Analytics Setup Checklist

Who this checklist is for

Micro SaaS founders who want to understand how users use their product and make data-informed decisions.

When to use it

• Before launching your MVP
• When adding major features
• When you want to improve conversion rates
• When you need to validate product-market fit

Step-by-step checklist

Basic analytics

• Set up Google Analytics 4
• Add page view tracking on all pages
• Configure traffic source tracking
• Set up conversion goals (signups, purchases)
• Monitor bounce rate and time on site
• Set up custom dimensions for user segments

Event tracking

• Track signup events with user details
• Track login/logout events
• Track key product actions (upload, generate, submit)
• Track feature usage and adoption
• Track checkout and payment events
• Track errors and failed actions

Funnel tracking

• Define core user journey funnels
• Track landing page → signup conversion
• Track signup → first value conversion
• Track first value → paid conversion
• Identify drop-off points in each funnel
• Set up alerts for major funnel drops

User journey

• Define user segments (new vs returning, free vs paid)
• Track daily active users (DAU)
• Track monthly active users (MAU)
• Set up retention cohort analysis
• Track feature adoption rates
• Track time-to-value metrics

Privacy & compliance

• Update privacy policy to mention analytics
• Add cookie consent banner if required
• Anonymize IP addresses where needed
• Respect Do Not Track settings
• Ensure GDPR/CCPA compliance if applicable
• Avoid storing unnecessary PII

Reporting & alerts

• Set up weekly summary reports
• Configure important metric alerts
• Create a key metrics dashboard
• Schedule regular analytics reviews
• Document what success looks like
• Set up error alerting for critical issues

Common mistakes

• Tracking too many events without clear purpose
• Not setting up conversion funnels early
• Forgetting privacy and cookie compliance
• Not reviewing analytics regularly
• Only tracking vanity metrics
• No action plan for insights

Verification steps

• Page views showing in real-time analytics
• Custom events firing correctly in debug mode
• Conversion funnels showing user progress
• Privacy consent banner working on all pages
• Dashboard showing real user activity
• Alerts trigger on critical errors or drops

Related ideas

• Any micro SaaS idea benefits from analytics
• AI PDF SaaS
• AI Resume Builder
• Calculator Website

Related build kits

• All Next.js SaaS build kits

Related fixes

• None yet