If you want in-app messages to actually work—meaning users read them and do what you hope—they can’t be one-size-fits-all. Sending the same walkthrough or announcement to everyone is a quick way to get ignored or annoy your best customers. This guide is for anyone who’s using Userflow or thinking about it, and wants to actually get results from in-app messaging by tailoring content for different types of users.
Here’s a step-by-step breakdown, from figuring out your segments to actually building and testing personalized flows. I’ll call out what works, what’s just hype, and where to skip the fancy features.
1. Know Why Personalization Matters (and When It’s Overkill)
Before you spend a bunch of time slicing users into tiny groups, get clear on what you’re trying to fix or improve. Personalization is great for:
- Onboarding new users at the right pace
- Upselling only the folks who’ll care
- Announcing features to the right audience
- Keeping power users from tuning out basic tips
But you don’t need to personalize everything. Overdoing it can create more work, more bugs, and confusion for your team. Start simple—if you’re not sure who needs a message, you probably don’t need to segment it.
2. Map Out Your User Segments
Userflow lets you create "segments," which are just saved groups of users based on traits or behaviors. If you haven’t, first brainstorm the key groups in your product. Typical examples:
- New users (signed up < 7 days ago)
- Trialists vs. Paid users
- Admins vs. End users
- Power users (logged in 10+ times this month)
- Folks who’ve never used Feature X
Pro Tips
- Don’t go crazy with segmentation out of the gate. Start with 2–3 obvious groups.
- Focus on segments where the user journeys actually differ.
- Use real usage data, not just your gut. If you think you have “enterprise” users, check if your data backs that up.
3. Set Up Segments in Userflow
Once you’ve got your list, time to set them up in Userflow.
How To:
- Send User Data to Userflow
- Make sure your app is sending the right user properties (e.g., plan type, signup date, feature usage). This usually happens via your Userflow installation script or API.
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Double-check that these properties are actually updating in Userflow. Nothing breaks personalization faster than stale or missing data.
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Create Segments
- Go to the “Segments” tab in Userflow.
- Create a new segment. Use rules like “Signup date is within last 7 days” or “Plan = ‘Enterprise’.”
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Name segments clearly. “New Users <7d” is better than “Segment 1.”
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Test Your Segments
- Use Userflow’s preview to see which users match each segment.
- If possible, run through your app as a test user to be sure you land in the right bucket.
What to Ignore
- Don’t bother segmenting on every property just because you can. “Users in France who logged in on a Tuesday” isn’t worth it unless you have a real use case.
- Resist the urge to create overlapping segments unless you really know what you’re doing—it can get messy fast.
4. Build Personalized Flows and Messages
Now for the fun part: actually making your messages feel relevant.
How To:
- Create a Flow or Checklist
- In Userflow, build a new flow (walkthrough, tooltip series, checklist, etc.).
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Write your message for a specific segment. For example, a welcome checklist for new users, or an advanced tips flow for power users.
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Add Personalization Tokens
- Insert dynamic fields—like the user’s first name, company, or plan. Userflow supports “tokens” that pull this info into your messages.
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Example: “Welcome, {{user.first_name}}! Let’s get your account set up.”
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Set Segment-Based Targeting
- When publishing your flow, set the audience to your chosen segment.
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Make sure each flow only shows for the right users—don’t let new users see tips meant for advanced folks.
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Test With Real Users
- Preview the flow as different segment members.
- Use your own test accounts (with the right properties) to make sure everything triggers as expected.
Tips That Actually Help
- Keep it relevant, not creepy: Just because you can insert a lot of personal data doesn’t mean you should. Stick to basics.
- Use clear, action-focused language: “Finish setting up billing” works better than “Explore our features.”
- Limit the number of flows per user: Bombarding users with messages makes them ignore everything—even the important stuff.
What Usually Goes Wrong
- Conflicting flows: If a user is in more than one segment, make sure flows don’t overlap or contradict each other. Userflow’s targeting rules can help, but you might need to tune them.
- Forgotten edge cases: Test for users who don’t fit neatly into a segment (e.g., an admin who just signed up).
5. Measure What’s Working—And Kill What Isn’t
Personalization isn’t set-and-forget. In fact, most personalized flows need tweaking or killing after you see how users respond.
How To:
- Check Userflow Analytics
- Look at completion rates for each flow and segment.
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Are new users actually finishing onboarding? Are power users engaging with advanced tips?
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A/B Test When It Matters
- Userflow lets you experiment with different messages for the same segment. Only bother if you have enough users for a real sample size.
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Don’t A/B test “just because”—have a real question you want answered.
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Talk to Real Users
- All the analytics in the world won’t tell you if your messages are annoying or confusing.
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Ask a few users what they think of the messages. Keep it informal.
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Prune Ruthlessly
- If a flow isn’t moving the needle, archive it. Don’t leave deadweight flows running for years just because it took a while to set up.
- Review your segmentation every few months—user behavior changes, and so should your targeting.
6. Advanced Tips (If You Really Need Them)
Most teams will get 80% of the value from the basics above. But if you’ve got the basics nailed and need more, here are a few options:
- Use behavioral triggers: Show flows based on what a user just did (or didn’t do), not just who they are.
- Multi-language flows: If you have a global audience, personalize by language or region.
- API-based custom events: Trigger flows when a user hits a particular milestone in your product, not just on login or page load.
- Progressive disclosure: Hold back advanced tips until a user has completed the basics.
Be honest about whether these are worth the effort. For most SaaS products, simpler is better.
Wrap Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Personalized in-app messaging in Userflow isn’t magic, but it does work when you focus on what actually matters to your users. Start with a few clear segments and flows, test them with real people, and be quick to cut what doesn’t work. The biggest mistake is overcomplicating things and ending up with a mess that’s hard to maintain.
If you keep your segments and messages simple, you’ll actually see results—and you’ll save yourself a lot of headaches down the road. As with most things in product, iterate and keep an eye on what your users actually do (and say). That’s way more valuable than chasing every shiny feature.