Users sign up but don't connect the integration they need
For products that depend on integrations, activation IS connecting the first one. Make it the very first step.
When to use
Your product requires an integration or data source to deliver value.
Hypothesis template
If we guide users to connect fill in: key integration during onboarding, activation will increase by fill in: target% because the integration is where value begins.
Method
The problem: Your product needs a data source or integration to be useful, but users skip it during setup and never come back to configure it.
How to do it:
- Identify which integration most users need first
- Make connecting it the FIRST step after signup, not step 5
- Show what they'll get: "Connect [service] to see your [data/insights]"
- Provide a one-click OAuth flow (no manual API keys)
- Show loading progress and first results immediately after connection
- If they skip, send a follow-up email: "Your dashboard is empty — connect [service] to get started"
Key insight: If your product needs data to show value, every second without data is a second the user questions why they signed up.
Success metrics
- •Integration connection rate
- •Time to first integration
- •Activation rate (connected vs not)
- •Retention by first integration type
Prerequisites
- OAuth or API integration with key services
- A clear flow for connecting during onboarding
- A compelling preview of what connected data looks like
Common pitfalls
- •Burying integration setup deep in settings
- •Requiring manual API key entry when OAuth exists
- •Not showing what the user gains from connecting
- •Not following up when users skip the integration step
Source: Zapier, Plausible. Products requiring integrations see 3-5x higher activation when the connection is step 1.
Suggested ICE scores
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