The Problem
Users often abandon during onboarding:- Confused by required information
- Stuck on configuration steps
- Don’t understand value propositions
- Technical issues (API keys, integrations)
- Decision paralysis with too many options
The Solution
Proactively detect when users are struggling and offer contextual assistance.Implementation
Step 1: Create Events for Each Step
Create an event for each onboarding step where users commonly get stuck: Event:onboarding_step1_stuck
onboarding_integration_stuck
Step 2: Track Progress and Detect Friction
Step 3: Handle Common Friction Points
Form Validation ErrorsTrigger Styles by Step
| Step | Recommended Type | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Account Setup | Toast | Friendly, conversational |
| Profile | Button | Less intrusive for simple step |
| Team Invite | Toast | May need explanation of roles |
| Integration | Toast + Messages | Complex, needs detailed help |
| First Project | Toast | Encouraging, feature discovery |
Best Practices
Set appropriate time thresholds
Set appropriate time thresholds
Not all steps are equal:
- Simple forms: 30-60 seconds
- Complex setup: 90-180 seconds
- Integration/API: 120-300 seconds
Consider completion percentage
Consider completion percentage
A user 90% done likely just needs a nudge.
A user 10% done might be confused about the whole process.
Provide step-specific help
Provide step-specific help
Generic “need help?” is less effective than
“Having trouble connecting your Stripe account?”
Celebrate progress
Celebrate progress
Consider triggers that encourage, not just rescue:
“Great job on step 2! Just 2 more steps to go.”
Measuring Success
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Step Completion Rate | % of users completing each step |
| Time to Complete | Average time per step |
| Drop-off Points | Where users abandon most |
| Trigger Engagement | % of triggers clicked |
| Assisted Completions | Onboardings completed after chat |