Website Design
Website Design
Website Design
Insights
Insights
Insights
August 28, 2025
August 28, 2025
August 28, 2025
15 Best Onboarding Flow Examples from Top SaaS Companies [With Results]
15 Best Onboarding Flow Examples from Top SaaS Companies [With Results]
15 Best Onboarding Flow Examples from Top SaaS Companies [With Results]
Discover the best onboarding flow examples that inspire product teams, boost user activation, reduce churn, and create seamless first-time user experiences.
Discover the best onboarding flow examples that inspire product teams, boost user activation, reduce churn, and create seamless first-time user experiences.
Discover the best onboarding flow examples that inspire product teams, boost user activation, reduce churn, and create seamless first-time user experiences.
4 minutes
4 minutes
4 minutes
In today’s SaaS world, onboarding isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s survival. Think about it: you can spend months building features and investing in marketing, but if your users don’t “get it” in the first few minutes, they’re gone. The numbers are brutal—over 90% of apps are abandoned within the first month, and 40–60% of users never return after their first visit. First impressions really do matter.
The good news? Onboarding can flip that script. When users are guided to quick wins, they stick. Something as simple as a four-step checklist or a personalized welcome flow can triple the chances of turning a casual signup into a paying customer. Great onboarding not only shows people how your product works—it shows them why it matters to them.
In this article, we’ll explore 15 standout onboarding examples from companies that have mastered this process. You’ll see what makes them work and how you can borrow their strategies to boost retention, reduce churn, and turn new users into loyal advocates.
Why Onboarding Matters
Onboarding isn’t just a welcome screen or a quick tutorial — it’s the moment of truth for your SaaS product. In today’s hyper-competitive market, where user attention spans are shorter than ever, the first few minutes with your product decide whether someone becomes a loyal customer or disappears for good. Effective onboarding sets the stage by reducing friction, showing value immediately, and giving users confidence that they made the right choice. It’s not just about teaching features — it’s about guiding users to outcomes that matter to them, turning signups into paying, long-term customers.
First Impressions Define Retention
The moment users sign up, they’re forming opinions about your product. If the first experience feels confusing, slow, or irrelevant, they’re unlikely to return. Good onboarding, on the other hand, shows value quickly and proves you respect their time.
Reduces Churn and Boosts Revenue
Customer acquisition is expensive. Without effective onboarding, most of that investment is wasted when users leave within days. Studies show that users who complete guided onboarding are up to 3x more likely to convert into paying customers.
Accelerates Time-to-Value
People don’t download SaaS tools for features — they download them for outcomes. A great onboarding flow shortens the time it takes for users to experience their “Aha!” moment, increasing the odds they’ll stick around.
Builds Confidence and Trust
Especially in SaaS, complexity can overwhelm new users. Structured onboarding builds confidence by guiding them through the most important steps first. This earns trust and makes them more open to exploring advanced features later.
Common Onboarding Mistakes to Avoid
Far too many SaaS products lose users, not because the product is bad, but because the onboarding leaves people confused, overwhelmed, or uninspired. Even small friction points during setup can lead to massive churn, especially in the first 7–30 days when users are still evaluating your value. The truth is, great features alone aren’t enough — without a smooth path to experiencing those features, users never stick around long enough to see the benefits. Avoiding common mistakes in onboarding is critical to improving activation rates, reducing churn, and ultimately building a product that users not only try, but continue to use.
Overwhelming Users with Too Much Information
Throwing a 20-step tutorial at a new user is a guaranteed way to lose them. Over-explaining every feature upfront confuses rather than educates. Effective onboarding introduces value step by step.
Ignoring Personalization
Not every user has the same goals. Forcing everyone through the same generic flow creates friction. Tailored onboarding, like Airtable’s role-based paths, ensures each user sees what’s relevant to them.
Delayed Time-to-Value
If users don’t experience a quick win, they’re gone. Many SaaS products bury the most important feature behind too many steps. Always prioritize showing value in the first session.
Lack of Progress Indicators
Without checklists, progress bars, or milestones, users don’t know how far they’ve come — or how close they are to finishing setup. This creates friction and increases drop-offs.
Poor Mobile Optimization
Many SaaS apps focus only on desktop onboarding, ignoring mobile-first experiences. Clunky sign-up forms and tiny buttons create frustration, especially as mobile continues to dominate traffic.
Box
Image Source: Box
Box stands out as one of the best examples of user onboarding in the SaaS world. The platform manages content, workflows, and collaboration. It has turned a complex introduction process into something users can grasp quickly.
Box key features
Box speeds up onboarding cycles without compromising security and compliance. Users can build custom workflows with Box Relay to automate standard onboarding processes. This reduces manual routing and potential errors. The platform blends with eSignature tools like DocuSign and AdobeSign. Users can send documents to get signatures and save them back to Box automatically.
Box onboarding effectiveness
New users see a clean, simple homepage with a clear CTA that guides them. They choose a pricing plan that shows the value upfront and fill out a simple sign-up form. The form asks for basic details while showing key benefits.
Box's trial extension strategy makes their approach work well. Users start with a 14-day free trial. They get a checklist of onboarding tasks that extends the trial once completed.
Box onboarding results
Good onboarding affects the bottom line directly. Research shows that 75% of users quit products within the first week if they can't get started easily. Box's onboarding approach has helped companies like StitchFix improve their employee onboarding. The technology becomes invisible to new hires while powerful features work behind the scenes.
Productboard
Image Source: The Product Manager
Productboard shows how to guide users through complex processes with its exceptional onboarding. More than 6,000 companies worldwide—including Salesforce, Zoom, and UiPath—use Productboard's onboarding system to transform new users into product management experts.
Productboard key features
Productboard brings together user insights from multiple sources—support tickets, user research, sales conversations, and direct feedback—into one detailed repository. Product teams can spot patterns and verify problems before creating solutions. Teams can choose flexible scoring models based on what matters most to them, such as effect, effort, revenue, or strategic goals. Productboard keeps roadmap planning separate from development workflows.
Productboard onboarding effectiveness
Productboard's "Bowling Alley Framework" makes their onboarding flow special. They skip the overwhelming product tour and stick to a simple, direct process that puts off less important tasks. Users notice the bright "Try now" button right on the home page. The platform makes email verification simple with quick links to popular email services.
Productboard onboarding results
Productboard bet that better onboarding would cut down churn rates. Product management remains a growing market with different processes in each organization. Many users didn't know where to begin. Their "smart touch" program brought together product, growth, and customer success teams to track key metrics during user onboarding.
FullStory
Image Source: Fullstory
FullStory distinguishes itself in digital experience analytics by offering an onboarding process that balances simplicity with quick activation. The platform records and recreates actual user experiences on websites. The team understands that demonstrating value quickly drives user adoption.
FullStory key features
Session recording and playback form the heart of FullStory's core functions. Users can watch exactly how people interact with their site. The platform excels at monitoring essential interactions through its Metrics feature. This helps businesses track meaningful digital experience data.
FullStory onboarding effectiveness
FullStory's landing page opens with a compelling message: "FullStory tells you everything you need to know about your digital experience". New users who click the "sign up free" button find an efficient, persona-based setup. Two elements make their onboarding stand out: custom greetings throughout the process and a progress tracker that helps users complete setup.
FullStory onboarding results
The team saw their activation rate climb to 31% after redesigning the onboarding flow. They found that changes at the start of the funnel created the biggest improvements. Two changes proved most effective: sending new users directly to their inbox for email verification and creating a better activation email.
Airtable
Image Source: Reply.io
Airtable solves onboarding challenges by adapting to each user's specific needs. This hybrid tool combines spreadsheet simplicity with database sophistication. The platform guides users through its versatile features that serve teams of all sizes across industries.
Airtable key features
The platform excels at combining spreadsheet simplicity with database capabilities. Users find data management user-friendly, which reduces errors during the onboarding process. Teams can customize their onboarding processes instead of following a rigid, one-size-fits-all approach. The platform's automation capabilities create uninterrupted workflows by triggering actions once tasks are completed. Checklists, task assignments, and reminders happen automatically without manual input.
