Analyzing User Engagement: App Opens vs. Sign-Ups

kapa.ai I have created the report that tracks the number of users who open my app for the first time (used $ae_first_open event) and the number of users who actually sign up. Results: the number of users who do first app open is lower then the number of users who actually sign up? Please, explain

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kapa.ai
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kapa.ai
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This situation—where the number of users who trigger the $ae_first_open event is lower than the number of users who sign up—can occur due to several reasons related to how events are tracked and reported in Mixpanel: 1. Event Trigger Timing Differences: The $ae_first_open event is triggered when the Mixpanel SDK loads and detects the app being opened for the first time on a device. If a user signs up before this event is triggered (for example, if the sign-up process is initiated via a webview or another method before the SDK loads), the sign-up event may be recorded without a corresponding $ae_first_open event for that user. Additionally, if the SDK fails to initialize or is blocked (e.g., by network issues or ad blockers), the $ae_first_open event may not be sent, but the sign-up event could still be tracked via another method or backend system. This is a common source of discrepancies between different event counts in Mixpanel reports see: Data Discrepancies.2. Client-Side vs. Server-Side Tracking: If your sign-up event is tracked server-side (e.g., via an API call) and $ae_first_open is tracked client-side, users who block client-side tracking (due to ad blockers, privacy settings, or SDK initialization issues) may not trigger $ae_first_open but will still be counted as sign-ups. This can lead to more sign-ups than first app opens see: Ad Blockers and Do Not Track Settings.3. Event Definition Differences: The definition of "first app open" may differ between systems or implementations. For example, $ae_first_open is retriggered if the user reinstalls the app or clears local storage, but if a user signs up on a different device or after reinstalling, the events may not align as expected see: Legacy Automatically Tracked Events.4. Data Filtering and Timeframes: Ensure that both events are being analyzed over the same time frame, with the same filters and user identification logic. Differences in filters, time zones, or user ID management can cause discrepancies in reported numbers see: Debugging Discrepancies.Summary:
It is not uncommon to see more sign-ups than first app opens due to differences in how and when events are tracked, especially if you are mixing client-side and server-side tracking or if there are issues with SDK initialization or event delivery. To debug further, compare the user IDs for both events, check your tracking implementation, and ensure consistent event definitions and timeframes across your reports.If you need to establish a source of truth, consider implementing server-side tracking for both events, as it is generally more reliable and less prone to client-side issues see: Debugging Discrepancies.
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Analyzing User Engagement: App Opens vs. Sign-Ups | Mixpanel Community