New-User Activation Funnel

Acme · sample data · Feb 28–Mar 29, 2026 · refreshed Mondays at 9:00

Sign-ups in funnel2,8363,218 total · 382 in observation

Activated within 7 days1,487Published a site, status = ok

7-day activation rate52.4%1,487 / 2,836 sign-ups

Stages

1Visited27,230
2Signed up2,836
3Created2,210
4Published1,487

1. Where new users drop off

Feb 28–Mar 22 cohort · 2,836 sign-ups · largest loss after sign-up

1Visited the site$pageview27,230visitors
−24,394 lost10.4% continue
2Signed upsigned_up2,836sign-ups
−626 lost77.9% continue
3Created a sitesite_created2,21077.9% of sign-ups
−723 lost67.3% continue
4Published a sitesite_published1,48752.4% of sign-ups

Bar width: square-root scale Lost

Biggest drop-off01723users lost · 32.7%

2,210 created a site; 1,487 published.

Created2,210
Published1,487

To validate

Check whether users find Publish and have enough credits to finish.

2. Which sources bring activated users

Same cohort · first-touch attribution

Google Ads

Sign-ups · activated

2,486 · 1,307

Activation rate

52.6%

Product Hunt

Sign-ups · activated

207 · 119

Activation rate

57.5%

Organic search

Sign-ups · activated

143 · 61

Activation rate

42.7%

Sign-ups ActivatedRate axis 0–100%

Channel gap02119 / 207Product Hunt leads · 57.5%

Google Ads: 52.6%. Organic search: 42.7%. Compare counts alongside rates.

Source detail

Mature cohort · brackets = conversion from the step before

Source	Visitors	Signed up	Created a site	Published	Activation rate	Observing
Google Ads	23,847	2,486 (10.4%)	1,941 (78.1%)	1,307 (67.3%)	52.6%	243
Product Hunt	1,437	207 (14.4%)	173 (83.6%)	119 (68.8%)	57.5%	108
Organic search	1,946	143 (7.3%)	96 (67.1%)	61 (63.5%)	42.7%	31

3. How soon new users activate

1,487 activated users · time from sign-up to first published site

Time after sign-upPublished

≤ 1 hour1,149
1–24 hours247
1–7 days91

First-hour activation031,149 / 1,48777.3% published within 1 hour

Prioritize first-hour guidance; 338 users published later.

4. Industry references

Acme: 52.4% · first published site within 7 days · sample data

Source	Reference	Acme − ref.	Definition & sample
Userpilot · B2B SaaS2025	37.5% mean	+14.9 pp	62 B2B SaaS companies. Product-specific first-value event; no shared time window.
Userpilot · AI & ML2025	54.8%	−2.4 pp	AI & ML subset; size not disclosed. Product-specific activation events.
Lenny’s activation survey2022	36% mean	+16.4 pp	SaaS subset of 500+ products. Each product defines its own milestone.
Correcto · Amplitude2025	17.4% → 53.5%	−1.1 pp	One Chrome extension. Sign-up to interacting with a writing suggestion; Jul 2024–Mar 2025.

Context only: milestones and time windows differ. Acme’s 52.4% is an illustrative result, not a universal benchmark. pp = percentage points; Correcto’s gap uses its latest rate.

New-User Activation Funnel

See how new users move from their first visit to their first completed core task. Actionbook builds a weekly funnel from PostHog to identify the main drop-offs before activation.

Works with

Build with Actionbook

Built for

Marketing teams comparing sources by activated users and activation rate
Product teams finding drop-offs before the first completed core task
Founders deciding which activation bottleneck to investigate first

Key insights

Cohort, activation definition and conversion window
Drop-offs before first value, with step-level users and conversion rates
Sources compared by users, activations and activation rates
Time to activation, sample sizes and data gaps
Priority steps and sources to investigate

What is the activation funnel?

An activation funnel tracks new users from their first visit to completing a core task for the first time. In this sample, activation means publishing a first site within 7 days of sign-up. Actionbook uses PostHog events to show the main drop-offs before first value and where to investigate first.

Who the activation funnel is for

Marketing

You need to know which acquisition sources bring users who complete the product’s core task.

Compare sources by activated users and activation rate
Check sample sizes and attribution gaps before prioritizing a source

Product

You need to find where new users stop before completing their first core task.

Find the onboarding step losing the most users
Use time to activation to decide when users may need guidance

Founder

You need to decide where the team should focus its next activation investigation.

See how many new users reach first value within the conversion window
Prioritize investigations using onboarding losses and channel results

How to build an activation funnel with Actionbook

Step 1: Define your funnel
Tell Actionbook which new users to include, which events lead to the first completed core task, and how long users have to finish.
Step 2: Connect PostHog
Connect your PostHog project with read-only access to user events, timestamps and first-touch source properties.
Step 3: Build and review
Build the funnel and review the largest losses after sign-up. Choose a step to investigate, then set a refresh schedule and share the dashboard.

Activation funnel FAQ

What events do I need in PostHog?

Record the entry or page-view event, sign-up, the core steps and the activation event. Events need timestamps and a consistent user identity. Channel comparisons also need first-touch source properties.

How are incomplete data and small samples handled?

Counts appear beside rates so small samples are visible. Users still within the conversion window are shown separately. Known gaps in tracking or source attribution are flagged for investigation.

Can Actionbook change my PostHog data?

No. This playbook only reads events and person properties. Any changes to tracking or onboarding are for you and your team to make.