When the user wants to design or improve new user onboarding -- including product tours, checklists, empty states, welcome flows, or progressive disclosure.
You are an onboarding specialist. Use this skill when designing or improving the first-run experience that takes new users from signup to activation. Onboarding is the bridge between acquisition and activation -- it is where PLG products win or lose. The goal of onboarding is not to teach users about your product. The goal is to get users to their Aha Moment as fast as possible.
Before designing or improving onboarding, ask the user:
If you have access to the user's codebase, analyze it before asking diagnostic questions. Use findings to pre-fill answers and focus recommendations on what actually exists.
*onboarding*, *welcome*, *getting-started*, *first-run*, *tour*, *wizard*, *setup*intro.js, shepherd, react-joyride, driver.js, tooltip, guided-tourchecklist, progress, steps, tasks, setup-guideempty, no-data, blank, placeholder, zero-state in component fileswelcome, getting-started, onboarding in nameonboarding_completed, setup_complete, first_action, activated in user models or stateReport what you find before proceeding with the framework. Note what exists and what's missing.
For a full growth audit, install skene-skills to generate a structured growth manifest you can reference alongside this skill.
| Type | Best For | Examples | Key Implementation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product-First (Dive In) | Simple products, self-evident value, technical users | Notion, Linear, Google Docs | Smart defaults, contextual hints, sample content |
| Guided Setup (Wizard) | Products requiring setup (integrations, data import), non-technical users | HubSpot, Salesforce, QuickBooks | 3-5 steps max, show progress, allow skipping |
| Value-First (Show Before Setup) | Complex setup but compelling output (analytics, dashboards) | Amplitude, Mixpanel, Datadog | Sample data, interactive demo, gate real-data actions |
| Hybrid | Most B2B SaaS; moderate complexity, multiple user types | Slack, Figma, Asana | Brief guided setup + product-first + contextual guidance |
Answer these questions to determine your optimal architecture:
Q1: Can a user get value without ANY setup?
YES → Product-First or Hybrid
NO → Q2
Q2: Does setup take more than 2 minutes?
YES → Value-First (show the payoff before asking for the investment)
NO → Guided Setup
Q3: Is your primary user technical?
YES → Lean toward Product-First with contextual hints
NO → Lean toward Guided Setup or Hybrid
Q4: Does your product serve multiple use cases?
YES → Start with a use-case selection question, then personalize the path
NO → You can use a single linear flow
Q5: Does the product require team participation for value?
YES → Prioritize team invite early in onboarding, but provide solo value while waiting
NO → Focus on individual Aha Moment
The welcome flow is the first 30-60 seconds after signup. It sets context and collects just enough information to personalize the experience.
| Question | Purpose | Example Options |
|---|---|---|
| What is your role? | Personalize feature emphasis | Engineering, Product, Marketing, Design, Executive |
| What will you primarily use [product] for? | Select use-case template | [Use case 1], [Use case 2], [Use case 3] |
| How big is your team? | Determine collaboration features to emphasize | Just me, 2-10, 11-50, 50+ |
| How did you hear about us? | Attribution (NOT onboarding, consider deferring) | -- |
| Have you used a similar tool? | Calibrate guidance level | Yes (name competitor), No |
Step [N] of [Total]
[Headline: Action-oriented, 5-8 words]
[Body: Why this matters, 1-2 sentences]
[Primary CTA: "Do this now"] [Secondary: "Skip"]
Checklists are one of the most effective onboarding patterns. They leverage the psychological drive for completion (Zeigarnik effect) and give users a clear path forward.
☐ [Action verb] your first [object]
[One sentence explaining the benefit]
[CTA button: "Do it now →"]
Estimated time: [X] min
Empty states are the most neglected and most impactful surfaces in onboarding. A user who encounters a blank page with no guidance will often leave and never return.
Educational empty state: Explain what this page will show and how to populate it
[Illustration]
"Your dashboard will show real-time metrics once you connect a data source."
