And that\u2019s where using product analytics<\/a> can help. In this guide, I\u2019ll walk you through:<\/p>\n Some friction points are necessary, like adding extra steps before canceling an account. It saves you from churn and lets your users think through their decisions. But the friction you didn\u2019t plan for? That\u2019s where problems lie.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s understand the types of friction that hinder user retention<\/a>:<\/p>\n As I mentioned earlier, a little bit of friction can actually be a good<\/em> thing. This makes “reducing friction” a deceptively tricky concept, especially with the abundance of product analytics data available to product teams today.<\/p>\n So, how do you pinpoint those moments of unwanted friction within your product? It starts with asking the right questions. Before you even open your analytics dashboard<\/a>, take a step back and consider:<\/p>\n Having such information in mind, here are the methods you can use for finding friction:<\/p>\n When you have a good understanding of your users’ jobs to be done<\/a>, you can start to identify potential friction points by tracking changes in feature usage.<\/p>\n If you see a sudden spike or drop in the usage<\/a> of a particular feature, it could signal interaction friction<\/em>. However, you’ll need a robust product analytics tool to monitor these fluctuations effectively.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how I typically do it in Userpilot: <\/em><\/p>\n We have these features called auto-capture<\/a> and visual labeler that allow you to record meaningful user actions automatically. This means you\u2019ll always have quantitative data readily<\/a> available for analysis.<\/p>\n If I ever spot sudden changes in product usage, I can easily click on the spike or drop in the chart to see exactly which event is causing the change. From there, I can explore a list of users who triggered that event and access their profile data, including session replays, survey responses, and more. This gives me valuable context to understand the “why” behind the change and identify any potential friction points.<\/p>\n When we map out the user journey, we often envision an ideal “happy path<\/a>” \u2013 the perfect sequence of steps users should take to achieve their goals. But in reality: Users interact with features in unexpected orders, skip steps, and sometimes forge their own paths entirely.<\/p>\n Take my experience with a note-taking app, for example. I was eager to try out the “recording summary” feature, so I jumped straight into it. I completely bypassed the “how to integrate with Google Calendar” step because I already knew how to do that.<\/p>\n That’s where path analysis<\/a> comes in. You can uncover those moments of cognitive friction \u2013 the points where users get lost, confused, or simply deviate from the intended path.<\/p>\n Userpilot\u2019s path analysis can help you visually map this out. For example, you can group users by sign up dates and see 10 steps users take after signing up.<\/p>\n Sometimes, the path users create for themselves is better than the one you designed. When that happens, listen to your users.<\/p>\n Funnels show you the drop-off points<\/a>, like signups that never finish onboarding or trial users who don’t even use the key feature.<\/p>\n Userpilot\u2019s funnel analysis helps<\/a> you identify trends and visualize user interactions. For instance, if 40% of users leave midway through a workflow, something in that stage needs rethinking. Don\u2019t assume the whole process is broken. Focus on the spot where most users give up.<\/p>\n This is exactly the challenge that Beable, a learning platform, was facing: They were struggling to demonstrate the value of their product to students, leading to low engagement and high drop-off rates. <\/em><\/p>\n By using Userpilot’s funnel analysis and survey features, Beable was able to pinpoint the friction points in their product flow and make targeted improvements. The result? A remarkable 77% increase in student participation!<\/p>\n Learn how Beable leveraged Userpilot Analytics to increase app engagement<\/a> in more detail!<\/p>\n Path and funnel analysis tell you where<\/em> users struggle during the customer journey. Session replays<\/a> give valuable insights into why.<\/em><\/p>\n With Userpilot, you can pull up the session history of individual users, watch the exact flow that led to a bug, and even share clips with your engineering team. This way, engineers, designers, and product managers can easily see and fix what went wrong without harming conversion rates.<\/p>\n You can even use timestamps and descriptive labels in your session clips. This makes it easier for cross-functional teams to understand the product data and prioritize the bug fix quickly.<\/p>\n Get a Demo<\/a><\/p>\n Okay, so you’ve identified some friction points in your product. Now what? It’s tempting to jump right into “fixing” things, but I’ve learned that the best approach is to take a breath and gather more information first.