing consent perform better than long forms. After sign-in, a WiFi landing page, a different page shown once the guest is online, is the place for offers, content and heavier branding.
Guides on Splash page
- Technical guideCaptive portal vs splash page
- Technical guideSplash page design best practices for guest WiFi
- Technical guideWiFi landing page vs splash page: what’s the difference?
Where it fits
Related terms
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