What Belongs in an Onboarding Flow?
An onboarding flow is a sequence of tasks that guide new users through the key actions needed to get started. Each task represents one clear step in the user’s first-time experience.
A strong onboarding flow includes only what users need right away—not everything they’ll eventually do inside your product.
Why Selecting the Right Tasks Matters
Choosing the right onboarding tasks helps you:
Deliver clarity and momentum
Prevent overwhelm
Increase first-session engagement
Ensure users accomplish meaningful actions
Establish consistent success pathways for all new users
Your onboarding flow should focus on activation, not full product mastery.
Types of Tasks You Can Include
CustomerHub onboarding tasks support a variety of content and actions:
Text instructions
Videos or audio
Links to pages or lessons
File downloads
Admin-completed tasks
User-completed tasks
Prerequisite tasks (unlock sequence)
Reminder notifications
Use these options to build a clear, actionable user journey.
How to Decide What Belongs in Your Onboarding Flow
Identify the essential actions that support your onboarding goal
Each task should move users closer to completing your onboarding goal from Article #1.Break actions into simple, single-step tasks
Avoid combining multiple actions into one task. One task = one action.Choose only what users need during their first session
Everything else can happen inside your product content or later in their journey.Ensure each task is achievable in 1–3 minutes
Short tasks maintain momentum and reduce friction.Order tasks logically
Early tasks should be simple and confidence-building, with prerequisites applied as needed.
Examples of Tasks That Belong in an Onboarding Flow
Product-agnostic tasks:
Watch a welcome message
Complete your profile
Choose your path or level
Review a quick-start checklist
Confirm your email or account settings
Membership-specific tasks:
View the Start Here page
Mark the first quick-win lesson as complete
Explore the membership dashboard
Course-specific tasks:
Watch the course overview
Complete the first lesson
Download the starter worksheet
Examples of What Does NOT Belong in an Onboarding Flow
Avoid including tasks that:
Are time-intensive
Require multi-step instructions
Depend on content outside the first session
Are optional or nice-to-have
Are better suited for ongoing membership engagement or deeper learning
Your onboarding flow should feel quick, clear, and instantly valuable.
Tips for Choosing the Right Tasks
Keep the task list short (3–7 tasks total)
Use clear action-oriented names
Avoid overwhelming users with long videos or reading
Ensure tasks connect directly to your onboarding goal
Combine guidance (text) with action (task completion)
FAQ
How many tasks should my onboarding flow include?
Most onboarding experiences work best with 3–7 tasks, depending on your goal.
Should I include tasks that depend on other parts of my product?
Only if they directly support the onboarding goal and are immediately actionable.
Can I update or add tasks later?
Yes. You can edit, reorder, or expand your onboarding flow at any time.