When you set a funnel to "Any Order" in Mixpanel and apply an inline filter (e.g., UTM Source) to one of the events, only that specific step is filtered by the UTM source, not the entire funnel. This means that users can enter the funnel by completing any of the steps (in any order), but only the step with the UTM filter will require the event to have that UTM source. The other steps will not be restricted to that UTM source unless you explicitly add the same filter to them as well.
If your goal is to analyze the onboarding funnel steps specifically for users who came from a particular partner URL (i.e., a specific UTM source), you have two main options:
1. Apply a Global Filter:
Use a global filter for the UTM source. This will restrict the entire funnel to users/events with that UTM source, regardless of the step. This is the most straightforward way to ensure all funnel steps are for users from that partner URL. The global filter is applied post-query and will filter out any funnel entries that do not match the UTM source, based on the property attribution you select (e.g., "First Step Defined") see Filters.
2. Anchor the UTM-Filtered Event as the First Step:
If you want to ensure that only users who first entered via the specific UTM source are included, you can anchor the event with the UTM source as the first step in your funnel. This way, only users who start the funnel with that UTM source will be included, and subsequent steps will be for those users only. This is especially relevant in "Any Order" funnels, where anchoring a step ensures it must be completed first see Ordering.
Summary:
- Inline filters only apply to the step they are set on, not the whole funnel.
- To restrict the entire funnel to a specific UTM source, use a global filter or anchor the UTM-filtered event as the first step.
- Anchoring is necessary in "Any Order" funnels if you want the UTM source to be the entry point for all users in the funnel.
For your use case—seeing onboarding funnel steps for users from a specific partner URL—using a global filter for the UTM source or anchoring the UTM-filtered event as the first step are both valid approaches, depending on whether you want to allow for any step order or require the UTM event to be the entry point.
References:
- Funnels Advanced: Filters
- Funnels Advanced: Ordering
