Using MoEngage to Track Every Step of Onboarding

Why Event Tracking Matters

Many fintech teams know their headline metrics (X% signup completion) but not the detailed funnel. When your onboarding is 10+ steps, not knowing which step has the highest drop is like flying blind. Event tracking in MoEngage gives you real-time visibility into the entire flow.

The Core Events to Track

Awareness & Entry

• app_opened — User opens the app (baseline)
• signup_screen_viewed — User navigates to signup (shows intent)
• signup_started — User taps the signup button (commitment signal)

Authentication

• email_entered — User enters email
• otp_sent — OTP delivered successfully
• otp_verified — User completes email verification

KYC / Identity Verification

• kyc_step_1_started — Personal details form opened
• kyc_step_1_completed — Personal details submitted
• pan_verification_initiated — PAN check started
• pan_verification_completed — PAN matched or failed
• kyc_failed — Any KYC step failed (critical event)
• kyc_resubmitted — User retried after failure

Bank & Money

• bank_account_linked — User added a bank account
• first_deposit_initiated — User started deposit flow
• first_deposit_completed — Deposit succeeded
• account_verified — Full account activation (final conversion)

Setting Up Events in MoEngage

Step 1: Define Event Schema

Each event should have properties that let you segment later:

• kyc_step_1_completed with properties: source (iOS/Android), duration_seconds, field_count, error_count
• pan_verification_completed with properties: status (success/fail), retry_count, time_to_verify
• kyc_failed with properties: step (which step), error_type (format/verification), user_action (abandoned/retried)

Step 2: Instrument the App

Your dev team adds MoEngage SDK calls at each step. Example (pseudo-code):

MoEngage.trackEvent('kyc_step_1_completed', {
  'source': 'ios',
  'duration_seconds': 145,
  'field_count': 7,
  'error_count': 0
});

Step 3: Build Funnels in MoEngage

Create a funnel analysis:

1. app_opened
2. signup_started
3. otp_verified
4. kyc_step_1_completed
5. pan_verification_completed
6. bank_account_linked
7. first_deposit_completed
8. account_verified

Run this funnel daily. See the drop-off % at each step. If pan_verification shows 24% drop, you know where to fix.

Building Your Dashboard

Create a real-time dashboard in MoEngage with:

• Funnel Chart: Drop-off at each step, visualized
• Time-to-Conversion: Average time from app_opened to account_verified (segment by platform, cohort, etc.)
• Failure Metrics: What % of users hit kyc_failed? How many retry?
• Platform Breakdown: iOS vs Android drop rates (might differ significantly)
• Cohort Analysis: New users vs returning (returning might have faster onboarding)

Events to Trigger Automations

Beyond measurement, these events trigger journeys:

• kyc_failed → Send SMS/email: "PAN verification failed. Let's try again [link]"
• pan_verification_completed (success) → Send push: "Great! Next: verify your identity [link]"
• first_deposit_initiated → Send email: "Your deposit is being processed. Takes 5-10 minutes."
• account_verified → Send congratulations email + feature onboarding email

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Too Many Events

Track every micro-action (field focused, field blurred, etc.) and you'll drown in data. Stick to the 15–20 big moments.

2. Missing Context

Don't just track kyc_failed. Track which step, what error, how many retries. Context makes data actionable.

3. Forgetting Negative Events

Track successes but also failures, retries, and abandons. Negative events reveal problems.

4. Not Segmenting**

Run funnels by platform, cohort, and time of day. iOS might drop 15% at bank linking while Android drops 8%. This matters.

What to Look For

Once your funnel is live, check daily for:

• Step with >15% drop: Something is broken. Investigate.
• Retry patterns: If 30% of users retry kyc_step_1, the form is confusing.
• Time spikes: If avg time at pan_verification suddenly jumps from 30s to 2m, the verification service is slow.
• Platform divergence: If iOS drops 10% more than Android at bank linking, the UI is platform-specific broken.
• Cohort patterns: New vs returning users might have very different onboarding times (returning are faster, usually).

Connecting to Growth Actions

Once you see a problem (e.g., 22% drop at pan_verification), this is your signal to deploy the playbooks in this series—improve error messages, add help content, etc. Then re-measure. If the fix worked, the funnel improves. If not, dig deeper.

Summary

Event tracking in MoEngage transforms onboarding from a black box into a clear, measurable funnel. You see exactly where users quit. You measure the impact of fixes. You automate responses to failures. It's the infrastructure that makes all the other playbooks possible.