Product Analytics
Retention
Measure how many users return over time
Retention analysis shows how many users come back to your site over time, revealing whether users find lasting value.
Understanding Cohorts
A cohort is a group of users who share a common start date. For example, all users who first visited on January 15th form one cohort.
Reading the Retention Table
Rows
Each row is a different cohort, grouped by first visit date.
Columns
- Day/Week 0 - Starting point (always 100%)
- Day/Week 1, 2, 3... - Users who returned after that period
Numbers
Percentages show what portion of the original cohort returned. 40% in the "Day 7" column means 40% of users came back after a week.
Color Coding
- Lighter colors = higher retention
- Darker colors = more drop-off
Key Insights
- Day 1 retention - Did users find enough value to return the next day?
- Day 7 retention - Did users integrate your product into their routine?
- Day 30 retention - Have users formed a habit?
Common Patterns
- Cliff drop - Sharp decline in first few days indicates onboarding issues
- Steady decline - Gradual drop suggests novelty wearing off
- Plateau - When retention levels off, you've found your core users
Note on User ID Salting
If User ID Salting is enabled, retention beyond 24 hours becomes less accurate since user identifiers reset daily.