Most users abandon your product within 3 seconds if they don't get visual feedback. That's brutal for conversion rates and frustrating as hell for users.

Studies show customers report significantly higher satisfaction when they get clear progress information. Progress bar design isn't just a nice visual touch—it's essential for keeping users engaged while they wait.

Building onboarding flows, file uploads, or checkout processes? The right progress bar examples can turn waiting time from a major pain point into something users actually appreciate. We analyzed how top SaaS products use smart progress indicators to keep users happy and boost completion rates.

Over the course of this article, we'll not only look at the top 9 progress bar UX examples, but also dive deeper into best practices that can help you design better progress indicators for your own SaaS project.

Let's get started.

What Is a Progress Bar in UX Design?

Image source: UX Pin

A progress bar is a graphical element that shows users exactly where they are in completing a task or process. These visual indicators bridge the gap between what your system is doing and what users can see—whether they're downloading files or filling out multi-step forms.

Types of Progress Bars in UI Design

Progress bars break down into two main types based on whether you can predict timing:

1. Determinate progress indicators show specific duration with clear start and end points. These fill from 0% to 100% and never move backward. You'll see them as:
   
   

   • Percentage indicators - Show exact completion (0-100%)

   • Time estimate bars - Display remaining minutes or hours

   • Steps-left indicators - Track progress across distinct stages
     
     

2. Indeterminate progress indicators handle uncertain durations and simply say "something is happening". They don't specify timing but confirm your system is working. Common types include:
   
   

   • Spinners/looped animations - Rotating elements showing ongoing activity

   • Pulsating elements - Visual elements that change opacity or size

   • Skeleton screens - Placeholders that load incrementally as content appears

Some interfaces use hybrid approaches that start indeterminate but switch to determinate once the system calculates remaining time.

When to use determinate vs. indeterminate bars?

Your choice depends on process duration and predictability:

Use determinate progress bars for:

• Tasks taking 10 seconds or longer

• Processes with predictable duration

• When showing completion percentage reduces user anxiety

• Multi-step sequences with clear milestones

• Processing series of documents or records

Choose indeterminate progress bars for:

• Quick operations lasting 2-10 seconds

• When calculating progress is impossible

• Initial loading stages before data becomes available

• Network requests with unpredictable response times

IBM's Carbon Design System shows that proper progress indicators significantly increase task completion rates.

Key Principles of Great Progress Bar UX

Image source: UX Planet

Great progress bars work like a conversation between your system and users. They don't just track completion—they set expectations, kill anxiety, and guide users toward their goals.

Given below, are some of the key principles that define high-quality progress bar UX:

1. Clarity and feedback

The core principle behind any progress indicator is visibility of system status: one of the original web usability heuristics. Your progress bars need to communicate exactly what's happening and how long it'll take.

Here's how to create clear progress indicators:

• Give immediate feedback when users start an action

• Show visual indicators for anything over 1 second to prevent user anxiety

• Use percent-done indicators for the most informative progress feedback

• Add descriptive labels that specify exactly what the system is processing

Research shows that without proper feedback, users get uncertain whether the system received their command or crashed. This uncertainty creates anxiety that leads to abandonment.

Clarity isn't just about showing progress—it's about setting accurate expectations. Tell users a process takes 3 minutes, and they plan accordingly. Get that estimate wrong? You risk damaging trust.

2. Consistency and pacing

Your progress indicators should follow consistent design patterns across your entire product. This creates a familiar experience that builds user confidence.

For smooth user experience:

• Keep visual consistency in design elements like color, shape and placement

• Build brand-specific elements into your progress indicators

• Never let the progress bar stop moving or users assume the system froze

Here's the thing about pacing: it significantly impacts perceived waiting time. If your bar moves quickly at first then slows dramatically, users feel deceived.

Better approach: start slower and accelerate toward completion. This creates a pleasant surprise when tasks finish sooner than expected.

3. Celebrating milestones

Breaking long processes into smaller steps creates powerful motivation opportunities. Research published in Psychology Today shows that "recognizing small successes activates the brain's reward system, which releases dopamine and reinforces positive behavior".

Smart milestone celebration strategies:

• Acknowledge progress through visual cues or microcopy

• Give recognition for each completed step to maintain engagement

• Provide small rewards at key points like congratulatory messages

Celebrating milestones isn't just about making users feel good—it drives measurable business outcomes. Regular recognition keeps users engaged and committed to completing the process.

