If you run a SaaS product, churn is always lurking. Most folks don’t leave because of price—they leave because they never really “got” your product. If you’re tired of seeing trial users vanish or paid customers ghost you after a week, this guide is for you. We'll walk through how to use Userflow to actually help people succeed with your product, not just shove tooltips in their face and call it a day.
Why Onboarding Matters (and Why Most SaaS Get It Wrong)
Let’s be honest: most onboarding flows are either too basic (“Here’s a tour, good luck!”) or annoyingly generic. The problem? People have different needs. Some users want the quick path to value; others don’t even know what “value” looks like yet.
Targeted onboarding isn’t about more popups—it’s about giving the right nudge to the right person, at the right moment. Done well, it’s your best shot at reducing churn.
Userflow can help, but only if you use it with some common sense.
Step 1: Get the Lay of the Land
Before you start building anything, you need to know two things:
- Who are your users? Not just “admins” and “end users,” but specifics. New signups, power users, folks who came through a certain campaign—get granular.
- Where do users drop off? Look at your analytics. Is there a screen everyone bounces from? A feature nobody touches? Don’t guess.
Pro Tip: Talk to a few recent churned users, if you can. Ask what tripped them up. You’ll get better answers than any dashboard.
Step 2: Map Out Key User Segments
You can’t target onboarding if you treat everyone the same. In Userflow, you’ll want to set up segments based on:
- Signup source (e.g., trial, referral, specific campaign)
- Role or job-to-be-done (e.g., admin, collaborator, viewer)
- Product usage (e.g., imported data, created first project, invited teammates)
Most SaaS teams overcomplicate this. Start simple: pick two or three segments that actually matter for onboarding. You can always get fancier later.
Step 3: Build Simple, Outcome-Focused Flows
Now you’re ready to create onboarding flows in Userflow. Here’s what you should focus on:
- Short, contextual guides—not a 20-step tour.
- Clear next steps—what should the user do that gets them closer to success?
- Real examples—show, don’t just tell.
What Works
- Checklists with 2-4 actionable tasks (“Connect your data,” “Invite a teammate,” etc.)
- Conditional flows that only trigger if a user hasn’t done something important
- Embedded help—messages that appear where the user might get stuck, not just on login
What to Avoid
- Endless tooltips explaining every menu item (no one reads these)
- Generic “Welcome!” popups that don’t guide action
- Flows that interrupt real work (triggering a tour every time a user logs in is a surefire way to annoy)
Reality check: If your flow takes longer to get through than it does to actually use the product, you’ve missed the point.
Step 4: Set Up Triggers and Targeting in Userflow
This is where Userflow shines. You can trigger flows based on real user behavior. For example:
- If a user hasn’t created their first project after 10 minutes, nudge them with a prompt.
- If an admin invites a teammate, show a quick guide on managing permissions.
- If a user skips an important step, offer help right then, not days later in a generic email.
How to do this in Userflow:
- Define event-based triggers (e.g., “created_project = false”)
- Use segments you set up earlier to decide who sees what
- Keep your targeting tight—don’t spam everyone with every message
Pro Tip: Test your flows as a new user. If you feel even a little annoyed, so will your real users.
Step 5: Measure, Iterate, and Ruthlessly Cut What Doesn’t Work
You’re not done once the flows are live. Here’s what to keep an eye on:
- Completion rates: Are people actually finishing the flows?
- Time to first value: Are users hitting key milestones faster?
- Drop-off points: Do people bail at a certain step or just close the onboarding?
What to ignore: Vanity metrics like “number of tooltips shown” or “average time spent in onboarding.” If people are skipping, it’s a sign—not a failure.
Make it a habit to review the data every couple of weeks. Cut steps no one uses, tweak copy that confuses, and don’t be afraid to delete entire flows if they don’t move the needle.
Step 6: Don’t Rely Just on In-App Onboarding
Userflow is powerful, but it’s not magic. Some users won’t engage in-app—maybe they’re distracted, or maybe they ignore anything that looks like help. Back up your onboarding with:
- Well-timed emails that reinforce key actions
- Accessible help docs (don’t bury them)
- Real support—make it easy to reach a human, not just a bot
Onboarding is a whole experience, not just a checklist in your app.
A Few Common Mistakes (and How to Dodge Them)
1. Overengineering the onboarding flow.
Start small. It’s better to have one great, targeted flow than five mediocre ones.
2. Ignoring user feedback.
If people tell you your onboarding is annoying, believe them. Adjust or kill what doesn’t help.
3. Assuming onboarding is “one and done.”
Your product will change. So should your onboarding.
Keep It Simple and Keep Iterating
The best onboarding isn’t the flashiest—it’s the one that helps people get what they came for, fast. Use Userflow to guide users to their first win, measure if it’s working, and don’t hesitate to cut steps that no one needs. Start small, improve as you go, and remember: less is usually more when it comes to onboarding.
If you’re not sure where to start, pick one user segment and help them succeed. The rest will follow.