At a glance
Biggest Funnel Step Drop-off identifies the single step in your primary Mixpanel funnel that loses the largest share of users between one stage and the next. Where the overall funnel rate tells you how well the whole journey converts, this card tells you exactly where the journey leaks worst. Mixpanel computes step-to-step conversion for each transition, and this card surfaces the weakest link. As a Hero card it points your attention straight at the one fix likely to move conversion the most. A step crossing a heavy drop threshold is a strong signal of friction, a confusing screen, or a broken transition.
| What it counts | The step transition with the largest percentage of users lost between two consecutive funnel stages, expressed as the drop-off at that step. |
| Sample type | Backend API data from Mixpanel Funnels, derived from step-to-step conversion across the ordered funnel. |
| Why it matters | The worst step is where you lose the most potential buyers. Fixing it usually moves overall conversion more than any other single change. |
| Reading the value | The card shows the step and its drop-off as a horizontal bar. A larger bar means a heavier loss at that transition; the named step is where to focus. |
| Currency | percent |
| Time window | 30D |
| Alert trigger | any step >40% drop |
| Sentiment key | mix_funnel_dropoff |
| Roles | owner, marketing |
Calculation
Vortex IQ reads your primary Mixpanel funnel and computes the step-to-step conversion for every transition over a rolling 30-day window. For each pair of consecutive steps it works out the share of users who reached the first step but did not advance to the next, which is the drop-off at that transition. The card then surfaces the step with the largest drop-off, the funnel’s weakest link, and shows it as a horizontal bar. The alert latches when any step loses more than 40% of the users who reached it. Because Mixpanel enforces step order, the drop-off reflects genuine sequential loss rather than users who simply never started the journey.Worked example
A representative reading of Biggest Funnel Step Drop-off for a typical merchant on Mixpanel. Say the funnel runs Product Viewed, Add to Cart, Begin Checkout, Purchase, and for the 30 days to 14 Jun 26 the heaviest drop is Begin Checkout to Purchase at 47%, crossing the 40% alert line. The other transitions lose under 30% each, so the bar for this step is clearly the longest. You open the funnel in Mixpanel, break the step down by device, and find mobile users are dropping far harder than desktop after a recent payment-form change broke the mobile keypad for card entry. You roll back the form change, and the Begin Checkout to Purchase drop eases back below 40% within days, lifting the overall funnel rate with it. For deeper investigation, use Vortex Mind to trace upstream causes; for natural-language exploration, ask Ask Viq.Sibling cards merchants should reference together
| Card | Why merchants reach for it |
|---|---|
mix_funnel_conversion | The end-to-end rate this worst step is dragging down. |
mix_funnel_time_to_convert | Shows whether the heavy step is slow as well as leaky, hinting at hesitation versus a hard block. |
mix_alert_conversion_drop | Fires fast when a worsening step pulls the whole funnel down within a day. |
mix_flows_conversion_path_share | Shows how the leak at this step reduces the share of paths reaching purchase. |
mix_funnel_conversion_by_segment | Breaks the drop down by segment to find who is leaking hardest at the step. |
Reconciling against Mixpanel
Where to look in Mixpanel’s own dashboard: Open Funnels, select your primary funnel, set the window to the last 30 days, and read the step-to-step conversion shown between each pair of stages. Mixpanel labels each transition with the percentage that advanced and the percentage that dropped; the largest drop should match the step named on the card. Breaking the funnel down by device or segment in the same view is the fastest way to find what is driving the loss. Why the Vortex IQ value may legitimately differ:| Reason | Direction | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Conversion window. A longer window lets more users advance, shrinking the apparent drop. | Vortex IQ drop higher or lower | Match the conversion window between the card and your funnel. |
| Step definition. Inserting or merging steps changes which transition is worst. | Reorders the ranking | Use the same ordered steps when comparing. |
| Counting basis. Unique users versus sessions changes each step’s denominator. | Either direction | Confirm both count on the same basis. |