Thoughtful progress bar design turns waiting from an irritation into an opportunity. Through clear communication, consistent pacing, and strategic milestone recognition, your progress indicators can significantly boost completion rates while creating a better user experience.

Top 9 Progress Bar UX Examples to Inspire Your Design

Now that we’ve figured out what makes a good progress bar user experience, it’s time to take a look at some inspiring progress bar UX examples that you can take notes from (and implement in your own B2B SaaS or AI product):

Thrust’s Onboarding Progress Indicators

Thrust’s onboarding flow & progress bar indicators are crucial for guiding users through the platform — offering clarity, reducing friction, and making each step feel achievable. The progress checklist smartly breaks the process into bite-sized tasks, shows completion in real-time, and builds momentum.

Paired with a clean dark UI and intuitive micro-interactions (like wallet linking and OTP verification), the flow keeps users engaged without overwhelming them.

What makes it impressive?

• Guided step-by-step experience that shows users exactly where they are and what’s left.

• Real-time progress tracking that builds motivation and reduces drop-offs.

• Consistent visual language tailored to the dark-mode aesthetic of the product.

• Micro-interactions that reinforce progress without disrupting flow.

Key takeaway:

Thrust’s use of progress bars and onboarding checklists shows how smart UX can turn setup friction into user confidence — keeping them engaged from first click to full activation.

Userpilot’s Onboarding Progress Bar

Image source: Userpilot

Onboarding can make or break user adoption. Userpilot understands this crucial moment and uses a progress bar design that guides new users through their first experience without overwhelming them.

What makes this impressive?

• Userpilot's onboarding progress bar shines through its dual-approach methodology. Unlike standard progress indicators, Userpilot combines two progress bar types: the "steps left" indicator and the percentage completion meter. This mix creates a roadmap that helps users know where they are in their trip.
  
  

• The progress bar's well-laid-out breakdown catches the eye. Userpilot splits the onboarding flow into four clear steps with time estimates for each one. Users know exactly how much time they need, which cuts down on people giving up halfway.
  
  

• On top of that, the clean page design around the progress indicator deserves a mention. Userpilot removes distracting elements so users can complete tasks quickly and reach activation sooner.

  
  

• Userpilot adds gaming elements through its progress display. This turns a potentially boring onboarding process into something more engaging that keeps users interested.
  
  

Key takeaways

Userpilot shows us that good progress bars need to balance information and simplicity. Their design proves that mixing different progress indicators (steps and percentages) creates a complete user experience without confusion.

Managing expectations matters too. Userpilot gives specific time estimates for each step, avoiding a common progress bar trap—misleading indicators that fill up without showing real progress. Research shows these misleading bars hurt trust quickly. One user said: "It took forever waiting for it to connect just to tell me it failed. The progress bar made me think it was connecting".

Loom Steps-Left Checklist Progress Bar

Image source: Userpilot Team - Medium

Complex processes can overwhelm users who face too many steps. Loom tackles this challenge with a progress bar that blends traditional step tracking with a checklist approach.

Loom's progress indicator shines through its smart blend of two different progress tracking methods. The design combines a steps-remaining bar with a checklist format. This creates a hybrid solution that works great for multi-phase processes. Users can see both where they are and what tasks they need to finish their onboarding trip.

The smart part about this approach is how it breaks down a potentially overwhelming process into bite-sized chunks. Users often feel anxious when they see complex workflows with multiple phases and subtasks.

Loom's solution gives them a clear roadmap that doesn't feel too daunting.

What makes it impressive?

• Loom's getting started checklist sits right on its home page, making it easy to spot for new users. The checklist has four key steps: download, record, share, and invite. Each step connects to real product actions instead of random milestones. Every step also comes with helpful links and resources where needed.
  
  

• This implementation taps into basic psychology in a clever way. It utilizes the Zeigarnik effect – we tend to remember unfinished tasks more than completed ones. This creates a subtle push to finish what we started.
  
  

• The design shows completed actions clearly, which helps in several ways:

  a. It rewards users for steps they've finished

  b. The remaining tasks feel smaller since they've made progress

  c. Users feel more driven to complete the remaining items

Key takeaways

The balance between guidance and freedom is a vital point to think about for your own progress bar designs. Step-by-step guidance helps most users, but you should add shortcuts for power users who might find strict structures limiting.

Loom's example shows both the power of structured guidance and why flexibility matters in progress indicator design.