Airtable onboarding effectiveness
The platform's role-based customization sets it apart from others. Users start by answering "what team are you on," which creates an individual-specific path forward. They can then choose between a template app or build from scratch. The platform shows specific task and project types based on popular use cases for their team—marketing team members see options like blog post calendars and newsletter deliverables.
Airtable onboarding results
Individual-specific experiences drive user satisfaction and platform adoption. The contextual onboarding helps different user groups quickly understand the product's benefits and value. Companies using Airtable for employee onboarding see impressive results—the platform streamlines everything from pre-onboarding form exchanges to first-day orientation checklists.
Userpilot
Image Source: Userpilot
Userpilot does more than basic onboarding. The platform helps SaaS companies design their own user experiences with a no-code solution.
Userpilot key features
The platform stands out as a detailed product growth solution that lets teams build custom onboarding flows without code. Users can access multiple UI patterns through a user-friendly Chrome extension. These include tooltips, modals, slideouts, driven actions, banners, hotspots, and checklists. This 3-in-1 tool helps teams connect with users, collect feedback through surveys, and monitor behavior on web and mobile apps.
Userpilot onboarding effectiveness
The platform's own onboarding shows best practices in action. New users verify their email and complete a welcome survey. This survey collects essential data about their role, goals, and company profile. Users can pick their brand colors to customize the interface.
Userpilot onboarding results
Numbers tell the success story. Sked Social built an onboarding checklist with Userpilot and saw their conversions triple. The Room focused on CV uploads and boosted new user activation by 75% in just ten days. Groupize made their onboarding fun with an interactive assistant named G.G. This innovation earned them a spot in the 2022 Skift Idea Awards nominations. These examples show how Userpilot turns onboarding strategies into real business growth.
StoryChief
Image Source: StoryChief
StoryChief stands out among content marketing platforms by blending social proof with guided assistance in its onboarding flow. The platform makes life easier for startups, SEO marketers, and editorial teams by bringing multiple content functions together.
StoryChief key features
Teams can analyze, plan, work together, and publish content quickly through StoryChief's unified content marketing platform. The system shines at channel integration and lets users publish to WordPress, Webflow, social channels, and beyond with a single click.
StoryChief onboarding effectiveness
The platform builds trust right from the start by showing customer testimonials during signup, which reassures new users about their choice.
Users see a welcome modal with a quick video introduction after entering simple information. This video guides them through StoryChief's interface.
StoryChief onboarding results
StoryChief saves time and reduces frustration by replacing multiple tools for content creation, publishing, and monitoring. The platform optimizes team workflow through better content calendar management and campaign organization.
Salesflare
Image Source: Salesflare Blog
Salesflare stands out in the CRM world with automation that cuts down manual data entry. This B2B-focused tool changes the usual onboarding into a simple and engaging experience.
Salesflare key features
Salesflare's best feature is automation that reduces administrative work by a lot. The platform logs emails, meetings, and calls against contacts and accounts through smooth connections with Gmail and Outlook.
Salesflare onboarding effectiveness
A striking red CTA button against blue background starts Salesflare's onboarding experience. Users see a welcome screen that introduces an interactive tour.
The tour makes users complete actions as they move forward, which promotes learning through active participation.
Salesflare onboarding results
Good onboarding drives revenue growth. A Salesforce study shows companies with effective onboarding reach 10% higher sales growth rates and 14% better sales and profit goals. Salesflare's "learning by doing" approach has proven successful. New sales representatives save time they would spend on CRM tasks because of automated data entry.
Feedier
Image Source: Feedier
Feedier brings a fresh take on onboarding by putting its principles into practice. The platform makes feedback collection fun and rewarding. This all-in-one feedback management platform distinguishes itself by adding incentive management to the feedback process.
Feedier key features
The platform brings together customer feedback from multiple sources and enhances it with business data. AI technology helps detect pain points across your user's experience. You can create interactive surveys that gather digital feedback from websites and apps.
The live capabilities let teams analyze survey results right away to make quick decisions. We designed it to collect feedback about applications, products, and user onboarding processes. The Standard plan comes with built-in connectors, while the Enterprise option offers tailored ones.
Feedier onboarding effectiveness
The platform's native checklist system makes its onboarding stand out. Users get video tutorials with each checklist item that add context without overwhelming them. A well-designed modal greets new users when they sign up. They can take an optional product tour that takes just two minutes. Feedier's thoughtful design keeps each step short but informative throughout this experience.
Feedier onboarding results
The platform works well because it adds timely, event-driven email sequences to its user onboarding flow. These emails guide users through the activation process and keep them engaged after their original signup.
Image Source: LinkedIn
LinkedIn, a professional networking giant with over 500 million users worldwide, faces a unique challenge. Only 25% of its users log in monthly. Since Microsoft bought the company in 2016, the platform has evolved toward CRM functionality. This could make LinkedIn a potential competitor to Salesforce.
LinkedIn key features
The platform combines three different onboarding approaches to boost user activity. Their benefit-oriented elements show users how they can connect with others and stress the value of networking.
The function-oriented parts let users pick the features they want to use. Progressive onboarding walks users through their profile setup and points out important settings. This smart combination gets users ready for long-term platform use, so they can start networking right away.
LinkedIn onboarding effectiveness
LinkedIn's onboarding shines through its user activation strategy. The platform first asks about users' work situation to show its value. It then suggests people they might know, which shows the main benefit of building a professional network.
A profile completion progress bar reminds users what they still need to do. All the same, LinkedIn doesn't deal very well with targeting in-app messages. Users sometimes get annoyed by seeing the same feature announcements over and over.
LinkedIn onboarding results
Good onboarding makes a big difference in retention. Studies show it can boost employee retention by 82%. LinkedIn's all-encompassing approach means users leave with partially completed profiles, which makes them more likely to come back.
Image Source: Sendbird
Instagram attracts millions of new users through a visual-driven onboarding process that reflects its photo-sharing core. The platform's user acquisition strategy, as one of Meta's flagship products, aims to make the first experience smooth and interactive.
Instagram key features
The onboarding process shows Instagram's main function—photo sharing—with minimal entry barriers. Users can sign up quickly through email, phone number, or social media accounts.
The platform wants users to upload their first photo right after signup, which reinforces the app's purpose. The onboarding puts social connections first and asks new users to follow friends or popular accounts based on what they like. The experience stays true to Instagram's visual identity with minimal text and strong imagery.
Instagram onboarding effectiveness
Instagram's onboarding stands out because it expertly uses social proof and FOMO (fear of missing out). The platform builds immediate engagement through existing social connections.
Meta uses its social network to add information automatically and suggests friends who use Instagram, which creates that vital FOMO element. The simple two-step signup process reduces friction while building emotional connection. The platform also suggests celebrities to follow—based on Facebook connections—which gives users valuable content right away.
Instagram onboarding results
Instagram's FOMO-based approach shows how to get users to complete registration successfully. Business profiles, launched in 2016, offer extra features like opening hours, location details, and access to current metrics.
SoundCloud
Image Source: Medium
SoundCloud stands out with its grassroots approach to music streaming that shapes a unique welcome experience. This platform serves independent artists and unsigned creators through a big ecosystem that connects content creators with 175 million monthly listeners.
SoundCloud key features
The platform puts artists first through an ecosystem where creators upload content for listeners to enjoy. This creates a natural feedback loop that benefits everyone.
Creators who upload more music have a better chance to grow their following while listeners get richer experiences. SoundCloud discovered three vital events that creators need to complete within days of their first upload. These events lead to better long-term retention, lower churn rates, more sessions and improved subscription rates.
SoundCloud onboarding effectiveness
SoundCloud's onboarding shines through its simplicity. Users can sign up using email, Facebook, Apple ID, or Google. The platform skips lengthy tutorials and lets people dive straight into music exploration since its user-friendly interface makes sense naturally.
