User flow (often called "user flow") is a visual or logical representation of how a user moves through a website or application from input to final action. A typical example is a visitor's journey from the home page through the product page to the completion of an order. User flow helps to reveal how intuitive and efficient your website or app environment is.

How user flow works

User flow shows the steps a user takes and the interactions that lead them to their goal. It can be:

• Entry point - for example, coming from a search engine, advertisement or newsletter.
• Progress - individual pages or screens that the user visits.
• Decision points - moments when the user makes a decision (e.g. whether to add a product to the basket).
• Target action - conversion, i.e. form submission, purchase, registration or other key step.

Why user flow is important

1. Better understanding of user behaviour - shows how people actually use your website and where they may encounter problems.
2. Conversion optimization - by uncovering unnecessary steps or barriers, the path to the goal can be simplified.
3. Basis for redesign - when creating a new website, user flow helps to design a logical structure that meets the real needs of users.
4. More effective marketing - knowing where people go and what motivates them makes it easier to target campaigns in the right places.

How to create user flow

• Define the goal - for example, "the user must complete the purchase".
• Map all entry points - organic search, social networks, newsletter.
• Describe the steps and decision points - for example, entry to landing page, add to cart, select shipping, payment.
• Visualize the flow - use a simple diagram or wireframe.
• Test and optimise - track real-world behaviour with analytics tools and user testing.

How to track user flow

Tracking user flow is essential if you want to understand how people actually behave on your website. Different methods and tools are used for this:

• Google Analytics (GA4) - offers "Path exploration" or "User flow" reports where you can visualize where users come from and how they continue their journey through the web.
• Hotjar or Clarity - tools for heatmaps and user behaviour records. They help you see where people click, how they scroll and where they leave the page.
• A/B testing - Using tools like Google Optimize or Optimizely, you can track how different versions of a page affect user flow.
• Funnel analysis - focuses on a specific process (e.g. the ordering process) and shows where users drop out.
• User testing - Directly tracking people as they use the site will provide insight into issues that analytics may not detect.

By combining analytics tools with quality user testing, you get not only the data, but also the context for why users behave the way they do.

Examples

• E-shop - path from the homepage → product page → cart → payment.
• SaaS applications - registration → account settings → try the feature → upgrade to a paid plan.
• Blog - visitor comes from Google → reads the article → subscribes to the newsletter.

Summary

User flow is a key tool for understanding how people use your website or app. It allows you to identify weak points in the user journey, remove obstacles and increase conversion rates. A well-designed user flow leads to an easier to use website, happier users and better results for your business.