Slack Tooltip Progress Indicator

Image source: Appcues

Slack has turned tooltips from simple information providers into powerful progress indicators that guide users smoothly through their workflow. Their subtle approach shows a different way to visualize progress—guidance happens naturally with the main experience instead of overshadowing it.

Slack's progress indicator excels by integrating within tooltips rather than existing as a separate UI element. Traditional progress bars take up dedicated screen space, but Slack's method delivers guidance right when you need it. You get progress information exactly where and when it matters most.

The design keeps you focused on your current task while helping you stay oriented. Tooltips show up right in your workflow and point to elements that need attention. Progress tracking feels natural and not like an interruption.

What makes it impressive?

• The technical side uses clear numerical indicators like "2 of 2" to show both where you are and how many steps remain. You'll never wonder about your progress or what's left to do.
  
  

• The use of tooltips as progress indicators shows brilliant UX thinking. One analysis calls it "a bit of a masterstroke" because it helps users zero in on specific tasks and move through pages efficiently.
  
  

• The design strikes the perfect balance between helpful guidance and staying unobtrusive.
  
  

Key takeaways

Slack proves that progress indicators don't need visual dominance to work well. The subtle nature of tooltip-based progress tracking might actually improve user experience by keeping users in their flow state.

The design shows how progress indicators should connect to context. Slack creates a clear visual link between progress tracking and required actions by putting progress information in tooltips next to specific elements.

This tooltip-based approach looks simple but shows how smart UX design can turn basic interface elements into powerful tools that guide users through complex processes.

ActiveCampaign’s Multi-Mode Progress Bar

Image source: ActiveCampaign Design

ActiveCampaign's progress bar sets itself apart by combining multiple progress indicators in a single interface. The platform doesn't make users choose between different styles. Instead, it brings together a spinner, a steps-left checklist, and a linear progress bar that work together. This all-encompassing approach means you'll find a visual indicator that matches your learning style, whatever way you like to track progress.

This multi-faceted approach solves a basic UX challenge during the user's trip - people process information differently.

Visual learners often connect better with the linear bar, while detail-oriented users might prefer the checklist format. The design creates an experience that's available to all types of users.

What makes this impressive?

• ActiveCampaign's implementation breaks down complex setup processes into smaller, manageable tasks through its checklist format. This approach makes complicated procedures feel less daunting and more achievable.
  
  

• The spinner (or progress circle) gives dynamic feedback for tasks with uncertain durations, while the linear progress bar shows a detailed view of overall completion status. This smart combination handles different types of waiting experiences in the same interface.
  
  

Key takeaways

ActiveCampaign proves that progress indicators don't need a "one-size-fits-all" approach. Their hybrid strategy shows the value of using multiple feedback mechanisms for complex processes.

Signup can be an overwhelming process for many users. Some might feel discouraged by too many form fields. ActiveCampaign reduces that overwhelm with various progress indicators, which helps lower user drop-off rates.

The message is clear: complex processes work better with multiple progress indicators instead of just one. This multi-modal approach creates a supportive experience that works for different information processing styles and keeps users engaged during lengthy procedures.

Mural’s Skeleton Screen with Tips

Image source: Userpilot

Mural's hybrid implementation makes it different. The platform combines skeleton screens with an indeterminate progress bar to create a detailed loading experience. This approach tackles both visual and informational aspects while users wait.

Mural's skeleton screens give immediate visual structure to handle their complex whiteboards. These whiteboards have many elements that take time to load. Users get an instant preview of upcoming content, which makes wait times feel shorter.

This works really well with interfaces that have multiple components like Mural's shared canvases.

What makes this impressive?

• Mural's design shines because of its visual consistency. The skeleton screen matches the actual layout of the Mural canvas perfectly. Content loads smoothly without disrupting the user's orientation.
  
  

• The platform adds pro tips that users can read while they wait. These helpful suggestions do two things: taking the user’s mind off waiting & effectively teaching users about features they might end up missing. This learning element turns dead time into something useful. What could be negative becomes positive as users learn while they wait.
  
  

Key takeaways

Mural shows that loading states can be useful. The platform teaches users during these inevitable pauses to maximize engagement.

Complex visual interfaces can't avoid loading times. Mural proves that making wait times valuable matters more than just making them shorter. Users don't mind waiting when they get something useful in return.