SoundCloud cleverly uses the "endowed progress effect" - a psychological concept where artificial advancement toward goals makes people more persistent. Creators receive targeted messages after their original upload that reinforce value and guide them toward success.
SoundCloud onboarding results
SoundCloud achieved a soaring win with an 18.56% increase in creators completing key metrics through its strategic creator onboarding series.
Wise
Image Source: The Currency Shop
Wise turns the traditional fintech onboarding model upside down. Users see the value right away, before they need to commit. This money transfer service stands out with clear pricing in an industry known for hidden fees and complex processes.
Wise key features
The platform offers quick, affordable international money transfers through an optimized system. Users can see exact rates without logging in—a feature launched in the last six months.
The mobile app breaks down complex tasks into clear, sequential steps that work for both personal and business finances. The platform makes account creation, identity checks, and cross-border payments simple. B2B users find these transparent steps build trust right from the start.
Wise onboarding effectiveness
The platform's "show don't tell" philosophy sets it apart. Users can check rates as soon as they open the app, without signing up—putting the best features front and center.
Progress bars and celebratory messages mark completed milestones and keep users involved. Wise uses supportive, reassuring language during identity verification steps. This thoughtful approach works well when asking for sensitive information—a common challenge in financial apps.
Wise onboarding results
Companies that adopt strong onboarding processes like Wise's see 82% better new hire retention and 70% higher productivity. Wise brings on about 75 new team members each month.
MyFitnessPal
Image Source: Sendbird
MyFitnessPal reshapes the scene of fitness app onboarding by helping users win early and set individual-specific goals. The calorie-tracking app has grown to 220 million users worldwide in 2024. Users become loyal supporters through the app's exceptional approach.
MyFitnessPal key features
The platform strikes a perfect balance between simplicity and complete functionality. The app's standout feature lets users log meals quickly through its huge food database by scanning barcodes on food packages.
Users can track their daily fasting periods with up-to-the-minute data, see their progress over time, and get custom calorie targets.
MyFitnessPal onboarding effectiveness
The app's brilliant onboarding focuses on showing benefits while collecting data. Users don't face boring forms asking about height, weight, and habits upfront. Instead, they get an interactive, custom experience.
Users start by choosing their health goals—gaining, maintaining, or losing weight.
MyFitnessPal onboarding results
The app boasts a 24% 90-day retention rate—substantially higher than other fitness apps' single-digit retention. Users see value quickly as the app prompts them to log their first meal or exercise right after signup.
Strava
Image Source: Sendbird
Strava has built an amazing community of 125 million users who inspire each other to stay active. The platform's user-friendly onboarding process helps people start moving right away. This fitness tracking giant stands out by turning exercise enthusiasts into active community members from their first day.
Strava key features
The app combines powerful tracking with social features to create a detailed platform for athletes. Strava's AI-powered Routes provide accessible suggestions based on their Global Heatmap. Users can run, ride, or walk like locals anywhere they go. Subscribers can find information about Points of Interest—cafés, restrooms, and viewpoints—and quickly create routes that include these spots.
Strava onboarding effectiveness
The beauty of Strava's onboarding lies in its simplicity and social connection. Users can sign up through Facebook, Google, or email. The app prompts new users to connect with Facebook friends right after registration—a step that data shows boosts user activation.
This social connection phase comes from careful analysis of user behavior. Strava asks about your preferred sports and notification preferences to keep you updated on stats and community stories. The platform personalizes both product experience and marketing based on what users say they want during signup.
Strava onboarding results
Data showed Strava that users become active when they upload one activity and follow one person in their first week. This insight sparked hundreds of tests to make these actions easier.
A surprising test made following friends harder, but retention dropped only slightly compared to follow rates. The team then switched their focus to getting users to upload activities in week one, leaving community building for later. This approach created better user activation and helped Strava grow while keeping users engaged across the platform.
Tinder
Image Source: Binerals.com
Tinder changed the dating app landscape by removing complexity. The app introduced a simple swipe-based interface with a quick signup process that matches users within minutes. Dating apps used to require lengthy profile setups, but Tinder's simplicity helped it perform better than competitors in getting and keeping users.
Tinder key features
The app's main function centers on its signature swipe mechanism—right to like, left to dislike. This feature increased user activity up to 15 times during "Swipe Surge" events and improved match-making potential by 250% according to company data.
Its matching algorithm ranks people based on attractiveness scores by monitoring right swipes on profiles and shows them to others with similar popularity levels. Users also get push notifications for new matches and can chat instantly with their connections.
Tinder onboarding effectiveness
The app's onboarding works well because of its four-screen tutorial that shows how simple the platform is. Users quickly grasp the swiping mechanism to find matches.
The app respects user choice by letting them skip onboarding whenever they want and complete their profile later. New features appear through subtle pop-up messages right when users need them. People feel comfortable with the app within seconds of starting—proof of its easy-to-use design.
Tinder onboarding results
The quick approach turns new users into loyal customers by eliminating common obstacles. Users can start matching "just a matter of seconds" faster than other dating apps' long setup processes.
The app stands out by letting users skip profile completion while keeping core features accessible. Tinder understood that modern singles want quick processes without losing functionality. This insight into user behavior helped Tinder "crush other online dating applications" as users loved both the simplicity and freedom throughout their experience.
Conclusion
These 15 stellar onboarding examples show one clear thing - thoughtful user onboarding affects your bottom line. Companies achieve remarkable results by using strategic onboarding practices instead of leaving users to figure things out alone.
All these strategies might seem overwhelming. Note that you should start small. Pick one or two techniques that arrange with your product goals and user needs. You could begin with a simple checklist like Userpilot's or try Box's welcome content approach.
In today’s SaaS world, onboarding isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s survival. Think about it: you can spend months building features and investing in marketing, but if your users don’t “get it” in the first few minutes, they’re gone. The numbers are brutal—over 90% of apps are abandoned within the first month, and 40–60% of users never return after their first visit. First impressions really do matter.
The good news? Onboarding can flip that script. When users are guided to quick wins, they stick. Something as simple as a four-step checklist or a personalized welcome flow can triple the chances of turning a casual signup into a paying customer. Great onboarding not only shows people how your product works—it shows them why it matters to them.
In this article, we’ll explore 15 standout onboarding examples from companies that have mastered this process. You’ll see what makes them work and how you can borrow their strategies to boost retention, reduce churn, and turn new users into loyal advocates.
Why Onboarding Matters
Onboarding isn’t just a welcome screen or a quick tutorial — it’s the moment of truth for your SaaS product. In today’s hyper-competitive market, where user attention spans are shorter than ever, the first few minutes with your product decide whether someone becomes a loyal customer or disappears for good. Effective onboarding sets the stage by reducing friction, showing value immediately, and giving users confidence that they made the right choice. It’s not just about teaching features — it’s about guiding users to outcomes that matter to them, turning signups into paying, long-term customers.
First Impressions Define Retention
The moment users sign up, they’re forming opinions about your product. If the first experience feels confusing, slow, or irrelevant, they’re unlikely to return. Good onboarding, on the other hand, shows value quickly and proves you respect their time.
Reduces Churn and Boosts Revenue
Customer acquisition is expensive. Without effective onboarding, most of that investment is wasted when users leave within days. Studies show that users who complete guided onboarding are up to 3x more likely to convert into paying customers.
Accelerates Time-to-Value
People don’t download SaaS tools for features — they download them for outcomes. A great onboarding flow shortens the time it takes for users to experience their “Aha!” moment, increasing the odds they’ll stick around.
Builds Confidence and Trust
Especially in SaaS, complexity can overwhelm new users. Structured onboarding builds confidence by guiding them through the most important steps first. This earns trust and makes them more open to exploring advanced features later.
Common Onboarding Mistakes to Avoid
Far too many SaaS products lose users, not because the product is bad, but because the onboarding leaves people confused, overwhelmed, or uninspired. Even small friction points during setup can lead to massive churn, especially in the first 7–30 days when users are still evaluating your value. The truth is, great features alone aren’t enough — without a smooth path to experiencing those features, users never stick around long enough to see the benefits. Avoiding common mistakes in onboarding is critical to improving activation rates, reducing churn, and ultimately building a product that users not only try, but continue to use.
