Behavioral cohorts

Behavioral cohorts group users based on specific actions they take within a product during a defined timeframe. These actions might include completing an onboarding tutorial, making a first purchase, or reaching a certain usage threshold within their first month. This grouping reveals how early behaviors influence long-term engagement and success.^[1]

Product teams use behavioral cohorts to identify which initial actions correlate with higher retention and lifetime value. For instance, users who share content within their first week might show significantly higher engagement than those who don't. These insights help teams optimize early user experiences and guide new users toward high-value behaviors. Behavioral cohort analysis often uncovers critical “aha moments” — key actions or thresholds that indicate when users truly understand and embrace a product's value. By identifying these moments, teams can restructure user journeys to help more users reach these pivotal milestones quickly.

Focus on behaviors that directly relate to your product's core value proposition — these actions often serve as the strongest predictors of long-term user success. For example, in a fitness app, prioritize tracking workout completions and goal achievements over secondary behaviors like profile customization or social sharing.