Understanding First App Open vs. First Time Filter in Kapa.ai

Rinitha R. · 2025-02-10T07:43:47.893Z

What's the difference the First App Open event and the 'First Time Filter' since they give different values?

Understanding First App Open vs. First Time Filter in Kapa.ai | Mixpanel Community

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kapa.ai
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The First App Open event and the First Time Filter in Mixpanel serve different purposes and can indeed give different values. Let me explain the key differences: 1. First App Open event: This is an automatically tracked event in Mixpanel's mobile SDKs (though it's not recommended to enable it). It tracks the first time a user opens the app. According to the Mixpanel SDKs: iOS (Swift) documentation, this event: - Is named "$ae_first_open" - Tracks the first time the user has opened the app - Is retriggered if the user reinstalls the app or clears local storage - Also sets a user property "First App Open Date" ($ae_first_app_open_date)2. First Time Filter: This is an analysis feature in Mixpanel that allows you to filter any event to only the first time it's performed by a user. As explained in the Analyzing First Time Users documentation: - It can be applied to any event, not just app opens - It's computed on-the-fly by scanning each user's history - It determines if an event instance was the first time that user performed that specific eventThe key differences are: 1. Scope: First App Open is specific to app launches, while First Time Filter can be applied to any event. 2. Calculation: First App Open is tracked as it happens, while First Time Filter is calculated retrospectively during analysis. 3. Resetting: First App Open can be retriggered by reinstalls or storage clearing, while First Time Filter always looks at the first occurrence in the available data. 4. Flexibility: First Time Filter is more flexible as it can be applied to any event during analysis, not just app opens.These differences can lead to discrepancies in values. For example, if a user reinstalls the app, you might see a new First App Open event, but the First Time Filter on a custom event would still show the very first occurrence, even if it was before the reinstall.For more accurate and flexible analysis of first-time behaviors, it's generally recommended to use the First Time Filter rather than relying on automatically tracked events. As noted in the Learn to Use Mixpanel: Tracking First Time Users video, analyzing first-time users can provide valuable insights into user experience and conversion that aren't readily available when looking at all users simultaneously.
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Rinitha R.
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kapa.ai so to track user flow for registered users, I shouldn't use first app open?
kapa.ai
APP
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·
Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! 📚
kapa.ai
APP
·
·
Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! 📚
kapa.ai
APP
·
·
You're correct in thinking that the First App Open event may not be the best choice for tracking user flow for registered users. Let me explain why and suggest a better approach: 1. First App Open limitations: As mentioned in the Mixpanel SDKs: iOS (Swift) documentation, the First App Open event ($ae_first_open) is part of the legacy automatically tracked events, which are not recommended for use. This event only tracks the very first time a user opens the app, and it can be retriggered if the user reinstalls the app or clears local storage. This makes it unreliable for tracking registered users' flows.2. Better approach for registered users: For tracking user flow for registered users, it's better to use a combination of custom events and proper user identification. Here's what you should consider: a. User Identification: As explained in the Identifying Users (Original) documentation, you should: - Call .identify() upon registration/login or when an app is re-opened in a logged-in state. - This ensures that all events in the session are tracked with the user's identifier.b. Custom Events: Instead of relying on automatically tracked events, create custom events that are more relevant to your user flow. For example, you might want to track events like "User Logged In", "Profile Viewed", or "Feature Used".c. Flows Report: Use Mixpanel's Flows report to analyze the user flow. This report allows you to "identify the most frequent paths taken by users to or from any event." You can use it to understand how your registered users navigate through your app.For example, you could set up a flow starting with the "User Logged In" event to see what actions registered users typically take after logging in.By using this approach, you'll get a more accurate and meaningful representation of your registered users' behavior and flow through your app. Remember, as stated in the What to Track documentation, it's important to choose events that represent key actions or value moments in your app, rather than relying on automatically tracked events that might not provide the insights you need.
kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.
ℹ️ Tip: Mention @kapa.ai in the thread for follow-ups or DM the app for 1-to-1 help.
kapa.ai
APP
·
·
You're correct in thinking that the First App Open event may not be the best choice for tracking user flow for registered users. Let me explain why and suggest a better approach: 1. First App Open limitations: The First App Open event ($ae_first_open) is part of Mixpanel's legacy automatically tracked events, which are not recommended for use. According to the Mixpanel SDKs: iOS (Swift) documentation, these events "rely on client-side state and can be unreliable." The documentation explicitly states, "We don't recommend enabling this, as these events rely on client-side state and can be unreliable."2. Better approach for registered users: For tracking user flow for registered users, it's better to use custom events that you define and track server-side. This approach is more reliable and gives you more control over what you're tracking. Here are some best practices for tracking registered users: a. Use the identify() method: As mentioned in the Identify Users documentation, you should "call .identify(<user_id> ) when a user logs in and .reset() when they log out. Mixpanel will automatically stitch the user journey across logged out and logged in."b. Track a "Sign Up" event: The What to Track documentation recommends tracking a "Sign Up" event as one of the two essential events to start with. This event can help you understand your product's growth and new user acquisition.c. Track a "Value Moment" event: The same documentation suggests tracking a key action that represents when users get value from your product. For a messaging app, this could be "Message Sent" or "Conversation Started".d. Use server-side tracking: The What to Track documentation strongly recommends server-side tracking: "If you want to make sure the data you're collecting is accurate, you'll want to do most of your tracking server-side."By following these practices, you'll have a more reliable and meaningful way to track user flow for registered users, rather than relying on the First App Open event.For analyzing user flows, you can use Mixpanel's Flows report, which allows you to "identify the most frequent paths taken by users to or from any event" and "understand how your users sequentially perform events in your product."Remember, the key is to define and track events that are meaningful to your specific user journey, rather than relying on automatically tracked events that may not accurately represent your registered users' behavior.
kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.
ℹ️ Tip: Mention @kapa.ai in the thread for follow-ups or DM the app for 1-to-1 help.
kapa.ai
APP
·
·
Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! 📚
kapa.ai
APP
·
·
You're absolutely correct. For tracking user flow for registered users, you should not use the First App Open event. Let me reiterate and clarify why: 1. First App Open limitations: As mentioned in the Mixpanel SDKs: iOS (Swift) documentation, the First App Open event ($ae_first_open) is part of Mixpanel's legacy automatically tracked events. The documentation explicitly states: "We don't recommend enabling this, as these events rely on client-side state and can be unreliable."2. Better approach for registered users: Instead of using First App Open, you should focus on custom events and proper user identification for tracking registered users' flow. Here's what you should do: a. User Identification: As per the Identifying Users (Original) documentation, you should: - Call .identify() upon registration/login or when an app is re-opened in a logged-in state. - This ensures that all events in the session are tracked with the user's identifier.b. Custom Events: Create and track custom events that are relevant to your registered users' journey. For example, "User Logged In", "Profile Viewed", or specific actions within your app.c. Flows Report: Use Mixpanel's Flows report to analyze the user flow. This report allows you to "identify the most frequent paths taken by users to or from any event." You can use it to understand how your registered users navigate through your app after logging in.By using this approach, you'll get a more accurate and meaningful representation of your registered users' behavior and flow through your app. This method aligns with Mixpanel's best practices and will provide you with more reliable and actionable insights about your registered users' behavior.
kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.
ℹ️ Tip: Mention @kapa.ai in the thread for follow-ups or DM the app for 1-to-1 help.