Overwhelming Users with Too Much Information
Throwing a 20-step tutorial at a new user is a guaranteed way to lose them. Over-explaining every feature upfront confuses rather than educates. Effective onboarding introduces value step by step.
Ignoring Personalization
Not every user has the same goals. Forcing everyone through the same generic flow creates friction. Tailored onboarding, like Airtable’s role-based paths, ensures each user sees what’s relevant to them.
Delayed Time-to-Value
If users don’t experience a quick win, they’re gone. Many SaaS products bury the most important feature behind too many steps. Always prioritize showing value in the first session.
Lack of Progress Indicators
Without checklists, progress bars, or milestones, users don’t know how far they’ve come — or how close they are to finishing setup. This creates friction and increases drop-offs.
Poor Mobile Optimization
Many SaaS apps focus only on desktop onboarding, ignoring mobile-first experiences. Clunky sign-up forms and tiny buttons create frustration, especially as mobile continues to dominate traffic.
Box
Image Source: Box
Box stands out as one of the best examples of user onboarding in the SaaS world. The platform manages content, workflows, and collaboration. It has turned a complex introduction process into something users can grasp quickly.
Box key features
Box speeds up onboarding cycles without compromising security and compliance. Users can build custom workflows with Box Relay to automate standard onboarding processes. This reduces manual routing and potential errors. The platform blends with eSignature tools like DocuSign and AdobeSign. Users can send documents to get signatures and save them back to Box automatically.
Box onboarding effectiveness
New users see a clean, simple homepage with a clear CTA that guides them. They choose a pricing plan that shows the value upfront and fill out a simple sign-up form. The form asks for basic details while showing key benefits.
Box's trial extension strategy makes their approach work well. Users start with a 14-day free trial. They get a checklist of onboarding tasks that extends the trial once completed.
Box onboarding results
Good onboarding affects the bottom line directly. Research shows that 75% of users quit products within the first week if they can't get started easily. Box's onboarding approach has helped companies like StitchFix improve their employee onboarding. The technology becomes invisible to new hires while powerful features work behind the scenes.
Productboard
Image Source: The Product Manager
Productboard shows how to guide users through complex processes with its exceptional onboarding. More than 6,000 companies worldwide—including Salesforce, Zoom, and UiPath—use Productboard's onboarding system to transform new users into product management experts.
Productboard key features
Productboard brings together user insights from multiple sources—support tickets, user research, sales conversations, and direct feedback—into one detailed repository. Product teams can spot patterns and verify problems before creating solutions. Teams can choose flexible scoring models based on what matters most to them, such as effect, effort, revenue, or strategic goals. Productboard keeps roadmap planning separate from development workflows.
Productboard onboarding effectiveness
Productboard's "Bowling Alley Framework" makes their onboarding flow special. They skip the overwhelming product tour and stick to a simple, direct process that puts off less important tasks. Users notice the bright "Try now" button right on the home page. The platform makes email verification simple with quick links to popular email services.
Productboard onboarding results
Productboard bet that better onboarding would cut down churn rates. Product management remains a growing market with different processes in each organization. Many users didn't know where to begin. Their "smart touch" program brought together product, growth, and customer success teams to track key metrics during user onboarding.
FullStory
Image Source: Fullstory
FullStory distinguishes itself in digital experience analytics by offering an onboarding process that balances simplicity with quick activation. The platform records and recreates actual user experiences on websites. The team understands that demonstrating value quickly drives user adoption.
FullStory key features
Session recording and playback form the heart of FullStory's core functions. Users can watch exactly how people interact with their site. The platform excels at monitoring essential interactions through its Metrics feature. This helps businesses track meaningful digital experience data.
FullStory onboarding effectiveness
FullStory's landing page opens with a compelling message: "FullStory tells you everything you need to know about your digital experience". New users who click the "sign up free" button find an efficient, persona-based setup. Two elements make their onboarding stand out: custom greetings throughout the process and a progress tracker that helps users complete setup.
FullStory onboarding results
The team saw their activation rate climb to 31% after redesigning the onboarding flow. They found that changes at the start of the funnel created the biggest improvements. Two changes proved most effective: sending new users directly to their inbox for email verification and creating a better activation email.
Airtable
Image Source: Reply.io
Airtable solves onboarding challenges by adapting to each user's specific needs. This hybrid tool combines spreadsheet simplicity with database sophistication. The platform guides users through its versatile features that serve teams of all sizes across industries.
Airtable key features
The platform excels at combining spreadsheet simplicity with database capabilities. Users find data management user-friendly, which reduces errors during the onboarding process. Teams can customize their onboarding processes instead of following a rigid, one-size-fits-all approach. The platform's automation capabilities create uninterrupted workflows by triggering actions once tasks are completed. Checklists, task assignments, and reminders happen automatically without manual input.
Airtable onboarding effectiveness
The platform's role-based customization sets it apart from others. Users start by answering "what team are you on," which creates an individual-specific path forward. They can then choose between a template app or build from scratch. The platform shows specific task and project types based on popular use cases for their team—marketing team members see options like blog post calendars and newsletter deliverables.
Airtable onboarding results
Individual-specific experiences drive user satisfaction and platform adoption. The contextual onboarding helps different user groups quickly understand the product's benefits and value. Companies using Airtable for employee onboarding see impressive results—the platform streamlines everything from pre-onboarding form exchanges to first-day orientation checklists.
Userpilot
Image Source: Userpilot
Userpilot does more than basic onboarding. The platform helps SaaS companies design their own user experiences with a no-code solution.
Userpilot key features
The platform stands out as a detailed product growth solution that lets teams build custom onboarding flows without code. Users can access multiple UI patterns through a user-friendly Chrome extension. These include tooltips, modals, slideouts, driven actions, banners, hotspots, and checklists. This 3-in-1 tool helps teams connect with users, collect feedback through surveys, and monitor behavior on web and mobile apps.
Userpilot onboarding effectiveness
The platform's own onboarding shows best practices in action. New users verify their email and complete a welcome survey. This survey collects essential data about their role, goals, and company profile. Users can pick their brand colors to customize the interface.
Userpilot onboarding results
Numbers tell the success story. Sked Social built an onboarding checklist with Userpilot and saw their conversions triple. The Room focused on CV uploads and boosted new user activation by 75% in just ten days. Groupize made their onboarding fun with an interactive assistant named G.G. This innovation earned them a spot in the 2022 Skift Idea Awards nominations. These examples show how Userpilot turns onboarding strategies into real business growth.
StoryChief
Image Source: StoryChief
StoryChief stands out among content marketing platforms by blending social proof with guided assistance in its onboarding flow. The platform makes life easier for startups, SEO marketers, and editorial teams by bringing multiple content functions together.
StoryChief key features
Teams can analyze, plan, work together, and publish content quickly through StoryChief's unified content marketing platform. The system shines at channel integration and lets users publish to WordPress, Webflow, social channels, and beyond with a single click.
StoryChief onboarding effectiveness
The platform builds trust right from the start by showing customer testimonials during signup, which reassures new users about their choice.
Users see a welcome modal with a quick video introduction after entering simple information. This video guides them through StoryChief's interface.
StoryChief onboarding results
StoryChief saves time and reduces frustration by replacing multiple tools for content creation, publishing, and monitoring. The platform optimizes team workflow through better content calendar management and campaign organization.
Salesflare
Image Source: Salesflare Blog
Salesflare stands out in the CRM world with automation that cuts down manual data entry. This B2B-focused tool changes the usual onboarding into a simple and engaging experience.
Salesflare key features
Salesflare's best feature is automation that reduces administrative work by a lot. The platform logs emails, meetings, and calls against contacts and accounts through smooth connections with Gmail and Outlook.
