Abandonment Rate

Abandonment rate is the share of users who begin a flow but leave before completing it: users who started minus users who completed, divided by users who started. It is the mirror image of [[conversion-rate]] for that flow — if a checkout converts at 70%, its abandonment rate is 30% — but framing it as abandonment keeps the focus on the leak rather than the win.

Where abandonment matters most in apps

• PaywallGlossaryPaywallThe in-app screen that asks the user to subscribe or buy — the single most revenue-sensitive surface in a subscription app. to purchase — users who view the [[paywall]] but do not buy.
• Free trialGlossaryFree TrialA subscription introductory offer that grants the user free access for a fixed window (typically 3, 7, or 14 days) before automatic conversion to the paid period. to conversion — trial starters who never convert; see [[trial-conversion]].
• Checkout / IAPGlossaryIn-App Purchase (IAP)Any purchase made inside an app after installation — consumables, non-consumables, or subscriptions. Processed by Apple or Google, who take a 15-30% commission. — an [[iap]] started at the StoreKit or Billing sheet but not confirmed.
• OnboardingGlossaryOnboardingThe first-time user experience that guides new installs from app launch to the "aha moment" — where they understand the product's value and become more likely to ret... to activationGlossaryActivationThe percentage of installs who complete a defined "activation event" — the action that converts a passive install into an active user. — users who begin [[onboarding]] but never reach [[activation]].

The drivers are borrowed from e-commerce cart abandonment but adapted to app purchase flows: too many steps, forced account creation, a price-to-value mismatch surfaced too late, payment friction, trust gaps, or outright technical errors on the purchase. One app-specific wrinkle is that part of the drop happens on the platform's own payment sheet (Apple StoreKit, Google Play Billing), which you can influence but not fully control.

Reducing it starts with measuring step by step — a single funnel percentage hides which step bleeds users. From there: cut steps and required fields, surface value at the exact moment of friction, [[a-b-testing]] the paywall and its trigger timing, and use [[re-engagementGlossaryRe-EngagementMarketing activity aimed at bringing lapsed users back to the app — through push, email, retargeting ads, deep-linked notifications.]] flows that bring abandoners back to a flow they already started.