FreeScore your product against our 48-point UX audit checklist48-point UX audit checklist
25 checks8 groupsAbout 10 minutes

Find where new users stall in your onboarding

Activation problems usually sit in a few specific places: signup, the path to first value, setup and the moments after. Answer each check and see where to start.

What causes SaaS onboarding drop-off?

SaaS onboarding drop-off usually comes from asking for effort before showing value: long signups, setup that has to be finished before anything useful happens, empty screens with no next step, and no follow-up for users who stall.

Work through the checks with your own signup flow open, ideally as a new account. Our SaaS onboarding guide explains the patterns behind each group.

The checklist: 25 checks

Answer each check for your product as it is today. Your score and a short start-here list update as you go.

1. Signup

Can people start without a sales call or a credit card, if your model allows it?

Does signup ask only for what you need before the user sees value?

Is single sign-on or social sign-in available where your buyers expect it?

Does email verification avoid blocking the first session?

2. First session and first value

Have you defined the one action that best predicts a user staying (your activation event)?

Can a new user reach that action in their first session?

Is the path to it obvious on the first screen after signup?

Are setup steps that do not lead to first value deferred until after it?

3. Setup and data

Can users start with sample data or a template instead of an empty product?

Is importing existing data guided, with clear errors when a file fails?

Are integrations offered at the moment they become useful rather than all at once?

4. Guidance and empty states

Do empty states explain what will appear there and offer the next action?

Is in-product guidance tied to what the user is doing, rather than a tour shown once?

Can users get help (docs, chat or a person) without leaving the task?

5. Team and roles

Can the first user invite teammates at a natural moment, with roles explained?

Does an invited user land somewhere useful rather than on a generic dashboard?

Can the person who chose the product show progress to their manager or team?

6. Measurement

Do you track drop-off at each onboarding step?

Do you know your activation rate by signup source and plan?

Do you review session recordings or interview users who did not activate?

7. Re-engagement

Do users who stall get a relevant nudge based on where they stopped?

Can users resume an unfinished setup exactly where they left it?

Are trial-end and upgrade moments explained in advance rather than appearing as a surprise wall?

8. Real-world conditions

Does onboarding work on a mid-range phone and an unreliable connection?

If any step is desktop-only, is that said clearly, with a way to continue later?

Answer the questions above to see your score.

Frequently asked questions

What is an activation event?

The one action that best predicts that a new user will keep using your product, for example creating a first project or inviting a teammate. Onboarding should be designed around reaching it.

How is the score calculated?

Yes counts as 2 points, Partly as 1 and No as 0. N/A answers are left out. The score is the share of available points you scored, so it stays fair if some checks do not apply to your product.

Is my data stored?

Your individual answers are saved only in your own browser, so you can come back to them. If you have accepted analytics cookies, Designit records that the checklist was started and completed and the overall score, never your answers.

Where do your new users stop?

Bring your step-level drop-off and we'll show you where we would start.

Discuss your SaaS productUX audit

Last updated 5 October 2026