Salesflare onboarding effectiveness
A striking red CTA button against blue background starts Salesflare's onboarding experience. Users see a welcome screen that introduces an interactive tour.
The tour makes users complete actions as they move forward, which promotes learning through active participation.
Salesflare onboarding results
Good onboarding drives revenue growth. A Salesforce study shows companies with effective onboarding reach 10% higher sales growth rates and 14% better sales and profit goals. Salesflare's "learning by doing" approach has proven successful. New sales representatives save time they would spend on CRM tasks because of automated data entry.
Feedier
Image Source: Feedier
Feedier brings a fresh take on onboarding by putting its principles into practice. The platform makes feedback collection fun and rewarding. This all-in-one feedback management platform distinguishes itself by adding incentive management to the feedback process.
Feedier key features
The platform brings together customer feedback from multiple sources and enhances it with business data. AI technology helps detect pain points across your user's experience. You can create interactive surveys that gather digital feedback from websites and apps.
The live capabilities let teams analyze survey results right away to make quick decisions. We designed it to collect feedback about applications, products, and user onboarding processes. The Standard plan comes with built-in connectors, while the Enterprise option offers tailored ones.
Feedier onboarding effectiveness
The platform's native checklist system makes its onboarding stand out. Users get video tutorials with each checklist item that add context without overwhelming them. A well-designed modal greets new users when they sign up. They can take an optional product tour that takes just two minutes. Feedier's thoughtful design keeps each step short but informative throughout this experience.
Feedier onboarding results
The platform works well because it adds timely, event-driven email sequences to its user onboarding flow. These emails guide users through the activation process and keep them engaged after their original signup.
Image Source: LinkedIn
LinkedIn, a professional networking giant with over 500 million users worldwide, faces a unique challenge. Only 25% of its users log in monthly. Since Microsoft bought the company in 2016, the platform has evolved toward CRM functionality. This could make LinkedIn a potential competitor to Salesforce.
LinkedIn key features
The platform combines three different onboarding approaches to boost user activity. Their benefit-oriented elements show users how they can connect with others and stress the value of networking.
The function-oriented parts let users pick the features they want to use. Progressive onboarding walks users through their profile setup and points out important settings. This smart combination gets users ready for long-term platform use, so they can start networking right away.
LinkedIn onboarding effectiveness
LinkedIn's onboarding shines through its user activation strategy. The platform first asks about users' work situation to show its value. It then suggests people they might know, which shows the main benefit of building a professional network.
A profile completion progress bar reminds users what they still need to do. All the same, LinkedIn doesn't deal very well with targeting in-app messages. Users sometimes get annoyed by seeing the same feature announcements over and over.
LinkedIn onboarding results
Good onboarding makes a big difference in retention. Studies show it can boost employee retention by 82%. LinkedIn's all-encompassing approach means users leave with partially completed profiles, which makes them more likely to come back.
Image Source: Sendbird
Instagram attracts millions of new users through a visual-driven onboarding process that reflects its photo-sharing core. The platform's user acquisition strategy, as one of Meta's flagship products, aims to make the first experience smooth and interactive.
Instagram key features
The onboarding process shows Instagram's main function—photo sharing—with minimal entry barriers. Users can sign up quickly through email, phone number, or social media accounts.
The platform wants users to upload their first photo right after signup, which reinforces the app's purpose. The onboarding puts social connections first and asks new users to follow friends or popular accounts based on what they like. The experience stays true to Instagram's visual identity with minimal text and strong imagery.
Instagram onboarding effectiveness
Instagram's onboarding stands out because it expertly uses social proof and FOMO (fear of missing out). The platform builds immediate engagement through existing social connections.
Meta uses its social network to add information automatically and suggests friends who use Instagram, which creates that vital FOMO element. The simple two-step signup process reduces friction while building emotional connection. The platform also suggests celebrities to follow—based on Facebook connections—which gives users valuable content right away.
Instagram onboarding results
Instagram's FOMO-based approach shows how to get users to complete registration successfully. Business profiles, launched in 2016, offer extra features like opening hours, location details, and access to current metrics.
SoundCloud
Image Source: Medium
SoundCloud stands out with its grassroots approach to music streaming that shapes a unique welcome experience. This platform serves independent artists and unsigned creators through a big ecosystem that connects content creators with 175 million monthly listeners.
SoundCloud key features
The platform puts artists first through an ecosystem where creators upload content for listeners to enjoy. This creates a natural feedback loop that benefits everyone.
Creators who upload more music have a better chance to grow their following while listeners get richer experiences. SoundCloud discovered three vital events that creators need to complete within days of their first upload. These events lead to better long-term retention, lower churn rates, more sessions and improved subscription rates.
SoundCloud onboarding effectiveness
SoundCloud's onboarding shines through its simplicity. Users can sign up using email, Facebook, Apple ID, or Google. The platform skips lengthy tutorials and lets people dive straight into music exploration since its user-friendly interface makes sense naturally.
SoundCloud cleverly uses the "endowed progress effect" - a psychological concept where artificial advancement toward goals makes people more persistent. Creators receive targeted messages after their original upload that reinforce value and guide them toward success.
SoundCloud onboarding results
SoundCloud achieved a soaring win with an 18.56% increase in creators completing key metrics through its strategic creator onboarding series.
Wise
Image Source: The Currency Shop
Wise turns the traditional fintech onboarding model upside down. Users see the value right away, before they need to commit. This money transfer service stands out with clear pricing in an industry known for hidden fees and complex processes.
Wise key features
The platform offers quick, affordable international money transfers through an optimized system. Users can see exact rates without logging in—a feature launched in the last six months.
The mobile app breaks down complex tasks into clear, sequential steps that work for both personal and business finances. The platform makes account creation, identity checks, and cross-border payments simple. B2B users find these transparent steps build trust right from the start.
Wise onboarding effectiveness
The platform's "show don't tell" philosophy sets it apart. Users can check rates as soon as they open the app, without signing up—putting the best features front and center.
Progress bars and celebratory messages mark completed milestones and keep users involved. Wise uses supportive, reassuring language during identity verification steps. This thoughtful approach works well when asking for sensitive information—a common challenge in financial apps.
Wise onboarding results
Companies that adopt strong onboarding processes like Wise's see 82% better new hire retention and 70% higher productivity. Wise brings on about 75 new team members each month.
MyFitnessPal
Image Source: Sendbird
MyFitnessPal reshapes the scene of fitness app onboarding by helping users win early and set individual-specific goals. The calorie-tracking app has grown to 220 million users worldwide in 2024. Users become loyal supporters through the app's exceptional approach.
MyFitnessPal key features
The platform strikes a perfect balance between simplicity and complete functionality. The app's standout feature lets users log meals quickly through its huge food database by scanning barcodes on food packages.
Users can track their daily fasting periods with up-to-the-minute data, see their progress over time, and get custom calorie targets.
MyFitnessPal onboarding effectiveness
The app's brilliant onboarding focuses on showing benefits while collecting data. Users don't face boring forms asking about height, weight, and habits upfront. Instead, they get an interactive, custom experience.
Users start by choosing their health goals—gaining, maintaining, or losing weight.
MyFitnessPal onboarding results
The app boasts a 24% 90-day retention rate—substantially higher than other fitness apps' single-digit retention. Users see value quickly as the app prompts them to log their first meal or exercise right after signup.
Strava
Image Source: Sendbird
Strava has built an amazing community of 125 million users who inspire each other to stay active. The platform's user-friendly onboarding process helps people start moving right away. This fitness tracking giant stands out by turning exercise enthusiasts into active community members from their first day.
Strava key features
The app combines powerful tracking with social features to create a detailed platform for athletes. Strava's AI-powered Routes provide accessible suggestions based on their Global Heatmap. Users can run, ride, or walk like locals anywhere they go. Subscribers can find information about Points of Interest—cafés, restrooms, and viewpoints—and quickly create routes that include these spots.
