kapa.ai How can I do bounded vs unbounded retention?

In Mixpanel, you can choose between bounded (also called "On" retention) and unbounded (also called "On or After" retention) in the Retention report. Here's how to use both:

"On" retention calculates the percentage of users who come back on a specific time unit (day, week, month). Users must return exactly on that specific time unit to be counted as retained.

For example, day 5 retention shows the percentage of users who came back exactly on the fifth day after they did the initial action.

"On or After" retention calculates the percentage of users who come back on a specific time unit or any time afterward. This is the default calculation in Mixpanel's Retention report.

To switch between these retention types: 1. Go to the Retention report 2. Under "Retention Criteria" in the advanced menu, you can select either: - "On" for bounded retention - "On or After" for unbounded retention (default)

- Unbounded retention works well as the inverse of your overall churn and gives you a better sense of how long you're holding onto users in an absolute sense. It's recommended for most businesses where users don't need to come back in each time unit to achieve value. Mixpanel Community: Top posts from 2021

- Bounded retention is useful for understanding high-level usage patterns and is recommended when your product relies on users returning in each and every time unit. Retention: Measure engagement over time

You can also watch Mixpanel's video explanation of the two retention calculations for more details: Learn to Use Mixpanel: The 2 retention calculations explained

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