In funnels, when should I use the First time ever filter?

Hi Yael A., Please stand by as I search the Mixpanel knowledge base for an AI-powered answer. I normally take about 15 seconds or so. In case AI cannot answer your question, feel free to reach out to Mixpanel support at mixpanel.com/get-support. If you have follow-up questions for this thread, please tag me again with your question: @kapa.ai <follow-up question> 👋

The First Time Ever filter in Mixpanel funnels is useful when you want to analyze the behavior of users performing an event for the very first time. According to the Mixpanel documentation, this filter helps answer questions such as:1. How many users sign up or perform another key event for the first time each week? 2. Which referrers do most first-time users come from? 3. How quickly do users make a purchase after their first time engaging with the app? 4. How well do users retain after performing a key event for the first time? 5. What events do users perform before and after making their first purchase?You should use the First Time Ever filter when you want to focus on the initial interactions of users with your product or specific features. This can provide valuable insights into the onboarding process, first-time user experience, and how new users convert through your funnel.It's important to note that Mixpanel computes this filter on-the-fly by scanning each user's history to determine if this was the first instance of the event performed by the user, based on timestamp.When analyzing first-time users, you can gain insights that may not be apparent when looking at all users simultaneously. For example, you might discover user experience issues specific to new users or identify opportunities to improve the onboarding process Learn to Use Mixpanel: Tracking First Time Users.Remember that when there's a tie in the timestamps of the first event (e.g., the user does multiple first-time Purchases in the same second), all of those events will be considered the "first time" and will match the filter.

ℹ️ Tip: Mention @kapa.ai in the thread for follow-ups or DM the app for 1-to-1 help.

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! 📚

Based on your question, it seems you're trying to analyze a specific part of your signup flow using Mixpanel's funnel analysis. Let's address your concern about users going back and forth between screens and how to measure unique users progressing through your funnel.In this case, using the "First time ever" filter on the first step (the home screen) is not the best approach for your specific scenario. Here's why:1. The "First time ever" filter is primarily used to analyze the very first time a user performs an event, which is not what you're looking for in this case Analyzing First Time Users.2. Your goal is to measure unique users who progress from the home screen to the verification screen, regardless of whether it's their first time or not.Instead, I recommend using the following approach:1. Set up your funnel with the two screen events: home screen (Step 1) and verification screen (Step 2).2. Use the "Unique" counting method in your funnel settings. This will ensure that you're counting unique users rather than total occurrences of the events Mixpanel Funnels documentation.3. Set an appropriate conversion window that allows for users to go back and forth between screens. The default is usually 30 days, but you can adjust this based on your typical user behavior Conversion Window.4. Use the "Specific Order" setting for your funnel. This allows users to perform other actions (like going back to the home screen) as long as they eventually complete the funnel steps in order Ordering.By setting up your funnel this way, you'll be able to see how many unique users visited the home screen and eventually progressed to the verification screen, even if they went back and forth between the screens multiple times.Remember, Mixpanel's funnel analysis is flexible and allows for users to engage in other actions between funnel steps, as long as they complete all the funnel steps in order Mixpanel Funnels FAQ.This approach will give you a more accurate picture of user progression through your signup flow, accounting for the back-and-forth behavior you described.

ℹ️ Tip: Mention @kapa.ai in the thread for follow-ups or DM the app for 1-to-1 help.