| name | onboarding-flow |
| description | Designs customer onboarding flows with welcome steps, milestone triggers, and success checkpoints to reduce churn and speed time-to-value. |
| allowed-tools | Read Write Glob |
| metadata | {"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"} |
Onboarding Flow
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to:
- Design a customer onboarding sequence from purchase to first success
- Create welcome emails, milestone triggers, and success checkpoints
- Reduce early churn by getting customers to value faster
- Standardize the post-purchase experience
DO NOT use this skill for employee onboarding (use onboarding-checklist), sales funnels, or product demos. This is for the experience AFTER someone becomes a customer.
Core Principle
THE GOAL OF ONBOARDING IS NOT TO TEACH EVERYTHING — IT IS TO GET THE CUSTOMER TO THEIR FIRST WIN AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE EARLY WINS CREATE RETENTION.
Phase 1: Define Success
Identify what customer success looks like before designing the flow.
Required Inputs
| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|---|
| Product/service | "What did the customer just buy?" | No default |
| First win | "What is the first success moment for a new customer?" | No default |
| Time to value | "How quickly should a customer experience that first win?" | Within 7 days |
| Current onboarding | "What happens after someone buys today?" | Welcome email only |
| Drop-off points | "Where do new customers get stuck or stop engaging?" | No default |
| Delivery method | "How do you deliver? (self-serve, done-with-you, done-for-you)" | Self-serve |
GATE: Confirm the first win definition before designing the flow.
Phase 2: Map the Flow
Design the onboarding sequence step by step.
Onboarding Flow Template
## Customer Onboarding Flow: [Product/Service Name]
**Goal:** Get customer to [first win] within [timeframe]
### Step 1: Welcome (Immediate — within minutes of purchase)
**Trigger:** Purchase confirmed
**Action:** Send welcome email
**Content:**
- Thank them and confirm what they bought
- Set expectations (what happens next, when to expect it)
- Provide ONE clear first action (not five)
- Include support contact for questions
### Step 2: Quick Start (Day 1)
**Trigger:** Welcome email opened or 24 hours post-purchase
**Action:** [Send quick-start guide / Schedule kickoff call / Grant access]
**Content:**
- The simplest path to the first win
- Remove all friction (pre-filled templates, default settings, step 1 of 3)
- Video walkthrough if applicable
### Step 3: First Milestone (Day 2-3)
**Trigger:** Customer completes first action OR 48 hours pass
**Action:** Check-in email or message
**Content:**
- If they completed the action: celebrate and guide to next step
- If they have not: gentle nudge with a "stuck?" offer of help
### Step 4: First Win (Day 3-7)
**Trigger:** Customer achieves first success metric
**Action:** Congratulations message + next steps
**Content:**
- Acknowledge the win
- Show what is possible next
- Introduce advanced features or next-level value
### Step 5: Habit Formation (Day 7-30)
**Trigger:** Time-based or usage-based
**Action:** Ongoing engagement sequence
**Content:**
- Tips, use cases, and success stories
- Feature highlights they have not used
- Invitation to community or advanced resources
GATE: Present the flow for review before writing the actual content.
Phase 3: Write Content
Create the specific messages and materials for each step.
Welcome Email Template
Subject: You're in! Here's your first step
Hi [Name],
Welcome to [Product/Service]!
Here is exactly what to do right now:
**Step 1:** [Single, clear action with link]
That is it. Do that one thing and you will be [benefit] by [timeframe].
If you get stuck, reply to this email — I read every one.
[Name]
P.S. [Set expectation for next touchpoint: "Tomorrow I will send you..."]
Check-In Email Template
Subject: Quick check — did you [action]?
Hi [Name],
Just checking in — have you had a chance to [specific action from onboarding]?
**If yes:** Great! Your next step is [next action + link].
**If no:** No worries. Here is the easiest way to get started:
[1-2 sentence simplified instruction]
Most customers who [complete this step] see [specific benefit] within [timeframe].
Need help? [Support link or reply option]
[Name]
Milestone Celebration Template
Subject: You did it — [specific achievement]
Hi [Name],
You just [specific milestone]. That is a big deal.
Here is what customers like you do next:
1. [Next feature or action]
2. [Advanced use case]
Keep going — you are building momentum.
[Name]
Phase 4: Optimize
Set up tracking and continuous improvement.
Onboarding Metrics
## Onboarding Dashboard
| Metric | Target | Current |
|--------|--------|---------|
| Welcome email open rate | 70%+ | — |
| First action completion rate | 50%+ within 48 hours | — |
| Time to first win | [X days] | — |
| 30-day retention rate | 85%+ | — |
| Support tickets during onboarding | Decreasing | — |
Drop-Off Analysis
At each step, track how many customers proceed to the next step. Fix the step with the biggest drop-off first.
Quarterly Review
- Where are customers getting stuck?
- What questions come up repeatedly? (Add answers to onboarding)
- How fast are customers reaching first win vs. target?
- What do retained customers have in common during onboarding?
Anti-Patterns
- Information dump on Day 1 — sending a 10-page guide overwhelms. One action per touchpoint.
- No first action — saying "explore the platform" is not an action. "Click here to create your first [X]" is.
- Generic onboarding — if possible, customize by use case, plan level, or stated goal.
- No follow-up after welcome — one email is not onboarding. The first 7-30 days need a designed sequence.
- Assuming customers will figure it out — they will not. They will churn. Guide them explicitly.
Recovery
- Customers are not opening welcome emails: Improve subject line, send from a personal name (not "noreply"), and test send time.
- Customers complete onboarding but still churn: The first win may not be meaningful enough. Redefine what success looks like.
- User has no email automation tool: Start with manual emails for the first 10 customers. Templates make this feasible. Automate once the flow is proven.
- Product is too complex for a 7-day onboarding: Extend the timeline but keep the first win within 48 hours. Early momentum matters more than complete training.
- User sells a one-time product (not subscription): Onboarding still matters — it drives reviews, referrals, and repeat purchases. Focus on helping them USE what they bought.