<\/p>\n Before you decide whether to remove friction points, talk to your users. With Userpilot, it\u2019s easy to trigger a targeted in-app survey<\/a> to users experiencing friction, like this one below:<\/p>\n Some friction points signal a deeper product issue that calls for a redesign or added functionality. Other times, your users just need a nudge, like a clearer tooltip or a better CTA. Here\u2019s how to handle both:<\/p>\n When I’m investigating user behavior and encounter friction points, I often notice areas where the product itself could be improved.<\/p>\n Here are a few scenarios where friction can help with product enhancements:<\/p>\n When you’re done with all the improvements, it’s important to keep your users in the loop. A simple in-app notification<\/a> can do the trick, like this:<\/p>\n Other times, friction isn’t about bugs or missing features; it’s simply about guiding users effectively through the complexities of your product.<\/p>\n This is especially true for those powerful, feature-rich products that are essential for users’ jobs to be done but might have a steep learning curve.<\/p>\n If you see users dropping off at certain points in the user journey, even though the functionality they need is present, it’s a sign that your in-app guidance<\/a> might need a tune-up.<\/p>\n Take RecruitNow, for example. Their product complexity was causing friction for new users, leading to high drop-off rates during onboarding.<\/p>\n Initially, RecruitNow relied heavily on face-to-face training sessions. However, as their customer base grew, this approach became unsustainable. They needed a more scalable solution to combat friction and improve user engagement.<\/p>\n By using Userpilot to create interactive walkthroughs<\/a>, video tutorials, and a resource center, RecruitNow was able to provide personalized in-app guidance<\/a> that addressed the specific needs of their users. They even used Userpilot’s localization features<\/a> to tailor the experience for different regions.<\/p>\n You can’t avoid friction entirely. It’s a natural part of the user experience. But it doesn’t have to be a drag<\/em>. With the right tools and strategies, you can effectively pinpoint friction to create a better experience for your users.<\/p>\n Userpilot equips you with everything you need to tackle friction head-on. From powerful product analytics software and personalized in-app guidance to user feedback tools, we help you leverage friction for product growth.<\/p>\n\n
What types of friction should you remove?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/the-hierarchy-of-friction_66d8cb9663b1e17a1a35dac8d0736ebc_800.webp)
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How to use product analytics to identify friction?<\/h3>\n
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1. <\/strong>Look at sudden changes in product usage<\/h3>\n
![\"analyze](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/product-usage_32ca1e877a6530ffb059da810bd946b9_800.jpg)
<\/picture><\/div>\n![\"analyze](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/examine-usage_5521390f4f2535d48203eb543ddf61c6_800.jpg)
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n2. <\/strong>Use path analysis to understand customer journey experience<\/h3>\n
![\"Path](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/new-signups-path-report_ca6c17597daedf1ecce5662dbee0da45_800.jpg)
<\/picture>3. <\/strong>Examine major funnel drop-offs for potential friction<\/h3>\n
![\"Userpilot\u2019s](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/funnel-analysis-userpilot_245c9570c819bf20c5995067d28866b3_800.jpg)
<\/picture>![\"Userpilot\u2019s](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/untitled-6_e7df6ff2477515b99a810795d8daa006_800.png)
<\/picture>4. <\/strong>Spot bugs and usability issues with session recordings<\/h3>\n
![\"Clicking](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/user-recording_3bf8c7bff060dc645da58e246b8e11cb_800.jpg)
<\/picture>![](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/usp-fav-dark.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/p>\nGet a Userpilot Trial and Learn How to Use Product Analytics to Remove Friction<\/h3>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/userpilot-features-preview.png\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhat should you do with friction?<\/h2>\n
![\"Example](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-13_ecd79501466adc9ff8771a298c5999b7_800.png)
<\/picture>Inform product improvements<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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![\"Creating](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/product-redesign-modal_9a1de74169d80ad941b438a6bac0c375_800.png)
<\/picture>Optimize existing in-app guidance<\/h3>\n
![\"Userpilot's](\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-12_9777b59cfb70b77fe49fde970c50581d_800.jpg)
<\/picture>Looking for a solution to manage user friction effectively?<\/h2>\n