Creating an Event tracking plan for your product
An Event tracking plan is a structured document that lists down all the user interactions that need to be tracked, along with the data to be sent with each interaction.
An Event tracking plan is a structured document that lists down all the user interactions that need to be tracked, along with the data to be sent with each interaction.
In Mixpanel, user interactions are called events, & data sent with them are called properties.
Follow the steps below to create a great tracking plan.
Scope Your Data Detail Level
Resist the urge to track everything. Instead, consider what data will inform your analysis and decision-making processes.
You can always expand your tracking later based on specific needs.
Example
For a one-page form submission, you might initially track the "Submit form" action. If you notice significant drop-offs, you can later capture more granular interactions, like field entries.
Naming Conventions and Casing
Decide whether your event naming will focus on actions (e.g., "clicking on sign up button") or outcomes (e.g., "landed on sign up page").
Consistency in naming and casing (like camelCase) is key to maintaining clarity and usability in your data.
Structure Your Events Wisely
Your event structure should simplify, not complicate, your data analysis. Avoid creating multiple events for similar actions. Instead, use a single event with properties to differentiate actions, and vice-versa.
To give you an example:
For an e-commerce app, track "view product" with properties indicating which product was viewed, rather than separate events for each product viewed.
For a SaaS with distinct features, use separate events for each feature to capture detailed usage data, rather than a single event for all features.
In summary, if the actions can be classified under a single bucket, send a single event. Else, use multiple events.
Drafting the Tracking Plan
A well-designed tracking plan outlines what to track and the data to collect. Here’s how to organize your plan:
Event Trigger: Describe when the event should fire, such as "When a user completes their sign up."
Event Name: Specify the event name, like "Sign_up completed."
Properties/Data: List the data to accompany the event, such as user email and sign-up method.
Property Type: Identify if it’s an event, super, or profile property. Read more about it here.
Example Values: Provide examples for clarity, aiding implementation.
Data Type: Denote the type of data for each property, such as strings for emails and sign-up methods.
Check out this sample tracking plan to see a practical application of the above.
Best Practices for a Robust Tracking Plan
Utilize super and profile properties to enrich your data.
Prioritize events that provide actionable insights, avoiding excessive granularity.
Organize your tracking plan to mirror your product's flow for easier implementation and analysis.
Ensure event descriptions are clear and concise.
Maintain consistency in naming conventions.
Refer here to read about all the steps involved in a Mixpanel setup.
Hope this was helpful. If you’re looking for any help on the mixpanel setup, feel free to reach out using any of the below methods.
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