Strava onboarding effectiveness
The beauty of Strava's onboarding lies in its simplicity and social connection. Users can sign up through Facebook, Google, or email. The app prompts new users to connect with Facebook friends right after registration—a step that data shows boosts user activation.
This social connection phase comes from careful analysis of user behavior. Strava asks about your preferred sports and notification preferences to keep you updated on stats and community stories. The platform personalizes both product experience and marketing based on what users say they want during signup.
Strava onboarding results
Data showed Strava that users become active when they upload one activity and follow one person in their first week. This insight sparked hundreds of tests to make these actions easier.
A surprising test made following friends harder, but retention dropped only slightly compared to follow rates. The team then switched their focus to getting users to upload activities in week one, leaving community building for later. This approach created better user activation and helped Strava grow while keeping users engaged across the platform.
Tinder
Image Source: Binerals.com
Tinder changed the dating app landscape by removing complexity. The app introduced a simple swipe-based interface with a quick signup process that matches users within minutes. Dating apps used to require lengthy profile setups, but Tinder's simplicity helped it perform better than competitors in getting and keeping users.
Tinder key features
The app's main function centers on its signature swipe mechanism—right to like, left to dislike. This feature increased user activity up to 15 times during "Swipe Surge" events and improved match-making potential by 250% according to company data.
Its matching algorithm ranks people based on attractiveness scores by monitoring right swipes on profiles and shows them to others with similar popularity levels. Users also get push notifications for new matches and can chat instantly with their connections.
Tinder onboarding effectiveness
The app's onboarding works well because of its four-screen tutorial that shows how simple the platform is. Users quickly grasp the swiping mechanism to find matches.
The app respects user choice by letting them skip onboarding whenever they want and complete their profile later. New features appear through subtle pop-up messages right when users need them. People feel comfortable with the app within seconds of starting—proof of its easy-to-use design.
Tinder onboarding results
The quick approach turns new users into loyal customers by eliminating common obstacles. Users can start matching "just a matter of seconds" faster than other dating apps' long setup processes.
The app stands out by letting users skip profile completion while keeping core features accessible. Tinder understood that modern singles want quick processes without losing functionality. This insight into user behavior helped Tinder "crush other online dating applications" as users loved both the simplicity and freedom throughout their experience.
Conclusion
These 15 stellar onboarding examples show one clear thing - thoughtful user onboarding affects your bottom line. Companies achieve remarkable results by using strategic onboarding practices instead of leaving users to figure things out alone.
All these strategies might seem overwhelming. Note that you should start small. Pick one or two techniques that arrange with your product goals and user needs. You could begin with a simple checklist like Userpilot's or try Box's welcome content approach.
In today’s SaaS world, onboarding isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s survival. Think about it: you can spend months building features and investing in marketing, but if your users don’t “get it” in the first few minutes, they’re gone. The numbers are brutal—over 90% of apps are abandoned within the first month, and 40–60% of users never return after their first visit. First impressions really do matter.
The good news? Onboarding can flip that script. When users are guided to quick wins, they stick. Something as simple as a four-step checklist or a personalized welcome flow can triple the chances of turning a casual signup into a paying customer. Great onboarding not only shows people how your product works—it shows them why it matters to them.
In this article, we’ll explore 15 standout onboarding examples from companies that have mastered this process. You’ll see what makes them work and how you can borrow their strategies to boost retention, reduce churn, and turn new users into loyal advocates.
Why Onboarding Matters
Onboarding isn’t just a welcome screen or a quick tutorial — it’s the moment of truth for your SaaS product. In today’s hyper-competitive market, where user attention spans are shorter than ever, the first few minutes with your product decide whether someone becomes a loyal customer or disappears for good. Effective onboarding sets the stage by reducing friction, showing value immediately, and giving users confidence that they made the right choice. It’s not just about teaching features — it’s about guiding users to outcomes that matter to them, turning signups into paying, long-term customers.
First Impressions Define Retention
The moment users sign up, they’re forming opinions about your product. If the first experience feels confusing, slow, or irrelevant, they’re unlikely to return. Good onboarding, on the other hand, shows value quickly and proves you respect their time.
Reduces Churn and Boosts Revenue
Customer acquisition is expensive. Without effective onboarding, most of that investment is wasted when users leave within days. Studies show that users who complete guided onboarding are up to 3x more likely to convert into paying customers.
Accelerates Time-to-Value
People don’t download SaaS tools for features — they download them for outcomes. A great onboarding flow shortens the time it takes for users to experience their “Aha!” moment, increasing the odds they’ll stick around.
Builds Confidence and Trust
Especially in SaaS, complexity can overwhelm new users. Structured onboarding builds confidence by guiding them through the most important steps first. This earns trust and makes them more open to exploring advanced features later.
Common Onboarding Mistakes to Avoid
Far too many SaaS products lose users, not because the product is bad, but because the onboarding leaves people confused, overwhelmed, or uninspired. Even small friction points during setup can lead to massive churn, especially in the first 7–30 days when users are still evaluating your value. The truth is, great features alone aren’t enough — without a smooth path to experiencing those features, users never stick around long enough to see the benefits. Avoiding common mistakes in onboarding is critical to improving activation rates, reducing churn, and ultimately building a product that users not only try, but continue to use.
Overwhelming Users with Too Much Information
Throwing a 20-step tutorial at a new user is a guaranteed way to lose them. Over-explaining every feature upfront confuses rather than educates. Effective onboarding introduces value step by step.
Ignoring Personalization
Not every user has the same goals. Forcing everyone through the same generic flow creates friction. Tailored onboarding, like Airtable’s role-based paths, ensures each user sees what’s relevant to them.
Delayed Time-to-Value
If users don’t experience a quick win, they’re gone. Many SaaS products bury the most important feature behind too many steps. Always prioritize showing value in the first session.
Lack of Progress Indicators
Without checklists, progress bars, or milestones, users don’t know how far they’ve come — or how close they are to finishing setup. This creates friction and increases drop-offs.
Poor Mobile Optimization
Many SaaS apps focus only on desktop onboarding, ignoring mobile-first experiences. Clunky sign-up forms and tiny buttons create frustration, especially as mobile continues to dominate traffic.
Box
Image Source: Box
Box stands out as one of the best examples of user onboarding in the SaaS world. The platform manages content, workflows, and collaboration. It has turned a complex introduction process into something users can grasp quickly.
Box key features
Box speeds up onboarding cycles without compromising security and compliance. Users can build custom workflows with Box Relay to automate standard onboarding processes. This reduces manual routing and potential errors. The platform blends with eSignature tools like DocuSign and AdobeSign. Users can send documents to get signatures and save them back to Box automatically.
Box onboarding effectiveness
New users see a clean, simple homepage with a clear CTA that guides them. They choose a pricing plan that shows the value upfront and fill out a simple sign-up form. The form asks for basic details while showing key benefits.
Box's trial extension strategy makes their approach work well. Users start with a 14-day free trial. They get a checklist of onboarding tasks that extends the trial once completed.
Box onboarding results
Good onboarding affects the bottom line directly. Research shows that 75% of users quit products within the first week if they can't get started easily. Box's onboarding approach has helped companies like StitchFix improve their employee onboarding. The technology becomes invisible to new hires while powerful features work behind the scenes.
Productboard
Image Source: The Product Manager
Productboard shows how to guide users through complex processes with its exceptional onboarding. More than 6,000 companies worldwide—including Salesforce, Zoom, and UiPath—use Productboard's onboarding system to transform new users into product management experts.
Productboard key features
Productboard brings together user insights from multiple sources—support tickets, user research, sales conversations, and direct feedback—into one detailed repository. Product teams can spot patterns and verify problems before creating solutions. Teams can choose flexible scoring models based on what matters most to them, such as effect, effort, revenue, or strategic goals. Productboard keeps roadmap planning separate from development workflows.
Productboard onboarding effectiveness
Productboard's "Bowling Alley Framework" makes their onboarding flow special. They skip the overwhelming product tour and stick to a simple, direct process that puts off less important tasks. Users notice the bright "Try now" button right on the home page. The platform makes email verification simple with quick links to popular email services.
