User flow
A user flow is a visual representation of the path a user takes through a website or app to complete a specific task, such as placing an order, signing up, or submitting an inquiry. It is most often shown as a diagram with decision points, screens, and actions. Unlike a user journey, which captures the overall experience including emotions, a user flow focuses on specific interactions within a single product.
Optimizing user flows directly affects conversions and business results. Once you understand how users actually move through your website, you can remove unnecessary steps and obstacles:
- Complex processes cost money: Baymard Institute found that the average US e-commerce checkout flow has 11.3 form elements, while the optimal number is just 7–8 fields. A full 22% of shoppers abandon a purchase because the process is too long. By improving its checkout flow alone, the average e-commerce site can increase its conversion rate by 35.26% (Baymard Institute – Checkout Usability, 2024)
- Good workflow design is key: Nielsen Norman Group emphasizes that effective workflow design rests on a simple principle—things need to happen when the user expects them to. Mapping user flows with wireflows lets teams spot problem areas before development starts (NNGroup – Wireflows, 2016)
- Investing in UX pays off: McKinsey tracked 300 publicly listed companies over 5 years. Companies in the top quartile of the McKinsey Design Index achieved 32 percentage points higher revenue growth and 56 percentage points higher total returns to shareholders (McKinsey – The Business Value of Design, 2018)
- Cart abandonment remains high: on average, 70.19% of online shopping carts are abandoned, based on a meta-analysis of 49 independent studies. An optimized user flow is one of the most effective ways to bring that number down (Baymard Institute – Cart Abandonment Statistics, 2024)
FAQ
What's the difference between a user flow and a user journey?
A user flow captures specific steps and interactions within a product—for example, the path from a product page through the cart to payment. A user journey is a broader view that also includes emotions, motivations, and touchpoints across channels. According to Nielsen Norman Group, a user flow is granular and focused on a single goal, while a journey maps the overall experience (NNGroup – User Journeys vs. User Flows, 2023).
How do you map a user flow?
The most reliable method is usability testing—observing real users as they complete tasks. NNGroup recommends not relying solely on interviews and surveys, but observing users directly in the context of their work. The output is usually a flowchart, a wireflow, or a hierarchical task analysis (NNGroup – Task Analysis).
How many steps should an ideal user flow have?
It depends on the context, but in general, the fewer the better. Baymard Institute has shown that a checkout flow can be reduced to just 12 form elements (7 fields, 2 checkboxes, 2 dropdowns, and 1 radio button). Every unnecessary step increases the chance that the user won't finish the process (Baymard Institute – Checkout Form Fields, 2024).
Sources:
- Baymard Institute – Checkout Usability (2024) – 25 rounds of qualitative testing, 4,400+ participants, benchmark of 327 e-commerce sites
- Baymard Institute – Cart Abandonment Rate Statistics (2024) – meta-analysis of 49 independent studies
- NNGroup – Wireflows (2016) – evidence-based recommendations for documenting user flows
- NNGroup – User Journeys vs. User Flows (2023) – comparison of key UX deliverables
- McKinsey – The Business Value of Design (2018) – 5-year study of 300 companies
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