ClickUp’s Ball Progress Bar Design

Image source: ClickUp

Traditional progress bars take up too much screen space. ClickUp takes a different approach with a minimalistic ball progress design that stays unobtrusive throughout the user's experience. This subtle method represents a radical alteration in progress indicator philosophy. The focus stays on actual content rather than the tracking mechanism itself.

The clever part of this design lies in its ability to keep users aware of progress without taking attention away.

Small ball indicators rest quietly at the top of the interface. They provide just enough context about your current position while your eyes stay focused on the task.

What makes this impressive?

• The magic of ClickUp's approach comes from its visual simplicity. The design replaces a traditional linear bar with small circles that show steps in a setup flow. Completed steps stand out visually from remaining ones. Users get an instant snapshot of progress without complex animations or color changes.
  
  

• This design works exceptionally well for time-consuming activities where concentration matters most. The minimal yet visible progress indicator lets you customize your dashboard fully while keeping track of overall progress.
  
  

Key takeaways

ClickUp proves that minimal design can boost user experience significantly. The ball UI pattern shows how progress bars add value without overwhelming the display or demanding constant attention.

The positioning makes this design even more effective. ClickUp places its progress indicator at the screen's top. Users find a consistent reference point they can check quickly without breaking their workflow.

Amazon’s Delivery Tracker Progress Bar

Image source: Nielsen Norman Group

Package tracking causes anxiety for millions of shoppers every day. Amazon tackles this common problem with a delivery tracking system that turns uncertainty into a clear and engaging experience.

Amazon's delivery tracking progress bar excels by offering immediate package tracking on a map—something you won't find in most traditional e-commerce trackers. The system goes beyond a simple progress bar.

You can watch your package's trip as it gets closer to your doorstep. This visual element connects your online purchase to the ground delivery process.

What makes this impressive?

• Amazon's tracker shines because of its smart context awareness. The map shows up on delivery day only when your driver is close by, giving you the details at the time you need them. On top of that, you'll get push notifications when your package is about 10 stops away. This helps you plan better.
  
  

• The system has Estimated Delivery Windows that show 2-4 hour timeframes for your delivery. These windows show up in your delivery progress tracker, Your Orders section, and notifications.

Key takeaways

Amazon's approach teaches us to focus on relevant information. Traffic and other factors can affect delivery times, but Amazon's system gives you just enough details without overwhelming you.

Their method shows how progress indicators should fit different situations—linking your online purchases to the actual delivery process.

Best Practices for Designing Effective Progress Bar UX

Image source: Behance

Psychology plays a crucial role in creating effective progress bars, beyond just visual design. Let's explore the essential best practices that make progress indicators work after analyzing these 9 examples:

1. Match expectation to time

Progress indicator design depends heavily on timing. Simple animations or "Loading" text are enough at the time processes take under three seconds. Longer processes need a proper progress bar to keep users calm.

The progress bar must show actual completion accurately. User trust breaks immediately when bars move steadily but freeze at 90%.

2. Use microcopy wisely

Smart text can turn simple progress indicators into helpful touchpoints. Clear labels with progress bars (e.g., "Uploading 5 of 10 files") help users know what to expect.

Users feel less frustrated when they see encouraging phrases like "We're almost there!" near completion. Good microcopy answers users' unspoken questions and concerns.

3. Make use of information from motion psychology

Progress bar movement directly affects how patient users remain. Studies show that users complete more tasks when progress looks fast at first and slows down later (11.3% abandonment).

This works better than bars that start slow and speed up (21.8% abandonment). Natural-feeling motion comes from easing curves like ease-in or ease-out.

4. Maintain brand tone

Progress indicators should go together with your overall design system. Clean, simple indicators work best for minimalist applications. Playful brands might add subtle animations.

These animations should support the core functionality, not distract from it.

5. Provide fallback options

Advanced progress indicators don't work everywhere. You need backup options for browsers without HTML5 support or systems that can't use dependencies like tqdm. Text-based updates can show progress effectively when fancy options aren't available.

Conclusion

Progress bars may look like minor UI details, but they substantially affect a user's perception of wait times and overall experience.

These 9 examples show how well-designed progress indicators can turn frustrating delays into moments that involve users. Your choice could range from ClickUp's minimalist balls to Slack's contextual tooltips or Amazon's up-to-the-minute tracking.

In the end, your progress bars should match actual completion time, provide relevant context, and maintain consistent brand elements.

If you want similar, highly-effective progress bar elements in your next SaaS project or redesign, Bricx can be the right partner for you. To know more on how we can help, simply book a call with us and we’ll get in touch.