Productboard onboarding results
Productboard bet that better onboarding would cut down churn rates. Product management remains a growing market with different processes in each organization. Many users didn't know where to begin. Their "smart touch" program brought together product, growth, and customer success teams to track key metrics during user onboarding.
FullStory
Image Source: Fullstory
FullStory distinguishes itself in digital experience analytics by offering an onboarding process that balances simplicity with quick activation. The platform records and recreates actual user experiences on websites. The team understands that demonstrating value quickly drives user adoption.
FullStory key features
Session recording and playback form the heart of FullStory's core functions. Users can watch exactly how people interact with their site. The platform excels at monitoring essential interactions through its Metrics feature. This helps businesses track meaningful digital experience data.
FullStory onboarding effectiveness
FullStory's landing page opens with a compelling message: "FullStory tells you everything you need to know about your digital experience". New users who click the "sign up free" button find an efficient, persona-based setup. Two elements make their onboarding stand out: custom greetings throughout the process and a progress tracker that helps users complete setup.
FullStory onboarding results
The team saw their activation rate climb to 31% after redesigning the onboarding flow. They found that changes at the start of the funnel created the biggest improvements. Two changes proved most effective: sending new users directly to their inbox for email verification and creating a better activation email.
Airtable
Image Source: Reply.io
Airtable solves onboarding challenges by adapting to each user's specific needs. This hybrid tool combines spreadsheet simplicity with database sophistication. The platform guides users through its versatile features that serve teams of all sizes across industries.
Airtable key features
The platform excels at combining spreadsheet simplicity with database capabilities. Users find data management user-friendly, which reduces errors during the onboarding process. Teams can customize their onboarding processes instead of following a rigid, one-size-fits-all approach. The platform's automation capabilities create uninterrupted workflows by triggering actions once tasks are completed. Checklists, task assignments, and reminders happen automatically without manual input.
Airtable onboarding effectiveness
The platform's role-based customization sets it apart from others. Users start by answering "what team are you on," which creates an individual-specific path forward. They can then choose between a template app or build from scratch. The platform shows specific task and project types based on popular use cases for their team—marketing team members see options like blog post calendars and newsletter deliverables.
Airtable onboarding results
Individual-specific experiences drive user satisfaction and platform adoption. The contextual onboarding helps different user groups quickly understand the product's benefits and value. Companies using Airtable for employee onboarding see impressive results—the platform streamlines everything from pre-onboarding form exchanges to first-day orientation checklists.
Userpilot
Image Source: Userpilot
Userpilot does more than basic onboarding. The platform helps SaaS companies design their own user experiences with a no-code solution.
Userpilot key features
The platform stands out as a detailed product growth solution that lets teams build custom onboarding flows without code. Users can access multiple UI patterns through a user-friendly Chrome extension. These include tooltips, modals, slideouts, driven actions, banners, hotspots, and checklists. This 3-in-1 tool helps teams connect with users, collect feedback through surveys, and monitor behavior on web and mobile apps.
Userpilot onboarding effectiveness
The platform's own onboarding shows best practices in action. New users verify their email and complete a welcome survey. This survey collects essential data about their role, goals, and company profile. Users can pick their brand colors to customize the interface.
Userpilot onboarding results
Numbers tell the success story. Sked Social built an onboarding checklist with Userpilot and saw their conversions triple. The Room focused on CV uploads and boosted new user activation by 75% in just ten days. Groupize made their onboarding fun with an interactive assistant named G.G. This innovation earned them a spot in the 2022 Skift Idea Awards nominations. These examples show how Userpilot turns onboarding strategies into real business growth.
StoryChief
Image Source: StoryChief
StoryChief stands out among content marketing platforms by blending social proof with guided assistance in its onboarding flow. The platform makes life easier for startups, SEO marketers, and editorial teams by bringing multiple content functions together.
StoryChief key features
Teams can analyze, plan, work together, and publish content quickly through StoryChief's unified content marketing platform. The system shines at channel integration and lets users publish to WordPress, Webflow, social channels, and beyond with a single click.
StoryChief onboarding effectiveness
The platform builds trust right from the start by showing customer testimonials during signup, which reassures new users about their choice.
Users see a welcome modal with a quick video introduction after entering simple information. This video guides them through StoryChief's interface.
StoryChief onboarding results
StoryChief saves time and reduces frustration by replacing multiple tools for content creation, publishing, and monitoring. The platform optimizes team workflow through better content calendar management and campaign organization.
Salesflare
Image Source: Salesflare Blog
Salesflare stands out in the CRM world with automation that cuts down manual data entry. This B2B-focused tool changes the usual onboarding into a simple and engaging experience.
Salesflare key features
Salesflare's best feature is automation that reduces administrative work by a lot. The platform logs emails, meetings, and calls against contacts and accounts through smooth connections with Gmail and Outlook.
Salesflare onboarding effectiveness
A striking red CTA button against blue background starts Salesflare's onboarding experience. Users see a welcome screen that introduces an interactive tour.
The tour makes users complete actions as they move forward, which promotes learning through active participation.
Salesflare onboarding results
Good onboarding drives revenue growth. A Salesforce study shows companies with effective onboarding reach 10% higher sales growth rates and 14% better sales and profit goals. Salesflare's "learning by doing" approach has proven successful. New sales representatives save time they would spend on CRM tasks because of automated data entry.
Feedier
Image Source: Feedier
Feedier brings a fresh take on onboarding by putting its principles into practice. The platform makes feedback collection fun and rewarding. This all-in-one feedback management platform distinguishes itself by adding incentive management to the feedback process.
Feedier key features
The platform brings together customer feedback from multiple sources and enhances it with business data. AI technology helps detect pain points across your user's experience. You can create interactive surveys that gather digital feedback from websites and apps.
The live capabilities let teams analyze survey results right away to make quick decisions. We designed it to collect feedback about applications, products, and user onboarding processes. The Standard plan comes with built-in connectors, while the Enterprise option offers tailored ones.
Feedier onboarding effectiveness
The platform's native checklist system makes its onboarding stand out. Users get video tutorials with each checklist item that add context without overwhelming them. A well-designed modal greets new users when they sign up. They can take an optional product tour that takes just two minutes. Feedier's thoughtful design keeps each step short but informative throughout this experience.
Feedier onboarding results
The platform works well because it adds timely, event-driven email sequences to its user onboarding flow. These emails guide users through the activation process and keep them engaged after their original signup.
Image Source: LinkedIn
LinkedIn, a professional networking giant with over 500 million users worldwide, faces a unique challenge. Only 25% of its users log in monthly. Since Microsoft bought the company in 2016, the platform has evolved toward CRM functionality. This could make LinkedIn a potential competitor to Salesforce.
LinkedIn key features
The platform combines three different onboarding approaches to boost user activity. Their benefit-oriented elements show users how they can connect with others and stress the value of networking.
The function-oriented parts let users pick the features they want to use. Progressive onboarding walks users through their profile setup and points out important settings. This smart combination gets users ready for long-term platform use, so they can start networking right away.
LinkedIn onboarding effectiveness
LinkedIn's onboarding shines through its user activation strategy. The platform first asks about users' work situation to show its value. It then suggests people they might know, which shows the main benefit of building a professional network.
A profile completion progress bar reminds users what they still need to do. All the same, LinkedIn doesn't deal very well with targeting in-app messages. Users sometimes get annoyed by seeing the same feature announcements over and over.
LinkedIn onboarding results
Good onboarding makes a big difference in retention. Studies show it can boost employee retention by 82%. LinkedIn's all-encompassing approach means users leave with partially completed profiles, which makes them more likely to come back.
Image Source: Sendbird
Instagram attracts millions of new users through a visual-driven onboarding process that reflects its photo-sharing core. The platform's user acquisition strategy, as one of Meta's flagship products, aims to make the first experience smooth and interactive.
