In-app guides and messages

In-app guides are small pieces of guidance that appear inside your product while someone uses it. Examples are a step-by-step tour for new users, a checklist of first tasks, a tooltip that explains a button, or an announcement of a new feature. Userpilot, Gainsight and ChurnZero are examples of tools that let non-developers build these.

Many users leave because they never find the feature that would have helped them. Guidance placed at the right moment helps them get started and reduces support questions. It matters most for products with several steps or many features. It matters less for very simple products, or for companies that do not run their own product. Too many pop-ups annoy users, so it takes care to show them only to the right people.

• Can you build and publish guides without a developer?
• Can you show guides only to certain users, such as new accounts?
• Do reports show how many people finished a guide?
• Does the tool slow down your product or break when your design changes?