Ever built a feature so powerful your users don’t know where to start? You’re not alone. Contextual tooltips are a practical way to nudge folks in the right direction—without writing a manual or bombarding them with a 20-step tour. This guide is for product managers, designers, or devs who want to use tooltips to guide users through complex features, and specifically want to use Userflow to do it.
We’ll skip the sales pitch and get straight to what works, what doesn’t, and how to actually get this live in your app—without annoying your users (or your team).
Why Contextual Tooltips (Still) Work
Let’s cut through the noise: tooltips aren’t magic, but they do help. When used well, they: - Give users a gentle nudge right when and where they need it. - Reduce support tickets on tricky features. - Let you highlight new or hidden value without resorting to big banners or emails.
But tooltips can backfire. Too many, too soon, or too wordy? Users ignore them, or worse, get annoyed. The goal is “just enough” guidance, delivered at exactly the right moment.
Step 1: Define What Actually Needs a Tooltip
Don’t start by putting tooltips everywhere. Start with: - Features with high user confusion (ask your support team, or check analytics for drop-offs). - Actions that aren’t obvious but matter (think: “Export Data,” “Bulk Edit,” or settings that unlock real power). - Places where users get stuck—not just “new” features.
Pro tip: If you think “maybe this button needs a tooltip,” it probably doesn’t. Only add one if you can answer: “What specific problem does this tooltip solve?”
Step 2: Set Up Userflow in Your App
If you’re already using Userflow, skip ahead. If not, here’s the honest setup process:
- Sign up for Userflow and pick a plan that matches your user volume. Not free, but the time you’ll save is real.
- Install the Userflow snippet in your app. This is a bit of JavaScript you (or your dev) add to your site. It’s usually a copy-paste job in your app’s
<head>. - Verify installation. Userflow’s dashboard should show your app is connected. If it doesn’t, double-check your snippet placement and reload.
Heads up: If your app is a Single Page App (SPA), make sure you read Userflow’s docs on handling route changes. Otherwise, your tooltips might not show up where you expect.
Step 3: Map Out the User Journey
You need to know when and where to show a tooltip. Before you build anything, do this:
- Walk through the feature as a new user would. Note:
- Where do you hesitate?
- What’s not obvious?
- Where might someone make a mistake?
- Write down the exact UI elements or steps where guidance helps.
- Decide if a tooltip is the answer, or if you need something else (like inline help).
Don’t skip this. Random tooltips slapped on random buttons just teach users to ignore them.
Step 4: Create Your First Tooltip in Userflow
Here’s the nuts-and-bolts process:
- Go to the Userflow dashboard and choose “Flows”.
- Create a new Flow. Flows can have multiple steps, but for a single tooltip, you only need one.
- Use the Chrome Extension. Userflow’s Chrome extension lets you select elements in your app visually. This is way easier than guessing at CSS selectors.
- Add a Step: Click on the element you want to target, then choose “Tooltip”.
- Write your tooltip copy. Keep it short, specific, and actionable. Example:
- Good: “Click here to export your data as CSV.”
- Bad: “This button lets you do things.” (Vague tooltips are worse than none.)
- Set Display Rules: Decide if the tooltip should always show, or only under certain conditions (like “first time on this page” or “if they haven’t used this feature”). Userflow calls these “audience” filters.
Things to watch out for: - If your UI changes a lot, tooltips can break. Check them after big releases. - Don’t use tooltips to apologize for bad UI (“Sorry this is confusing…”). Fix the UI if you can.
Step 5: Test in Staging Before You Go Live
Don’t skip this. Things that work in Userflow’s preview can break in the real app:
- Test in a staging environment with real data.
- Try it on different browsers and screen sizes.
- Have someone not on your team try it—they’ll notice what you missed.
Look for: - Tooltips showing on the wrong elements - Tooltips covering up important UI - Timings that feel off (appearing too soon or too late)
Pro tip: If a tooltip needs more than 2 short sentences, you probably need a different format (like a modal or a help article).
Step 6: Deploy and Monitor
Once you’re happy, push it live. But don’t set and forget.
- Use Userflow’s analytics to see if people interact with the tooltip (or just close it immediately).
- Watch for support tickets or feedback—are people still confused?
- Iterate. Kill tooltips that aren’t used, or rewrite ones that don’t help.
What to ignore: Don’t obsess over “completion rates” for tooltips. The real test is whether users actually use the feature, not if they finished your tooltip.
Step 7: Keep It Simple and Respectful
Users aren’t signing up for your app to read a bunch of popups. A few hard-earned lessons:
- Less is more. One well-placed tooltip beats a dozen generic ones.
- Don’t stack tooltips—avoid “tooltip fatigue.”
- If you’re not sure whether to add a tooltip, don’t. Wait for real user confusion.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What works: - Tooltips that answer a specific, real user question. - Triggering tooltips only when needed (first use, or after inactivity). - Clear, actionable language.
What doesn’t: - Tooltips that restate the obvious (“Click here to save.” Next to the Save button. Come on.) - Tooltips as a crutch for a bad UI. - Overloading users with a “tour” of every feature on the page.
What to ignore: - Fancy animations or over-designed tooltips. No one cares. Simple is better. - Tooltips for every single button or input. That’s just noise.
Wrapping Up: Ship, Watch, Iterate
Tooltips can make complex features less daunting, but only if you use them with purpose. Don’t try to solve every usability problem with a popup. Start with one or two tooltips where users really get stuck, measure if things improve, and adjust.
You’ll never get it perfect the first time. That’s fine. Ship, watch, and keep it simple. Users (and your sanity) will thank you.