Practice 02.01 · Retention

Give users a reason to return

Retention is not about sending more messages. Users return when something personally useful has changed or when they can easily continue an unfinished action.

Practice outcomeA return-scenario card with its audience, useful trigger, message, deep link, exclusions, and outcome metric.

60 minutes for the first scenario

In plain language

First the reason, then the message

“Come back to the app” describes the team's goal, not the user's benefit. A good scenario starts with an event: a result is ready, a saved item changed, a specific step can be continued, or there is personal progress to see.

What you will need

SegmentOne clear group: did not finish verification, saved an item, or did not return after the first useful action.

ChannelPush, email, or an in-app banner that can exclude active users and those who already completed the action.

ScreenA working deep link straight to the right step, and a person responsible for testing the scenario.

Terms in plain language

When to use it

Users get their first value or start an important journey but do not come back, while generic messages produce opens without completed actions.

In plain language

Where to find a reason to return

Do not start with the notification copy. First find an unfinished or newly useful action for a specific group.

Retention report

Check D1/D7 for new users and find a group that got the first useful outcome but did not return, or stopped at one step.

Without a cohort report, take two weeks of users in one journey and compare manually who came back.

Events and interests

Use only confirmed actions: saved an item, started verification, opened a topic, or created a collection.

If there are no events, start with one server-side status the team can reliably update and exclude after completion.

The link and exclusions

Test the deep link on an installed and a freshly reopened app; exclude recently active users and those who already finished the action.

Until the deep link is ready, use an in-app message or an email with clear manual navigation.

Build one useful return scenario

Pick one audience

Describe people through a confirmed action and a time window, not a broad label like “all inactive.”

Where to do it: In the segmentation tool and the first row of the scenario card.
What the result looks like: Started verification, did not finish within 24 hours, has not opened the app in the last 12 hours.

Name a real reason

The reason must exist in the product: saved progress, a new result, a change in a followed item, or a ready next step.

Where to do it: In the trigger event and the message copy.
What the result looks like: The documents are saved; the user can continue from where they stopped without re-entering anything.

Add exclusions

Do not message people who already completed the action, returned recently, or received a similar message in another scenario.

Where to do it: In the segment rules before the send.
What the result looks like: Exclude completion=true, active_last_12h=true, and push_sent_last_48h=true.

Lead straight to the continuation

After the tap, open the promised screen and the saved step. The home screen makes the user search for their reason all over again.

Where to do it: In the deep link and the iOS/Android test plan.
What the result looks like: After sign-in, the document upload opens — not the home feed.

Measure the useful action

Look beyond delivery and opens. The main result is whether the user completed the action they returned for.

Where to do it: In the report 7–14 days after launch.
What the result looks like: Of 500 who got the message, 130 returned and 74 completed verification; compare with a similar group without the message.

Practical examples

Continue the saved step

After 24 hours the message goes only to those who started verification and did not finish. The deep link opens the saved document step; completed and recently active users are excluded.

Return to a personal interest

When a real update lands in a saved collection, the message names it and leads to that collection. Success is viewing the update — not merely opening the app.

The finished artifact

First return-scenario card

One scenario — one audience and one reason. Start with a small group so you can judge quality, not send volume.

Field	Decision	Check
Audience	Started verification, not finished within 24 hours	Completed and today-active users excluded
Reason	The saved step can be continued	The process state is actually saved
Message	Continue verification from the document step	No pressure or promises
Destination	Deep link to the document upload screen	Works after sign-in on iOS/Android
Success	Verification completed within 7 days	Compared with a similar group without the message

Before launch, run the scenario on a test account: the message arrives once, opens the saved step, and is never sent again after completion.

Build the return scenario

Fill in three fields — a draft message and launch conditions will appear on the right.

WhoStarted verification but did not finish it within 24 hours Why nowProgress is saved — the document step can be continued What to sayContinue verification from the saved step whenever it suits you.

Copy the completed example manually and adapt it to your scenario.

Message draft

Your appnow

Continue verification from the saved step whenever it suits you.

Audience: Started verification but did not finish it within 24 hours
Trigger: Progress is saved — the document step can be continued

Do not create pressure

Do not promise income, use fake urgency, or push for a deposit. The message should help continue a useful journey, not force the user back at any cost.

Launch checklist

Send the scenario to a test group first and walk the whole path yourself, from message to result.

The audience is described by an event and a period, not as “all inactive.” The reason to return actually exists in the product. Users who completed the action, were recently active, or got a similar push are excluded. The deep link opens the promised screen on iOS and Android. The main metric is the completed useful action, not just opening the app.

How to know the scenario helps

Return

The share of message recipients who came back within the chosen window.

Useful action

The share of returners who completed the promised journey after the tap.

Trust

Notification opt-outs, complaints, and repeat messages to users who already finished do not grow.

Do not optimize returns for app opens: success is a useful action after the return, with no rise in complaints and opt-outs.