So you want to automate onboarding for your users with Pendo. Good call. If you’ve ever watched new users bounce around and get lost—or worse, never come back—you know onboarding isn’t just a “nice to have.” But building something that actually helps (and doesn’t just annoy people) is another story.
This guide is for product managers, UX folks, or really anyone who’s been handed the “Make onboarding better” task. I’ll walk you through setting up onboarding flows in Pendo, what to watch out for, and how to avoid common traps. No fluff, just what you need to get this done.
Step 1: Get Clear on Your Onboarding Goals
Before you start clicking around, step back: What do you actually want your onboarding to do? More importantly—what do your users need help with?
Don’t skip this. If your onboarding flow tries to do everything, it’ll do nothing well. Figure out:
- What’s the core action(s) a new user needs to take to get value fast? (e.g., create a project, invite a teammate, connect data)
- Where do people usually get stuck? (Look at support tickets or analytics—don’t just guess)
- Is this for all new users, or just a segment (like admins, or trial accounts)?
Write these down. Everything else should serve these goals, or it’s just noise.
Pro tip: Interview a few real users about their first week. You’ll get more insight than any analytics dashboard.
Step 2: Set Up the Basics in Pendo
If you haven’t already, you’ll need to get Pendo installed in your app. This is usually a snippet in your app’s codebase, handled by your devs. If that’s already running, you’re good.
Checklist:
- Pendo snippet is live on all relevant app pages
- You have admin access to your Pendo account
- User data (like role or plan) is passing into Pendo—this lets you target flows
If you’re still missing user metadata, pause here and get that sorted. Targeting onboarding to the right people is half the battle. Guessing at who’s new or what they need? That’s how you end up with angry power-users and confused newbies.
Step 3: Map and Build Your Onboarding Flows
Here’s where most people get lost: Pendo lets you build all sorts of in-app guides, walkthroughs, tooltips, and surveys. The trick is to not overwhelm users (or yourself).
3.1. Start with the Core Flow
Don’t try to cover every feature. You want a short series of steps that helps users do the thing that matters most.
- Use a Guide Sequence: In Pendo, a “Guide” can be a series of tooltips or popups. Don’t chain 10 together—3 to 5 steps is plenty.
- Be Contextual: Only show steps on the pages where they make sense. If your “Create Project” guide appears everywhere, it’ll just get ignored.
- Use Clear Language: Avoid marketing fluff. Tell users exactly what to do and why it matters.
3.2. Add Branches for Different User Types
If you have user roles (admin, regular user, etc.), or different onboarding needs, set up segments in Pendo. You can target guides to only show for:
- New users (e.g., users who joined in the last 7 days)
- Trial accounts vs. paying customers
- Specific roles or teams
Don’t over-segment right away. Start simple—add complexity only if you see real demand.
3.3. Conditional Steps & Triggers
Pendo lets you get fancy with logic. You can:
- Trigger the next step only after a user completes an action (like clicking a button)
- End the flow if a user skips or closes a guide
- Set up reminders if users stall out
This is useful—but also easy to overdo. Set up a basic trigger (e.g., “Show Step 2 after user clicks ‘Create Project’”) and see how it works in practice. Save the advanced logic for later.
Step 4: Automate Flow Launching for New Users
The “automation” part is getting the right onboarding to the right person, at the right time, with zero manual work.
4.1. Use Pendo Segments to Target New Users
- Create a segment like “Signed up in last 7 days”
- Target your onboarding guide to only show to this segment
- Make sure you exclude users who’ve already finished the flow
If your user data in Pendo is solid, this is straightforward. If you’re still guessing who’s “new,” stop and get your data in order.
4.2. Set Up Auto-Launch Triggers
Pendo lets you set guides to launch automatically when a user hits a certain page, or after a specific event. For onboarding:
- Set the guide to appear on the first login (or when they land on the dashboard)
- Don’t trigger the guide on every visit—just the first few, or until it’s completed
Be careful here. Over-eager auto-launching is how you get users slamming the “X” and tuning out. If in doubt, make it easy to dismiss and come back later.
4.3. Handle Edge Cases
Not every new user needs the same help. Some might be invited by a teammate and already know the basics. Some just want to poke around.
- Allow users to skip or revisit onboarding
- If you have power-users, give them a “skip all” option (and mean it)
- Keep surveys and feedback optional, not forced
Step 5: Test, Watch, and Tweak
You’d be amazed how often onboarding flows go live and then... never get looked at again. Don’t do that.
5.1. Preview and QA
- Use Pendo’s “preview” mode to walk through your guide as a user
- Check on different devices and screen sizes
- Ask a teammate (who hasn’t seen it before) to test—fresh eyes will catch weirdness you missed
5.2. Monitor Engagement
Pendo tracks who sees your guides, who completes them, and where they drop off.
- Look at completion rates: Are most users finishing? Where do they bail?
- Are users taking the key action (like “Create Project”) after onboarding?
- Are you getting more support tickets from new users (not less)? If so, your onboarding isn’t working
5.3. Iterate Ruthlessly
The first version won’t be perfect. That’s fine.
- Cut steps that don’t add value
- Rewrite confusing copy
- Add or remove guides based on real feedback—not just what you think users want
If something isn’t helping users do the core thing faster, scrap it.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
- Keep it short. Long onboarding flows look great in a demo, but nobody finishes them.
- Don’t use tooltips for everything. If your product needs a tooltip for every button, the real problem isn’t onboarding—it’s the UI.
- Skip the “fun facts” and forced surveys. Respect users’ time. Get them to value, then get out of their way.
- Your product, not Pendo, does the heavy lifting. Pendo’s guides help, but if your app is confusing, no onboarding flow will save it.
Wrapping Up: Start Simple, Iterate Often
Automating onboarding in Pendo isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to overcomplicate. Start by focusing on the single most important thing a new user needs to do. Build a short, targeted flow. Watch what happens, and adjust.
Keep it honest, keep it human, and remember: the best onboarding is the one users barely notice because they just “get it.” That’s the real win.