To create a funnel in Mixpanel, open the Funnels report and add the events in the order users should do them. Choose a measurement (unique conversion rate is the default), then add filters and breakdowns and pick a visualisation. A funnel is a sequence of events done within a defined time period.
A funnel answers one question: of the people who started, how many finished, and where did the rest drop off? Mixpanel builds that from your events, so the main job is choosing the right steps in the right order.
What Mixpanel counts as a conversion
In Mixpanel, a funnel is a sequence of events done within a defined period of time. A converted user is one who triggers the funnel events, in the specified order, within that period. Someone who adds a product and then views it doesn't count as moving forward, because the order matters.
The building block is a Funnel Behavior, where you add one event per step. Combine that behaviour with a measurement and you get a Metric, which you can save and reuse in other reports such as Insights.
The example funnel from Mixpanel's docs
| Step | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | Product Viewed |
| 2 | Product Added |
| 3 | Checkout Started |
| 4 | Purchase Completed |
It's a classic ecommerce journey, and a good template for your own. Swap in the events that match your product, such as Sign Up Started and Sign Up Completed for a software trial.
Building the funnel
1. Define the Funnel Behavior
Add one event per step, in the order users should do them. This sequence inside a time window is what defines a conversion, so it's worth getting right before you look at any numbers.
2. Choose the measurement
The report selects unique conversion rate by default, and that's the right place to start. The behaviour plus the measurement forms the metric you can save and reuse.
3. Add filters
A filter narrows the funnel to the users you care about. The docs' example adds a Platform filter set to iOS Native, which keeps other platforms out of the conversion numbers.
4. Add a breakdown
A breakdown splits the funnel into groups, which is where it gets interesting. The example breaks it down by UTM Medium, so you can compare how each marketing medium converts.
5. Pick a visualisation
Select Funnel Steps in the top right. It's the view you'll use most, showing how users progress through each step and where they drop off.
6. Save it for reuse
Use the ... button on the metric to save the behaviour if you want to reuse it in other reports.
Saving the behaviour or the metric
Mixpanel Docs' Funnels Quickstart draws a line here that's easy to miss. Saving a behaviour and saving a metric aren't the same thing. A saved behaviour keeps only the events and funnel setup. A saved metric keeps the saved behaviour plus its measurement. Pick the one you need before you save, or reports that reuse it may not show the measurement you expected.
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Reading the drop-off
Once the Funnel Steps view is up, look for the biggest fall between two steps. That's where to start. If the breakdown shows one UTM Medium converting far worse than the others, it's often the traffic rather than the page. If every medium drops at the same step, the step itself needs work. For a checklist of fixes at the checkout end, my ecommerce conversion checklist is a practical companion.
How Amplitude and PostHog build funnels
Amplitude lets you set whether users must complete funnel steps in this order, any order or exact order, and treats a converted user as one who triggers the specified events in order. In PostHog you create a funnel from Product Analytics, the + New Insights tab and the Funnel option, and you can combine several events into one step with inline combination. For a wider look, see my roundup of data analytics tools.
My advice for your first Mixpanel funnel
Keep it to four or five steps that match a real journey, in the order people take them. Add one filter and one breakdown, look at Funnel Steps for the biggest drop, and fix that first. When you're happy with it, save the metric rather than just the behaviour if you'll want the conversion rate in other reports.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a funnel in Mixpanel?
A sequence of events done within a defined period of time; a converted user triggers them in the specified order within that period.
What does the Funnels report measure by default?
The unique conversion rate of the funnel.
Can I reuse a funnel in other reports?
Yes. Save the Funnel Behavior or the metric and reuse it, for example in the Insights report.
Can I filter or break down a funnel?
Yes. The docs add a Platform filter and a UTM Medium breakdown in the example.
Are there other tools that build funnels?
Yes. Amplitude and PostHog both have funnel analysis, with order options in Amplitude and inline event combination in PostHog.
