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    Onboarding Survey

    An onboarding survey collects feedback from new customers (or employees) during the first 30-90 days to identify activation friction and predict retention.

    Onboarding surveys are the single highest-leverage CX program for SaaS because the first 30 days determine 60-80% of long-term retention outcomes. Typical structure: a Day-3 micro-survey ('How's setup going so far?'), a Day-14 activation check ('What's blocking you?'), and a Day-30 satisfaction + early NPS pulse. Employee onboarding follows a similar cadence: Day 7, Day 30, Day 90. Best-in-class onboarding programs trigger closed-loop intervention (CSM call, in-app help, personalized email) within 24 hours of any score below threshold.

    Example

    A SaaS deploys a Day-14 onboarding survey: 5 questions, 90-second median completion, 41% response rate (well above Refiner's 27.5% benchmark thanks to in-app placement). Detractors at Day-14 are 3.2× more likely to churn by Day-90.

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    Related terms

    Pulse Survey

    A pulse survey is a short, frequent survey (3-5 questions) used to track sentiment over time.

    In-App Survey

    An in-app survey is a short survey delivered inside a digital product, typically triggered by user behavior or milestone events.

    Net Promoter Score (NPS)

    Net Promoter Score (NPS) measures customer loyalty by asking how likely customers are to recommend a product or service on a 0-10 scale.

    Customer Effort Score (CES)

    Customer Effort Score (CES) measures how much effort a customer expended to complete a specific interaction, typically on a 7-point agree/disagree scale.

    Voice of Customer (VoC)

    Voice of Customer (VoC) is a systematic program for collecting, analyzing, and acting on customer feedback across every touchpoint and channel.

    Customer Journey Mapping

    Customer journey mapping is the practice of visualizing the end-to-end experience a customer has with a brand across stages, touchpoints, channels, and emotions.