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Braze onboarding metrics work best when onboarding is defined as an ordered set of milestones, not a single open rate. Make the activation milestone your primary conversion event, use a funnel report to see which step loses new users, and compare against a control group. Watch two traps: users who were anonymous when they entered, and Canvas analytics using different date rules.
Key Takeaways
- Define onboarding success as an ordered set of milestones, not an open rate.
- Make the activation milestone the primary conversion event, which has the most bearing on reporting.
- A funnel report shows where new users drop, counting each step in the order you set.
- Funnel windows run up to 30 days from entry, and funnel reports aren't available for API campaigns.
- Compare against a control group, because a user counts as converted even without opening the message.
- Funnel reports don't track orphaned users, so identify anonymous users as early as your flow allows.
What should onboarding success mean in Braze?
Onboarding succeeds when new users reach the actions that predict they'll stay, in the order you designed. Opens and clicks show the messages were seen, but they don't show whether anyone activated.
So define success as a short sequence of milestones before you choose any metric. A typical shape is first session, a key setup action, then the first use of the core feature, though each product has its own.
Braze's own funnel documentation uses onboarding as its first example. It asks how many users completed each step of the onboarding path after a welcome Canvas, which is exactly the question to start with.
Which of your Braze onboarding metrics should be the primary conversion event?
Make the activation milestone your primary conversion event. Braze treats the first conversion event you add as primary, and it has the most bearing on engagement and reporting.
Remember what a conversion means. A user counts as converted if they performed the event in the window, even if they didn't open or click the message.
That's useful for onboarding, where a user may activate from inside the app rather than from a message. It also means a conversion figure on its own can't prove the message caused the action, which is why the control group comparison matters.
In a Canvas, conversions within the deadline are attributed to the last Message step the user received. Keep that in mind when you judge which onboarding message earned the credit.
How do funnel reports show where new users drop?
A funnel report shows the journey users take after receiving a campaign or Canvas, including where drop-offs occur. The first event is always receipt of your message, and each following event counts users who completed it in the order you set.
Onboarding milestones map onto the funnel events Braze offers.
| Onboarding milestone | Funnel event | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Came back to the app | Started Session | A basic sign of return |
| Completed a setup action | Performed Custom Event | Needs the action logged as a custom event |
| First purchase | Made Purchase | For commerce onboarding |
| Reached the next Canvas step | Received Canvas Step | Shows progression through the journey |
| Engaged with an onboarding message | Interacted with Step | Email and push steps only |
You can include events you never set as conversion events, so a funnel can test a new definition of activation without changing the live Canvas. For a Canvas, the report sits under Analyze Variants on the Canvas Funnel Report tab.
How should you set the funnel window?
Choose a window that matches how long activation should take. Braze lets you look back over the past six months and set a completion window of up to 30 days.
The window counts differently at the short end. A one-day window means the event must happen within 24 hours of receipt, while longer windows count calendar days in your company time zone.
Funnel reports aren't available for API campaigns, so onboarding sends triggered through the API need another measurement route. Reports can take several minutes to generate, and you're notified when they're ready.
How do you compare onboarding variants?
Funnel reports let you compare the control group directly alongside your variants. Each step shows the conversion rate and the percentage change from control.
That comparison is the real measure of onboarding success. A milestone reached by most new users is only meaningful if fewer users in the control group reached it.
Each user converts at most once in a funnel, even if they repeat the event. A funnel figure can therefore differ from the standard conversion count, especially when re-eligibility is on.
Which onboarding measurement traps should you avoid?
Anonymous starts are the trap most specific to onboarding. When an anonymous user enters a Canvas and is later identified, their Braze ID changes, and Braze notes that funnel reports don't track these orphaned users.
If your onboarding begins before sign-up, identify users as early as your flow allows, or expect the funnel to undercount activation. Check the user identification setup with your developers before relying on these figures.
Mismatched date rules are the second trap. Canvas analytics filter the date range by when events happened, while funnel reports filter by when users entered.
Canvas step analytics can also show higher counts than the funnel for the same dates, because the funnel enforces order and timing. Pick one view for each reporting question, and don't mix the two in the same comparison.
In what order should you set up onboarding measurement?
Set it up in this order, so the data exists before anyone asks for a result.
- Write down three or four onboarding milestones in the order users should reach them.
- Log each milestone as a custom event, or confirm it already exists.
- Make the activation milestone the primary conversion event on the onboarding Canvas.
- Add a control group so activation can be compared against users who didn't receive onboarding.
- Check when users are identified, and avoid orphaned users where you can.
- Build a funnel report with the milestones in order and a window that fits activation.
- Review the drop between each step, and change the message before the largest drop first.
Which mistakes should you avoid?
Name the mistakes so a reviewer can catch them. An open-rate verdict judges onboarding on engagement with messages rather than milestones reached.
An orphaned start loses users who were anonymous at entry, so activation looks lower than it is. A mixed-dates comparison puts Canvas analytics and funnel figures side by side as if they counted the same thing.
A credit grab gives the last onboarding message the whole conversion, without a control group to show what would have happened anyway.
Where does this connect to the rest of the programme?
The onboarding journeys you're measuring are covered in ten proven onboarding campaigns and automating onboarding with Braze Canvas. Milestones only measure well when they're logged well, as set out in tracking user events in Braze.
Comparing message versions is covered in A/B testing your email campaigns, and reading email results in email campaign reporting.
As a Braze implementation partner, CustomerIK recommends defining onboarding as milestones before choosing a metric. A funnel against a control tells you where onboarding works, and where it loses people.
A milestone funnel with named denominators
For a fictional project app, define the ordered milestones as account created, project saved and first task completed. Specify the permitted time between milestones and the identity used to join them. A click on a welcome email is supporting evidence, not the activation event.
If 1,000 users enter, 600 save a project and 300 complete a task, end-to-end completion is 30%; task completion among project creators is 50%. Label both denominators. Compare equivalent assigned groups and observation periods when assessing whether onboarding caused an improvement.
| Test case | Expected result |
|---|---|
| Task event arrives without a project event | Inspect event order and identity instead of assuming progression |
| Anonymous user becomes identified | Test how the report links or separates those identities |
| User completes after the window | Keep the original window fixed; report later completion separately |
The worked example and test cases are illustrative editorial guidance, not measured client outcomes or a claim that a live integration has been tested.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the best metric for onboarding success in Braze?
Use the activation milestone as the primary conversion event, then a funnel report to see each step. Compare against a control group to show the effect.
2. How long can a Braze funnel report window be?
Up to 30 days from entry, within a report range covering the past six months.
3. Why does my funnel show fewer users than Canvas analytics?
Funnel reports enforce event order and timing and filter by entry date, while Canvas analytics count all events by when they happened.
4. Do funnel reports track users who were anonymous at entry?
They don't. When an anonymous user is later identified, their Braze ID changes, and funnel reports don't track these orphaned users.
5. Can I use funnel reports for API campaigns?
They aren't available for API campaigns.
Sources
- Braze, Funnel reports. Retrieved 18 Oct 2026.
- Braze, Conversion events. Retrieved 18 Oct 2026.
CustomerIK is a Braze implementation partner working across onboarding, technical integration, marketing operations and customer data management.
If you're setting up onboarding measurement and want the milestones defined first, let's talk.
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