Instagram key features
The onboarding process shows Instagram's main function—photo sharing—with minimal entry barriers. Users can sign up quickly through email, phone number, or social media accounts.
The platform wants users to upload their first photo right after signup, which reinforces the app's purpose. The onboarding puts social connections first and asks new users to follow friends or popular accounts based on what they like. The experience stays true to Instagram's visual identity with minimal text and strong imagery.
Instagram onboarding effectiveness
Instagram's onboarding stands out because it expertly uses social proof and FOMO (fear of missing out). The platform builds immediate engagement through existing social connections.
Meta uses its social network to add information automatically and suggests friends who use Instagram, which creates that vital FOMO element. The simple two-step signup process reduces friction while building emotional connection. The platform also suggests celebrities to follow—based on Facebook connections—which gives users valuable content right away.
Instagram onboarding results
Instagram's FOMO-based approach shows how to get users to complete registration successfully. Business profiles, launched in 2016, offer extra features like opening hours, location details, and access to current metrics.
SoundCloud
Image Source: Medium
SoundCloud stands out with its grassroots approach to music streaming that shapes a unique welcome experience. This platform serves independent artists and unsigned creators through a big ecosystem that connects content creators with 175 million monthly listeners.
SoundCloud key features
The platform puts artists first through an ecosystem where creators upload content for listeners to enjoy. This creates a natural feedback loop that benefits everyone.
Creators who upload more music have a better chance to grow their following while listeners get richer experiences. SoundCloud discovered three vital events that creators need to complete within days of their first upload. These events lead to better long-term retention, lower churn rates, more sessions and improved subscription rates.
SoundCloud onboarding effectiveness
SoundCloud's onboarding shines through its simplicity. Users can sign up using email, Facebook, Apple ID, or Google. The platform skips lengthy tutorials and lets people dive straight into music exploration since its user-friendly interface makes sense naturally.
SoundCloud cleverly uses the "endowed progress effect" - a psychological concept where artificial advancement toward goals makes people more persistent. Creators receive targeted messages after their original upload that reinforce value and guide them toward success.
SoundCloud onboarding results
SoundCloud achieved a soaring win with an 18.56% increase in creators completing key metrics through its strategic creator onboarding series.
Wise
Image Source: The Currency Shop
Wise turns the traditional fintech onboarding model upside down. Users see the value right away, before they need to commit. This money transfer service stands out with clear pricing in an industry known for hidden fees and complex processes.
Wise key features
The platform offers quick, affordable international money transfers through an optimized system. Users can see exact rates without logging in—a feature launched in the last six months.
The mobile app breaks down complex tasks into clear, sequential steps that work for both personal and business finances. The platform makes account creation, identity checks, and cross-border payments simple. B2B users find these transparent steps build trust right from the start.
Wise onboarding effectiveness
The platform's "show don't tell" philosophy sets it apart. Users can check rates as soon as they open the app, without signing up—putting the best features front and center.
Progress bars and celebratory messages mark completed milestones and keep users involved. Wise uses supportive, reassuring language during identity verification steps. This thoughtful approach works well when asking for sensitive information—a common challenge in financial apps.
Wise onboarding results
Companies that adopt strong onboarding processes like Wise's see 82% better new hire retention and 70% higher productivity. Wise brings on about 75 new team members each month.
MyFitnessPal
Image Source: Sendbird
MyFitnessPal reshapes the scene of fitness app onboarding by helping users win early and set individual-specific goals. The calorie-tracking app has grown to 220 million users worldwide in 2024. Users become loyal supporters through the app's exceptional approach.
MyFitnessPal key features
The platform strikes a perfect balance between simplicity and complete functionality. The app's standout feature lets users log meals quickly through its huge food database by scanning barcodes on food packages.
Users can track their daily fasting periods with up-to-the-minute data, see their progress over time, and get custom calorie targets.
MyFitnessPal onboarding effectiveness
The app's brilliant onboarding focuses on showing benefits while collecting data. Users don't face boring forms asking about height, weight, and habits upfront. Instead, they get an interactive, custom experience.
Users start by choosing their health goals—gaining, maintaining, or losing weight.
MyFitnessPal onboarding results
The app boasts a 24% 90-day retention rate—substantially higher than other fitness apps' single-digit retention. Users see value quickly as the app prompts them to log their first meal or exercise right after signup.
Strava
Image Source: Sendbird
Strava has built an amazing community of 125 million users who inspire each other to stay active. The platform's user-friendly onboarding process helps people start moving right away. This fitness tracking giant stands out by turning exercise enthusiasts into active community members from their first day.
Strava key features
The app combines powerful tracking with social features to create a detailed platform for athletes. Strava's AI-powered Routes provide accessible suggestions based on their Global Heatmap. Users can run, ride, or walk like locals anywhere they go. Subscribers can find information about Points of Interest—cafés, restrooms, and viewpoints—and quickly create routes that include these spots.
Strava onboarding effectiveness
The beauty of Strava's onboarding lies in its simplicity and social connection. Users can sign up through Facebook, Google, or email. The app prompts new users to connect with Facebook friends right after registration—a step that data shows boosts user activation.
This social connection phase comes from careful analysis of user behavior. Strava asks about your preferred sports and notification preferences to keep you updated on stats and community stories. The platform personalizes both product experience and marketing based on what users say they want during signup.
Strava onboarding results
Data showed Strava that users become active when they upload one activity and follow one person in their first week. This insight sparked hundreds of tests to make these actions easier.
A surprising test made following friends harder, but retention dropped only slightly compared to follow rates. The team then switched their focus to getting users to upload activities in week one, leaving community building for later. This approach created better user activation and helped Strava grow while keeping users engaged across the platform.
Tinder
Image Source: Binerals.com
Tinder changed the dating app landscape by removing complexity. The app introduced a simple swipe-based interface with a quick signup process that matches users within minutes. Dating apps used to require lengthy profile setups, but Tinder's simplicity helped it perform better than competitors in getting and keeping users.
Tinder key features
The app's main function centers on its signature swipe mechanism—right to like, left to dislike. This feature increased user activity up to 15 times during "Swipe Surge" events and improved match-making potential by 250% according to company data.
Its matching algorithm ranks people based on attractiveness scores by monitoring right swipes on profiles and shows them to others with similar popularity levels. Users also get push notifications for new matches and can chat instantly with their connections.
Tinder onboarding effectiveness
The app's onboarding works well because of its four-screen tutorial that shows how simple the platform is. Users quickly grasp the swiping mechanism to find matches.
The app respects user choice by letting them skip onboarding whenever they want and complete their profile later. New features appear through subtle pop-up messages right when users need them. People feel comfortable with the app within seconds of starting—proof of its easy-to-use design.
Tinder onboarding results
The quick approach turns new users into loyal customers by eliminating common obstacles. Users can start matching "just a matter of seconds" faster than other dating apps' long setup processes.
The app stands out by letting users skip profile completion while keeping core features accessible. Tinder understood that modern singles want quick processes without losing functionality. This insight into user behavior helped Tinder "crush other online dating applications" as users loved both the simplicity and freedom throughout their experience.
Conclusion
These 15 stellar onboarding examples show one clear thing - thoughtful user onboarding affects your bottom line. Companies achieve remarkable results by using strategic onboarding practices instead of leaving users to figure things out alone.
All these strategies might seem overwhelming. Note that you should start small. Pick one or two techniques that arrange with your product goals and user needs. You could begin with a simple checklist like Userpilot's or try Box's welcome content approach.
Author:
Unforgettable Website & UX Design For SaaS
We design high-converting websites and products for B2B AI startups.
Similar Blogs
Similar Blogs
Similar Blogs
Bricx
Bookings Open for Jun’25
© Bricxlabs 2024. All Rights Reserved
Bricx
Bookings Open for Jun’25
© Bricxlabs 2024. All Rights Reserved
Bricx
Bookings Open for Jun’25
© Bricxlabs 2024. All Rights Reserved
Bricx
Bookings Open for Jun’25
© Bricxlabs 2024. All Rights Reserved