kapa.ai
APP
·
·
The First App Open event and the First Time Filter in Mixpanel serve different purposes and can indeed give different values. Let me explain the key differences: 1. First App Open event: This is an automatically tracked event in Mixpanel's mobile SDKs (though it's not recommended to enable it). It tracks the first time a user opens the app. According to the Mixpanel SDKs: iOS (Swift) documentation, this event: - Is named "$ae_first_open" - Tracks the first time the user has opened the app - Is retriggered if the user reinstalls the app or clears local storage - Also sets a user property "First App Open Date" ($ae_first_app_open_date)2. First Time Filter: This is an analysis feature in Mixpanel that allows you to filter any event to only the first time it's performed by a user. As explained in the Analyzing First Time Users documentation: - It can be applied to any event, not just app opens - It's computed on-the-fly by scanning each user's history - It determines if an event instance was the first time that user performed that specific eventThe key differences are: 1. Scope: First App Open is specific to app launches, while First Time Filter can be applied to any event. 2. Calculation: First App Open is tracked as it happens, while First Time Filter is calculated retrospectively during analysis. 3. Resetting: First App Open can be retriggered by reinstalls or storage clearing, while First Time Filter always looks at the first occurrence in the available data. 4. Flexibility: First Time Filter is more flexible as it can be applied to any event during analysis, not just app opens.These differences can lead to discrepancies in values. For example, if a user reinstalls the app, you might see a new First App Open event, but the First Time Filter on a custom event would still show the very first occurrence, even if it was before the reinstall.For more accurate and flexible analysis of first-time behaviors, it's generally recommended to use the First Time Filter rather than relying on automatically tracked events. As noted in the Learn to Use Mixpanel: Tracking First Time Users video, analyzing first-time users can provide valuable insights into user experience and conversion that aren't readily available when looking at all users simultaneously.
kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.
ℹ️ Tip: Mention @kapa.ai in the thread for follow-ups or DM the app for 1-to-1 help.
Rinitha R.
·
·
kapa.ai so to track user flow for registered users, I shouldn't use first app open?
kapa.ai
APP
·
·
Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! 📚
kapa.ai
APP
·
·
Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! 📚
kapa.ai
APP
·
·
You're correct in thinking that the First App Open event may not be the best choice for tracking user flow for registered users. Let me explain why and suggest a better approach: 1. First App Open limitations: As mentioned in the Mixpanel SDKs: iOS (Swift) documentation, the First App Open event ($ae_first_open) is part of the legacy automatically tracked events, which are not recommended for use. This event only tracks the very first time a user opens the app, and it can be retriggered if the user reinstalls the app or clears local storage. This makes it unreliable for tracking registered users' flows.2. Better approach for registered users: For tracking user flow for registered users, it's better to use a combination of custom events and proper user identification. Here's what you should consider: a. User Identification: As explained in the Identifying Users (Original) documentation, you should: - Call .identify() upon registration/login or when an app is re-opened in a logged-in state. - This ensures that all events in the session are tracked with the user's identifier.b. Custom Events: Instead of relying on automatically tracked events, create custom events that are more relevant to your user flow. For example, you might want to track events like "User Logged In", "Profile Viewed", or "Feature Used".c. Flows Report: Use Mixpanel's Flows report to analyze the user flow. This report allows you to "identify the most frequent paths taken by users to or from any event." You can use it to understand how your registered users navigate through your app.For example, you could set up a flow starting with the "User Logged In" event to see what actions registered users typically take after logging in.By using this approach, you'll get a more accurate and meaningful representation of your registered users' behavior and flow through your app. Remember, as stated in the What to Track documentation, it's important to choose events that represent key actions or value moments in your app, rather than relying on automatically tracked events that might not provide the insights you need.
kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.
ℹ️ Tip: Mention @kapa.ai in the thread for follow-ups or DM the app for 1-to-1 help.
kapa.ai
APP
·
·
You're correct in thinking that the First App Open event may not be the best choice for tracking user flow for registered users. Let me explain why and suggest a better approach: 1. First App Open limitations: The First App Open event ($ae_first_open) is part of Mixpanel's legacy automatically tracked events, which are not recommended for use. According to the Mixpanel SDKs: iOS (Swift) documentation, these events "rely on client-side state and can be unreliable." The documentation explicitly states, "We don't recommend enabling this, as these events rely on client-side state and can be unreliable."2. Better approach for registered users: For tracking user flow for registered users, it's better to use custom events that you define and track server-side. This approach is more reliable and gives you more control over what you're tracking. Here are some best practices for tracking registered users: a. Use the identify() method: As mentioned in the Identify Users documentation, you should "call .identify(<user_id> ) when a user logs in and .reset() when they log out. Mixpanel will automatically stitch the user journey across logged out and logged in."b. Track a "Sign Up" event: The What to Track documentation recommends tracking a "Sign Up" event as one of the two essential events to start with. This event can help you understand your product's growth and new user acquisition.c. Track a "Value Moment" event: The same documentation suggests tracking a key action that represents when users get value from your product. For a messaging app, this could be "Message Sent" or "Conversation Started".d. Use server-side tracking: The What to Track documentation strongly recommends server-side tracking: "If you want to make sure the data you're collecting is accurate, you'll want to do most of your tracking server-side."By following these practices, you'll have a more reliable and meaningful way to track user flow for registered users, rather than relying on the First App Open event.For analyzing user flows, you can use Mixpanel's Flows report, which allows you to "identify the most frequent paths taken by users to or from any event" and "understand how your users sequentially perform events in your product."Remember, the key is to define and track events that are meaningful to your specific user journey, rather than relying on automatically tracked events that may not accurately represent your registered users' behavior.
kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.
ℹ️ Tip: Mention @kapa.ai in the thread for follow-ups or DM the app for 1-to-1 help.
kapa.ai
APP
·
·
Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! 📚
kapa.ai
APP
·
·
You're absolutely correct. For tracking user flow for registered users, you should not use the First App Open event. Let me reiterate and clarify why: 1. First App Open limitations: As mentioned in the Mixpanel SDKs: iOS (Swift) documentation, the First App Open event ($ae_first_open) is part of Mixpanel's legacy automatically tracked events. The documentation explicitly states: "We don't recommend enabling this, as these events rely on client-side state and can be unreliable."2. Better approach for registered users: Instead of using First App Open, you should focus on custom events and proper user identification for tracking registered users' flow. Here's what you should do: a. User Identification: As per the Identifying Users (Original) documentation, you should: - Call .identify() upon registration/login or when an app is re-opened in a logged-in state. - This ensures that all events in the session are tracked with the user's identifier.b. Custom Events: Create and track custom events that are relevant to your registered users' journey. For example, "User Logged In", "Profile Viewed", or specific actions within your app.c. Flows Report: Use Mixpanel's Flows report to analyze the user flow. This report allows you to "identify the most frequent paths taken by users to or from any event." You can use it to understand how your registered users navigate through your app after logging in.By using this approach, you'll get a more accurate and meaningful representation of your registered users' behavior and flow through your app. This method aligns with Mixpanel's best practices and will provide you with more reliable and actionable insights about your registered users' behavior.
kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.
ℹ️ Tip: Mention @kapa.ai in the thread for follow-ups or DM the app for 1-to-1 help.