> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vortexiq.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # New vs Returning Users, PostHog > New vs Returning Users for PostHog stores. Tracked live in Vortex IQ Nerve Centre. How to read it, why it matters, and how to act on it. **Card class:** [Non-Hero](/nerve-centre/overview#card-classes-explained) • **Category:** [Analytics](/nerve-centre/connectors#connectors-by-type) ## At a glance > **New vs Returning Users** is a retention metric tracked from PostHog data. It splits your active audience into first-time visitors and people who have been seen before, shown as a share of the whole. The balance is a direct read on where your growth comes from: a store leaning heavily on new users is acquisition-driven and fragile, while a healthy returning share means the audience you paid to acquire keeps coming back. | | | | --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **What it counts** | The split of active users into new and returning, shown by share, for the period. | | **Sample type** | Backend API data from PostHog, derived from first-seen versus prior-seen users on the standard data refresh. | | **Why it matters** | The new-to-returning balance tells you whether growth is durable. Too few returning users means every month starts from scratch. | | **Reading the value** | Read the two shares. A rising returning share usually signals improving loyalty and retention. | | **Currency** | count | | **Time window** | `30D` | | **Alert trigger** | `-` | | **Sentiment key** | `ph_new_vs_returning` | | **Roles** | owner, marketing | ## Calculation Calculated automatically from your PostHog data. See the At a glance summary above for what the metric tracks and the worked example below for a typical reading. ## Worked example *A representative reading of **New vs Returning Users** for a typical merchant on PostHog.* Suppose the donut shows 68% new and 32% returning over 30 days. After a post-purchase email programme launched on 20 Mar 26, the returning share climbs to 41% while total active users hold steady. That shift means the same traffic is now producing more repeat visits, a healthier mix even without more acquisition spend. Cross-reference D30 Retention and Stickiness to confirm the returning users are genuinely sticking. 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 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------- | | [`pos_new_users`](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/posthog/new-users) | Audience sibling: count of new users. | | [`pos_returning_users`](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/posthog/returning-users) | Audience sibling: count of returning users. | | [`ph_retention_d30`](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/posthog/d30-retention) | Retention sibling: 30-day return rate. | | [`ph_stickiness`](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/posthog/stickiness-daumau) | Retention sibling: DAU as a share of MAU. | | [`ph_mau`](/nerve-centre/kpi-cards/posthog/monthly-active-users) | Executive sibling: monthly active base. | ## Reconciling against the vendor's own dashboard **Where to look in PostHog's own dashboard:** In PostHog, a trend insight broken down by the new-versus-returning user property gives this split. Align the date range and any filters with the Vortex IQ profile. PostHog decides "new" by first-seen date, so a user is new only on their first appearance. **Why the Vortex IQ value may legitimately differ:** | Reason | Direction | What to do | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------- | ----------------------------- | | **New definition.** "New" is based on first-seen date; identity merges can reclassify users. | Variable | Allow for identity stitching. | | **Window length.** A longer window reduces the new share as more users become returning. | Variable | Match the window length. | | **Filter scope.** Channel or device filters change the mix. | Variable | Align the filters. | **Cross-connector reconciliation:** complement with sibling cards in the same category for the full diagnostic picture. For divergence investigations, use Vortex Mind. ## Known limitations / merchant FAQs **Q: How often does New vs Returning Users update?** The card refreshes on the standard data refresh (typically every 30-60 minutes for live integrations). For real-time signals, force a manual refresh from the dashboard. **Q: What counts as a returning user?** A user whose first-seen date is before the current period and who is active again within it. PostHog tracks first-seen at the person level, so a returning user has appeared at least once before. **Q: Is a high new share bad?** Not on its own. Fast-growing stores naturally skew new. It becomes a concern when the returning share never builds, which means acquisition is not converting into loyalty. **Q: Can I customise the alert threshold?** Yes, sensitivity thresholds are configurable per profile in the Sensitivity tab. Adjust to match your business baseline rather than relying on the generic default. *** ### Tracked live in Vortex IQ Nerve Centre *New vs Returning Users* is one of hundreds of KPI pulses Vortex IQ tracks across PostHog and 70+ other ecommerce connectors. Nerve Centre runs the detection layer; Vortex Mind investigates the cause when something moves; Ask Viq lets you interrogate any number in plain English. [Start for free](https://app.vortexiq.ai/login) or [book a demo](https://www.vortexiq.ai/contact-us) to see this metric running on your own data.