A user checklist keeps onboarding simple, clear, and focused. It helps new users complete key steps without confusion, ensuring they hit their activation milestones faster. By guiding them through critical actions, you’re reducing friction and improving your overall product experience.

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Why It’s Useful

• Increases onboarding completion rates by guiding users through essential steps.
  
  
• Reduces confusion and support tickets by clarifying the user journey.
  
  
• Drives activation by highlighting high-value actions early.
  
  
• Provides a repeatable framework for scaling onboarding across different use cases.

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Step-by-Step: How It Works

Step 1: Open the Checklist Builder

Go to the Checklist section in Userflow.

Why this matters: This is where you’ll manage and create guided onboarding lists that help users take meaningful action.

Step 2: Create a New Checklist

Click Create Checklist and give it a descriptive name like “Tiny Time Checklist.”

Why this matters: Naming your checklist clearly makes it easier to track and manage different onboarding flows.

Step 3: Add Key Tasks

Identify the two or three actions most correlated with activation. For this example, the key actions are:

1. Register a time
   
   
2. Create a project. 

Why this matters: These are the “aha” moments that move users closer to value quickly.

Step 4: Add Actions for Each Task

Attach specific actions users will take for each task (e.g., “Create a project”).

Why this matters: Tying each task to a clear action gives users confidence and direction, minimizing drop-off.

Step 5: Preview Your Checklist

Click Preview to see how it looks in the product.

Why this matters: Testing ensures your checklist feels intuitive and visually aligned with your app’s experience.

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Pro Tips on User Onboarding Checklists

Here’s how you can make your checklist even better at keeping users engaged. 

• Keep it short: Focus on 3–5 critical steps that matter most for activation.
  
  
• Use clear language: Avoid jargon so users immediately understand what to do.
  
  
• Start with a quick win: Lead with an easy task to build momentum.
  
  
• Test and iterate: Review completion metrics to refine your checklist over time.
  
  
• Combine with tooltips: Reinforce checklist items with in-app guidance for extra clarity.

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Try It Yourself

Creating a simple onboarding checklist can dramatically improve activation and engagement.

Start building your own today and see how much faster new users reach value.

Get Started with Userflow