Best practices for tracking user progress with Userflow analytics

If you’re running a SaaS product and want to know if users are actually learning the ropes, you’ve probably heard about Userflow. It’s a tool for building onboarding flows, but it also tracks user progress through those flows. Sounds great, but getting real value out of the analytics takes a little more thought than just turning it on and hoping for the best.

This guide is for product managers, UX designers, and anyone who actually cares if onboarding works—not just if it looks pretty in a dashboard. Let’s cut through the noise and dig into what really matters when you’re tracking user progress in Userflow.

Why Tracking User Progress Matters (and Where It Goes Wrong)

Tracking user progress isn’t just about patting yourself on the back when someone finishes your onboarding checklist. It should answer questions like: Are users getting stuck? Is my onboarding even relevant? Where do people bail?

Here’s where most teams mess this up:

  • Tracking for tracking’s sake. Lots of data, zero insight.
  • Vanity metrics. “90% of users start onboarding!” (But only 10% finish.)
  • Ignoring context. Not all users need every part of your flow.
  • Assuming one size fits all. Different users have different needs and behaviors.

If you’re nodding along, you’re in the right place.

Step 1: Map Out What “Progress” Means for Your Product

Before you touch Userflow analytics, get clear on what progress looks like in your app. Otherwise, you’ll end up tracking a bunch of meaningless events.

Ask yourself:

  • What does a fully onboarded user actually look like? (Not just “flow completed.”)
  • What are the key actions or milestones that matter most?
  • Is there a logical order, or can users go out of sequence?

Pro tip: Don’t confuse “step completed” with “user is successful.” Sometimes users skip steps because they already know what they’re doing.

Step 2: Set Up Meaningful Flows and Steps in Userflow

Inside Userflow, you’ll build onboarding flows as a series of steps or checklists. Resist the urge to track every single click. Focus on the milestones that map to real user success.

Good examples:

  • “Invited first teammate”
  • “Imported data”
  • “Set up integration”

Weak examples:

  • “Clicked next on tooltip #3”
  • “Viewed help video” (unless it’s critical)

What works: - Use checklists for complex onboarding, so users see clear progress. - Use conditional steps if your app has different paths for different user types.

What doesn’t: - Overloading flows with micro-steps just to bump up “step completion” rates. - Assuming all users should do everything—tailor flows if possible.

Step 3: Tag and Name Events Clearly (For Your Sanity Later)

Userflow tracks when users complete steps, dismiss flows, or drop off. Take the time to use names that will make sense to you (and your team) six months from now. “Step 4 complete” means nothing when you’re debugging a funnel.

Tips:

  • Use clear, descriptive labels like invited_teammate or connected_slack.
  • Avoid generic names like step_1, step_2.
  • Document what each event means, somewhere your team can find it.

Honest take: You’ll thank yourself later when you’re cleaning up your analytics or explaining things to a new PM.

Step 4: Integrate Userflow Events With Your Main Analytics Stack

Userflow can pipe events into tools like Segment, Mixpanel, or Amplitude. This is where things get powerful, because you can tie onboarding progress to actual product usage and retention.

Here’s what’s worth doing:

  • Pipe key Userflow events into your main analytics tool.
  • Build funnels that go beyond onboarding (e.g., “completed onboarding” → “active after 7 days”).
  • Compare different user cohorts (did trial users onboard differently than paid ones?).

What to ignore:

  • Don’t bother tracking every minor Userflow event in your main analytics. It’ll just clutter things up.
  • If you don’t have the engineering bandwidth to integrate deeply, start with export or simple webhook integrations.

Step 5: Watch for Drop-offs and Dead Ends

Here’s where you get actionable insights. Use Userflow analytics to spot:

  • Where users drop out of flows.
  • Steps that take way too long.
  • Flows that users dismiss or skip.

How to handle what you find:

  • If everyone drops off at the same step, that step is probably confusing, irrelevant, or too much work.
  • If users are skipping parts, maybe those parts aren’t needed for everyone.
  • If users dismiss onboarding entirely, ask yourself: are you showing it to the wrong people, or at the wrong time?

Don’t get caught up in perfection: Some drop-off is normal. Focus on big, obvious friction points first.

Step 6: Close the Loop With Qualitative Feedback

Numbers tell you what happened. They rarely tell you why. Use Userflow’s built-in feedback prompts, or follow up with users who dropped out.

  • Ask a quick “Was this helpful?” at the end of a flow.
  • Trigger a survey for users who abandon onboarding.
  • Actually read the responses—don’t just collect them.

What works: Short, specific questions get better answers. “What was missing?” beats “Any feedback?”

What doesn’t: Long surveys. Nobody fills them out. Also, don’t rely solely on the data—talk to a few real users.

Step 7: Review, Simplify, and Iterate

Analytics are only as good as what you do with them. Set a regular time (monthly or quarterly) to review onboarding data in Userflow.

  • Prune steps that users consistently skip.
  • Rewrite or split up steps that have high drop-off.
  • Experiment with ordering or breaking up flows.

Don’t overcomplicate: The best onboarding is usually the simplest. If you’re tracking dozens of steps, you’re probably making it harder than it needs to be.

What to Watch Out For (Common Pitfalls)

  • Chasing completion rates. A 100% completion rate might just mean you forced users through something they didn’t want.
  • Ignoring user segments. New hires, admins, and power users all need different things.
  • Treating Userflow analytics as gospel. These numbers are helpful, but not infallible. Double-check with other data sources and real conversations.

Keep It Simple, Keep Improving

User onboarding is a moving target. The real win is making it a little better every time you look at the data. Don’t obsess over fancy dashboards or track every possible event. Pick the key milestones, make sure your tracking makes sense, and talk to your users when the numbers look weird.

Most teams overthink onboarding analytics. The ones who get results? They keep it simple, review what matters, and aren’t afraid to change what’s not working. That’s how you get onboarding (and analytics) that actually help your users—and your product.