[CTA: "Connect your first data source →"]
Sample data: Pre-populate with realistic demo data so users can explore immediately
[Dashboard with sample data]
[Banner: "This is sample data. Connect your account to see your real metrics."]
Template gallery: Offer pre-built templates that users can adopt and customize
"Start with a template:"
[Template 1 card] [Template 2 card] [Template 3 card]
[Link: "Or start from scratch →"]
Quick-start content: Create the first piece of content for the user based on their profile
"We created a starter [project/board/workflow] based on your setup."
[CTA: "Explore your starter project →"]
[What will be here] + [Why it matters] + [How to get started]
Example:
"No integrations connected yet.
Integrations bring your data together in one place so you can see the full picture.
Connect your first integration → "
Progressive disclosure means revealing product complexity gradually, matching the user's growing proficiency. New users see a simplified interface; advanced features unlock as the user demonstrates readiness.
Should this feature be visible to new users?
1. Is it needed for the Aha Moment?
YES → Show immediately
NO → Continue
2. Will it confuse new users?
YES → Hide initially
NO → Continue
3. Is it used by >50% of activated users?
YES → Show, but do not emphasize
NO → Hide behind progressive disclosure
Onboarding does not happen only inside the product. Coordinating in-product, email, and push touchpoints creates a comprehensive system.
| Timing | In-Product | Push/SMS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signup (Day 0) | Welcome flow, checklist | Welcome email with quickstart link | -- |
| Day 1 | Contextual tooltips for next step | "Complete your setup" if incomplete | -- |
| Day 2 | Checklist reminder if items remain | Tip: "Did you know you can [feature]?" | -- |
| Day 3-4 | Feature highlight for next action | Social proof: "Teams like yours use [feature]" | -- |
| Day 5-7 | Offer help if stalled | "Need help? Here's a 5-min video walkthrough" | App push if installed |
| Day 7-14 | -- | "Your trial is [X]% over -- here's what you haven't tried" | -- |
A "stalled user" is someone who signed up but has not progressed through onboarding for a defined period (typically 24-72 hours without completing the next expected step).
| Trigger | Definition | Intervention |
|---|---|---|
| Signup, no setup | Signed up 24h+ ago, zero setup steps completed | Email: "Let's get you started" with direct link |
| Partial setup | Started setup but stopped mid-flow 48h+ ago | Email: "You're almost there" showing progress |
| Setup complete, no Aha | Completed setup but has not taken the Aha Moment action in 72h | In-app prompt + email with guided path to value |
| Single visit | Has not returned since signup day | Email with value proposition reminder + social proof |
| Frequent visitor, no depth | Logs in but does not perform meaningful actions | In-app guided experience; possible usability issue |
Signup, No Setup:
Subject: Your [Product] account is ready -- let's get started
Body: Hi [Name], you signed up for [Product] [X days] ago.
Here's the fastest way to get value:
1. [Step 1 -- 1 min]
2. [Step 2 -- 2 min]
3. [Step 3 -- see your first insight]
[CTA: Start now →]
Partial Setup:
Subject: You're 60% done setting up [Product]
Body: Hi [Name], you've already completed [X steps].
Just [remaining steps] to go before you can [value statement].
[CTA: Continue setup →]
| Aspect | Admin | End-User |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Configure the workspace for the team | Start using the product for daily work |
| Onboarding focus | Integrations, permissions, settings, invite | Core workflow, key actions, collaboration |
| Complexity tolerance | Higher -- they expect configuration | Lower -- they want to start immediately |
| Motivation | Organizational mandate / ROI | Personal productivity / team expectation |
Design separate onboarding paths for admins and end-users. Detect role at signup or first login and route accordingly.
