If you’re using in-app messages but aren’t sure if they’re actually working, you’re not alone. Tracking performance in Braze can feel like wrestling with a spreadsheet, but it doesn’t have to be a black box. This guide is for marketers, product folks, or anyone who needs to prove (or improve) the value of in-app messaging — but doesn’t want to waste hours chasing vanity metrics or fancy dashboards.
1. Understand What In-App Message “Performance” Actually Means
Before you dive into Braze’s analytics, let’s get clear on what “performance” actually means — because it’s not just “did someone see my message?” Ask yourself:
- What’s the goal? Are you trying to get users to complete onboarding, click a promo, or just keep them engaged?
- What action counts as success? A tap? A purchase? A profile update?
- What’s the cost of annoying people? In-app messages can backfire if you’re overdoing it.
If you can’t answer those, pause and clarify first. Otherwise, you’ll end up tracking everything and learning nothing.
2. Set Up Your In-App Messages for Tracking
To measure performance, you need to set things up right from the start. Here’s what matters most inside Braze:
a. Use Clear, Unique Campaign Names
It’s tempting to call your campaigns “Promo 1” and “Promo 2,” but don’t. Be specific — “Spring2024_OnboardingNudge” beats “Message 3” every time. You’ll thank yourself later when you’re sorting through reports.
b. Segment Your Audience
Don’t blast everyone. Create segments (like “new users” or “inactive past 30 days”) so you can see how different groups respond. This will also make your analytics less muddy.
c. Set Up Conversion Events
Decide what counts as a conversion before you hit send. In Braze, you can define custom events (like “completed_purchase” or “added_to_cart”) as conversion goals.
Pro tip: Don’t track more than 1-2 conversion events per message. If you’re tracking six things at once, you’ll never know what worked.
d. Use Deep Links and Action Buttons
If your message drives users to a specific screen or action, use deep links or buttons. Braze will track these clicks for you — just make sure you’re labeling them clearly.
3. Know What Metrics Actually Matter
Braze throws a lot of numbers at you. Here’s what’s worth focusing on (and what’s not):
The Basics
- Impressions: Number of times your message was shown.
- Clicks/Taps: Number of times a user interacted with your message.
- Conversion Rate: The percent of users who took your defined action after seeing the message.
Digging Deeper
- Dismissals: How many people closed the message without acting? High dismissals = annoying or irrelevant messaging.
- Time to Conversion: How long it takes users to act after seeing the message. If most conversions happen within a minute, you’re probably getting real engagement.
What to Ignore
- Raw Sends: This just tells you how many messages could have been shown. Not helpful.
- Generic “Engagement” Scores: Unless you know exactly what’s behind these, they’re mostly noise.
4. Use Braze’s Analytics Tools (Without Getting Lost)
Braze’s reporting isn’t perfect, but it gives you the basics. Here’s how to get what you need:
a. Message Performance Dashboard
For each in-app message campaign, use the built-in dashboard:
- Filter by segment, time, or device.
- Compare impressions, clicks, conversions side-by-side.
- Export to CSV if you want to do your own slicing and dicing.
b. Funnel Reports
If you’ve set up conversion events, use the funnel tool to see where users drop off:
- Start with “Message Shown” → “Message Clicked” → “Conversion Event.”
- If you see a big drop between click and conversion, your landing page or flow needs work.
c. Cohort Analysis
Want to know if your message works better for new vs. returning users? Use cohort filters to break down results by user type, signup date, or other attributes.
d. Custom Events and Properties
For anything Braze doesn’t track out of the box, set up custom events (like “watched_video” or “shared_referral”). This lets you tie in-app messages to real business outcomes, not just button presses.
Watch out: Custom events require some dev work. Don’t go overboard — pick the few that matter most.
5. Run A/B Tests (But Keep Them Simple)
Braze supports A/B testing for in-app messages, but it’s easy to get lost in the weeds. Here’s how to do it right:
- Test one thing at a time. Change the copy or the image, not both.
- Set a clear goal. (E.g., “Does headline A get more clicks than headline B?”)
- Run the test long enough. Don’t call it after 50 users. Wait for a meaningful sample size (usually a few hundred at least).
- Ignore tiny differences. If A wins by 0.2%, it’s probably noise.
What doesn’t work: Running five tests at once, or changing everything between variants. You’ll end up with pretty charts and no real insight.
6. Avoid Common Pitfalls
A few things I see all the time — and you should dodge them:
- Chasing vanity metrics. “Look, 10,000 impressions!” — doesn’t mean anything if no one acts.
- Over-messaging. More messages ≠ more conversions. In fact, you’ll just annoy people and train them to ignore you.
- Ignoring negative signals. If dismissals or opt-outs spike, you’ve crossed a line. Pay attention to what users don’t like.
- Forgetting about mobile vs. web. Performance can be wildly different on each platform. Check both.
7. Iterate and Learn Over Time
Nobody nails the perfect message on the first try. The trick is to treat each campaign as a learning opportunity.
- Review the data weekly. Don’t just set and forget.
- Talk to real users. Sometimes analytics hide what’s obvious to a human — if people keep dismissing a message, ask why.
- Update and retest. Small tweaks often matter more than big overhauls.
Keep It Simple, Measure What Matters
Tracking in-app message performance in Braze isn’t rocket science, but it does take a bit of discipline. Focus on a few key metrics, measure real outcomes, and don’t get distracted by pretty but useless charts. Start simple, make one improvement at a time, and let the numbers guide you — not your ego or the latest “growth hack.”