The vocabulary of user onboarding.
30 terms, defined in plain English — what each one means, why it matters, and how it shows up in practice. No jargon defining jargon.
A/B test
An A/B test splits an audience randomly between variants and measures which performs better.
→Activation event
An activation event is the specific user action a team designates as "reached first value".
→Activation rate
Activation rate is the percentage of new signups that reach a product's defined first-value moment within a set window.
→Aha moment
The aha moment is the instant a user first feels a product's value.
→Announcement banner
An announcement banner is a slim full-width bar pinned to the top or bottom of an app for news everyone should be able to see.
→Onboarding checklist
An onboarding checklist is a persistent to-do list guiding new users through setup.
→Onboarding flow
An onboarding flow is the designed sequence of steps a new user moves through after signup.
→Onboarding funnel
An onboarding funnel tracks how many new users survive each step between signup and activation.
→Product tour
A product tour is a guided, step-by-step walkthrough inside an app that shows new users how to accomplish something real.
→Product-led growth (PLG)
Product-led growth is a go-to-market strategy where the product itself drives acquisition, conversion, and expansion.
→Progressive disclosure
Progressive disclosure reveals complexity only as users need it.
→User activation
User activation is the moment a new user first experiences a product's core value.
→User onboarding
User onboarding is the process of guiding new users from signup to their first real success with a product.
→User segmentation
User segmentation divides a user base into groups by shared traits or behavior.
→From vocabulary to shipped.
Every concept here runs live in Wakeline — no-code, on your app, free for 1,000 monthly active users.