User state transitions

User state transitions show how customers move between different stages of engagement with your product. Think of states as different levels of involvement: visitor, free trial user, paying customer, or inactive user. Tracking these changes helps understand how users progress or drop off. Each transition between states tells an important story. For example, moving from free trial to paid customer is a positive transition, while going from active to inactive signals potential churn. By measuring how long users stay in each state and what triggers changes, you can spot patterns that lead to success or problems.

Understanding these patterns helps you take action at the right time. If users often become inactive after 3 months, you can plan engagement activities at month two. Similarly, if most successful customers upgrade within the first week of their trial, you can focus on making that first week experience better.