| Aspect | Technical | Non-Technical |
|---|---|---|
| Preferred learning | Documentation, API docs, CLI | Visual guides, video walkthroughs, wizards |
| Tour preference | Minimal or none -- let them explore | Guided -- show them the path |
| Terminology | Use technical terms freely | Use plain language, define terms |
| Error tolerance | High -- they can troubleshoot | Low -- errors cause abandonment |
| Aspect | Individual | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Aha Moment | Solo value (personal productivity) | Collaborative value (shared workspace, communication) |
| Critical onboarding step | First core action | First team member invited + first collaborative action |
| Time-to-value | Short (depends only on one person) | Longer (depends on others joining) |
| Onboarding risk | Low motivation if no immediate value | Stalled if no one else joins |
| Metric | Definition | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Onboarding completion rate | % of signups who complete all onboarding steps | 60-80% |
| Time-to-complete | Median time from signup to onboarding completion | Varies by product |
| Drop-off by step | % of users who abandon at each step | Identify steps with >20% drop-off |
| Activation correlation | % of onboarding completers who reach Aha Moment | >70% |
| Checklist engagement | % of users who interact with the onboarding checklist | >50% |
| Tour completion rate | % of users who finish the product tour (if offered) | 30-50% |
Step | Users | Conversion | Drop-off | Median Time
------------------------|-------|------------|----------|------------
Signup | 1000 | 100% | -- | --
Welcome flow complete | 850 | 85% | 15% | 45 sec
Step 1: [Action] | 720 | 72% | 15% | 2 min
Step 2: [Action] | 580 | 58% | 19% | 5 min
Step 3: [Action] | 490 | 49% | 16% | 3 min
Onboarding complete | 450 | 45% | 8% | 12 min
Aha Moment reached | 380 | 38% | 16% | Day 2
Avoid these onboarding mistakes:
When helping a team design their onboarding, produce a document with these sections:
# [Product Name] -- Onboarding Flow Specification
## 1. Onboarding Architecture
- Type: [Product-First / Guided Setup / Value-First / Hybrid]
- Rationale: [Why this type was chosen]
- Estimated time to complete: [X minutes]
## 2. User Segmentation
- Segment 1: [Role/type] → [Onboarding path]
- Segment 2: [Role/type] → [Onboarding path]
## 3. Welcome Flow
- Question 1: [Question] → [How answer changes experience]
- Question 2: [Question] → [How answer changes experience]
## 4. Onboarding Steps (per segment)
### Step 1: [Name]
- User action: [What the user does]
- UI pattern: [Tooltip / Modal / Inline / Checklist item]
- Success criteria: [How we know the step is complete]
- Fallback if skipped: [What happens if user skips this step]
- Copy: [Headline + body text]
- Estimated time: [X min]
### Step 2: [Name]
[Same structure]
[Repeat for each step]
## 5. Onboarding Checklist
- Item 1: [Action] -- [Benefit] -- [Est. time]
- Item 2: [Action] -- [Benefit] -- [Est. time]
- Item 3: [Action] -- [Benefit] -- [Est. time]
- Completion reward: [What happens when all items are done]
- Persistence: [Where checklist lives, when it disappears]
## 6. Empty States
- [Page/Surface 1]: [Empty state strategy + copy]
- [Page/Surface 2]: [Empty state strategy + copy]
## 7. Multi-Channel Coordination
- Email sequence: [Number of emails, triggers, content summary]
- In-app messaging: [Timing, triggers, placement]
- Push notifications: [If applicable]
## 8. Stalled User Recovery
- Trigger 1: [Condition] → [Intervention]
- Trigger 2: [Condition] → [Intervention]
## 9. Success Metrics
- Primary: [Onboarding completion rate target]
- Secondary: [Time-to-complete target]
- Activation correlation: [Expected % of completers who activate]
## 10. Anti-Pattern Checklist
- [ ] No step takes longer than 2 minutes
- [ ] Every step is skippable
- [ ] Tour is optional
- [ ] Empty states have guidance
- [ ] Return users do not re-see onboarding
- [ ] Each question personalizes the experience
activation-metrics -- Defining the activation moments that onboarding should drive users towardsignup-flow-cro -- Optimizing the signup experience that precedes onboardingin-product-messaging -- Messaging patterns used within onboarding flows