Analytics

What is Cohort Analysis?

Q: What is Cohort Analysis?

A technique that groups users by shared characteristics or time periods to compare behavior patterns over time.

Cohort analysis divides users into groups (cohorts) based on a shared attribute — most commonly the date they signed up or first used a feature — and then tracks how each cohort behaves over subsequent time periods.

This approach reveals whether your product is improving over time. If newer cohorts retain better than older ones, your recent changes are working. If retention is declining, something needs attention.

Common cohort types include acquisition cohorts (grouped by sign-up date), behavioral cohorts (grouped by a specific action they took), and segment cohorts (grouped by attributes like plan type or geography).

Example

You compare January signups vs. February signups and find that February users have 15% higher 30-day retention. Investigating further, you discover a new onboarding flow launched in February is driving the improvement.

Related Terms

Retention Rate

The percentage of users who return to your product after their first visit within a given time period.

Funnel Analysis

A method of analyzing the sequential steps users take toward a goal, identifying where they drop off.

DAU/MAU Ratio

The ratio of daily active users to monthly active users, indicating how often users engage with your product.

Track events with Kitbase

Capture custom events, analyze user behavior, and build funnels — all with a lightweight, privacy-friendly SDK.

Explore Event Tracking