Onboarding feedback survey template
An onboarding feedback survey template covering setup status, time to first value, early friction, ease, and satisfaction.
Questions and setup
Customize the placeholders and apply the setup notes in the study builder before launch.
- 01
Multiple Choice
When did you first begin using [Product]?
- Less than 7 days ago
- 7-14 days ago
- 15-30 days ago
- More than 30 days ago
- I have not used it
Setup: For a two-week onboarding study, qualify 7-14 days and route other cohorts out or analyze them separately.
- 02
Multiple Choice
Which best describes your setup status?
- Completed all required steps
- Completed some steps
- Have not started
- Not sure what setup requires
- 03
AI Question
What were you hoping to accomplish when you started using [Product]?
Setup: Allow one follow-up focused on the concrete job or outcome, not general feature expectations.
- 04
Multiple Choice
How long after signing up did [Product] first help you accomplish something useful?
- The same day
- 2-3 days
- 4-7 days
- More than 7 days
- It has not yet
- Not sure
Setup: Use this as the primary time-to-value measure. Analyze “It has not yet” separately.
- 05
AI Question
Tell me about the first time [Product] helped you accomplish something useful. What were you trying to do, and what happened?
Setup: Show when the participant reports reaching value; allow up to two follow-ups to establish the event and outcome.
- 06
AI Question
What have you been trying to accomplish, and what, if anything, has prevented [Product] from helping yet?
Setup: Show when the participant selects “It has not yet”; allow up to two follow-ups about attempted steps and blockers.
- 07
Multiple Choice
Which parts, if any, required more effort than expected? Select all that apply.
- Account and workspace setup
- Finding the right next step
- Learning the core features
- Inviting or coordinating with my team
- Connecting other tools or data
- None of these
Setup: Enable multi-select and the built-in Other response, randomize substantive options, and keep None of these last. Do not accept None with another choice.
- 08
Rating Scale
Overall, how easy or difficult was it to get [Product] ready for your first intended use?
Setup: Use a 1-5 scale from Very difficult to Very easy.
- 09
Rating Scale
Overall, how satisfied are you with your experience getting started with [Product]?
Setup: Use a 1-5 scale from Very dissatisfied to Very satisfied.
- 10
AI Question
What is the main reason for your satisfaction rating?
Setup: Allow one neutral follow-up for a specific example.
- 11
AI Question
What, if anything, should we change about getting started with [Product]?
Setup: Allow one follow-up to clarify the affected step and desired outcome.
This onboarding feedback survey examines setup completion, time to first value, and early friction as separate measures. It is designed for users early in their lifecycle and checks whether a completed setup led to a meaningful outcome.
What this template measures
The template starts with cohort timing and setup status, then asks what the user came to accomplish and measures how long it took to reach a useful outcome. Separate AI Question branches capture either the first-value event or the blockers preventing it, so people who have not reached value are not asked to invent a success story.
A multi-select friction question identifies every stage that required unexpected effort. Ease and satisfaction are measured separately on anchored scales, followed by a neutral reason question and one improvement prompt. NPS is intentionally omitted because the study focuses on the onboarding experience participants have completed.
Who it's for
This template is for product, growth, and customer success teams running a recurring onboarding review, as well as product managers evaluating a new first-run flow before the trial-to-paid decision window closes. Segment results by plan tier or acquisition channel to compare friction for self-serve and sales-assisted signups during their first two weeks.
How the AI moderator probes
The AI moderator follows one-word answers such as "smooth" or "confusing" with a request for specifics. If someone says setup was smooth, it asks what contributed to that experience. If someone says they got stuck, it asks where in the flow that happened and what they tried before giving up.
Add interviewer notes to direct probing toward a feature you recently changed or a step you suspect is causing drop-off. AI follow-up questions explains how the moderator chooses the next question.
Tips before you launch
Replace the "[Product]" placeholder throughout before sending this out. Embed the survey inside the product with the embed SDK so it reaches users automatically once they cross the one-to-two-week mark, or send it through email outreach yourself around that same window.
Add explicit logic on the time-to-value question so respondents see either the first-value prompt or the blocker prompt, then return both branches to the shared friction question. How to write screener questions that actually screen provides guidance for refining the cohort filter. Compare time-to-value and satisfaction by setup status before combining the open-ended themes.
Frequently asked questions
When should you send an onboarding feedback survey?
One to two weeks after first use is a useful starting point: people have enough experience to describe the flow while the first-value journey is still fresh. Adjust the window to match your product’s natural setup cycle.
Why include both a rating scale and AI-moderated questions?
The rating scale provides a chartable ease-of-setup score to track over time. The AI-moderated questions capture the reasons behind that score.
Should you survey users who never finished onboarding?
Yes. They are often your most useful respondents: the setup-status question identifies them, and the time-to-value branch captures what they were trying to accomplish and what prevented progress.
Can you send this automatically after signup?
Use the embed SDK and your own code to trigger the survey inside the product once a user reaches the one-to-two-week mark. Email outreach is sent manually; customize the questions and AI interviewer notes in the study builder before sending.
Full reference
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