Skip to content
Planet RoadmapPlanet Roadmap
Sign InGet Started
Glossary
Product concepts

What is User Journey?

A User Journey is a visual timeline or map that tracks every touchpoint a customer has with a product or service. It captures the steps users take to complete a goal, identifying their emotional state, pain points, and opportunities for improvement at each stage. By documenting these interactions, teams can better understand the user's perspective and optimize the overall experience.

When to use it

Use a user journey when designing new features or trying to improve retention in an existing product. It helps teams identify where users are getting stuck or experiencing friction, such as during the onboarding flow or when moving from a trial to a paid subscription. This map ensures the product team solves actual user problems rather than just building requested features in isolation.

Example

A B2B SaaS team is trying to improve their 'first-mile' experience for new users in Q3. They map out the journey from the moment a user signs up to when they invite their first team member, which they've identified as the 'aha moment.' Through this process, they discover that 40% of users drop off at the email verification step because it takes too long to arrive. By visualizing this journey, the team prioritizes a 'skip for now' option and a social login integration to reduce initial friction.

How Planet Roadmap helps with User Journey

Planet Roadmap has a public feedback portal that lets you collect and categorize user pain points from different stages of their experience. These insights can be linked to items in the Kanban view to prioritize improvements that reduce friction in the user journey.

Try Planet Roadmap free

FAQ

How is a user journey different from a user flow?
A user flow is a technical diagram focusing on the specific paths and screens a user navigates through an interface. A user journey is broader, focusing on the user's emotions, motivations, and overall experience across multiple touchpoints, often including interactions outside the app like emails or support calls.
Should I map the current journey or the ideal future journey?
Start by mapping the 'As-Is' journey to identify existing friction and pain points based on real data. Once you understand current failures, you can create a 'To-Be' journey to visualize the improved experience you intend to build, which serves as a guide for your product roadmap.

Related terms

User PersonaJobs to Be DoneFeedback PortalMinimum Viable Product (MVP)Time to ValueChurnActivationRetentionUser Story

Read more

Build your roadmap with Planet Roadmap

One workspace for feedback, roadmap, project management, and OKRs — flat-rate pricing, no credit card required.

Try Planet Roadmap Free