Funnels
5 min read
Find the screen that kills your onboarding
Your onboarding funnel is leaking somewhere. One screen is losing more users than all the others combined. Here's how to find it.
The problem
Most onboarding funnels leak at one step. Users install the app, open it once, and then disappear somewhere between welcome, account creation, profile setup, permissions, and the first useful screen.
The fix depends on which step breaks. A confusing form needs a different change than a permissions prompt, a slow transition, or an empty first screen.
Build the funnel
Open Conversions > Funnels and create a funnel with each onboarding screen in order. Add goal events after screens where users must complete an action.
Screen views answer whether users reached a step. Goal events answer whether they finished it.
Conversions
Last 30 daysVisitors
8,420
Pricing
2,140
Revenue
312
Find the largest leak
Fix the drop closest to revenue first
1. Start at first open
Use App Open, Welcome, or the first tracked screen users see after install.
2. Add each onboarding screen
Use the exact names from Pages/Screens so the funnel matches tracked SDK data.
3. Add completion events
Use goal events such as account_created, profile_completed, or notifications_enabled after action-heavy screens.
4. Use a short window
A 1-day conversion window is usually enough for onboarding because activation should happen in the first session.
Read the leak
If users see Create Account but do not fire account_created, the form is the issue. If account_created fires but Profile Setup views collapse, the transition after signup is the issue.
Do not average those together. The whole point of the funnel is to isolate the smallest step that explains the biggest loss.
| Step | Type | What it proves |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome | Screen | The app opened and the SDK is tracking |
| Create Account | Screen | The signup screen rendered |
| account_created | Goal | The signup action succeeded |
| Profile Setup | Screen | The user reached profile setup |
| profile_completed | Goal | The setup action succeeded |
| Home | Screen | The user reached the activated product |
The first large screen-to-screen or screen-to-goal drop is the onboarding step to fix first.
Compare it to the paywall path
If onboarding looks healthy but trials are still low, read the paywall guide next. It helps separate users who never reach the paywall from users who see it and reject it.
The two funnels work together: onboarding shows whether users activate, and the paywall funnel shows whether activated users reach revenue intent.
Segment before you redesign
If most users never leave the welcome screen, check loading, login options, and whether the first CTA is obvious.
If users reach a form but do not complete it, reduce required fields or move optional setup later.
If users complete an action but do not reach the next screen, inspect the transition, permissions, and post-submit error states.
Check the same onboarding funnel by source before changing the flow for everyone. Paid users may drop at profile setup because the ad promised a faster result. Organic users may finish onboarding and only struggle at the paywall.
If one source is causing most of the leak, fix the acquisition promise or landing path before rebuilding the whole onboarding experience.
Try it in your data
Set up a funnel with your onboarding screens. Mix screen views and goal events — you'll see exactly where users drop off vs where they don't complete an action.
Go to Conversions →Related guides
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Diagnose where visitors drop off before buying
Use funnel steps to find whether the problem is traffic quality, page intent, checkout friction, or offer clarity.